Showing posts with label Kit review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kit review. Show all posts

Monday, 21 August 2017

Kit Review : Lucy Locket Loves Leggings

I'm a sucker for some funky lycra and given what I do for a living I can often find a way to justify buying another pair of leggings. I noticed a post on twitter a while back from Lucy Locket launching a range of bright leggings. It caught my eye because I couldn't remember the last time I'd seen a pair of black leggings, so prolific seem to be the Tikiboo, Sweaty Betty, Fabletics, USA Pro and other ranges of patterned items.

But I looked at the designs and really liked them, lots of patterns I'd not seen the like of before. Also they claimed to be squat-proof, cut for women and very very comfy. Sounds like a win to me! I ordered a pair of Pretty Polly leggings which arrived just as I was leaving for Jersey a couple of weeks ago, along with a free tote bag!

First impressions were that I absolutely LOVEd the look and feel of the fabric. They seemed really well made and the pattern was just as bold and bright as I had hoped. They were the first leggings I reached for on returning to work on Monday, because everyone needs brightness on a Monday right? I teamed them with a blue vest and my own branded hoody in red, to pick out the colours in the leggings. They were a big hit! Some prints stretch to show the white fabric, something I loathe, not these. Yes they are squat-proof, no visible pants thank you. They came up a little shorter than I expected (7/8 length rather than full) and felt a little low at the back but I'm 178cm tall with hips and curves so might not feel that way on everyone. They were as comfy as promised and stood up to outdoor classes, indoor classes and sofa lounging.
I also treated myself to a vest top from the ever-expanding collection. The Girl Power vest in aqua ticked my boxes for being a colour I don't own much of, a motivational slogan and not too bold (I can only cope with bold legs or bold top, not both). These tanks aren't technical fabric, but are cut really well (no chafing, not too low in the neck, lovely and long in the torso) and again, have been a big hit with my classes.
I'm keeping my eye on a few other vests for the future, namely Maybe It's Caffeine, If Found on Ground and Always hungry!
If you're looking for something a little different, something to get you noticed, or just a bit of kit as a reward for your latest achievement, do look at Locket Loves for vests, leggings and more. Leggings are £30 and vests £22 but I've got an exclusive discount code for all my readers that will give you 20% off of everything in store! Just enter VIKKI20 at the checkout.

Follow Lucy on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with the latest designs and additions, and please tag pictures of you on social media in your kit with #locketloves so we can see how bold you dare to go!
SaveSaveSaveSave

Thursday, 15 December 2016

Vik's Picks : December 2016

It's been a few months since I did a Vik's Picks post... partly because there haven't been enough stand out products in the autumn months. But, just in time for Christmas, here are the things that have been getting through December.
1. For years I've been meaning to get some warmer trousers to wear when I'm coaching outdoors in the cold months. I finally found these Adidas trousers in Decathlon for less than £20 that I can wear over my leggings to keep me extra cosy. They have a half zipped leg so I don't have to take my trainers off and pockets to keep extra bits and bobs in. They've already gotten a lot of use!

2. Another Decathlon bargain has been this down jacket. It cost £39.99 from Quecha and comes in two colours. It is light and fitted enough to allow me to move easily when coaching but warm enough to tackle the sub zero temperatures. It packs down into it's own pocket and look s smart enough to wear out and about. It's already done duty at the gym, during outdoor coaching sessions and National Trust visits.

3. I'm luck enough to be able to get out in daylight hours for some run still but some of the roads near me lack street lights and a recent over night event I did mandated the use of head torches. One of mine recently gave up so I treated myself to a new Viper 2 head torch from Alpkit. At 160 lumens it's the best and brightest head torch I own and it was a bargain to boot!

4. It wouldn't be December for me without a mint hot chocolate. I've been treating myself to one from Starbucks once a week, made with soy milk because I just like it that way.

5. Finally I've been treating my lips to Burt's Bees lip balm. There are many lip balms out there but this is my current fave. Ive got a mint one that makes my lips go tingly and a tinted one too. Worth the investment as it stays put and moisturises for a long time.

What have been your treats and must-haves this winter?

Monday, 24 October 2016

Kit Review : Hoka One One

Way back in the spring, I took part in the Polesdon Lacy 10k. It was one of the many events this year that the brand Hoka One One were present at, offering the chance to explore their range of footwear and even try them out.

