A few weeks ago, MacWay contacted me to offer me to test a connected bracelet, in this case the bracelet i-gotU Q-Band X. I didn't hesitate for long to accept their offer because I had been wanting to try this type of object for a while, which allows you to measure all sorts of things like your activity level or your sleep.
After several days of use, here is my feeling about this connected bracelet.
Unboxing, design and quality
Let's not lie to ourselves, for a budget of around thirty euros, this is not where you should look for the strong points... but let's see what this box contains.
When you unpack the box, you discover inside the activity sensor, the USB charger and three interchangeable bracelets of different colors (orange, blue-gray and black). It's a nice surprise, you will be able to play on various degrees of discretion depending on the bracelet chosen. If the orange bracelet is reminiscent of sports watches, the black bracelet is really versatile and relatively discreet. What's more, these flexible plastic bracelets are about 1 cm wide. Negative point, the bracelet closes with a sort of double snap button that is difficult to close and not attached to the bracelet and therefore easily lost.
The activity sensor clips onto the bracelet in the location provided for this purpose. The LCD screen is covered with thick plastic that really doesn't give an impression of quality. We would have much preferred glass like on our smartphones... but, you have to have what it takes to stay on a very reasonable price! The screen has a small round button that allows you to navigate through the information displayed on the screen.
The charger itself doesn't really exude quality, but once the activity sensor is activated, charging works perfectly... let's just hope that the charger doesn't fail because it is really specific (it is not a micro-USB connection like on many accessories).
In the end, after a first bad impression when unpacking, I finally quickly got used to the design and quality of this connected bracelet and it doesn't even shock me anymore. What's more, light (15gr) and discreet, I completely forget it on my wrist even though it's been many years since I last wore a watch.
Start-up
To take full advantage of this bracelet, you must first download the dedicated i-gotU Life application available on iOS and Android.
Once installed, you will have to synchronize the connected bracelet with your smartphone via Bluetooth. The operation is very quick and very easy to do. It only takes a few steps and, if necessary, the application takes the opportunity to update the bracelet's internal software.
During the operation, you will have to reveal a little about yourself by giving information such as your gender, weight, height, etc.
In short, getting started is very easy and smooth!
Dedicated application
The application i-gotU Life is at the heart of the system. It is what will allow you to control the settings of the activity sensor and, above all, it is what will allow you to read all your activity statistics. It is a real dashboard!
In terms of usability, the application is rather pretty and well done. The information is easily identifiable, and the presentation of the data allows for daily visualization and easy access to your historical data.
As a bonus, throughout the day, the application gives you advice to improve your quality of life and your activity level!
Usage and features
Let's now get to the heart of the matter by talking about the different features that equip and make this i-gotU Q-Band X connected bracelet so interesting.
Step and calorie counter
A basic but essential feature, this bracelet measures your physical activity by counting the number of steps you take throughout the day. The counter seems quite accurate thanks to a 3-axis accelerometer integrated into the sensor... in any case, when comparing it with the number of steps calculated by my iPhone, I get similar results.
The calorie counter uses the time that passes (yes, when resting we consume calories) but especially on your physical activity measured by your steps. This data is cross-referenced with the information you have provided on your height, gender and weight to estimate the calories you have burned.
You can set daily step and calorie goals in the app and the bracelet will notify you when you achieve these goals!
Sleep Monitoring
Another interesting feature is the tracking of your sleep. Throughout the night, your sensor will analyze your movements to determine the quality of your sleep and identify its different cycles.
In the morning, you can check the quality of your sleep and graphically visualize your different cycles directly in the application.
Silent alarm and nap mode
A clever feature, the application allows you to set up to 4 silent alarms per day. The bracelet will then vibrate at the programmed time. This will allow you, for example, to personalize reminders to take medication or even wake up... You can program for each alarm the days it is active (which allows you to remove weekends, for example) and the text that will be displayed on your bracelet!
This is really a great feature!
As a little extra, you can also use a nap mode by asking the alarm to ring after a certain time... ideal for avoiding starting your night just after lunch!
Notifications
A new advantage of this connected bracelet is that it allows you to receive notifications from certain applications on your smartphone. Your wrist vibrates and a message is displayed on the LED screen.
If I used to miss some calls when my phone was on vibrate, that's no longer the case!
Notifications unfortunately do not work with all applications but nevertheless meet the essential needs: telephone, SMS, emails, calendar, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Skype…
UV sensor
Near the button, on the bracelet screen, we can see a small electronic chip (which unfortunately does not add to the aesthetics). This is a UV sensor. This sensor will therefore analyze your exposure to the sun in order to determine if you need to protect yourself. Of course, for this sensor to be useful, it must be in direct contact with the sun and not under your sleeve.
If your exposure to the sun's rays ever exceeds certain thresholds, you will be alerted to avoid taking risks for your skin!
Other qualities
Among the strong points to note on this connected bracelet we can also note the longevity of the battery. The manual speaks of 10 days of autonomy… for my part I largely exceeded them. I qualify this statement because I saw comments complaining of an autonomy of rather 4 or 5 days… but I did not notice it.
Finally, and this is important, this sensor has an IPX7 protection rating, which means that it can be submerged up to 1m deep and is therefore not affected by showers or rain!
Conclusion
By starting the test of the i-gotU Q-Band, I won't hide from you that I was skeptical. The unpacking of the beast and its rather " cheap " to my taste did not really suggest a love at first sight. But its daily use has proven me wrong. I have acquired a taste for it and have discovered day after day the advantages that I could get from this device. It would be a lie to tell you that I can no longer do without it, but in any case I have now understood the attractions of this product.
Its silent alarms are a real plus, the activity tracking is effective and it's really interesting to be able to analyze your sleep.
In short, for just over €30, the i-gotU Q-Band X connected bracelet will really do the trick for those who want to get started with connected bracelets without spending a fortune!
Article updated on January 6, 2025 by Byothe
