As I enter my mid-30s, the life I want to lead is completely different from what I imagined in my 20s. There is no longer any rush to prove myself to the world, and I aspire to live a more relaxed life. At least, that is the long-term goal. However, reality soon begins to set in. You become less physically fit, losing weight takes longer than expected, grey hairs become more common, and one health issue or another keeps cropping up. I no longer see myself as the young lad I was in my 20s when I wake up in the morning and look in the mirror. Yet, I still believe in taking care of my physical health and, most importantly, my mental well-being.
Over the past few months, I have developed a habit of monitoring my health and relying on data from various apps and devices. In fact, I have tested a range of health platforms and devices, many of which are already available to the public, while others are still under development or yet to be launched. It’s a segment that I am personally very interested in because there is nothing more important than your health.
That brings me to three very distinct products that I tested recently, each of which addresses a different need, but all three have become part of my active lifestyle. The first is the Noise REP Band, a screenless fitness tracker that embraces minimalism without the hassle of a monthly subscription. The second is a range of clothing designed for India’s hot and humid weather, powered by UNIQLO’s fabric technology to help keep sweaty skin cool. The third is an Oral-B iO3 electric toothbrush that helps me stay on top of my dental hygiene.
Here’s what I think about the Noise REP Band, UNIQLO’s AIRism technology, and the Oral-B iO3 electric toothbrush.
Noise REP | Rs 9,999
When I go for a quick morning run at my local district park, the running track is often so crowded that my wrist frequently comes into contact with other runners. I have to be careful not to bump or damage my watch. However, the bigger issue is that I keep checking my health metrics or responding to notifications, when my priority should be staying fully focused on running. At times, I feel these smartwatches overwhelm me more than ever.
The Noise REP tracks all the basics you would expect. (Image: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)
The solution is probably a fitness band, especially if you are in a situation like mine. The Noise REP is an unobtrusive wearable that stays on your wrist for almost the entire day, and you barely feel it. It’s a screenless fitness tracker, designed to keep you focused without distractions.
To test the Noise REP, I wore the Apple Watch on my left wrist and the Noise REP on my right wrist to compare the two and understand why there is so much euphoria around screenless fitness bands.
The REP is easy to wear and looks incredibly minimal on your wrist. The tracker itself is a tiny pebble that slots into the included fabric band. You tighten it around your wrist and pull the strap over the top to secure it. I have actually forgotten that I was wearing it at times. Its lightweight design makes it especially comfortable for running and sleep tracking.
Setting up the REP is simple. After placing the tiny, pebble-shaped tracker into the band and charging it, you simply pair it with the NoiseFit app, and you are essentially good to go. Being screen-free, you don’t have to worry about downloading apps, widgets, or watch faces. So yes, it’s a different experience from using an Apple Watch or any smartwatch, for that matter. The best part about the REP is that there is no learning curve, and anyone can use the screen-free band.
The REP tracks all the basics you would expect, including 24/7 heart rate, sleep stages, heart rate variability, respiratory rate, stress, and skin temperature. The blood oxygen feature is coming soon, according to the app. It also tracks workouts and steps. I liked the app; it’s simple to navigate. You also get a daily readiness score that accounts for your heart rate variability, sleep, and resting heart rate, giving you an idea of how ready you are to work out.
The REP Band goes further by tracking your fitness in greater depth and offering deeper insights. It encourages you to pay attention to metrics such as Training Load, which looks at how long you trained and how hard you pushed, turning that data into a single daily score. There’s also the Training Effect, which shows how much your workout has actually improved your fitness. Most of this works without a subscription.
A question I expect many readers to ask is whether it is better than Whoop, the gold standard for screenless fitness trackers, or even the Apple Watch, if you are looking at smartwatches. Let me be clear: I found Whoop to be incredibly data-rich, but it can also feel overwhelming for regular users. In comparison, what the Noise REP is trying to do—and how its app presents the data—is far more approachable for a user like me. Whoop is a great product, but its app is incredibly complex and data-heavy.
I would rate the REP somewhere between the Whoop and the Apple Watch. I found the REP to be mostly accurate; it gives me a readiness score and tells me when I should push harder at the gym and when I should take it easy.
That being said, the Apple Watch is much better at fitness tracking, while Whoop delivers a more mature fitness experience, especially if you are serious about training. But I would prefer the REP for daily use because it presents data in a much easier-to-understand way. The band is understated and comfortable, and the battery life is long, lasting somewhere between five and six days. It’s also affordable, costing Rs 9,999.
UNIQLO’s AIRism line of clothes | Rs 990 onwards
In Delhi, where I was born and raised, summers are brutal and seem to be getting longer each year. The heat can be unbearable, especially if you travel by auto-rickshaw or use public transport, as I do. Delhi’s monsoon season, which is currently underway, tests your patience. One day, there is excessive rain; the next, it is extremely hot and humid.
