Nintendo Fit Meter - Nintendo Wii U

tracks steps pretty decently, good purchase for wii fit

This is a tough review because, frankly, the Fit Meter itself is not a great product. It's a big, unwieldy step meter that's really just a reused plastic slab with an LCD screen and a pedometer that originally came with an old Pokemon title. Compared to my Fitbit One (or Fitbit Force, or any other fitness meter out there), it's really quite bad. Then again, it's also much, much cheaper, so it's not really fair to compare it to those. That said, this Fit Meter is actually a lot more than just a weirdly big piece of plastic--it also includes a FULL GAME with it (if you already own a Wii Balance Board)! A ton of people bought Wii Fit on the original Wii and have a Wii Fit Balance Board somewhere in their garage or closet (or maybe you still use it!). Well, if you have one and you buy the Nintendo Fit Meter, you'll be able to "unlock" Wii Fit U on your Wii U and get full access to the whole game! As far as how the meter itself works, it does a reasonably good job tracking steps (though it is consistently much lower than what my Fitbit tells me I've done). When you start up Wii Fit U with the Meter synced up, you just point the Meter at the Wii U game pad and it sends its data to Wii Fit U. The game then adds on your calories burned and exercise from the day to its tracking! Pretty fantastic. As for Wii Fit U (which basically comes with this device), it's great. It includes all the great stuff from Wii Fit but then adds a lot more. The new events and exercises are good. They put a lot of thought into the whole "second screen" aspect so that you can do Wii Fit exercises using the second screen while you have the TV on in the background. So, for example, you can do a 30 minute step exercise on Wii Fit U using only the second screen while you watch an episode of whatever on your TV. Another feature that's pretty cool is the ability to "join a gym", which are maintained over Miiverse. You'll be able to see everyone else in the gym and share messages of encouragement with them as you play. Very good for people who thrive with encouragement and a team effort. The last thing about Wii Fit U I want to mention is that they added a whole new set of exercises called "Dances". They are pretty much what you'd think they are--"dancing" to music with particular styles. It sounds silly, but it can be a lot of fun (I'm a particular fan of the "Locking" dances). So all in all, despite the Fit Meter itself being a fairly cheap pedometer that's an inconvenient shape and size, ultimately the whole package (including Wii Fit U) is a fantastic value. I highly recommend Wii Fit U (and the best way to get it if you already have a Wii Fit Balance Board is to buy a Fit Meter)! So all that for $19.99! And let me emphasize that price--$19.99! Do *NOT* pay more than that here, because I've seen independent sellers hocking it for $30 or more, and that is well above list price!

This is a must have if you own Wii Fit U. It is the only fitness tracker (to date) that will sync with the fitness program and it is actually pretty good. Nintendo's no-frill Fit Meter has a simple and elegant design. It has a diameter of about 2x that of a quarter and the thickness of about 2/3-3/4 of a stack of playing cards. The device is extremely light, has a nice, sturdy clip on the back and only three buttons on the front. There is NO BACKLIGHT but THAT'S OKAY because it needs to conserve power. When not in use the screen remains blank. With just the tap and hold (about 3 sec) of the middle button you will activate the main display with your Mii image, calories burned and variety of additional info on the bottom (time, temp, steps, calorie goal, elevation). The left and right buttons will toggle the info on the bottom while the center button, if held down when the game requests a sync, will transfer data to the Wii U console. If pressed quickly the center button can take you through your METs graph, altitude, weekly calories, and settings for contrast and volume. I highly suggest you immediately turn the volume off on any Fit Meters you purchase. If you opt to leave the sound activated the device will provide you with periodic alerts. It is not a pleasant noise. Using the Fit Meter in Wii Fit U is extremely simple. By default you should be prompted to sync or set up a Fit Meter when starting the software. The data syncs is seconds and gives you a more complete picture of your daily physical activity when combined with your Wii Fit U accomplishments. It also enables you to enter Fit Meter challenges that use your altitude and steps and to run you through a variety of digital courses. Additionally, you can put two Fit Meters together and press and hold the center button as if you were syncing them to get info from a friend's Fit Meter. The device only holds about a week or so of data but it is fun, simple and fast to sync it to the Wii U and, if you are really serious about your fitness, you should be doing it just about every other day. The black/silver is a nice color combo but it is also available in other colors. Finally, a replaceable battery and a $10 price point further sweetens the deal. Don't miss out on the full Wii Fit U experience. Get yourself a Fit Meter ASAP!!!

