Tech
Aura Strap 2 adds body fat, muscle, and water-tracking to Apple Watches
The sensors built right into the Aura Strap 2 add a wealth of body-tracking information that you can’t with the Apple Watch’s default Fitness app.
Apple Watch’s Fitness app is decent, but if you’re looking to get your beach bod in time for summer, you might want some more detailed info about your body. Aura just released the second-generation of its Strap that adds some vital fitness features to Apple Watches.
The Strap 2 uses weak electric currents to get more in-depth information about your body, including body fat percentage, muscle percentage, and water levels. It’s a shame that Apple Watch doesn't natively have these tracking abilities, especially since Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 already offers these insights with its Samsung BioActive Sensor. But if you already own an Apple Watch and want these features, the Aura Strap 2 is a nice workaround, albeit for a little extra money.
Faster and more accurate — Like the first Aura Strap, the watch band can perform a bioelectrical impedance analysis in 30 seconds that will then provide you insight into your body’s fat, muscle, and water percentages. Aura made the process much faster with the Strap 2 since it only takes one touch to start now, compared to the three actions with the first strap.
Aura also redesigned the second-gen strap with new architecture so it has 16 more data points than the first strap. Now, the Strap 2’s accuracy is 95 percent to that of an actual bone density scan. When paired with the Aura app, you get access to more insights, personalized recommendations, and goal setting for whatever type of body you’re going for from lean to jacked.
Compared to the first strap, the Strap 2 is 20 percent slimmer and five percent narrower. Aura even made it much easier to put on and remove the straps with its stretchable sport loops, instead of the previous clasp design.
Pay for premium — The Aura Strap 2 only comes in black and retails for $149. It’s a price hike from the original $99Aura Strap, which came in a bunch of fun colors.
On a related note, Aura is putting out a premium subscription service along with the Strap 2 called Aura Plus. The subscription costs $10 a month or $80 for the year, but it’s basically a paywall for some more premium features like monthly reports, exclusive content, and a live chat function with personal trainers that’s coming soon.
