The best decision I made during the 2020 lockdown was to make health and fitness a priority in my life. Three years on, I’m still exercising every day. Being a tech reviewer, it’s only natural that I’m interested in new health tech. From my personal experience, the right product can help with workout sessions, track progress, and aid recovery. In fact, I’m going to review three products that do just that.
I’m reviewing the ReAthlete Drinq half-gallon water bottle, the Counto digital scale, and the Dextra cordless hand massager. It seems fitting and purposeful to review all three at the same time. The Drinq water bottle is for workouts, while the Counto digital scale is designed to track body composition progress over time. Finally, the Dextra hand massager aids in recovery. Could these be the missing pieces in your fitness kit? Let’s find out.
Design of the ReAthlete fitness tech products
Drinq water bottle
The Drinq holds 2.2 litres of water (74 oz) in a food-grade, BPA/BPS-free enclosure. It comes with a neoprene sleeve with three pockets. One pocket holds a smartphone and a wireless earbud case fits in the smaller mesh pocket. Finally, a third pocket features a carabiner to hold keys. These pockets are a brilliant design inclusion for a sports water bottle. The Drinq water bottle also features removable adjustable straps, a straw inside the leak, and a dustproof lid. Users can wear it over their shoulder, or as a backpack and sip on it throughout the day. In fact, a daily intake schedule is marked on the bottle. This helps track your water intake throughout the day with time markers.
Counto digital scale
The Counto digital scale has a slim, compact design measuring 10” x 10” x 0.7” (WHD). It’s constructed from a tempered glass platform with four sensors located on the front and back of each foot. It measures body composition through bioelectrical impedance (BIA). An electrical current is sent through your body. The time it takes for the current to pass through your body estimates your body composition. The Countro measures more than just body weight though. It provides 12 measurements including skeletal muscle rate, basal metabolic rate, muscle mass, body fat rate, and more. Data is sent to the Counto app to track body composition changes over time.
Dextra hand massager
The DEXTRA hand massager has a portable, ergonomic design that accommodates big and small hands. On the top is a touchscreen interface for selecting the preferred massage setting. It massages one hand at a time. You slide your hand into the back and the inner structure conforms to the natural contours of your hand. Users select between four settings: Acupressure, Air Compression, Heat, and Vibration. The integrated timer allows massage sessions between 10 and 30 minutes. Anti-slip feet on the bottom keep the DEXTRA hand massage secure and stable during the massage session. Finally, it features a rechargeable battery that powers through the included USB cable.
Using the ReAthlete smart fitness tech products
Drinq water bottle
If you exercise, you need a water bottle. For the gym and jump rope sessions, I prefer to drink out of a water bottle with a straw. I was glad to see the Drinq came with a straw. However, I was really ecstatic to see that it comes with a cleaning brush. Previously, I started adding a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to my water bottle before going to the gym. However, I was unable to clean the inside of the water bottle and I noticed mold growing inside. I ended up getting a new water bottle and stopped adding apple cider vinegar to my water. With this cleaning brush, I’m adding it again and giving the Drinq water bottle a deep cleaning afterwards.
The neoprene sleeve is a great addition and perfect for the gym. Now I keep my phone and water bottle together in one place. I never took my earbuds cases with me to the gym, but now I can. I do wish the large pocket was a little bigger. With my phone case on, it’s a really tight fit to get my smartphone in it. It barely gets in. The other thing I have to get used to is carrying it. As helpful as the straps are, I prefer to have them off for gym use. I held it with the top strap when I ran to the gym in the morning. For long walks or hikes, I’m definitely using the straps. I always take a water bottle with me wherever I go so the Drinq is now my defacto water bottle.
Counto digital scale
I’ve been using smart scales ever since they came out. However, I’m always suspicious of their data accuracy. I own a Withing’s smart scale, so I did back-to-back comparisons with the Counto digital scale. I did weight measurements first thing in the morning after I went to the bathroom. Both scales provided the same total weight, 159 lbs. However, there were big differences in the body fat percentage. The Withings scale said 18% while the Counto digital scale said 24.9%. That’s a huge discrepancy. I had a trip planned so I left town and came back a month later. This time, I changed the Counto digital scale to “Athlete Mode” in the app and weighed myself. My total weight was 151 lbs with approximately 14% body fat. This seemed much more accurate. If you exercise regularly, you will need to switch it to athlete mode to fine-tune the algorithm.
