Nokia Steel HR – ordinary on the outside, advanced on the inside.
We live in a time where we and those around us are becoming increasingly aware of our personal health and fitness, with terms such as veganism, paleo and clean-living becoming more and more frequently used in day-to-day life.
As our awareness of the importance of nutrition increases, fitness trackers are becoming globally acknowledged as an excellent and efficient way to keep track of our daily cardiovascular activities.
One fitness tracker which is proving to be rising to the top is the Nokia Steel HR analog fitness tracker/smart-watch hybrid by Nokia’s Withings. Are you a runner or swimmer, read on – this activity tracker might be the right for you.
The fitness tracker is an evolution of Withings’ Activité Steel which measures your cardiovascular activity levels. The Steel HR includes heart rate monitoring (HR) which provides continuous monitoring during workouts and throughout your daily routine including while you sleep.
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Design
The first thing you’ll notice about the activity tracker is its sleek design. The Steel HR offers all that its competitor smartwatches have to offer but without the clunky, bulked up aesthetic. No flashing LED screens or plastic wrist guards here. The watch is inconspicuous enough to be worn to a black tie event, and doesn’t scream ‘wearable tech’.
But, with a closer look, you can identify it is indeed the latest piece of wearable technology. The smartwatch comes in either black or silver casing with two small screens for tracking and for notifications.
Nokia (Withings) Steel HR
Key features
Key features include a smart heart rate tracker, which continuously monitors your cardiovascular levels whether in default or workout mode.
This allows you to dissect the most active parts of your day and identify where you could fit in extra cardiovascular activity to boost your heart rate and encourage your weight loss journey. The smartwatch is water resistant up to 50 meters (5 ATM) and can track over 10 activities via recognition technology, including swimming.
Activity tracker for swimmers
An appealing feature is its smart sleep monitoring technology. Steel HR automatically tracks and analyses your sleep cycles. This monitoring technology will tell you when you wake up, how long you sleep for and any interruptions you experienced during the night. The Smart Wake-Up feature means that you’ll be woken up only at the optimal time in your sleep cycle. To work this feature you set a window when you want to be up in the morning and you’ll be woken up by a silent vibration during the lightest stage of your sleep cycle.
No grogginess here, you’ll be able to wake up at your own pace and within your chosen time range.
To give some context, a fitness tracker at a similar price tag is the Forerunner 35. This smart HR watch is the product of Garmin, featuring elevated optical HR technology built into its smart-tracking technology. It features 24/7 activity tracking both in default mode and during work out mode. It is a relatively inexpensive option compared to other smartwatches, however, it falls short on the looks front, with an extremely clunky and conspicuous design and an unappealing LED screen which is easy to read but not so nice to look at.
Steel HR used by tennis player
It’s geared up more towards steps and running than a range of activities. Garmin claims you are able to reach 9 days of battery life with this HR tracker, however extra use of its interface will lessen this significantly. Saying that it is very user-friendly with four physical buttons surrounding the watch face where you can find dedicated modes for cardio, walking, outdoor and indoor running and cycling.
The navigation button guides you through various menus such as resting heart rate, step counts, and calorie burns. All very comprehensive and easy to navigate.
The Steel HR tracker’s initial most appealing feature is likely to be its battery life. The Steel HR boasts the longest battery life of any activity watch on the market currently, lasting up to 25 days without needing to be charged. That’s some serious endurance compared with other HR trackers out there, with many only lasting around 7 days.
Price level
Despite the smart design and the fact that it looks closer to a normal watch than many fitness trackers available today, the price tag is reasonable coming in at around $130 and the same price for 36mm white. Compare this to the clunky yet popular market leader Fitbit Charge 2 which comes in at $150 and you’ll find you have a well-designed watch that you can wear with any occasion for only 20 dollars more.
Steel HR White version
Steel HR’s unparalleled battery life no doubt pushes it to the forefront of the smart watch HR market. That and its sleek design which beats many of the clunky, unattractive fitness watches out there today. The watch is light, durable and comfortable when exercising and when used as casual wear. The Steel HR accurately monitors your heart rate, steps, calorie count and sleep meaning it gives you a holistic and accurate view of your overall cardiovascular health.
The optical heart rate monitor that is embedded on the underside of the watch does not work underwater which is a common design flaw in many smart watches today, and one which will definitely be overcome in the next few years as the technology develops. When you receive calls and texts you’ll see the name and number of the person on the smart screen but won’t be able to read the message from your wrist, which some people on the move may find frustrating.
