From Paige Waehner,
Your Guide to Exercise.
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The DashTrak pedometer by WalkStyles offers a lot of bang for your buck. Not only can you track steps, distance and calories burned, you can also keep track of your heart rate and upload your walking data to your own personal WalkStyles website to track your daily progress. It's small, has an incredibly strong clip and a rechargeable battery. This is a good choice for serious walkers, but a bit pricey for the casual exerciser.

Features

The DashTrak, aside from being small and easy to use, offers a variety of features.

• Track your steps, distance and calories burned
• It also tracks your pace and any timed events you've set up
• It has a USB cable to upload data to your DashTrak website
• It has a rechargeable battery and weighs less than an ounce
• It's easy to program and includes a measuring tape to measure your stride
• It has an LCD display screen for easy viewing
• The ability to store info for several weeks, so you don't have to worry about losing your data if you can't upload it
• It includes an event timer, a clock and a strong clasp
• It has the option to change the standard faceplate with different colors

  What makes this different from other pedometers is the rechargeable battery and the ability to track your heart rate, although the strap is an extra $40.00. The ability to upload your data is also a nice plus and the website has many features to keep track of your workouts.

Website Features

One of the best parts of the DashTrak program is the website. When you purchase the DashTrak, you get a free month subscription to the WalkStyles website where you can upload data from your pedometer right onto the screen. Once you plug your DashTrak in (with the provided USB cable), and log in, you'll immediately be taken to your Dashboard which shows:

• Daily steps
• Calories burned
• Miles traveled
• Your heart rate info (the heart rate strap is extra)
• A weekly summary of your steps

Other website features allow you to make notes, set physical and mental goals, see the weather in your area and the average daily steps of other WalkStyles users. For each person who completes 10,000 steps a day, 10 cents goes to non-profit organizations focused on healthy lifestyles for children.

The website also allows you to view charts that show what you've accomplished daily and weekly and the community section allows you to set up a screen name and log into communities to find walkstyle clubs in your area or to find walking buddies.

The subscription is free for the first month and $9.95 per month after that. It's easy to cancel your membership at any time.

Pros & Cons

With all it's features, the DashTrak is definitely a quality pedometer. I've used several pedometers and the DashTrak is one of my favorites. Here's what I like about the DashTrak:

• It's easy to program and use
• The heart rate feature
• Very strong clip that doesn't budge
• More accurate than other pedometers I've used
• Rechargeable battery
• An excellent website with lots of fun ways to track progress and stay motivated

Cons

• The price. At about $129, this is one of the most expensive pedometers out there. With the heart rate strap, journal and website subscription all extra, it's an expensive investment although serious walkers may not mind the price. I'd like to see the heart rate strap and the journal included.
• The buttons. Though the DashTrak is easy to program, the buttons are tiny. I had to press them more than once to navigate the menu.
• The cover. This is more of a personal preference, but the DashTrak only works with the cover closed. I like being able to see where I am in my workout with a glance.

Conclusion

Overall, the DashTrak is a high quality pedometer with lots of great features. If you're motivated by seeing your progress on screen and comparing yourself with others, you'll probably enjoy using this pedometer. The heart rate function is also a nice addition and something you don't often see with other pedometers. For someone who just wants to track steps without anything fancy, they may want to stick with a simpler, cheaper pedometer.