I know a few people who wear Hokas but I was always sceptical of them, wondering what the bog fuss was all about. So ignoring all advice about nothing new on race day I traded in my beaten up old Salomon trail shoes for a brand new pair of shiny and colourful Hoka Challenger ATR2's. These are one of the trail offerings from Hoka, designed to transition well from trail to road - perfect for me who has to run on road to get to most of my trail routes, and one of the reasons I loved my Salomons so much. It was updated for 2016 with a more supportive fit through the midfoot, and increased comfort across the top of the foot. I'm pretty broad across the mid foot so I was pleased to find that these shoes have a wide toe box. Despite that I had to go up a half size from my normal running shoe size. In regular shoes I'm a 7 and take an 8 in a trainer. My loan Hokas were an 8.5 and felt really great.
Before
After
The route for Polesdon Lacy was a mix of path and off-road, so a good test for the shoe. In addition it was pretty muddy underfoot so the 4mm lugs were put to the test. Over the 10k I didn't get one blister, didn't slip once, and got to the end with muddy trainers but dry feet. The only criticism I had was that the laces came undone once which meant I had to stop to retie. But frankly there are so many different lacing systems you can choose from now that it doesn't take much effort to swap laces over for something that suits better.
I also got to wear one of their branded visors, especially useful given it was a drizzly sort of day. I only wear caps or visors when it's raining, to stop the rain from getting in my face. The visor has a really nice wide elastic band which was just about small enough for me, and came in two colour ways, pink and green. I obviously went for green as I actively shy away from all things pink (purple is a different matter). Again it was really comfortable and I still use it on sunny or rainy runs to this day. I couldn't find these to buy, so I think they were just a promotional item, which is a shame as I would have paid money for another, but thankfully I was able to keep it.

Unfortunately I had to give the Hokas back at the end of the race, but at least I had relatively clean and dry shoes to go home in. I've yet to purchase a pair of the Challengers but they are certainly on my list for when I need some more trail shoes. At £100 they aren't going to break the bank and are certainly comparable to other shoes out there.
SaveSave

Monday, 6 July 2015

Kit Review : Tesco Sports Bra

I apologise if you're male and reading this... I have nothing for you here... but come back soon for a HIIT work out ok? Thanks.

Ladies! This one's for you. Quick show of hands first though if you please. Who owns a sports bra that has seen better days, one that you really should have thrown out a long time ago? I'll confess, until very recently I had two sports bras in my collection, that I still wore, that I bought back in 2007. True story. I horrify myself sometimes. 

We know that we should be replacing our bras regularly. The support deteriorates over time and they don't do the job as well as they used to. My only excuse for continuing to wear the aforementioned bras was that they'd been relegated from "high impact" to "weight training" duties. I would hazard a guess that one of the main reasons we don't replace our sports bras is the expense. You're looking at paying around £30 for a well-known brand of sports bra and you definitely need at least two. I get through five a week if I'm running. 

I've had mixed experiences with budget bras but when I saw this bra on the Tesco website, with a structure and design very similar to that of Shock Absorber, I figured it was worth a try. At just £16 this is a really good alternative to the higher priced bras. It doesn't have all the same technology and is only available in black or white but it works well, at least for me, with slightly-smaller-than-average endowments.
I've raced in this bra already, on a hot day, and it was very comfortable. I think the under-bust band is slightly wider than my other bras which I like but the back fastening slightly flimsier.

Another thing I like are the gel padded straps. In fact I liked this bra so much I've already ordered two more. At that price I can afford to.
Have you found any other "budget" sports bras that you would recommend for runners/high impact work?

Wednesday, 19 November 2014

Review : parkrun Barcode T-Shirts

Last year, I think it was at the Running Show (which I’ll be attending again this year in its revised incarnation as the Running & Endurance Show), I discovered that you could get your parkrun barcode printedon a t-shirt. I was really smitten with this idea, more so even than the natty key tags and wristbands that you can buy these days.
At the time I was less smitten with the designs, and the price. My self-laminated-with-sticky-tape barcodes were still going strong and I’d yet to forget it on Saturday morning by virtue of having one everywhere I could think of (key dish, car, sports bag…) So I didn’t buy one. But I didn’t forget about it and when Miles Stronger, the company behind these little beauties, came up with a new colour-way and a discount code I finally ignored the little voice telling me I had enough kit and bought one.
I arrived home from parkrun one Saturday to find it waiting on the doormat. Damn! I had to wait a whole week before I could test it out. Testing day happened to coincide with meeting Strava Ambassador, John Clarke, pre-Gatliff. The distinct design would have made it easy to pick me out of a crowd, had I not arrived at 8:30 before the masses.

