Whether he's a weekend warrior, a ski lover, a Tough Mudder, or a gym rat, here are a few ways to delight the athlete in your life this holiday season.
Fitbit's latest Bluetooth-connected activity tracker is a bracelet that blends digital fitness-tracking expertise with some basic smartwatch functionality. The Force includes features from the Fitbit One, such as an altimeter to measure steps climbed, as well as the number of steps taken over a day. You can also track calories burned, distance traveled, and how long you've slept, with most of the information viewable on the device's OLED screen or via a Fitbit app. $129.95.
Just in time for snow season, Recon Instruments has just unveiled its new and improved heads-up display (HUD), allowing wearers to see maps, speed, temperature, and playlists all while carving up the mountain. Snow2 also captures vertical descents, jump airtime, navigation, and distance using a built-in precision GPS and an integrated suite of sensors. In other words, you'll always know just how fast you're going, how many jumps you took, and how much ground you're covering. The built-in GPS enables full resort navigation, and when paired with a compatible Android or iOS device, you'll have real-time tracking delivered direct-to-eye. $399
While runners have their fair share of glow-in-the-dark sneakers, now snowboarders can light up the pistes with Nike's LED-illuminated LunarENDOR QS snowboard boot. The new Nike boot is adorned with 30 LEDs in the Swoosh on the side panel, powered by a lithium ion battery, to light up less-traversed trails as the sun goes down, although their real purpose is aesthetic appeal. Plus the lights easily switch on or off with a hidden switch right on the top of the boots' cuff. The boots arrive right before Christmas around mid-December this year. Price hasn't yet been released.
The GoPro Hero 3 Black Edition
The wifi-enabled GoPro Hero 3 Black Edition can capture full HD at 60 frames a second, take 30 12-megapixel stills per second and can even film in ultra-high definition (if only at 15 frames per second) for ultimate detail. It also ships with a free wifi remote control as standard, and is also waterproof to 60m, thanks to its protective casing. Plus it weighs only 75g. $399
Based on the company's latest flagship handset but designed for the great outdoors, the SIV Active should be equally at home on a mountain side as it is on a long flight. Rated as water-resistant for up to 30 minutes when submerged at a depth of 1 meter, the phone's casing is also dust-resistant so that mud, grime and even sand won't find their way into the device's inner grooves, vents and internal workings. Other neat touches include a screen that responds to gloved fingers, a special aqua setting for underwater photography and a collection of outdoor apps including a barometer, compass and altimeter. About €500 for the handset.
The Peloton Bike lets users stream live spin classes from the convenience of their own home via a built-in Android tablet. The sweat-resistant tablet is custom-made for the bike and features a multitouch display. Bluetooth 4.0 and ANT+ allow users to sync the bike to other wireless gadgets, such as heart rate monitors and headphones. Classes will be broadcast live from Peloton's New York City studio, at numerous times for multiple time zones and for different levels and styles. $2,000
This all-purpose helmet does away with the traditional tail and claims to do something most helmets don't -- offer ventilation and aerodynamic efficiency at the same time. The look of the helmet is rounded, more like a BMX or urban cyclist's helmet, with minimal venting (only six vents) that the company claims does the job well. The helmet also relies on Giro's Roc Loc Air adjustable fit system, which suspends the helmet 3 mm above the rider's head -- the additional space between head and helmet forces airflow through the helmet's vent channels and ports. $240
