Health and Beauty

Having looked at and used Epson’s first foray into health via watch that lets you log your pulse as well as much more I am here looking at another device, this one aimed at those whose aim is to get fit as well as those who just try to survive.

This is the last of five items requested from a press event I attended last autumn. I remember it being demonstrated around a course of obstructions to show its versatility and ease of twisting, only then was the extra feature unveiled.

Having looked at various Weather Stations over the years this was an item to cast my eyes over. Various units have been powered by battery and even solar power. This unit is powered by three ‘AA’ batteries the forth supplied battery powers the outside unit.

This neat electric shaver can be used as a dry shaver or as a wet shaver. For that top up before a night out when leaving the office its ideal. It also works exactly like a wet shaver when required, just lather up and shave in the normal way.

If your plates of meat are giving cause for concern then maybe this next product can be of assistance.

Last autumn I visited a venue called the Ice Tank, it was for a presentation from a company based in Germany that has a product to efficiently control your central heating, it even knows when the last person leaves or the first arrives back at your home.

Keeping a check on your blood pressure could provide an early warning of any health issues. This next product could help.

Wrist bands seem very popular here is one that has many functions, it can be a watch, an exercise monitor, a pedometer, it has a sleep tracker and with the aid of either an iOS or Android App this information can all be stored.

I think of Epson as a producer of printers and projectors, their parent company is Seiko so timing systems and quality watches are their bag. Here however a health product that combines a watch with a whole range of other features.

When I hear the name of Garmin, my thoughts are generally directed towards satellite navigation and Global Positioning Systems (GPS). However this is not the company’s only sphere of interest. Garmin also has its sights set on our personal health with products such as the recently launched vivofit™ fitness band.

The Braun WF2S Blue WaterFlex is both a wet and dry razor, it is equally useable in the bath, shower or at a basin using foam, gel or just soap. However it can also give a dry shave just as easily. So the above are the claims does my extensive testing agree?

This arrived just as I injured my ankle so it was not taken from its box for over a month. To say this is a pedometer is a disservice to this multi-use product, however that is the starting point, link it to free Withings Apps and go from there.

Back to feet now, but here a rather different device from the recent Shiatsu device, this works with electrical impulses and even has external Tens pads to attach to other parts of the body that need help to improve their circulation.

It’s no secret that to me black coffee is a no no, my days of alcoholic excess are long gone and I prefer something smoother so milk is required. I do like my milk frothy so a device to pump steam in while making good coffee is for me.

Look after your health and it will look after you – so goes the saying and this next product could prove useful.

Having done an excessive amount of walking over the recent weeks at the range of Christmas In July events this was lovely. In previous years shoulders and then backs have had Shiatsu attention, this year it is the turn of feet.

This unit is designed to take up to a 15.6inch notebook/laptop. It does however have room for a few extras so could be just about big enough to contain a spare shirt and socks etc so could just about constitute an overnight bag.

Yes the round of Christmas shows has started, I know September has only just begun but various companies show what they think will be on your Christmas wish lists in JULY and here are the first two offerings from one such event held at the Ice Tank in London on what was one of the hottest days of the year and the venue certainly was not even cool.

This is a watch with the ability to count your steps and even with the aid of the chest strap provided also check your heart rate during exercise. So apart from using satellite technology why has this company diversified into this area.

We all sweat, some – like me – sweat a lot, partly due to the weather and partly in my case due to my larger size but also because of various medical problems that I have, so a shirt that promises to not show sweat patches was a must to try.

A snug fitting shoe, a little bright by my standards but given that anything goes today the word is comfort and while these are extremely comfortable I am not one for vigorous exercise which I understand is their main purpose.

A new name to me that I found by chance while checking the Apps pre-installed on an Android Smartphone. Health items are of particular interest to me as I have several health problems myself so these items are always useful.

These are new to the UK although a sister company brought out a very good Blood Pressure watch some years ago. Here I am looking at Smart Scales, Smart Blood Pressure Cuff and a Smart Pedometer these with a free App that can monitor your health.

I saw these items at a retro event showing lots of items from Brauns past and also an exhibition of specially commissioned posters in a trendy setting of a furniture showroom. The Trimmer was available to take away the chance to review the shaver followed later.

Just before Christmas I attended a Braun event that included the company’s latest range of electric shavers.

Christmas is past and no doubt we all feel those pre festivity clothes have shrunk – even sitting in the wardrobe – a check on the scales tells a different story and those extra puddings are now sitting around your waist and hips.

The only link these two items have is that they both came from a ‘Christmas In July’ event organised by Lakeland. While they are best known for Catalogues, they also have shops and of course a Website to help you choose.

Scales to weight things and scales to weight yourself. Both are rather special, kitchen scales normally have a ‘glass ceiling’ at 5kilos, these can easily weight twice that. Second a set of scales that also analyse you to give more information.

For anyone with a baby or other dependant person something like this will make a hard life easier. Starting with the setup. This will work on your home Wi-Fi network or over the Internet the latter ideal for keeping an eye on the baby sitter.

Both products are small, both products work to reduce or eliminate pain, the first called No Pain is a Tens device and anyone who has used one a few years ago cannot claim there is ‘no pain’, the second is even smaller and often used by physiotherapists.