I am really impressed with the top. I’m long in the body but it didn’t feel short, the cut was lovely and the fabric wasn’t at all flimsy. The real test... scanning time! There aren’t many of these shorts around and the scanning volunteer at Orpington was rather impressed when I just held out the hem of my shirt. Even more so when it scanned! I’d had my usual barcode as a back up but my text and email results came through as usual so it worked! Now I just have to decide whether to wear my “50” or barcode t-shirt each week.

The shirts cost £35 but are worth the money considering the quality and personalisation. They’re made from proper technical fabric, available in three designs and come in men’s, women’s and children’s cuts.


Miles Stronger also stock the fantastic Chia Charge flapjackbars. I first tried these at the Trailblazer last summer. I really like the consistency and the fact they’re not too sweet, having a bit of sea salt in them. I might be stocking up on some of these for Gatiff… 

Wednesday, 12 November 2014

Tagnix Watch Tags : ID for Sportspeople

What do you take with you when you go running? If I'm going on a long run, something 12 miles or over, my list looks a little like this:
  • Waist pack
  • Tissue
  • Plasters
  • iPod and/or phone
  • Gels/nakd bars
  • Keys
  • Garmin
That's it, aside from what I wear on my person. A jacket may get tied around my waist and I'll take some hi-viz if it's dark. I occasionally take money and I'll stop in pubs for water (I dislike carrying a bottle and I'm not yet on good terms with my camelbak). If I'm going out for a shorter run the list is more likely to be:
  • Garmin
  • Keys
I'll take my iPod about 50% of the time and rarely take my phone. When you run the same roads, locally, repeatedly, it's easy to become complacent about these things. At this time of year, especially, I should always take my phone, some cash and some ID, just in case something were to happen. I now at least have no excuse not to have some ID on me thanks to tagnix.

Tagnix make a range of ID tags and bracelets that can be engraved with your details so that someone can be contacted and vital medical information is readily available. They already offer shoe tags which would be great for runners, but I know I run in different shoes and it would be easy to forget to switch it over. Even better, in my opinion, are the new watch tags. I am never without my Garmin on a run so having some ID that attaches to it makes perfect sense.
They come in two sizes and a variety of colours and just like all their other products, can be engraved with your choice of details of up to 6 lines of text and 25 characters per line. I've been rocking the wider tag in green for a couple of weeks now. As more of my running takes place after dark this definitely gives me (and my mum) peace of mind.
Barely visible
I got mine engraved with my name, ICE details, NHS number and allergy info but you might want to put your blood type, club details or postcode on there; anything you feel is pertinent. The coloured part of the tag is made of a flexible, silicon-type material, which makes it really easy to slip over buckles and so on, to attach to your watch strap. I have to tuck the end of the strap underneath it every time I fasten the watch but other than that I forget it's there. It just quietly sits there, doing it's job of recording information, and I don't give it any thought. that's exactly what it needs to do.
The metal part hasn't threatened to come away from it's strap, scratched, dented or faded. Of course it's early days but  so far so good.

If you're like me and prefer to travel light or are prone to forgetting to take ID with you, then this would be a great product for you. These aren't expensive and are a good investment.

Tagnix very kindly provided me with a tag to test for free in return for a review. All opinions are, as ever, my own. I genuinely think these rock.

Monday, 1 September 2014

Kit Review: Primark Gym Range

Today I have a guest post and kit review from Dee. Hope you enjoy!

I am not a serious runner, I really only run if I want to lose a few pounds, or to get a bit fitter if Vikki talks me into doing a 5 or 10k!  Because of this, I tend not to go in much for fancy running gear, the running tops I own have been with me for about 8 years or more.  Yes, I know, terrible isn't it?

Anyway, they are getting a bit tired and seem to have shrunk somewhat in length, so I mentioned to Vikki that maybe I should look in the sales for a couple of new tops at least.  She suggested I look in Primark at their sportswear, she had heard good things about the running tops in particular from the ladies in the RMR Group.  As luck would have it, I was off to London that day to the West End where there is a huge Primark, so decided to have a look (they don't stock this range in my local Primark, and that is quite a large store).


I ended up buying 3 running tops, pale green, light marl grey and a black, a bargain at £4 each! They feel lovely and soft, are seamless and nice and long.  They are a technical and fast drying fabric and also have a nice bit of detailing on them. I don't think they look cheap at all.