Dextra hand massager
I jump rope a lot and suffer from sore feet so I use a foot massager. It’s one of the best gadgets I’ve tried this year. While I don’t currently have any hand issues, I was looking forward to the Dextra hand massager. The combination of heat and kneading combined with the air pressure is incredibly soothing. There is a lot of customizability with the settings. The touchscreen controls are intuitive and it’s easy to program a quick massage session. I also like the portable nature and the rechargeable battery. I watched Netflix on the couch while getting a hand massage. The big issue I have is I want two of them. The dream would be to get a foot and hand massage at the same time while watching a movie. You wouldn’t be able to do much during that massage session, but that’s what I call a middle-aged Friday night.
Who are these ReAthlete fitness tech products for?
Drinq water bottle
If you regularly train at a gym, then the Drinq water bottle is for you. You don’t realize how beneficial the pockets are until you start using them to hold your phone, keys, and earbuds. It’s also good for people who add stuff to their water bottle, like a pre-workout mix. In my case, it’s creatine monohydrate and apple cider vinegar. The issue with my old bottle was cleaning the inside. The included brush with the Drinq makes regular cleaning easy. I would avoid this water bottle if you’re a runner who wants to run and sip on water at the same time. That said, it’s great for hikers or commuters. Strap it over the shoulder and you have H20 wherever you go. It’s too bad they don’t have a mini version of the Drinq water bottle because it’s rather large.
Counto digital scale
Personally, I think everyone should have a smart scale. Overall body weight measurement does a bad job of telling you if you’re losing or gaining weight because our weight fluctuates throughout the day based on how much water we’re consuming. The Counto digital scale claims to measure a lot of different health metrics, which can be useful in tracking your goals. However, make sure you set it to the right mode in the app. There are teen, athlete, and pregnancy modes. I assume the algorithm changes between each of the modes. Data-driven people like me, love tracking body composition metrics to assess progress. However, I don’t want to track bad data, and nor should you. If your data seems off, change the mode and see if it becomes more accurate. Then measure yourself at the same time every day, preferably in the morning after you go to the bathroom. That way, the Counto digital scale becomes an excellent tool to track your progress over time.
Dextra hand massager
Once I realized I had foot issues, I got myself a foot massager. Best decision ever. By the same token, if you’re experiencing hand issues, you should definitely consider the Dextra hand massager. It’s worth considering for people with carpal tunnel, arthritis, or general hand pain due to strain. This could be office workers, gamers, musicians, or tradespersons. I had a friend who was a dental hygienist and he was always complaining about hand strain from his work. This is for someone like him. While you’re relaxing and watching Netflix, treat your hands to a nice massage. The only issue is, you can’t massage both hands at the same time. I wish I could try two at the same time to see if it’s worth considering. So my advice is to start with one and maybe add another if you want to be more efficient.
Final thoughts on Reathlete fitness products
We all live busy lives and it can be hard to find the time to exercise. Never forget that health is wealth. Staying fit and active is one of the best investments you can make for yourself. You’re going to need a water bottle, so check out the Drinq water bottle. I didn’t know I needed this until I reviewed it. Now I’m using it every day. That should tell you something. The next thing you need to do is track your progress. The Counto digital scale gives you many different types of metrics to track over time. Remember your overall weight doesn’t tell the whole story. Pay special attention to your body fat percentage. The goal is to get that down while preserving and building muscle. Finally, take recovery seriously. If you have hand pain or issues, then I recommend you at least try the Dextra hand massager. It’s easy to use, portable, and can turn movie night into a massage session.
Remember, these are just three of many health and fitness products available at Best Buy to keep you fit and motivated. Be sure to follow this blog for more fitness tech reviews in the near future.
