Customer Ratings & Reviews

I bought this as a fitness band and for that purpose you cannot beat the price for the amount of features. Do you care about v02 max? This has it, if that means nothing to you stick with a basic Fitbit. Not really a smart watch but it has basic text display and phone call alert. Silent alarm is nice. Some minor issues include random freezes (hey it's a Microsoft product after all!) but they are pretty infrequent.

I paired it with my iPhone 6s and wore it daily for 6 weeks...5 days hiking in Utah, the rest at home and a number of runs and couple bicycle training rides. Love the quality and ability to stand alone with it's built-in GPS BUT it made me realize I miss and actually like carrying my smartphone anyway on runs, biking and hiking so it wasn't that big of an advantage. Notifications were clear and efficient. Couldn't use voice features since i did not have a windows phone. Only app I added was a NFL app...showed me last week's score and upcoming game time. Battery lasted about 1 1/2 days. The steps calculation was very accurate and matched my wife's fitbit on a number of Utah hikes. Also, Microsoft's health (?) stats online and on phone were very useful...impressed. Oh yeah, the sleep functionality taught me a lot about my sleep habits, it worked flawlessly. A few downer's (for me)...felt a bit heavy and bulky. The screen did get a small nick. Can't reply to notifications (i.e. messages) on android or an iPhone. Stairs count was always WAY high. Also the black rubber band was wearing and showing scuffs...my gutt feel was band would not look very good in a few more months. Wore it the Band 2 on the inside of my wrist because it simply made it easier to read since the text on the Band cannot rotate. Anyway, I sold it and replaced it with an reduced price Apple Watch since the Band 2 made me realize how much I liked getting notifications and I wanted to be able to respond. Also wished they allowed voice functionality on non-windows phones.

The Microsoft Band 2 is a very good smart watch and activity tracker. There are so many things it can do, starting from the basics of steps, calories, and distance, it also shows you how many flights of stairs you've climbed and your heart rate. There are several tiles you can add to the band, including Facebook notifications, golf courses, exercise (weightlifting, yoga, rowing, etc), stock prices, UV index, and many more. It is GPS enabled which helps when running, biking, and hiking. When selecting running or biking, it shows pace, heart rate, elevation change among others. There is a stopwatch, timer, alarm, as well as a silent alarm to wake you up with vibrations. Along with tracking your sleep, it can also wake you up at an optimal time in your sleep cycle around the time of your choosing. The app is pretty cool and easy to use. With the app, you can also load certain workouts to the band that the band will then walk you through. There is also a reminder that tells you to get up and go if you haven't moved for a certain time (your choice of 30, 45, 60, 90, or 120 minutes. You can also tell it between which hours and which days to have this setting on.) It's more than what is on a normal activity tracker. To respond to texts/emails, there is a REAL keyboard you can use so you don't have to use a template. The keyboard is small, but is actually quite easy to use (I am 6' 3", wear XL gloves and haven't screwed up yet.) The only bad thing about it is its battery life, which with Bluetooth on, using it about an hour a day to track workouts, and having active heart rate on throughout the day is about two day battery life. This is right in line with many smart watches/activity trackers, but a better battery life is always nice to have. It takes about 90 minutes to charge full. While it is charging (or at any time it is not being worn) there is a setting that allows it to sync with the step tracker on most smart phones so it doesn't miss counting any steps. It is much more comfortable than the original Microsoft Band with the new curved screen and more flexible band. I think that just about covers everything; great product with a ton of cool features.

I have sleep apnea and this does a good job of tracking my nightly sleep and waking patterns. It creates good baseline data that I'm using to try and optimize my pre sleep routine and hours of productive sleep. It's a work in progress but it gives me daily feedback on each variable I can control. I don't run but I do take long walks. The Run app works well for recording my variable off-road routes and then showing the finished loop on a GPS map overlay with data about average pace, changes in pace, altitude changes, heart-rate, and calories burned. It's very helpful to have raw data to use for setting and tracking goals. It syncs with my S5 phone via bluetooth which then transders via wi-fi to a Microsoft cloud app on my PC where it displays good graphs and summaries. As noted in other reviews, the battery charge life is not long enough for more than a long day of activity so it would not be good for a weekend of camping unless you have a portable charging brick for it. That cost it one star.