AIRism technology is designed to wick moisture and heat away from the skin. (File photo)
A few days ago, when I got a call from UNIQLO to try its new AIRism clothing line, I told them, “I cover tech, not clothes.” They responded that these were tech-enabled clothes, not ordinary garments, and left the decision to me. I took some time to think about it and agreed to review UNIQLO’s fabric technology.
The UNIQLO team sent me three pieces of clothing for review: an oversized cotton crew-neck T-shirt, a polo shirt, and an anti-odour mesh tank top. The Japanese retailer offers its AIRism line for men, women, and kids, and the range is available in India.
At first glance, the clothes may look ordinary, but the difference becomes apparent when you wear them and step outside. The cotton crew-neck T-shirt I wear for running and walking looks like a classic cotton tee. The colours are muted; mine came in white. But it is wrinkle-free, smooth, and far more breathable than a regular t-shirt. I also wear the polo T-shirt frequently, which is perfect for outdoor evenings and for meeting a friend. I got the light pink colour, which is soothing to the eyes; it looks smart and casual while also being comfortable to wear.
The interesting part is UNIQLO’s AIRism fabric, which fades into the background, and you barely even notice it. AIRism technology is designed to wick moisture and heat away from the skin, keeping you comfortable whether you are running, at the gym, or commuting on the Metro. The fabric is made up of ultra-fine fibres that absorb moisture and release vapour from the skin, leaving you feeling cool and dry. In a way, the clothes have a self-cooling mechanism.
As I mentioned earlier, I prefer to wear a cotton crew-neck T-shirt for an evening run. Not only is it comfortable to wear, but it also has a cooling effect. Your body naturally starts to sweat after an hour of walking, but the T-shirt wicks away moisture and sweat, while its anti-odour properties help neutralise unpleasant smells. On a typical day, if I wear a regular T-shirt for a run, I end up drenched in sweat and head straight to the shower afterwards. However, because the AIRism T-shirt has special properties such as moisture-wicking and odour control, I was able to meet a friend at a café after completing my run.
If you regularly hit the gym or go for a run after work in the evening and are looking to buy a T-shirt or a pair of boxers, I would encourage you to take a look at UNIQLO’s AIRism collection, which I found to be highly functional, keeping you cool and refreshed in the heat.
Oral-B iO3 | Rs 5,000
Last year, I had the chance to review Oral-B’s iO Series 9, and it was the BMW of electric toothbrushes. It’s a premium electric toothbrush that is far from affordable, but I loved it for what it delivers. This year, thankfully, Oral-B seems to be taking a page from Apple’s playbook: lowering the barrier to entry and bringing an electric toothbrush to market without diluting the essence and functionality that make someone choose an electric toothbrush over a traditional one. I would call the iO3 the iPhone SE of electric toothbrushes – not premium, but not exactly affordable either. It sits somewhere in between.
The iO3 offers three cleaning modes: Daily Clean, Sensitive and Whitening. (Image: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)
The iO3’s design is slim and minimalistic, and it fits comfortably in the hand, with barely any buttons to confuse you or press accidentally. Since you use the toothbrush daily, both in the morning and at night, I didn’t want a chunkier electric toothbrush. The matte finish gives it a slightly grippy texture, which is surprisingly helpful when your hands are wet. The single-button interface keeps things simple, which I personally like.
I have established certain parameters for reviewing an electric toothbrush, including gum comfort, plaque removal, noise levels, battery life, ease of use, and app support. I liked how the iO3 cleans my teeth. The brush uses a magnetic drive system that feels much smoother than electric toothbrushes I tried before. It is gentle while brushing but remains powerful. I noticed that after a few days of use, my teeth felt consistently polished. However, the iO3 is not completely silent.
The iO3 offers three cleaning modes: Daily Clean, Sensitive and Whitening, along with a smart pressure sensor that alerts you if you are brushing too hard. It also comes with a built-in timer that guides you through the dentist-recommended two-minute brushing routine in four 30-second intervals.
The iO3 is lightweight and travel-friendly, although I wish it came with a travel case. The battery life is great; on a single charge, it lasted me two weeks. There is no learning curve to using the iO3: you press one button, choose your mode, and start brushing. However, the lack of app support means I couldn’t track my dental hygiene in real time.
For someone with sensitive teeth, I would highly recommend the iO3.
The Noise REP tracks all the basics you would expect. (Image: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)
AIRism technology is designed to wick moisture and heat away from the skin. (File photo)
The iO3 offers three cleaning modes: Daily Clean, Sensitive and Whitening. (Image: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)