I'll start by just saying if you're looking for the best pedometer, this isn't for you. If you're looking for the cheapest pedometer, this isn't for you. If you didn't like the original Wii Fit or Wii Fit Plus, this isn't for you. Because the real value of this is that by registering this with Wii Fit U, you unlock the full unlimited version of the software. And I really like Wii Fit U, so it was worth it just to consider that game a $20 purchase, which is a really good price for a new-release game. Wii Fit U is basically an extension of Wii Fit (Plus). It's finally in HD and comes with most of the games and exercises of the previous games. But there are also a bunch of new games, exercises, dances, workouts, and features on top of that. And I paid much more for the previous, less feature-filled games. Now onto the Fit Meter itself. You don't have to enter a code or anything to sync it, you just aim its infrared sensor at the sensor on the Wii U Pad. It transfers your Mii face and info over to it without any setup or interaction required. Super easy. It keeps track of your steps (obviously), calories burned, altitude, temperature, weekly calories burned, METs (intensity). Pretty decent amount of data for a small gadget. And at any time you can sync that data back to your Wii Fit U and it will update your progress and give you credit for your activity outside of the game. There are various tracks in the game you can choose from to make progress towards using your Fit Meter data. So I picked a 10-ish mile one that moves my Mii along slowly each day as I accumulate about 10 miles worth of distance using the Fit Meter. It actually does motivate me to wear the meter more, just to see this progress continue. I'm actually wearing the meter now, even though I'm just sitting down writing a review. For only twenty bucks, it really is a no-brainer. I might get another one for my wife so we can both compete in our daily activity. Go buy one!

I bought this for my wife in conjunction with our purchase of the new Wii U system. Currently, you can download a 30 day trial of Wii Fit U for free, and if you purchase the Fit Meter, you get to keep the Wii Fit U software for free. As a result, for just $20 (the price of this little gizmo), we were able to upgrade to the new Wii Fit U version. A super deal! The Fit Meter is basically an enhanced pedometer with an altimeter built into it. It helps you keep track of your daily activities without having to "guesstimate" and manually input them into Wii Fit. It also has other functions such as the ability to read ambient temperature. As a pedometer, it's super accurate....as accurate as much more expensive models. There are two reasons why I took off a star from my overall rating. First, this thing was a little finicky during the initial sync-up process with the Wii U. There is an IR sensor which must be lined up PERFECTLY with a corresponding IR sensor on the Wii U's tablet controller. If you don't hold the thing just right, you have to start the sync process all over again. I started to wonder if we'd ever get it to work, but after a few minutes of trying, success! The whole IR sensor thing is weird. Other Wii/Wii U devices sync-up wirelessly with a simple push of a button. After initial sync-up, everything worked seamlessly. My wife's "Mii" face was transferred to the Fit Meter, which was a nice personalized touch. Also, now that everything is sync'd, data transfers wirelessly from the Fit Meter to the Wii U. However, the other issue that my wife has had with the Fit Meter involves the automatic shut-off feature. To conserve the battery, the Fit Meter turns off if it doesn't detect movement after a period of two minutes. There is no option to turn this feature off or extend the two minute timeframe to a longer period. Also, unlike many pedometers, the Fit Meter it will not automatically turn back on if it senses new movement. So, don't expect this thing to count your steps at work or at home. It kept shutting itself off while my wife was doing semi-stationary things like preparing dinner and washing dishes. It also turned itself off while she was standing in line to make a purchase at the mall. Because of that, it failed to record more than two hours of active walking while she continued to shop. That said, it works perfectly for workouts like long uninterrupted runs and walks. Frankly, I think the Wii Fit software is more interested in quantitative EXERCISE than steps taken during mundane daily activities. However, if you like tracking your actual steps throughout the course of the day, this thing won't do it unless you're constantly checking to make sure it hasn't powered off.

Love/hate relationship with these things, really. I purchased Wii Fit U in January as a means to keep me motivated. It's worked beautifully. And the fit meter that came with it has served me well. I have it on daily. Digging the added bonus of uploading your step data to the game to see your accomplishments is a cool, fun way to connect the two. I like it so much, i convinced my wife to join in. For her, the fit meter has been a nightmare. In 6 months, we've gone through 3 of these things. The first was fell off on her at some point during her daily activities. We bought a second one. That one was put through the wash (my fault). We were certain that it was fried. However, unscrewing the face of the unit and putting the two pieces in a bag of rice to get rid of any extra moisture did the trick! Thank you Nintendo, +1 for durability. Unfortunately, it made the battery die significantly faster. Because Amazon was selling them for so cheap, i figured to just buy a new one. Three months later, Fit Meter #3 fell off her clothes during daily activity again... I rate the Fit Meter a 5 because it really is a great product. There are small inconsistencies with it measuring altitude sometimes, but for a $20 piece of equipment, you can't complain. I am frustrated with the way it attaches to clothing though. Maybe a rubber strip on the clip to further keep it from slipping off would be great, but i don't see Nintendo coming out with a new version of the meter anytime soon.

