Freelance Lady: Get Moving: 4x³ Motion Digital Pedometer by Ozeri

On December 31, 2014, I ended the year on a high note after completing the AdvoCare 24-Day Challenge. After having lost 8 pounds and a total of 10 inches, I built the momentum needed to keep going throughout the new year.

Throughout 2014, I received numerous products from Ozeri that have helped me during my weight-loss journey. Those products include the Ozeri WeightMaster Digital Bath Scale and the Ozeri Green Earth Frying Pan (that has been used to create some delicious, healthy recipes).

Today, I have a new Ozeri product to share with you that has the potential to help you on your journey to a healthier lifestyle.

* Product and/or service provided for review without cost. As always, all opinions are my own.

I would like to present to you the 4x³ Motion Digital Pedometer by Ozeri.

When I received the product in the mail, I noticed that it was packaged neatly and securely, to prevent any damage during the shipping process. Removing the pedometer was was easy, and it came with a lithium battery, small screwdriver, instruction manual, and a lanyard so that you may wear the pedometer around your neck for accurate recording.

Before trying out the product, I read a little more about the 4x³ Motion Digital Pedometer's features:

Ultra slim design
Counts up to one-million steps
7-Day memory
Recording modes: Today, Split, & Total
Blue Backlight for night viewing
Sports timer, clock, & calendar
Split screen display for multi-data views
Auto sleep mode
Included lithium battery

My Experience with the Pedometer

Pedometer Design

What I liked most about the pedometer was its slim design. I typically wear form-fitting pants during both exercise and casual wear, so bulky pedometers just aren't practical for me. The 4x³ Motion Digital Pedometer by Ozeri is easy to handle, easy to slide into your pocket or to wear comfortably around your neck with the included lanyard.

Setting Up Your Pedometer

The buttons are easy to figure out and easy to push. With other pedometers I've used in the past, I often had to push with all of my might to get the information to register on the device. That's not the case with the Ozeri 4x³ Motion Digital Pedometer.

Set-up was incredibly simple and could probably even be figured out without first reading the instructions (although I do recommend reading the instructions first).

Once you remove the strip in the back, the pedometer starts right up. To begin using the pedometer, simply enter your weight (there is a weight range between 40 and 350 lbs, or 20 to 150 kg), your stride (the distance between your steps—more on this later), the year, month, day, hour, minute, and whether or not you want to use a 24-hour or 12-hour clock display.

Modes

The modes on the 4x³ Motion include daily steps, time, miles, calories burned, and various others. It also has the option to preserve battery life in "Energy Saving" mode. I found this mode useful, as I am notorious for running down the batteries on any electronic device.

Accuracy

The pedometer tracked my steps accurately. For ten minutes, I counted in my head the amount of steps I actually took, and then compared those results to the pedometer. There was one step that was not accounted for.

According to the instruction manual, the 4x³ Motion Digital Pedometer by Ozeri only counts real steps, not small strides or "shuffling." Later, I'll talk a little more about how to ensure accuracy with your 4x³ Motion Pedometer.

Calculating Your Stride

To accurately measure the number of steps you take each day, you'll need to measure your stride. This is fairly easy to do, if you follow the instructions in the manual that is included with your 4x³ Motion Digital Pedometer.

Walk ten steps in a straight line, noting your starting position and your ending position. Use a measuring tape to measure the distance between these two points. Divide that distance by 10 to get your average stride.

How to Ensure Accuracy

The pedometer does not begin counting steps until it detects motion resembling approximately 13 continuous steps.

Before using your pedometer, take 13 continuous steps to activate the sensor.

If your pedometer is showing inaccurate results, it could be due to one or more of the following:'

Wearing the unit improperly. If the pedometer is in a loose purse, bag, hanging from a belt, or another position that allows it to constantly change position or bump against you, the results may be inaccurate.

Walking at an inconsistent pace. If you're not wearing the proper footwear while walking, or are constantly stopping abruptly, shuffling from side-to-side, etc. then the pedometer may provide inaccurate results.

Sandals are not the ideal footwear for continuous walking.

During up and down movement. If you expect the pedometer to track the amount of jumping jacks you do, then you may end up with an inaccurate reading. The 4x³ Motion Digital Pedometer by Ozeri is designed to track steps taken. It is not designed to track steep uphill climbs, jumps, or other up and down movement.

When placed in close proximity to a cell phone. Electronic devices often interfere with one another, so it's best to keep the cell phone away from your pedometer to ensure accurate results.

Display

I found the text on the display to be somewhat small. I could read it, but I'd imagine that some may have a difficult time with this. The backlight certainly helps, however, and because the pedometer is so small and sleek, it's not practical to increase the text size by much.

Overall Opinion of the 4x³ Motion Digital Pedometer by Ozeri

I've used over 7 pedometers throughout my adult life, which averages out to about one per year. So far, in terms of performance and design, the 4x³ Motion Digital Pedometer by Ozeri has been the best, most accurate pedometer that I've used thus far.