Vellostar Chalk Marker

I was recently given a 10-pack of chalk markers to review by Vellostar. The chalk markers can be used on a variety of surfaces, with a focus on glass and windows, in addition to sheet metal and other smooth surfaces. In the spirit of the new year, I decided to put it on my car for a long road trip.  The chalk held up to the high winds, fog without an issue.

It was easy to apply and came out pretty nicely. When I made a mistake, it was very easy to clean up. The colors are very vibrant.

One of the things I like about this particular package of markers over other brands is that it includes replacement tips for the markers for when they wear out, they can just be quickly replaced without the need for a whole new package.  The pens are spring loaded so you have to shake and push against the surface in order to get the ink to come out.  It is really easy to use, but it is a mess to get off of your hands and clothing, so this is definitely not a kid's toy.

These markers can be purchased here:

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=me%3DA10KZYQC5RV0A5&field-keywords=chalk+markers

I received these markers for free in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Travel Pillow

Tonight I am reviewing a #travel_pillow or #neck_pillow by PGH Campaign.  (PGH stands for Pete Gear Hub)  It is designed to go around the neck and to help keep your neck straight while you snooze on a plane, train or automobile.

It has a soft foam stuffing, that compresses really easily and just feels so nice.  It is covered with a blue cloth that is absolutely prefect.  It is soft to the touch and feels super comfortable.

The front has this cord/strap you can snap together and tighten so the neck pillow is tighter around the neck for a more firm fit.

My only complaint is that it doesn't really get tight at all and the pillow compresses too much for my head, failing to keep it upright at all.  I think if the pillow was a bit taller, by about 1/2 to 1 inch and made a teeny bit thicker, it would be perfect.

The color looks good,  The dark blue is relatively neutral and doesn't clash with the orange I had on at the time of the review too badly.

You can purchase this item here on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=me%3DA3TGTE9891HQIO&field-keywords=travel+neck+pillow&high-price=20.00


I received this travel pillow for free in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

S2 Fitness Tracker

I was recently requested to review a fitness tracker that advertised an app and an extra long battery life and being the best personal activity tracker for android.  I decided I would set it up against Samsung Health (A native app in Android) and see how it compares (more on the app specifically below).  It provided a similar heart rate and the steps were similar enough (within a tolerance).

The fitness band has a nice construction with a soft, but durable plastic/rubber wristband and a fashionable diamond pattern on the outside.  It is about the size of a typical watch and isn't any wider than the biometric device I reviewed previously.  The time on this one was even in a 12 hour format!

Charging is easy due to it being USB, however, I must warn you that you can only plug it into your computer.  If you plug it into your phone charger, you will short it out and fry it, ruining it.  The battery life was astounding, lasting for 4 days (and still going), much longer than I would have expected.

The biggest challenge was the app.  It wasn't very user friendly, but after pushing through, I was able to get data across.  I quickly realized that a strange notification-like chime was randomly being played through my phone and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get the sound to turn off and stop buzzing.  The only solution I found was to uninstall the fitness app.  If you take anything away from this, BEWARE OF THE APP!

This is only a fitness band and not a biometric band so it keeps track of movement more than heart rate, ECG, SpO2, etc.  You can find this band on Amazon here:

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=smart+watch&field-brand=Asani&low-price=29.99&high-price=29.99

I received this item for free in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Fitness Band from Vitchelo

I have a fitness tracker from Vitchelo. The watch looks nice, the only thing is that it is stuck in 24H format. There is a setting in the app, but this didn't change anything on the band. Setup was a little weird since the instructions weer clearly translated from Chinese.

They utilize a 3rd party app, called WearIt. This app is pretty buggy and seems to only work when it wants to. I wish the fitness band would tie directly into Samsung Health, but unfortunately, it doesn't. 

The charger for the fitness band is pretty janky. It doesn't look like it belongs and kind of clips on really loosely. Be careful when connecting and disconecting the charger as I had slightly mis-aligned the metal rods and it discharged the battery completely. It didn't want to turn on since the battery was dead, but after recharging, it still works. They advertise the band as IP67 waterproof, but I am always hesitant with testing this on biometric devices, and honestly, wasn't in the mood for a shock.

In terms of sensor accuracy, the step counter was off and the sleep monitor was far from correct.  The heart rate and O2 sensor seemed correct.  I can't vouch for the blood pressure though, as it is not a good idea to measure with a watch, according to my Biomedical Device Engineering friends.



 You can purchase the fitness band from:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075XRKWLL

I received this fitness band for free in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Ski Goggles

Tonight I have for you a 2-pack of Motoeye Ski Goggles. Great deal for the price. The tinting is adequate for blizzard conditions and night skiing, but since they are unpolarized, I can't recommend them for skiing while the sun is out. The ski goggles were different, with one having slightly more tint than the other. They are on the smaller size, so I wouldn't recommend them for men (who have a bigger face).

They come with a nice hard case that easily fits both ski goggles and the anti-fog cloth that was included.  This is probably the best packaging I have seen of any ski goggles I have ever bought.  All in all, I believe these could be nice for a quick splash in the snow, but as a pro skier, I can't openly recommend these for skiing.

What really disappointed me was that one of the ski goggles already had a scratch upon arrival.  If you do order these, be sure to check them immediately for damage before use and contact the company immediately if there is an issue.  They were extremely professional and quick to resolve the issue, so kudos to them for amazing customer service!

You can purchase the ski goggles on Amazon here:

amazon.com/dp/B076GSF3VG

Disclaimer: I received these ski goggles to review for free in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Disco Lights

I was recently given a party light set with a remote.  It has a wide variety of light sequence options.  I put it in my dorm room and looks really nice.  I've had a lot of people ask about it.  I highly encourage it.  It gives the room a really nice touch and I plan to use it during the occasional parties that I host.

You can purchase it here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019I4YP0E

I was given this product for free, however this has not influenced my opinion on the product.

Coloring Book

I enjoy coloring as a form of meditation. After a stressful day, I can pick a picture, some colored pencils or markers (depending on my mood), and think of nothing other than coloring for a period of time. This book has a good variety. Some are animals, others are flowers or geometric designs. I love that some are large open areas to color, and others are really intricate small areas. The construction of the book is pretty solid and the pages are the right thickness for this type of activity - I experienced no bleeding with my markers.

It can be purchased at:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01I1QLIDC