I am a runner who completes multiple half and full marathon races yearly. I also enjoy doing a number of other types of exercise. I am also a big Nike fan and had waited anxiously for my my new Fuelband SE to arrive. I have previously owned the original (version 1) Fuelband as well. I ordered this product on October 15th which is the day Nike held a press conference to announce this new product. It arrived on 11-6-13. I boxed it up and mailed it back this morning on 11-8-13 after only one days use. Here are my thoughts:

1. Nike announced at their 10-15 press conference that this device would have sleep tracking features similar to the Fitbit. When the SE arrived, the downloadable instruction manual did not mention anything about sleep features. I called the Nike customer service people and they said it was a last second decision to remove the sleep tracking features. If you are wanting to track sleep patterns like the Fitbit does, this device has zero ways to track sleep.

2. The big new feature in this model was supposed to be increased internal technology to track all kinds of different exercises a person does. This would therefore give a more accurate gauge of the Nike Fuel expended with those exercises. So after work yesterday, I went off to the gym for an hour on the elliptical machine. I cranked the resistance and speed way up and my shirt was soaked in sweat after my hour was complete. My Fuelband SE said that workout was worth 211 Fuel points. To give you a comparison, that is similar to the fuel points a person could obtain by walking slowly on a treadmill for 15 minutes. I am a 6’2 200 lb man. 211 points? You have got to be kidding me. That workout was brutal and should have been 1000+ Fuel points if the device had worked correctly. Clearly this new device has the same challenge of tracking other workout activities as the first version.

3. The only new feature whatsoever in this model is the ability to hold down the button on the device for four seconds and start a “session”. Essentially if you want to break your day or workouts into segments and track the calories burned in each segment you now can. Outside that, every other feature on version SE is exactly the same as the original Fuel Band. You would think that there would have been a number of new features and enhancements, but there are no others with the other exception of this segment feature.

Needless to say, I was very disappointed and sent mine back for a refund. It is no different than my old version 1 Fuel Band which I quit wearing for its inability to track anything other than running correctly. If you are only a runner, this device is stylish and an accurate way of tracking workouts for you. It has less features then the competition, but I would give it a 3 Star rating for RUNNERS ONLY. If you like to do a variety of workouts, then Fitbit or Jawbone are vastly superior to this device. Nike was the first one to the wearable fitness market. However, they have now fallen way behind the competition with this latest release. It really is a 1 Star device compared to other similar products.

The Nike FuelBand when used with the iPad or iPhone Ap can make normal exercise a lot of fun. While some people complain that it won’t track runs or similar activities, the ap allows you to set up sessions (everything from a run to tennis with all points in between.) I purchased one recently and after 5 days use (and meticulous care—I didn’t even get it wet) the button that activates the display on the band stopped working. After reloading the factory settings and resyncing the device to ensure I had the latest firmware and software loaded i called tech support. A very helpful woman named Barbara told me that while the button issue had been a problem on the first generation device, the engineers had redesigned it and no such problem now exists. When I explained that based on my sample of one, they are 100% defective, she acknowledged that a problem existed but that it was exceedingly rare. She went on to compare the reliability of the Fuelband to the reliability of the first generation iPod, which I found tacky. Frankly why anyone would think I would care about the reliability of the first generation of iPod in this circumstance is mystifying to me. Barbara laid out my options as either return the unit (standard shipping 5-7 days for it to get to Memphis, 5-7 days for them to look at it, and 5-7 days to get it back to me. I told her that this was absurd, and that in thins scenario Nike would have my unit almost 5 times longer than I had owned it. She then offered me a "collatoral" option, wherein I would provide a credit card number and promise that if, for any reason, Nike judged my complaint to be outside the warranty I would be billed for a new unit, but if after receiving the unit and Nike judged it to be a legitimate warranty issue my card would not be charged. I asked who in their right mind would purchase another unit after the first one broke after 5 days of meticulous care, I was told that that was all that could be done. Barbara, promised to come in on her day off, speak to the people she needed to get authorization of a more equitable solution and call me at 12 noon EST. I received no phone call and later that day recieved an email instructing me to next day Fedex it to Memphis, where "they will do their best to evaluate it in 5-7 business days" and next day mail it back to me. So essentially I would be without the device only about twice as long as I had owned it.

Given my experience and the supposition by Nike that I am either a nut, a scam artist, or a thief, and the fact that the device malfucntioned after only 5 days of light use (it malfunctioned while I was asleep) I would strongly recommend prospective buyers consider a competitive product. In my limited research there seems to be cheaper devices with greater functionality and lacking only the Nike brand, which I now believe means nothing.

If you are going to buy crap, there are cheaper devices out there, and if you are looking to buy quality this just isn’t it, and finally if you are looking for a manufacturer who will stand behind its products and treat its customers with professionalism and respect, in my estimation Nike isn’t for you.

We are on our third band in a year. Nike has been nice to replace but each time parts of the band come apart. Concept great but not worth the investment. Pure disappointment the app has changed and no longer tells distance. After three tries we are done.