I have had The Microsoft Band 2 for a month now and overall I am happy with the product. I was hoping for a more accurate reading on the hr monitor, but the fact is ALL wrist monitors are not as accurate as a chest monitor and I don't want to wear one of those. It is more comfortable than most will lead you to believe in other reviews. The only time it bothers me is when I first wake up and it has been in the same spot on my wrist. I then take it off and let it charge when I get ready for the day and I never run out of battery power. I love the display. It is sharp and easy to read. I also like the way it looks on my wrist. It goes well with casual, work, or church clothes. I also like the movement reminder, which you can customize. I sit all day and it reminds me to get up and walk around for a bit. I have yet to use the GPS with the cold weather but does a decent job on the treadmill on tracking my distance. It's about a tenth of a mile off compared to what the treadmill tells me that I have run. I also like the alerts from my phone. It's nice to see who is calling without pulling my phone out of my pocket. I did almost return it in the first week i bought it becuase, the HR monitor was off + or - 10 beats a minute compared to the HR monitors on the cardiovascular equipment, but sometimes it's right on the money. Usually it is in line with the cardiovascular machines or under. You also have to be moving your arms for it to track your steps, which is how a lot of other activity wrist trackers work as well. If you want a fitness tracker, HR monitor, smart phone alert function, and sleep tracker all in one and don't mind the small shortfall of thr hr monitor accuracy then I feel this is the best one on the market. If you want a 100% accurate HR monitor get a chest strap or wait another year or two for the technology to get better for wrist fitness HR monitors. I waited a year and got tired of waiting. I am happy to have this band and recommend it to anyone looking for a wrist fitness tracker with smart phone alerts.

This is my first fitness band ,, it serves as a watch, too, of course. I like the looks and functionality of the device a lot. Swipe gestures buttons are simple and pretty intuitive. I do not use any 3rd party apps. My favorite app is the built-in sleep tracker ... provides data on sleep pattern (light/deep sleep periods as well as wake-up counts, resting heart rate, etc.) Also tracks steps & pace for run/walk (and maps route with GPS). Battery is good for 2 days typically for me. Band clasp is very solid & adjusts easily, although a bit thick/clunky.

This Band has everything you need to stay motivated. The Steps are accurate the Gps feature is cool.It has various modes that others do not have. What I like most about t is the sleep feature. Turn it on while your laying in bed and it accurately accounts when you fall asleep and when you wake up...and the rest you are getting in between. It grades the type of rest you are getting...REM Light and Optimal. With the New Upgrade it also tracks your weight and BMI. The ONLY knock is the battery life. Hopefully they have a software upgrade soon to optimize it.

I have been using this band for the last 1 month and getting very comfortable with the operations. I also tried UP2, Fitbit, Fitbit HR before moving towards Band. Pros of Band2: 1) You don need to constantly monitor the progress in your Phone as we usually do with other Trackers due to the beautiful display 2) UV Tracking is a plus 3) Other activity tracking along with various modes for different exercise starting from Cycling, Stair climber, Rowing, Strength and ofcourse Running with GPS is working accurately 4) HR is accurate as I tried to compare with other devices Cons: Batter last only for 2 days. With IPHONE, data sync is very slow. Wakeup Microsoft. Band is kind of heavy but you get used to it in few days and acts like a mini smart watch. I like the Starbucks pay feature a lot. Overall, For 175$ I feel its a great buy. Go for it !!!

I was attracted to the Microsoft Band 2 by the multitude of sensors, especially the ones not available on other fitness bands or watches. At first, I had issues with the comfort/fit. I have thinner wrists, and the contacts leave indents in my skin (especially overnight) which took some time to get used to, so I switched wrists often, and loosened/tightened it depending on what I was doing. It still leaves the marks, but it's not as irritating as it was (I find watches irritating as well, so I'm probably at the extreme end :). I can type just fine it (I wear it facing inwards and my left wrist) and it doesn't get in the way. The positives of this band are plenty and hence my review. Firstly, the app is great, the desktop/browser dashboard is even better. It can connect to Apple iOS, Android or Windows Phones which automatically make it easy to use with whatever/whenever you change phones/services. This is a huge deal since many other services are tied to ONE company, and if you find something you think you might enjoy more, you can't bring your stuff with you with those kinds of companies. The app syncs with your band several times through the day (or you can sync it manually) and the information is uploaded to the cloud. You can view great information in the app, but the magic is the website dashboard. You can break down into details, time comparisons, comparisons with other people in your category, gender/age/bmi/activity level, etc. The sleep tracking is awesome (on the website you can view your heartrate during your entire sleep, view your periods of light and restful sleep, and your 'awake' times. It'll give you a small review in the morning telling you little things that can help improve your sleep. The 'Smart Alarm' allows the band to notice when you are in lighter sleep to wake you up easier (up to 30 minutes before your alarm time) with a subtle vibration. (you can turn this off if you just want to sleep until your alarm). For walks/runs, you can turn on GPS (though you'll only get 4-6 hours of use with GPS on), an you will have a map with your travel, colour coded by speed, interval times, heart rate, etc. You can even use it for golf, though I haven't tried that. I've only fiddled with the workouts, which give you your exercises on your phone, and the band let's you know when to start/stop based on time or with some exercises, reps. I've only used the UV sensor one day as well. Another sensor that I'm not sure have a visible use for yet include galvanic skin response - maybe you can make a mood band app! You also have the ability to set it to always show the date/time, or to only show it when you lift/twist your wrist - my preference. My wife has used it to pay for Starbucks, which is the only pay app on the Band as of this writing. Checking text messages is great. Email is neat for checking the header information to see whether it's worth picking up the phone to read the email or not. You can use Cortana (I think only on Windows Phone?) by talking to your Band (it simply connects to the phone and does your search - so you'll have to pick up the phone anyways. I find the sensors very accurate, though walking requires your arms to move - carrying a glass usually results in no steps. The positive side is that you don't end up with Fitbit '500 steps taken' while driving your car or brushing your teeth ;). My altimeter for measuring floors up/down doesn't seem to be super accurate. Doesn't work enough in our home, and at a hospital, I only measured 1 floor, even though we went up 2 and down 2 - maybe I wasn't moving my arm enough? Not sure for that. Heart rate works really well once it's locked, though it'll jump somewhat if your heart rate skips - though I believe it takes the average during the time it takes the measurements for data purposes. And calories burned are based on the heart rate (so doing nothing, or sleeping, shows your estimated calories burned - while walking/running/exercising would show an increase along with heart rate). Overall, I enjoy the Band 2 a lot, and would recommend it to anyone, with the caveat of giving it at least a couple of weeks to get used to the clasp/battery/anodes and find the position and arm that feels most comfortable to yourself. I switch arms sometimes a couple of times a day, sometimes not for days. I get a full 2 days of battery life, though I find giving it a quick charge while in the shower/getting ready is enough to keep me going.

