TECH NOW: Battle of the fitness bands

Jennifer Jolly | Special for USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption TECH NOW: Which fitness band is right for you? How the latest fitness bands measure up.

Basis tracks steps%2C heart rate%2C skin temperature

Core 2 tracks over 5%2C000 data points per minute

Nike+ Fuelband%2C Larklife fall short

With so many new fitness tracking bands on the market, how do you figure out which one is right for you before you spend money? Let's take a quick spin through five of the newest models to see how they measure up:

• Fitbit Flex, $99.95

• Jawbone UP, $129.99

• BodyMedia Core 2 (About $150 when it launches later this year)

• Larklife $149 (with a mention of the Nike+FuelBand, $149)

• Basis $199

All of these start with the same idea — manage and measure. They all track steps, sleep and calories and then display the info online with analysis, advice and community support. Where these devices really vary is in how each puts the information together and how easy it is for you to actually use that data to make lasting healthy changes.

Basis: Best for early-adopters, tech- and fitness-savvy enthusiasts.

The brand new Basis offers the most promise, but it feels like it's not quite a finished product. Its sensors are sophisticated — tracking steps, heart rate (which the company explains as "optical blood flow technology"), skin temperature, perspiration, sleep and calculating calories burned. But it lacks wireless syncing and mobile apps. I've been told that app support and other features are coming soon, but at $200 for this high-end wrist-watch-like tracker, I really want them now.

What I like the best Basis is the direction it's going. For many years, fitness bands have felt like glorified pedometers. Basis is raising the bar. It has built-in motivation coming, where your phone will send you an alert if you need to get up and move. It reminds me a lot of what the Jawbone UP was like when it first launched (see below for review of newer device). When it's really fully baked, it very well could be a powerhouse personal trainer on your wrist.

BodyMedia: Best for losing the last 10 pounds, or starting from scratch.

The BodyMedia Core 2 (available in September) also sports more sophisticated sensors than most of the competition. Out of all the fitness bands I've tested so far it's the most accurate and easy to understand. This is similar to what contestants of The Biggest Loser use (they use BodyMedia Fit).

The Core 2 tracks some 5,000 data points every minute, and can tell when you're burning calories riding a bicycle or doing yoga, vs. just how many "steps" you've taken in a day. It also takes into account how much you're sweating (galvanic skin response) and measures your heart rate. All of this data transmit wirelessly to a smartphone or laptop and can sync with partner apps like MyFitnessPal — which makes tracking your food easier than it's been in the past. The Core 2 sends you motivational messages and makes it really easy to check a simple-to-read dashboard so that you know exactly what you need to do at any given time to actually lose weight.

A lot of people have complained about the monthly subscription fee that you pay (around $7 per month, or $60 per year), but the dashboard of data and personalized support, for me, is worth that. I don't mind paying a little extra for the best of show.

I've always disliked that you have to wear this around your bicep, which can make a fitted blazer lumpy or draw a lot of strange comments when wearing a tank top. But … the new Core 2, which will retail for around $150 in the fall of this year, is smaller and thinner than the older models (about the size of a quarter vs. the size of a half-dollar). It will also come with different armbands, though I can't say that I've been a big fan of the "upper-arm bracelet" fad.

Fitbit Flex: Best for tracking steps and being inconspicuous about it.

If all you want is really simple tracking and great online support, the $100 FitBit Flex is both cheap and easy. It's a really small wristband device that you can get with a variety of colored bands. But it's not as accurate as the BodyMedia or Basis bands. I like the LED lights that track progress throughout the day: five lights – I've met my goals; only two – I need to get up and do something. It syncs flawlessly with its mobile app and with other great apps like MyFitnessPal and RunKeeper. But … that's about it, unless you rely heavily on the companion Web account. Fitbit makes other fitness-savvy devices, such as the Fitbit One — a little gadget you clip your pants or put in your pocket.

Jawbone UP: Great for the app-happy health nut.

The re-launched Jawbone UP is great if you have an iPhone or Android phone. It plugs right into the headphone jack — but good luck not losing the little cap that covers it. UP now also integrates with 10 top fitness apps, including Lose It, MapMyFitness, MyFitnessPal, RunKeeper, Sleepio, Wello and Withings. I really like that you can take a photo of your food or scan a package barcode to help you log meals. But, this is still a glorified pedometer — and it costs $30 more than the Fitbit Flex.

Nike+ FuelBand and Larklife: Meh.

Nike+ FuelBand and the Larklife get the biggest "meh" votes out of me. The Larklife is too big to disguise as a bracelet — though I like the LED lights that show your daily progress. I don't like switching the bands for sleep, and everything else is just OK. I like the companion iPhone app a lot, but paired with the clunky and not very accurate tracker, I would rather spend $150 on something that works really really well.

The Nike+ FuelBand looks pretty darn good as a sleek bracelet with LED lights, and because it's Nike, I expected it to dominate this field. Yet, as an overall fitness tracker, measurement and motivational device, it falls short. Unlike the other bands here, it doesn't measure your true activities (it will measure a walk, but not a bike ride) or calories consumed. It's basically just a cool pedometer. With that said, there's a rumor that the FuelBand 2.0 is on its way (likely by late summer or fall) and that it will add a lot of new features and missing metrics. Also new – the FuelBand iPhone app has recently added more social sharing; so that you can show off a killer hill you just climbed and challenge others to race against you.

What are you using to track your health goals, and what more do you wish a wearable tracking gadget could do for you? Be sure to weigh in on this battle of the bands in the comments section.

Jennifer Jolly is an Emmy award-winning consumer tech contributor and host of USA TODAY's digital video show TECH NOW. E-mail her at techcomments@usatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter: @JenniferJolly.