Once again, Nintendo hits the ball out of the park. I could not imagine using Wii Fit U without this device. It adds so much to the experience, without it, the program would feel like a mere shell of a game. It is basically an activity meter and not merely a pedometer. You wear it on your waist all day either clipped onto your belt or pants or even your underwear if you don't want anyone to see it. It measures slightly under 2 inches in diameter and is slightly under a 1/4 inch thick, so its a small device. As you go throughout your day, it counts your steps, changes in elevation, intensity of your activity, how many calories you burned, it provides the time of day and temperature as well. It also displays your goal (how many calories you wish to burn in a day). It is integrated into the Wii Fit U software and you can sync it with the game as many times in the day as you like - it knows what calories where already synced that day and will only sync new calories burned if you sync it more than once a day. There are fit meter challenges in the game based on the number of steps you have taken over time ... and you receive a new in game T Shirt for your Mii for each challenge you complete. You can view graphs of your daily activities and see how many cals you burned, if you were walking, running, doing light activity, or at rest, if you went up hill or down hill. Because the game itself measures calories while you play it, you do not wear your Fit Meter while exercising in the game. THE FIT METER IS AN OUTSTANDING MOTIVATOR !!! Knowing I am wearing it and that every step counts, I find myself walking more and even doing things like getting off the train 3 stops ahead of my house just to rack up some extra steps and increase my total calories burned in a day. SIMPLY PUT, THIS IS MUST BUY ... without it, Wii Fit U seems pointless. With it, you are more motivated and it makes Wii Fit U your central hub for keeping track of calories burned what ever it is you are doing ... from taking a jog, walking, cleaning, dancing, being at work, or to playing other exercise games .... just wear your Fit Meter then sync it up with Wii Fit U when ever you feel like it. The meter holds a little under a months worth of data so if you are going away on vacation, the meter has you covered there too, just sync it when you get home.

So, I owned this for about two months before I lost it. I'll get to the losing it part in a moment. The "good": For the price, the Wii U Fit meter is pretty nice. It tracks your steps, periods of activity/inactivity and altitude. It syncs with the Wii Fit U software (through the big ol' Wii U gamepad) decently well and you can use the data for neat little challenges (walking or altitude). I say decently because, sometimes, it takes a few tries to sync it - I suspect maybe I was holding the fit meter too close to the gamepad but it's hard to say; the wii says "can't sync. try again?" but doesn't say why it failed. Furthermore, I found it quite a motivating piece of fitness tech. When I wore it, I felt compelled to walk more. Everyday, I felt like I had to 'beat my score' from the day before. Once the Wii Fit U software has created a baseline for your activity and fitness level, the software recommends a daily calories burned goal to help with your fitness progress. It then uploads that data back into the Fit U Meter and off you go. When you complete your daily burn goal, the fit meter chimes/beeps to let you know. The Fit Meter also gets a "copy" of your Mii to display in pixels on the interface. A cute feature to be sure but otherwise doesn't really do much of anything. Now, onto the "bad". First of all, I am not entirely convinced the fit meter is very accurate. My husband and I went for a hike to test if we were getting the same or similar results. On a 2.7 mile hike, it registered that I had over 1000 more steps than he did. On our second trek out, we went 2.1 miles and there was still a difference of 500 steps. So I'm not sure if, because I am shorter than he is, perhaps I do take more steps and that's the reason or if these fit meters are just inaccurate. (Once I get a Fitbit or nike fuel band, I will test it against my husband's fit meter to see). Also, the really, really bad: The Fit meter likes to pop off your waist. I "lost" it about a half dozen times - i.e. it went careening off my belt while doing housework or cooking - just in the first week alone. Both my husband and I became accustomed to this problem pretty quickly, of course, and started religiously checking it to make sure it hadn't worked its way off our belts. Although, I found, sometimes, you get busy doing things and you forget. Well, that's about the time it finds a way to pop off - and for me, that was in a public place - and get lost. So, a $20 piece of tech is lost somewhere out there in the world. I am left feeling a bit disappointed and angry at myself but, at the same time, I think something like this should stay in place or at least have some sort of lanyard you can hook up to your belt loops in case it does pop off. Unless you want to babysit this thing all day to make sure it stays in place, I'd recommend looking into another fitness tracker. I certainly won't be purchasing another one!