So, I'm a die-hard Microsoft guy, but I'm also very picky about my tech. I had the original band and loved it, but this new band blows it away. The style and comfort is light years beyond the original. All the great things and features of the original are there plus there are more. If you want the best hybrid of a smartwatch and fitness band this is the one for you. Track your steps, run, biking, sleep, golf, heart rate, calories, flights of stairs, and then get all your texts, notifications, emails, Facebook, Twitter, Facebook messenger, and missed phone calls on your watch. Reply tot texts right from the watch. Trust me...you'll love it.

I have been wearing the Band2 for nearly 2 solid weeks without any issues. I track my sleep, 2 bike rides, 4 runs, several hikes, daily steps while I sync with my Nokia windows phone. I'm using the Windows Health app to track all activities (no issues), Cortana seems to work just fine, I get instant updates and notices from Text, email, phone calls, Cortana, UV, daily goals etc... and no GPS issues at all. It is so comfortable I hardly even notice it on my wrist. I stopped wearing a watch years ago, but having the ability to easily check time is great. I have greatly reduced pulling out my cell now that I get everything on my band2! I was tossed giving it a 4 or 5 only because of battery life even though I haven't had any problems. Charging is quick, but being new it is always on my mind.

Maybe I am just too old @ 60 years old to get a good pulse rate measurement during exercise. The Band 2 is the absolute best product i've used. GPS tracking in the Band while biking or walking. Great sleep tracking. All the features offered by bluetooth. Microsoft Health is pretty good too. Unfortunately, during exercise my heart rate spikes to 188 beats per minute when I am actually 118. As a fairly fit 60 year, who had a heart attack 18 years ago, exercise programs of biking, elliptical, hiking, snow showing, good sleep, weight tracking are extremely important. the large error in pulse rate during exercise, is a deal breaker and with tears in my eyes I had to return it. I understand the pulse error doesn't effect everyone.. so give it a try. I wish MS would tell the many who are having problems and tell us how to correct the malfunction.

As many are mentioning, it is really great for what it does. It is not the best smartwatch, or the best fitness watch, but it might be one of the best combo packages. I really like the sleep tracker, and the continuous heat rate tracker, and it gives me access to emails, texts, etc. I don't have the Windows phone, so yes, I have used the tiny keypad as well, and believe it or not it works rather well for a short reply. Any longer reply would be too cumbersome, so I just pull out my phone for those. The GPS tracker feature is awesome. It kept a very accurate route for my last hiking through the woods with the family. Nice feature, but that does eat the battery life as others have mentioned. However, it has a battery feature that you can use for longer hikes, bike rides, that gives you most of what you need anyway. The band is comfortable to me, as I have worn this Band2 for over a month and a half straight. Yes, I only take off for showers (when I charge the band in the bathroom), and I put it right back on after. The battery has yet to deplete to the dead zone. So, the battery life has been great to me so far and is a non-issue. I really did not want a lot of 'fluff', but wanted a good combo fitness smartwatch, and I found the perfect match for me. BTW: my friend's band snapped in half last week, but he called the local Microsoft store and they gave him a free watch the next day when he was able to go over there. The "replace my band' feature allowed the data to move over, based on what he told me and he did not miss a beat. Way to go Microsoft!!!

