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Apr 12, 2001
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There are a huge number of wearable activity trackers on the market, but few of those are directed specifically at women, an issue Bellabeat aims to fix with the Leaf. The Leaf is an activity tracker that looks more like a stylish piece of jewelry than a standard tracker from a company like Jawbone, Nike, or Fitbit, disguising itself as a "leaf" accessory able to be worn on the wrist, collar, or neck.

leaf2-800x435.jpg

Like many activity trackers on the market, the Leaf tracks steps taken and sleep quality, but when paired with the app using Bluetooth, it also tracks menstruation and ovulation and it offers guided breathing exercises to reduce stress when worn around the neck, setting it apart from other fitness offerings.

Hardware

As the name suggests, the Leaf is a Leaf-shaped accessory consisting of a stainless steel backing, a wood base (American Ashwood) housing the activity tracker and battery, and a stainless steel leaf-shaped clip that fits over the wooden portion. With the clip, it can be worn on a shirt collar or hem (less than 2mm thick), and with attachments at the top and bottom, it can be attached to a chain and worn around the neck or attached to a leather loop and worn around the wrist. Both the necklace chain and the leather wrist strap ship with the Leaf.

bellabeatcomponents-800x430.jpg

Size wise, the Leaf weighs 0.64 ounces and measures in at 1.89 inches by 1.18 inches and it's a half an inch thick. I am petite with small wrists and it fit on my wrist using the tightest wrap setting. It was comfortable to wear on my wrist, but it looked bulky on me.


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Article Link: Bellabeat Review: The Leaf is a Pretty Activity Tracker, But the Accompanying App Needs Improvement
 
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fruitpunch.ben

macrumors 6502a
Sep 16, 2008
599
174
Surrey, BC
Hi Juli,
I Just wanted to comment and say thanks for the review.
I know sometimes you get a lot of crap for reviewing products from unimaginative people on the forums, but I find your reviews very helpful.
They are very in depth, down to earth to take into account real world usage, and are often of products that other reviews are hard to find.
I was considering this as a gift for my wife, but your review has convinced me to wait for V2, if it comes. I love the styling, but the size (particularly thickness) is too much and the functionality needs work too.
So thanks
 

mijail

macrumors 6502a
Oct 31, 2010
561
137
Interesting how typical it is that a company creates some interesting hardware and then wastes its value with bad software. From oscilloscopes to TVs to monitors to computers to…
 

maknik

macrumors regular
May 17, 2006
173
53
These people are definitely right that there's a strong need here -- I've been looking for something like this for my mother. But this one is way too large, alas, and the idea that my mother (or any regular user) should use a pentalobe screwdriver to replace the batteries every 6 months is amusing. But I hope companies continue to develop in this space.
 

jclo

Managing Editor
Staff member
Dec 7, 2012
1,971
4,305
Hi Juli,
I Just wanted to comment and say thanks for the review.
I know sometimes you get a lot of crap for reviewing products from unimaginative people on the forums, but I find your reviews very helpful.
They are very in depth, down to earth to take into account real world usage, and are often of products that other reviews are hard to find.
I was considering this as a gift for my wife, but your review has convinced me to wait for V2, if it comes. I love the styling, but the size (particularly thickness) is too much and the functionality needs work too.
So thanks

Thanks! Appreciate this. Comments like this are the reason I spend time doing reviews -- they're definitely not easy! I'm looking forward to Leaf iterations in the future. If Bellabeat can make the battery a bit more accessible, clean up the software and cut the size just a bit, they'll have a product that will fill a serous void in the activity tracker market.
 

Regbial

macrumors 6502a
Jul 10, 2010
844
740
What I don't understand how it tracks menstruation and ovulation. A user inputted calendar? hmmm.. I also don't like the bright blue back, but I guess to each their own. Maybe there's different color options?
 

greytmom

macrumors 68040
Jun 23, 2010
3,566
1,002
I'm a woman, and I just have to say that thing is hideous. I would never wear it.
 

jicon

macrumors 6502a
Nov 29, 2004
797
617
Toronto, ON
First thing that comes to mind: Air freshener for the car.

Forget the software, it just looks a bit too clunky to wear, and dependent on the app to get a step count? I'd suggest using a FitBit one clipped on to a pant loop or bra. It isn't fashionable, but I don't think much of anything is in this space..
 
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