Device Weighs in On Healthy Kids

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Device Weighs in On Healthy Kids
Connected: Lisa Lee with fitness bands at Fuhu in El Segundo.

Fuhu Inc. is continuing with its goal of becoming a leader in kids’ versions of adult technology. Its newest product: a fitness tracking wrist band for children.

The El Segundo company, maker of popular hand-held tablets for kids, has entered the wearables market with the nabi Compete, available at Target and Best Buy stores.

The fitness tracker acts just like the adults’ version by counting calories, steps taken and distance traveled, but becomes kid friendly by translating data into a game that wearers can play against friends and family members.

For $39.99, users get two wristband fitness trackers – one for the buyer’s child and another for a friend or family member – that can be linked through the free nabi Compete application, available through Apple iTunes or Google Play for Android, and downloadable to a smartphone.

The technology enables kids to see their fitness goals as virtual experiences, such as crossing New York’s Brooklyn Bridge. Meanwhile, calories are translated into kid-typical food, such as pizza, and users can earn points, badges and even virtual pets as rewards.

All this makes the tracker suited for kids, explained Lisa Lee, senior vice president of marketing communication for Fuhu.

“Kids at young ages may not understand their food choices and that some foods are associated with high calories that take significantly more physical activity to burn off,” Lee said. “Children’s interests and incentives are different than adults’, so it makes sense that they have a wearable that is dedicated and built with them in mind.”

The family-friendly firm’s move toward wearables is part of a strategy to diversify beyond tablets.

“Our brand purpose as well as our business focus has always been in creating high-tech solutions catered to kids and families,” Lee said.

– Carol Lawrence

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