I went out for a run in one over the weekend to try it out.  It was really comfortable to run in, didn't ride up at all and didn't rub anywhere.  I would definitely have paid a lot more for these tops.

Primark also do leggings and crop tops, but I think I am a bit past wearing those, however if you wear  them, it might be worth giving them a try, after all, what have you got to lose at those prices?


Have you had any running gear bargains? What brands do you think do a good job of producing workout kit at affordable prices?

Wednesday, 13 August 2014

Crew Room's New Range and Run Club

The great thing about Crewroom's Saturday morning run club is that it starts from their HQ on Putney Embankment. The bad thing about Crewroom's Saturday morning run club is that it starts from their HQ on Putney Embankment... It's good because it is a beautiful location; surrounded by rowing clubs and right on the bank of the Thames just a few steps from a well used path that is perfect for running and cycling.
Crewroom HQ
The view! Oh the view!
It's bad because HQ is also their shop and as such it contains all of their lovely kit, including the brand new Elements and Laser ranges, which is extremely hard to resist as several members of the group demonstrated, lining up purchases pre-run to pay for post-run.

When I arrive I meet Maria, Commercial Director, and get a tour during which I find founder Kate in the kitchen, hands covered in egg and in the middle of whipping up something for us all to tuck into later. Some weeks it might be sausages or brunch but this week it's a lemon drizzle cake. I'm also introduced to Vincent, Kate's year-old labradoodle, who accompanies us on the run but is denied cake.

Walking into HQ is a little like walking into a sweetshop. The kit just begs to be touched and tried on, murals on the walls encourage you to linger and look longer and the designer's station along one wall reminds you that this company is still small in size and very hands on. A cute coffee van is being manned by one of the newest designers and there's a sense of the company being like a family. Community is another key word for Crewroom; the run club is just one of the activities that appear on "Baz's Big Board" alongside pilates, boxercise and yoga, all free of charge.
Kate experiments with paper mache and window displays
As someone who can be a bit shy about getting involved in already-established groups, I was delighted to find everyone extremely welcoming and within minutes I felt part of something. There's no set time, distance or pace for the running. We quickly find at least one person to run with for 4, 6 or 10 miles at a pace to suit. I run with Kate and a very well behaved Vincent, which gives us a chance to chat more about all sorts of things including her ideas for fitting out the pop up shop that's opening later in the year. It's a beautiful day and I wonder how anyone gets any work done with the temptation of this on the doorstep.
Coffee van outside the shop - does a mean flat white
I've very kindly been gifted shorts and a vest from the new Elements range. I'm wearing them to club because it seems rude not to but I'd already put them through their paces on my 16 mile training run. The cuts are super comfortable, the designs and colours appealing and the detailing thoughtful. These are the only shorts I've ever seen with an inside pocket and elastic loop suitable for securing iPod or keys and a back pocket that comfortably holds an iPhone whilst still staying up. Even on a very long, hot run they don't chafe. It's just a little bit different, both appealing but also makes it hard to get into concessions because it breaks the mould a bit. There are masses of sports clothing companies in existence, with a new one popping up just about every week but Crewroom have been around for several years already and design with function and protection very much at the fore. It just happens that the colours and cuts are also gorgeous. I could wax lyrical about them all day, and that tends to only happen with companies whose products I really believe in and feel connected with.

But let's return to run club. Kate and I are first back to base, the scent of lemon cake wafting out to greet us as we grab a drink in-store and others drift back over the course of the next half hour or so. Generous slabs of cake are cut, distributed and consumed whilst we sit on the sun-soaked decking chatting over coffees and juice. Eventually we start to drift away, there is the rest of the day to get on with after all, but it is with reluctance. It's 45 minutes drive each way for me but I'm sad I can't make it next week. I vow to return on at least one other occasion and hopefully to try Stand Up Paddleboarding too.
Cutting of the cake

I will confess to trying on pieces from the Laser range whilst I was at HQ, stroking leggings and admiring jackets I can't justify buying... yet. I'm a fan and I really hope that they continue to go from strength to strength.

You can keep up to date with Crewroom and all their classes by following them on Facebook and twitter. Sign-up to their newsletter any time during August and you'll automatically be entered into a draw to win a bag of kit worth £200!

