Wrist Pedometers

Wrist-monitor pedometers have more functionality than traditional pedometers

One common complaint about traditional pedometers is that they are hard to monitor. Unless the pedometer has a reverse display, you'll have to remove the pedometer from your waist to check your step count. Several pedometers, however, come with wristwatch monitors that allow you to easily keep track of your step totals. These pedometers are more expensive than traditional pedometers, but serious walkers and frequent exercisers may appreciate the convenience and additional functionality.

The Timex Ironman Triathlon Fitness Tracker T5K093 (*Est. $65) receives good reviews in this category. It includes a fitness pod that clips to your waist, which counts your steps and wirelessly transmits the data to the matching watch. The Timex Ironman Triathlon is water-resistant (up to 100 meters) and tracks steps, calories, distance and miles. It displays time, so it can be used as a regular watch, and has interval timers and a backlight for walking at night. The memory can hold up to 100,000 steps -- 10 days' worth of memory if you walk the recommended 10,000 steps a day. Roy Wallack, a long-time gear reviewer and cyclist, reviews the Timex Ironman Triathlon for the Los Angeles Times. He likes having the information on a wristwatch, which he finds easier to use than pedometers that clip to your waist. Prevention magazine also likes the wrist monitor, agreeing that it is easy to keep tabs on your daily steps. The Timex Ironman Triathlon Fitness Tracker is also named Best Pedometer by WebMD.com.

A handful of owners give the Timex Ironman Triathlon Fitness Tracker mixed reviews on Amazon.com. Some owners are happy with the pedometer, even for jogging, while others have problems getting accurate step counts. In a detailed review at SNewsNet.com, the site's editors say the pedometer is accurate, although they think it can be overly sensitive when recording everyday movements. Timex makes several fitness watches under the Ironman Triathlon brand, but it is the Fitness Tracker that comes with the waist-clip pedometer. Some owner-written reviews seem to indicate that this pedometer is designed for women, but according to Timex, the Fitness Tracker comes in one unisex size; the black version is aimed at men, while the light blue (T5K092) and pink (T5K091) versions are targeted at women.

The Sportline Solo 955 (*Est. $40) is another option for a wrist-monitored pedometer, although it receives poor marks from reviewers. It tracks steps, speed, distance, time and calories, and it comes with a sensitivity adjustment if you find it over- or undercounting steps. It also boasts a stopwatch, timer and backlight in a sporty design that is water-resistant up to 50 meters. Unlike the Timex Ironman Triathlon Fitness Tracker, the Sportline Solo 955 does not require a separate fitness pod that clips at the waist. About five owners have reviewed it so far at Amazon.com, and all are unhappy with it. One owner says the pedometer works well, but the crystal is soft and easily scratched. Others say the instruction manual is difficult to understand, making the functions hard to set.

This pedometer also comes with a heart-rate monitor as the Sportline Solo 960 (*Est. $100). Mathew Honan reviews the Sportline Solo 960 for Wired.com and says it "just doesn't measure up," finding it inaccurate and inconsistent. The Sportline Solo 960 does get good results in independent testing, but the tests seem more focused on the heart-rate monitor than the pedometer. Owner-written reviews for the Sportline Solo 960 on Amazon.com are mixed.

The New Balance Via Wrist Pedometer 50007 by Highgear (*Est. $50) performs well in an accuracy test by CNNMoney.com and earns an overall B- rating. The wrist pedometer measures steps, calories, distance and time; it also sports an alarm, stopwatch and backlit display. In tests conducted by CNNMoney, the New Balance Via Wrist pedometer is accurate 97.3 percent of the time, although they find that large arm movements can decrease its accuracy. Reviewers at Amazon.com confirm that arm movements can be an issue, with one unhappy owner saying the pedometer registered 10 steps while she was sitting in the bathroom. It receives slightly higher marks in reviews compiled by Buzzillions.com, although a few reviewers note that it is bulky -- especially for women.