Tushi Pal is a smart wristband fitness tracker that combines modern technology with ancient tradition. Here’s our Tushi Pal review.
What is Tushi Pal?
Tushi Pal is a digital fitness tracker designed to be worn around the wrist. The tracker detects and displays health information on its built-in screen. The styling of the wristband itself is inspired by ancient Maya designs, and each Tushi Pal comes with a woven case handmade by local Mayan artisans in Mexico.
Tushi Pal Features: How Does It Work?
Tushi Pal is an optical HRM fitness tracker device that sits on your wrist. The underside of the device, the portion that touches your wrist directly, is loaded with sensors that can detect your heart rate and breathing patterns as well as a pedometer to keep track of how many steps you’ve taken; it can also track your sleep patterns at night.
Tushi Pal can calculate the data it gathers to determine how many calories you’ve burned during a specific workout. It also has a unique “Breathing Light” technology that displays a differently-colored notification light depending on which stage of exercise you’re currently in, ranging from warm-up to strenuous exercise.
Additional functionalities include being able to display the date and time like a digital watch, touch-sensitive controls, and built-in Bluetooth to sync with an Android or iPhone to receive message notifications, email alerts, and more.
Who Makes Tushi Pal?
Tushi Pal is made by Tushi Rocks, a company owned by AMSA Global Enterprises LLC. Founded by several highly successful entrepreneurs and high-level executives from Mexican corporations, the company is dedicated to producing socially responsible products that help others achieve their fitness goals.
Tushi Pal Materials
Each Tushi Pal is made from unique materials, featuring a sweatproof band with an ancient Maya-inspired design.
Thanks to an agreement between Tushi Rocks and Fundacion Haciendas del Mundo Maya , an organization that helps represent and preserve Maya culture in Mexico, every fitness tracker also comes with a small, handmade woven box created by Mayan artisans from Merida, Mexico, in the Yucatan Peninsula.
These boxes are woven using one of three techniques – Jipi Jasa, Sisal Back Strap loom, and Sisal costurado. Users have the option of choosing which type of woven box they wish to accompany their fitness tracker.
Tushi Pal Pricing
Each Tushi Pal, regardless of which style woven storage box you select, retails for $79. Standard shipping is free; expedited and priority shipping is an extra $12.99 and $21.99 respectively.
Tushi Pal Reviews: What Do Customers Have to Say?
Tushi Rocks is a relatively new company when it comes to making fitness trackers. Older models have performed moderately well in the past, with one Tushi fitness tracker earning a respectable-but-not-impressive 3 stars out of 5 on Amazon.
The consensus, based on the reviews for that product, is that Tushi Rocks makes affordable fitness trackers that come at a level of quality and performance you should expect for the bargain price.
However, Tushi Rocks seems to have stepped up their game considerably with the Tushi Pal. The company has garnered very positive press since the news broke about the new fitness tracker model in December of 2016 and has continued consistently. Here’s what people seem to be saying about it.
Pros:
- Stylish, Sleek Design: The design of the Tushi Pal is eye-catching, sleek, and sure to be a topic of conversation wherever you go with it on your wrist.
- Socially Conscious: The Fair Trade agreement Tushi Rocks has entered into with local Mayan crafters to provide handwoven cases for the Tushi Pal is socially conscious and helps to provide a living for these artisans in a fair and equitable manner.
- Affordable: The $79 price point of the Tushi Pal makes it affordable for anyone who wants a fitness tracker. Similar wristband trackers retail for $100 or more, making the Tushi Pal a bargain.
Cons:
- You Get What You Pay For: Quality concerns with other, older model fitness trackers from Tushi Rocks could indicate that the Tushi Pal may suffer from the same problems. Sleek styling is unlikely to be worth much if the product itself doesn’t function reliably or has other issues. While there’s nothing indicating that the Tushi Pal suffers from any of these problems, the possibility does exist.
Should You Buy Tushi Pal?
If you’re passionate about personal fitness to the point where you feel the need for a wristband fitness tracker, the Tushi Pal is likely to be a good option.
While it doesn’t have a feature set that would be able to rival a more advanced (i.e. expensive) fitness tracker or a fully-fledged smart watch, the Tushi Pal has a pretty impressive collection of features at its price point. Additionally, thanks to its sleek styling, it’s sure to catch the eye in a positive way.
The added benefit of knowing your purchase of a Tushi Pal goes to support native Maya artisans in the Yucatan will satisfy your social conscience. You can take pride that you’re helping others that are less fortunate, and that may be worth much more than the price of admission.
As long as you’re prepared to accept that there may be technical or manufacturing issues with the Tushi Pal, it seems like a good buy for anyone with a conscience who also enjoys personal fitness tracking technology. It also makes a particularly nice socially responsible higher-end gift for someone special in your life as well.