Monday, 14 July 2014

Halo Headbands and Dinton Pastures 10k

In case it's escaped you or the weather hasn't been so favourable in your part of the world, it's been hot. Damn hot! Real hot! Hottest things is my shorts. I could cook things in it... to quote Good Morning Vietnam. Even on Thursday evening last week after an overcast day it was in the twenties. I refer to that evening in particular because that was the evening that Anita and I ran Dinton 10k. It's the only one of the series we're doing this year and were hoping to treat it as our PB attempt. In all honesty we hadn't really trained for it. I've been putting together a bigger training plan for events further down the line and just hadn't given this the attention I could have. I think we were just hoping we'd just be fitter than when we ran Yateley last month, which wasn't an unfair assumption to make but it's taught me I need to build more targeted runs into my routine if I'm really going to improve.
Pre race selfies
The organisers moved the registration and start lines this year to give us better facilities and more space to spread out. We could make use of the cafe and use the walk past the enviable children's play area as a warm up. I'm not sure of the reason for the move but it did allow us more room to jostle and broke up what used to be a rather tedious last mile (which the 10k'ers do twice as it's a lapped course). It's a very pretty run with a much smaller entrance pool than Yateley and that's probably why I keep on coming back to it.

We set off fast... too fast really. Anita stuck with me for the first 3km but it was clear she wasn't having a good time of things and after some wandering dogs (LEADS, people, LEADS) and a twisted sign resulted in us taking a wrong turn she dropped back while I tried to push on. My middle two miles were slow but I managed to push in the final half a lap and snuck in under 59 minutes. Not brilliant, not what I'd hoped for and certainly not what I felt I'd earned but it'll do, especially given the wrong turn. If I'd gone out a tad slower I might have been able to maintain a 9:10 average rather than a 9:30. Anita came in about 3 minutes later and I made sure I cheered her over the line as loudly as I could. 

There are masses of events going on at Dinton Pastures. There was a triathlon on Saturday but there are still aquathlon, duathlon and uber swim events coming up. I'm seriously considering both the aquathlon and duathlon!

You'll notice I'm sporting a rather snazzy looking visor in the pictures. Now I sweat easily when exercising at the best of times. Throw some twenty five degree plus heat into the mix and my face is a veritable waterfall. Joy. So I guess I'm a good candidate for putting Halo headwear to the test. At it's most basic, the Halo range are a selection of sweatbands, designed to keep sweat out of your eyes regardless of the activity. They come in the guise of a veritable rainbow of bands, visors, bandanas and so on. I've been trying out the Halo II headband (£12.95) and the visor band (£24.95)The one size fits all bands made from non-elasticated wicking material are meant to stay in place and direct sweat away from the eyes using their "Sweatblock seal" which "sits against the forehead, just above the brow line, and redirects sweat to the sides of the head". Let's see about that...

Post parkrun. I make no apology for the state I'm in.
First up, the Halo II band. I put this to the test on a parkrun and also during some metafit classes and I was reasonably impressed. Despite my having a fairly small head it stayed in place and although I was wiping sweat from the bottom half of my face, I wasn't wiping around my eyes at all. 

I didn't find that the visor band performed quite as well, possibly due to it feeling a little looser than the headband and therefore needing to sit a bit higher on my brow but over a number of  hot, sunny, afternoon runs it did a marvelous job of keeping sun and hair out of my face. Both bands were so comfy that I forgot I was wearing them. If you have short hair like me, you may spend some time adjusting the band purely to get your hair to look slightly less ridiculous but otherwise these look smart and certainly do what they were designed for. I would have happily paid the going rate for the headband, based on it's performance, but probably not the visorband.
Disclaimer: Halo very kindly sent me products for free in return for a review but as ever, all opinions are my own.

Wednesday, 9 July 2014

Kit Review: Dumbbells

Since I've passed my PT assessment (yes, still chuffed about that), I've been thinking more about building up a core of kit and practicing my programming and coaching on willing friends so the opportunity to review some dumbbells from the vast array stocked by Savage Strength was timely!

I chose two types of dumbbells; a pair of 5kg York Fitness Legacy dumbbells and a pair of 2kg Tufftech rubber hex dumbbells. I already have a set of adjustable dumbbells that I got from freecycle some years ago which serve me pretty well so I was interested to see how the new additions to the family stack up. Having provided two delivery men with a bit of a work out, the kit arrived in good nick, decent time and well packaged. No flimsy boxes threatening to buckle and drop a weight on your toes here.
Tufftech (L) and York Fitness Legacy (R) dumbbells
The Tufftech dumbbells have rubberised hexagonal ends and a texturised metal bar. They feel comfortable in the hand, well made and don't roll off when you put them down. They may not look pretty but the benefit of the Tufftech dumbbells to me is that as someone who occasionally throws a bunch of kit in the boot of the car to use at alternative locations, I know they won't roll and clunk about in the boot of my car. The York Fitness Legacy dumbbells look like they mean business. They're made completely of metal and feel slightly less comfortable in the hand. The ends have a flattened part to stop them rolling around but it's not terribly pronounced. 

