Data and knowledge are ingrained into our day-to-day lives in nearly everything that we do. From driving home for the holiday and following our GPS on our phone to having our phone measure how many steps we have taken in a day to measuring how good we sleep at night. Getting that data and making it useful for us in the moment is a challenge all consumer-focused tech companies face. For exercising, and specifically cycling, some companies are very good at giving you one or the other: the really good heart rate monitor or the really good interface for exercising (map my ride or run anyone?). Tigra Sport has the multi-functionality through its Trio 3-in-1 Fitness Sensor of which we tested to see how good it actually is and if it’s worth buying.
What is the Tigra Sport Trio 3-in-1 Wearable Fitness Sensor?
The Tigra Sport Trio Fitness Sensor is a 1-piece device that attaches to your arm for running or leg for cycling and measures your heart rate through an optical heart rate sensor. Additionally, it measures motion so when cycling it can measure what your cadence is or when running or walking, your step cadence. The device works via Bluetooth and connects to your smartphone (iphone or Android) to display and record your activity through your app of choice. Tigra Sport makes it easy with their app which the device connects with seamlessly as well as gives you additional data through the phone’s GPS.
What is the Tigra Sport App?
The Tigra Sport app is their solution to transfer the data collected through the wearable to useful knowledge. The app is free and has the added benefit of incorporating GPS data which gives you speed with cycling, distance, elevation climbed and descended, as well as maps your route. There are multiple displays of which you can customize to see what you want while riding. When your ride is finished, all the data is compiled into a broken down, easy to read screen to give you the insights into every data point measured with the ride. With this, you can view graphs of your speed, heart rate, cadence and other metrics. Also, you can see the route you took which also can be viewed mid-ride which makes for easy navigation. You can also export the data from the app should you choose to do so.
How it Works Cycling
With cycling, the Trio Fitness Sensor works by strapping onto your lower leg. It comes with 2 straps; one for your arm for running and 1 for your leg for cycling. These straps are surprisingly comfortable and with both riding and running with it, I could barely feel it and actually forgot it was there. After being turned on and the Tigra Sport app fired up, it connects quickly and the app then asks if you’re ready to start your activity of which you choose what it is. It has the option of being used indoors of which it doesn’t use the GPS signal. The heart rate while riding was accurate as well as the cadence. You won’t have any issues with getting an accurate measurement. While riding, you can see all of your data which is useful if you don’t have to reach into your pocket to get your phone. They also have a solution for this with their handlebar phone mount of which we reviewed here. The two, or three things if you count your phone, are excellent pairings and make riding and having your workout information incredibly easy.
How Good is the Tigra Sport Trio Fitness Sensor?
So in review, the Tigra Sport Trio Fitness Sensor is a good product. It does what it says it does, excellently at that, and is a quality product that seams like it will last, even through abuse. An added benefit is that it is rechargeable with a usb cable. The battery also seems to last quite awhile, 8+ hours per their estimate. How good is the app? It’s good and does everything you need it to but is it as sleek as it could be? No; it seams a bit dated but being free you can’t complain. The good thing with this wearable too though is that you can pair it with your app of choice such as map my ride or run.
Is the Tigra Sport Trio Fitness Sensor Worth Buying?
So the bottom line; is the Tigra Sport Trio Fitness Sensor worth buying? If you just want to go out and ride and don’t care what your heart rate is, what your cadence might be, or where you went then you’re best bet is to just go ride and enjoy it without any devices. If you want that data however and like to track your progress, the fitness sensor is a great buy. It is an even better buy if you not only ride but walk or run and wish to measure that. You can have all your activities with one device and on one app.
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Barely noticeable on your leg for cycling or arm for running
- Easily integrates with their app
- Can be paired with any app
Cons:
- Its price: for a simple device, it’s a bit expensive
- If you don’t like wearing things on your arms or legs this device isn’t for you unlike a heart rate monitor
- Their app is a bit dated
- No social sharing capabilities with the app (email export only)
Take Away
Tigra Sport makes some great stuff that is functional and somewhat affordable. You can have all of your gadget needs met by them particularly with their handlebar phone mount for your phone so you can see the data while riding. This wearable is also good in that you can use it for more than just cycling. Have you used this wearable? Let us know in the comments below what you thought of it!
Where to Buy
If you’re interested in buying the Tigra Sport Trio Fitness Sensor you can purchase it here.
