I believe that the added value that can be drawn from the pulses, depends largely on how vulnerable one is for "gamification". In the end, one adds his everyday so a "high score" that to beat. For me, it works extremely well: In the knowledge that every step is counted, I decide in doubt, always sure to walk instead of taking the train / bus / car / elevator. When I'm with 8500 steps at the end of the day, I'm sometimes even a little detour in order to get full 10,000.
The sleep monitoring ensures that I go to bed earlier tend to be slightly and try to get more sleep.
Every morning after waking up I check my pulse and looking forward as he sinks slowly after I have gone back to the sport.
The handling is perfect: in the morning he walks into the "pocket watch" my jeans and falls not on there. In the evening you go into the wrist band that is so light and comfortable to wear, that one does not feel it. The comparison with the app works effortlessly. The data are processed in the beautiful app and on the web.
The step measurement seems to me very carefully.
Although the measured pulse is only a snapshot, but in direct comparison with my chest strap Polar measurement was next to only one or two beats.
I'm not sure how accurate the sleep test may be based on motion - but nights when I slept subjectively poor are clearly distinguished in the App of those to whom I feel rested.
The altitude is rather streaky accuracy.
The distance traveled in KM is thrown at me at best.
What I do not like: the wrist strap can not be washed in the washing machine and after repeated, careful cleaning by hand the Velcro does not seem to hold quite so sure. There is also no official way how you can obtain a replacement. For an item that you wear every night which is rather suboptimal.
zl; ng: I love the Withings Pulse lot of fun and it is worth the money. Would I lose him, I would buy one immediately.
Addendum 17.04.2014:
When questioned at the nice Withings Support, send a free a new wristband. I think that's very nice. A washing machine-suitable band but I would find it a little better.
Addendum 22.04.2014:
Recently there is the "Withings Pulse O2" a new version that measures, inter alia, the oxygen content of blood. With the latest firmware update, I can also use this function in my pulses 2013. I'm pretty thrilled that Withings unlock this interesting feature for existing customers. That speaks in my opinion very much for the company and its product maintenance.
