NSC Careeach Smart Bracelet Review
National Steps Challenge have begun! From 29th September, you can collect a free step tracker from the National Steps Challenge roadshow if you are a Singaporean aged 18+ and have not collect the free tracker from past seasons.
There are four different step trackers given out this season and the one I collected is known as the Careeach Smart Bracelet. How well can it track steps? Should you queue up for one or just buy a regular fitness band? Let's begin with the review.
Unboxing & First Impression - Far From Impressed
The Careeach Smart Bracelet comes in a white box that is only slightly taller than the Mi Band 2's. On the box is the Careeach branding, a company that you probably have never heard of. You can find their website here.
Notice that there isn't any proper name for the product on the box, only the words "Smart Bracelet". Searching online, I could not find any information regarding the product. In the Health 365 app, the band is simply known as the Careeach.
Opening the box, we find the band sitting in a plastic container, as well as an instruction manual. Just like the Lifesense Band 2 which I recently reviewed, the Careeach uses a USB connector hidden beneath the strap for charging. Nice.
There is only one word to describe the Careeach and that is cheap. Despite looking a lot like the Lifesense Band 2, this feels like it costs 10 times less to produce. In fact, it is so bad I would wear the original Mi Band over this any day. That says a lot about the build quality.
Design & Build Quality - Same Same But Different
As mentioned earlier, the Careeach is very similar to the Lifesense Band 2 in multiple aspects of design. Both have large displays, but Careeach's is slightly larger, providing more room for a larger font size which many will appreciate.
What ruined the display is its brightness. It is so dim I had to strain my eyes to read it under sunlight and taking a photo of the display in such condition is basically impossible. This is a steep contrast to what we see on Lifesense's Band 2.
Careeach uses a buckle strap, which is more secure than the pin-style strap found on the Mi Band 2 and Lifesense Band 2, but not as convenient. The strap's material also looks a lot like the one found on those two fitness bands, but does not feel as durable and comfortable.
Removing the strap on top reveals a USB connector, just like on the Lifesense Band 2. Unlike the Band 2, there is no mechanism holding the strap in place. Instead, it is held by friction, which meant you have to pull the strap really hard to remove it. REALLY HARD.
The strap's free loop slides around too easily, making it more annoying than helpful. The white diamond-shaped navigation button is an eyesore. About the only thing I like about the design is the lack of bulge at the back, due to the lack of heart rate sensor on this band.
App & Setup - Limited Features & No Customization
The Careeach uses Health Promotion Board's Health 365 app, which is also a reward app to encourage healthy living. Pairing the band to the app is easy. On the app, select "APPS", then choose your step tracker, in this case Careeach.
The app will search for your band and ask you to select the tracker's BFN. (If there are no other Careeach bands around, you should only see one option) You will be prompted to type in the time shown on the Careeach band and within a minute, you are good to go
There is nothing you can do to customize the band from the app. It is only used to check step count and calories burnt. No alarm, no notification, nothing. This is purely a step tracker, which means that it will not track your sleep like fitness trackers do.
Steps Tracking - Shockingly Accurate
How well does the Careeach track the number of steps you take? Since it is a dedicated step tracker, it should be more accurate than budget fitness trackers like the Mi Band 2 right? To find out, we took the Careeach out for a walk.
At walking speed, it performed as well as the Lifesense Band 2 and Mi Band 2, accurately counting my steps even when my hands are not swinging. In fact, it was also more precise than the Lifesense Band 2, which had a bit of inconsistency from time to time.
It is only when you start running the Careeach step tracker outshines affordable fitness bands, which tend to struggle when you go fast. Running 200 steps, the Careeach recorded only one extra step, while the Lifesense Band 2 exceeded by almost 30. Amazing.
Conclusion - Gets The Job Done
If you are trying to compare the Careeach to a proper fitness tracker like a Fitbit, forget about it. The Careeach is and only is a step tracker that also tells time. Its build quality is also really awful. After all, it is free. What do you expect from something that is free?
But the Careeach isn't trying to compete with a proper fitness tracker from Fitbit or Xiaomi. Instead, its purpose is to get more people to go outdoors and move around. For that, it does its job exceptionally well, with very accurate step tracking.