I put both pairs to the test with a few basic exercises. The lighter dumbbells are especially good for exercises such as the lateral raise where you're using the smaller muscles.
Grasp dumbbells in front of thighs with elbows slightly bent. Bend over slightly with hips and knees bent slightly. Raise upper arms to sides until elbows are shoulder height. Maintain elbows' height above or equal to wrists. Lower and repeat.
The flattened edges and weight of the York Fitness Legacy dumbbells make them ideal for exercises such as the press up shoulder row where stability is key. Assume a pushup position with a dumbbell in each hand. Engage your core and row the dumbbell in your right hand to the side of your chest, bending your arm as you pull it upward. Pause then lower the dumbbell. Repeat with your left arm.

You can get basic dumbbells pretty easily these days, even in some of the larger supermarkets, but it's definitely worth taking a look at the range offered by Savage Strength as they are pretty competitive on price and sell single dumbbells as well as pairs and sets.

The 5kg York Fitness Legacy dumbbells were £26.65 for the pair and the 2kg Tufftech rubber hex dumbbells were £7.97 at the time of writing. 

Disclaimer: I was asked to write a review in return for being allowed to keep the items but all opinions are my own.

Wednesday, 2 July 2014

Health Checks and Blood Pressure Measurements

A while ago I signed up to have a frehealth check through work. The health check consisted of measuring my cholesterol level, blood pressure BMI and body fat. The chap who did it was really friendly and chatty and thanks to my studies I was able to follow most of the science-y stuff.

The cholesterol test was particularly interesting as I've not had that tested before. My result was a little high but as I exercise regularly and eat a relatively healthy diet (I was told it was nice to meet a "proper" vegetarian rather than one who eats junk) and both these things contribute to good cholesterol levels, it's likely that my ratio of HDL to LDL, or good to bad cholesterol, is fine and I have nothing to worry about. 

I was already aware of my BMI, body fat % rating and blood pressure, as these are measurements that I have had to learn to take and interpret as part of my PT studies. These form part of the basic health and fitness tests on which a PT will base appropriate exercise prescription and programme design as well as providing a baseline against which to measure progress. These days just about anyone can take their own blood pressure readings with the help of a blood pressure monitor. These are readily available from retailers like Amazon, at a variety of prices and different levels of whizziness. 
The first monitor I bought cost me around £18. It has a regular sized cuff and an electronic read out that shows blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR). I was offered the chance to review another variety of BP monitor, namely the Ozeri CardioTech Premium Series BP4M Digital Arm Blood Pressure Monitor with Hypertension Color Alert Technology and as I was interested to see just how much these can differ I agreed.
 
The BP4M comes in a zippered travel bag, unlike the one I already own, which makes it especially neat and handy to transport. The instruction booklet not only explains how to operate the machine but also give some very useful information about how to interpret the results and what the health implications might be.
The cuff seems a little bigger than the one supplied with my other machine and has very clear instructions printed on it about how to fit it. 
The machine is extremely straight forward and easy to use. The big buttons are the main ones you'll need to do one-off readings but there is the capacity to store 399 readings along with the date and time for each of 3 users. It will calculate the average BP of the last 3 readings, something that's especially useful for health and fitness assessments, and will also detect irregular heart beats (arrhythmia). My favourite feature on this device, though, is the display which will light up as red, orange or green depending on the result of the test, giving an easy indication of whether you may need to consider further tests or action. At twice the price of the machine I bought myself this is still very affordable and I fully expect that this will be the monitor I end up using most often, not least because of it's portability.
A healthy heart
There are plenty of If you are interested in finding out more about blood pressure and how it provides an indicator of your health do have a look at the Blood Pressure UK website. Also if your work place offers free health checks I'd recommend getting one done, especially if you're under 40. If you're between the ages of 40 and 74 the NHS offers free health checks.

Disclaimer: I was sent the Ozeri CardioTech Premium Series BP4M blood pressure monitor for free in return for a review here and on Amazon.