Working out is all well and good, but if your ultimate goal is fitness or, more specifically, weight loss, then you need some baseline measurements. Regular exercise can help reduce your blood pressure, and the $129 Withings blood pressure cuff is an elegant way to track such medical metrics. The white cuff, which comes with a battery-powered pump housed in a metal cylinder that is attached to the cuff, connects to your iPhone and takes your measurements with the tap of an onscreen button.
The $159 WiFi scale is even sweeter. Stand on it in the morning, and it displays your weight, BMI and total body fat in pounds, then sends that data wirelessly to your smartphone. (It also sends the data to the Fitbit website, which you can link to your Withings account.) You can view a graph of your changing weight and blood pressure each day on your iPhone screen. Both Withings products worked seamlessly and looked beautiful.
For me, the daily weigh-ins were a humbling experience and helped keep me honest after rationalizing away certain culinary indulgences the night before. Which reminds me, it’s time for my next workout.