I've had the Band 2 for over 2 months now and I am loving it. The Microsoft Band 2 does everything I want and more. It is one of the few fitness devices that combines just about every feature available from GPS to a heart rate monitor. I would agree with the one downside that comes up in several reviews, that the design is a bit strange with the large, bulky, pack that sits near the band's clasp. But, after wearing it over several weeks, I don't realize it anymore. Certainly I hope Microsoft corrects this with the next iteration. Pros: Tons of features and Microsoft keeps adding them with feature updates. For example, the new explore feature you can use to track hikes. I also really enjoy the Microsoft Health app and web interface. It's easy to use and has great visuals to track fitness progress. Cons: Bulky design. Battery life is about 2 days, but much shorter if you use the GPS or have the screen on for workouts. It gets beat up quickly. Screen has a nick already and the band looks worn down due to the soft rubber like material. For me, I easily look past the Cons because it is so feature rich and is a great fitness band, and adds a few smart watch features like text, phone, and calendar notifications.

The band is very good. I have being using it for 3 week. It is a little big, very close to unconfortable, but usable. The wheater does not work with iPhone 6. Battery last lest than 2 days. Everything else is very good. My wife loved the built in gps and that she has no loger to use a band to know her heart rate.

The Microsoft Band 2 has all the functionality to keep you motivated and more. I use it with my Apple phone and connected to my laptop running Windows 10. What I like....it keeps track of your steps, stairs, heart rate and calories burned. In addition in the running or biking mode you have GPS to keep accurate track of the miles you run/bike. The GPS also connects fast so that you don't have the wait minutes to get going. The battery life is short, however, the recharge rate is extremely fast. Overall I really like the band and the interface is easy to use. For the price you get a lot of functionality.

Functionality-wise, the band 2 is a great product. It tracks steps, distance, route (GPS), heart rate, steps climbed, elevation change, etc. It's comfortable, easy to read, and it was very easy to set up. However, the battery is a deal-breaker. If I turn on GPS, a fully charged battery lasts less than two hours - not great for hiking. With GPS off, dim brightness setting and heart rate monitor on, battery has never lasted a full day and evening. One battery glitch: three times, I have gotten a message that the battery stopped and I had to reset the date and time. Great as the many, many features are, I would not recommend this product because of the very limited battery life and glitches.

If you saw my review of the band under the MS Band 2 Medium size, this is the same review. The only difference is I needed to exchange it for the large size. Best Buy did the swap no problem. Since I am a fan of Microsoft's products and I didn't care about doing challenges via a fitbit I decided to try the MS Band 2. I am not a runner, I mainly use the band 2 for step tracking, mild workouts and monitoring my heart rate. It does a good job at all those things. If you are a runner it will track you via GPS and give you a detailed report of your run on the MS Health app. If you start a run and only walk, you can still use the GPS run tracker. The band 2 works with the MS Health app which is available on Windows Phone, Android and iPhone. I have used it on both WP and Android and it works great on both. If you use the default applications for texting and email, both will show up on the band as well. I use the texting feature and it works great if I am in a meeting and want to see who sent me a text without taking out my phone. You can also reply from the band 2 and its not that hard to tap type on the tiny little keyboard.

This has replaced my polar heart rate monitor & watch. Almost as accurate, but also has GPS, altimeter for stairs etc. Its a little bulky, but it is worth it for all the features it has. the curved glass is great, it syncs great with myfitnesspal so again great for tracking exercise, meals/calories, steps, miles run and more. If it was a little thinner and displayed more of my emails I would give it 5 starts. Great value for the $$.

Coming from the original MS Band, this is a major improvement. Nice vibrant screen, much more comfortable, and charging is much improved. However, there are annoying quirks. While I've read of issues with the strap tearing and some physical problems, most of the limitations I've personally seen are software related, tied to the ongoing development of Windows 10 mobile (which I have this Band paired to). For instance, notifications for email, texts and calls are great, but responding via the on-band keyboard is spotty with regards to connecting. The running tracking with in-Band GPS is fantastic, but getting a GPS lock is erratic, sometimes taking a few minutes, other times close to instantaneous. Until a recent update to the Win10 software, battery life was horrible (6-12 hours) due to unnecessary chatter with Microsoft Health, however that's now fixed and I get 24-36 hours/charge, depending on use. I'm a heavy user of the guided workouts, but twice I needed to factory-reset to alleviate issues with calorie tracking going dark. For the price, it's overall a good product, but I'd wager that improvements in Windows 10 will yield additional stability, and further bet that the 3rd Band iteration will close a lot of the design flaws.