Steel HR Casual wear
In the box
Unboxing, this is what you get:
- Charging cable
- Nokia Steel HR Fitness Tracker in chosen color
- Quick start manual
Final thoughts
To conclude, the Steel HR is amongst the most pioneering smart watches and heart rate trackers on the market today. It’s combination of usability, sleek design and unparalleled battery life mean it checks all the boxes for smartwatch users. The Steel HR will keep your mind, body and social life connected and will propel you through your weight loss and fitness goals.
Product video
Where can I buy the Nokia Steel HR Smartwatch?
You can purchase it my favorite online store Amazon.com, co.uk or Amazon Canada.
Always click the button to check recently updated price and additional info and reviews.
More info & Questions
I’ll answer any question in the commenting section below, so post your doubts or concerns there. Check out these comments from other Amazon.com users:
“A clear winner!” by ByGiovanni T.
“Interesting Activity Tracking Watch (versus a typcial smart watch)” by ThatUmbrellaGuy
“I’m in love with my Nokia Steel.” by C. Wagner
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Technical Specifications
Here are the most important tech specs:
| General Design: | |
|---|---|
| Name | Nokia Steel HR (previously Withings Steel HR) |
| Type | Activity and sleep tracker, Heart rate monitor |
| Weight | 49 g |
| Dimension | 36.3 mm x 13 mm. 18 mm wide |
| Size | One size (Fits wrists up to 200 mm) |
| Materials | Silicon, mineral glass, and stainless steel |
| Interaction | Button |
| Interface | Analog dial display for time, OLED screen |
| Resolution | - |
| Battery Type | Rechargeable battery |
| Battery Life | 25 days |
| Charging time | 2 hours |
| Memory | - |
| Colors | Black or white |
| Water-Resistant | Yes |
| Water-Proof (depth) | Yes, 5 ATM – 50 m |
| Vibration | Yes |
| Sensors | Day and Night motion sensor, HR sensor, MEMS 3-axis Accelerometer |
| GPS | - |
| It Tracks: | |
|---|---|
| Steps Taken | Yes |
| Intensity minutes | - |
| Distance | Yes |
| Activity time | Yes |
| Calories Burned | Yes |
| Sleep Monitoring | Yes |
| Heart Rate | Yes |
| UV | - |
| Floors climbed | - |
| 24/7 (All day) | Yes |
| Other features: | |
|---|---|
| Time | Yes |
| Alarm Clock | Yes |
| GPS | - |
| Guided Workouts | - |
| Inactivity Alert | - |
| Timer | Yes |
| Stop watch | - |
| VIRB Remote | - |
| Smart Notification | - |
| Music Control | - |
| Find my device | - |
| Connectivity: | |
|---|---|
| Wireless or USB | Wireless |
| Sync Method | Bluetooth 4.0 |
| Mobile App | Health Mate App |
| Maintenace & FAQ: | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Nokia (Withings) |
| Manual (PDF) | Product manual in PDF |
I am getting this for a birthday present! Stylish and effective. Best one I have seen so far. Waterproof feature will come in handy since we live so close to the sea. This Nokia steel HR will make my bf a very happy camper with my healthy lifestyle plan. Maybe this will encourage him.
Nokia really did a great job on this one.
The price isn’t bad on Amazon either. The warranty seems fine also.
Thanks for the comment. 🙂 Great sum up of the Steel HR activity watch. Andreas
This looks amazing! Looks like a smart alternative to the Fitbit.
I’ve been considering getting a fitness tracker for quite a long time now and this has just entered the equation! Thanks a lot for the great review, I’ll hopefully have come to a conclusion in the next week or so. I’ll definitely be revisiting this page.
Hi, Stephen! A fitness tracker is almost essential to have these days. But take your time figuring out what to buy. It’s an awesome amount of products to chose from. Andreas
The “Smart Wake Up” is the feature that attracts me the most (well, apart from the watch’s cool appearance). Not only lack of sleep, but lack of quality sleep is a growing problem around the world, and I’m glad that this product is one of the few that actually measures it, evaluates it and offer you a customized solution based on your own sleep patterns.
Very sleek and classy look, can be both formal and casual, something that suits both men and women and at an affordable price… I’m interested!
Hi! I love the cool appearance too. It is a great looking activity tracker with tons of features that can be used in formal occasions as well. Andreas
I think I’m getting this one as a present to myself. I’m into fitness for three years now and I think I can take it one step further with a fitness tracker. This Nokia tracker has a very nice, minimal design and you can indeed wear it all the time even with formal wear. Its price on Amazon is very appealing. I like the fact that you have included all the specifications. Very informative and detailed review. Thank you!
Hi Antonis! I appreciate that you’re taking your time to comment my article, and I’m glad you found the Nokia Steel HR interesting. Buy it to yourself as a present – good idea. 🙂 Andreas