From massaging to monitoring, we take a look at some hi-tech kit to boost and measure your performance
Here we review Prevayl apparel, a smartwatch from Huawei, new earphones from Shokz, 1More and Kokoon as well as massage guns to help with post-training or race recovery.
Prevayl – Smartwear – from £210.00
This new range of training apparel packs clever secret – its ability to house the brand’s Prevayl sensor. By housing the sensor within the garment, the need for separate straps is eliminated and makes for a more accurate training analysis.
The clothing items offer a second-skin-fit, so are close fitting and designed similar to base layer garments.
The sensor connects to the brand’s unique training app and together gives ECG accurate heart rate feedback as well as other data metrics.
The sensor is easy to remove and recharge and a single charge will provide around 10 hours of use.
KOKOON – Nightbuds – £206.00
Far from being just another set of earbuds or headphones, these ‘nightbuds’ are design specifically to help you sleep better. Using science-backed research, these ultra-slim buds monitor your activity and fade the relaxing audio as you drift off.
After completing an online sleep profile the MyKokoon app has a selection of mood enhancing and relaxing soundtracks to help you drift off to sleep easily. Once asleep ‘coloured noise’ is used to help block external disturbances.
Whilst this all sounds a little unusual, we found it works amazingly well and even on night one of trying them, seemed to fall asleep very naturally and easily in a relaxing manner.
The buds are the smallest you’ll find and remain in place and undisturbed while you sleep even when lying on your side.
There are a selection of soundscapes, meditations and stories to choose from in the app as well as being able to select your own soundtracks to fall asleep to.
Being so neat and small you can also use the buds throughout the day as they are so comfortable that you forget you are wearing them!
HUAWEI – Watch GT3 – from £209.99
The latest smartwatch from Huawei (endorsed by Mo Farah no less) is featured packed and now offers up-to two weeks of use from a single charge, more than enough for even Mo!
The watch offers all-day health monitoring as well as a range of features to track all your training activities.
With specific modes to monitor over 100 workouts, the watch has you covered, offering data relevant to each activity as well as being able to offer training suggestions.
GPS as well as heart rate monitoring are naturally a given, with the latter providing feedback on recovery throughout the day too.
The watch connects via Bluetooth to your smartphone and there’s a dedicated app to accompany the device that offers even more of a deep-dive into the data recorded.
SHOKZ – OpenRun Pro – £159.95
The new flagship model from Shokz, the OpenRun Pro, leads the way in open-ear bone conduction headphones with a premium sound and unrivalled quality.
The TurboPitch technology delivers enhanced bass and clarity for a sound experience like never before, which is surprising from such a lightweight package. The Titanium frame makes the unit extremely lightweight and simply seems to disappear around the head when in use.
Fully recharged in just an hour, you can enjoy around 10 hours of use with a five-minute charge giving you around 90 minutes’ use if required in a hurry.
When making a phone call the twin noise-cancelling microphones mean crystal clear conversations, even when on the move.
Of course, we shouldn’t forget the main advantage of bone conduction headphones – the ability to hear your music as well as the world around you, an outstanding safety feature keeping you safe on the move.
YUNMAI – Massage Gun Mini – $199
This super-compact design massage gun is one of the smallest around yet it still delivers in terms of power, with up to 26lb of maximum force in fact!
With four variable speeds the gun also has a very clever trick built-in. Its intelligent strength-sensing monitor can adjust the power of the gun when the user applies more pressure to maintain the perfect pressure.
The gun is rechargeable via USB and provides up to 11 hours of use from a single charge.
The neat design of the gun is available in five colours and comes complete with three easy-to-change head attachments and a stylish storage case.
1MORE – ComfoBuds Mini – £92.99
The ComfoBuds Mini are the world’s smallest pair of active noise cancelling wireless earbuds – so small in fact you’ll hardly even know they are there.
Despite their size, they offer a whole range of features such as active noise cancellation (up to 40dB) four microphones for clearer speech, wireless charging and IPX5 water resistance.
Each measure just 13x17mm and weights only 3.7g – giving remarkable sound quality from a device so small.
Quick to charge, a 10-minute charge will provide an hour and a half of use, while a six-hour charge will provide around 24 hours of use.
Noise cancelling can be adjusted to reflect the surrounding conditions to ensure a perfectly balance sound and performance making these great for various activities.
Above all, it’s the super-tiny size that we found to be a real game-changer as you quickly forget you are wearing them and are free to concentrate of your training.
HYDRAGUN – Hydragun Massage Gun – £269.00
The quietest brushless motor massage gun on the market, the Hydagun is unbelievably quiet. At just 30dB the gun doesn’t disturb other people while you are using it, making it perfect for home use. It’s power packing too, with up to 3200 pulses per minute and 12mm of amplitude it really hits the spot!
Supplied with seven different head attachments, there is a tool to ensure every part of the body and muscle group can be catered for, giving a complete percussion workout.
The gun is made with aerospace grade aluminium, so it is built to last and is charged via a supplied charger, giving up to six hours’ use from a single charge.