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Battle of the Bands: Finding the best fitness band for you

Clockwise from top left: Jawbone UP24, Nike+ FuelBand SE, Samsung Galaxy Gear Fit, Polar Loop, and FitBit Flex.

All Canadians can likely agree that it has been a particularly long, cold winter – one where you just want to sit inside and eat comfort food. But the warmer weather is finally here and it's time to get outside. For those who need a little more motivation aside from 'patio weather' (or need some help walking off those patio beers), you may be considering one of the many fitness bands that has entered the market over the last few years.

When it comes to fitness wearables, you aren't at a loss for options. The hard part, in fact, is trying to decide which band is right for you. Each one tracks slightly differently, and it's hard to know which one is your ideal band when they all seem to do basically the same thing.

That's where this series comes in. With the help of three other editors here at Yahoo Canada, I've put five of the biggest fitness bands on the market right now to the test: the Nike FuelBand+ SE, the FitBit Flex, the Jawbone UP24, the Samsung Galaxy Gear Fit and the Polar Loop.

Here's how the five fitness bands we'll be testing compare, based on features and specifications:

Nike FuelBand+ SE

FitBit Flex

Jawbone UP24

Samsung Galaxy Gear Fit

Polar Loop

Price

$149.00

$99.95

$159.95

$199.99

$99.99

Sizes

Small, Large (both adjustable)

Small, Large (comes with both bands)

Small, Medium, Large

One Size (adjustable)

One Size (adjustable)

Colour Choices

Volt, Pink Foil, Total Crimson, Black, Rose Gold

Black, Slate, Violet, Lime, Pink, Teal, Tangerine, Navy, Red

Persimmon, Onyx, Lemon Lime, Pink Coral

Black, Grey, Blue, Green, Orange, Red

Black

Display

120 LED 4-colour display

5 LED lights

Day, Night indicator lights

OLED colour display

80 LED 1-colour display

Est. Battery Life

4 days

5 days

7 days

4 days

6 days

Charging/PC Sync

Direct USB or included charge cord

Included dongle

Included dongle (no PC sync)

Mini USB + dongle (both included)

Included proprietary charge cord

Connectivity

Bluetooth Low Energy, USB

Bluetooth Low Energy

Bluetooth Smart

Bluetooth

Bluetooth, USB

Sleep Tracking?

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Workout Tracking?

Yes

Can after workout

Yes

Yes

Yes

Food Tracking?

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Alarms?

No

Yes

Yes

Yes (with phone)

No

Inactivity Alerts?

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

Water?

Water-resistant (shower, rain etc)

Water-resistant (shower, rain etc)

No

Waterproof (swimming)

Waterproof (swimming)

Compatible Devices

Requires PC or Mac, optional iOS 6.1 app

Requires PC or Mac, optional iOS 6.0 or Android app

iOS and Android

18 select Samsung Android devices

Requires PC or Mac, optional iOS 6.1 or Android 4.3 app

Over the next few weeks, you'll get in-depth reviews on each band after Yahoo editors Ashleigh, Kat, Alina and myself put them through their paces over the course of a week. At the end of the series, we'll give you our top picks.

Check back next week for our first review!

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