Boxing as an exercise is one of the most complete total body workouts you can get. It’s become a popular way to stay in shape for people of all ages. In the age of mobile apps, the PunchLab boxing workout wrist tracker takes it to the next level of enjoyment and information. I had the chance to test them out and I was surprised at the setup and what the app offers.
What are PunchLab Wrist Trackers?
PunchLab is a Boxing workout app that offers “freestyle” workouts and Instructor lead workouts. The wrist trackers themselves are Bluetooth motion sensors. As you Punch the trackers will detect the motion and relay that information to your mobile app. There are two trackers. One wrist tracker goes on your left hand and the other on your left hand. The trackers are slightly bigger than a quarter and color coded to reflect Left and Right.
What I love about the PunchLab Boxing app and Wrist Trackers
First and foremost, the trackers are small enough to fit under your boxing gloves comfortably. They also don’t require a punching bag to work. So hitting the heavy bag or shadow boxing will both register punches in the app. The PunchLab app uses badges and to keep you motivated and consistent with your workouts. You’ll get a badges for completing your first workout, hitting punch stats mile stones, and participating in the in app forum community.
Other great things about the app is the information that you’ll get after your workout. The Boxing punch trackers gather information during the workout and tell you how man punches you’ve thrown, calories burned, and power level of the punches. You’ll get a breakdown of all three stats per round as well as your averages for that workout. If you decide to use the “Freestyle” mode, you’ll be able to set the duration of each round, the number of rounds, and the rest time between rounds.
Setting up your PunchLab Wrist Tracker
Setup is as easy as it gets. Open your app and select your workout. You’ll be asked if you want to use your wrist trackers or your bag tracker. Just use the slider to select the desired tracker and you’ll be prompted to connect them via Bluetooth. Hold the triangle on the tracker to power them on. Make sure your phones Bluetooth function is on. The PunchLab app will detect the wrist trackers and connect automatically. You’ll see both shown on your smartphone screen and the power level below. Now slip the trackers in to the wrist straps provided. Throwing a punch to start the countdown and start your workout.
Very Important to Know: If you do not purchase the wrist trackers through the app you will not have the ability to connect the PunchLab Wrist Trackers in the app. You will need to Email them through the app and request the feature be unlocked. Just let them know you got the trackers as a gift.
What PunchLabs can improve on
I was very shocked when I couldn’t connect my trackers without contacting customer support. I understand why the feature is locked, but it would have been nice if there was some warning. If I knew it was preferred that the trackers get purchased directly from them I could have saved myself a day of waiting.
I also was a bit disappointed that punch stats are grouped together instead of individualized. I would have loved to get my right hand stats and left hand stats separately. The information would help someone gauge the imbalance in punching power and frequency when training.
What you’ll get
Current price is $99. In the box you’ll get 2 Trackers, 2 wrist straps, 1 charging box, 1 Micro USB cable.