I can’t fake I wasn’t trying ahead to this Incus Nova evaluation. When a lot of my testing revolves round established classes – just like the finest working watches or strolling footwear – it’s all the time thrilling to check out a pioneering new product.
The Incus Nova is simply that, with its spaceship-esque central module slipping right into a specially-designed vest and sitting on the high of the backbone to investigate each working and swimming efficiency.
Through its distinctive central positioning, it tracks your approach relatively than your physiological responses to the exercise – like coronary heart charge. So, you’ll be able to get pleasure from detailed knowledge in your cadence, stride influence and flight time when working, or your physique angles and swim financial system when within the water (extra on this beneath).
The information-packed Incus Cloud app additionally gives loads of actionable approach tips to assist enhance your efficiency too – appearing as a compact coach with out the working price of normal one-to-one classes.
So, is it as intelligent because it sounds, or is it too good to be true? We bought our palms on the Incus Nova to search out out.
Incus Nova: Price and options
There are a number of choices when shopping for the product from the Incus web site. The swim bundle and the working bundle will every set you again $247/ £213. These comprise the central unit, Incus Cloud app entry for viewing your suggestions, and a specially-designed vest – the Core Run T-Strap for working and the Incus FIIN Vest for swimming.
Alternatively, you should purchase the swim plus run bundle for $370/ £320, which comes with each vests and means that you can monitor each actions on the app. Music to the ears of triathletes; the creators of the Incus Nova inform me biking monitoring is presently within the works.
This might look like a hefty funding at first, however when the likes of Whoop and Fitbit are charging month-to-month charges for no-holds-barred entry to their monitoring apps, it may be good to pay a one-off payment. You additionally get in-depth knowledge you’ll count on from a coach or skilled analyst, and it’s positively cheaper than privately hiring both of those.
Incus Nova: Workout efficiency
While there was quite a bit to like with the Incus Nova, I discovered it was a story of two actions when reviewing its exercise efficiency. Let’s begin with the place it excelled throughout my checks: working.
I went for 3 runs with the tracker; a brief and comparatively quick 3km, an interval session, and a restoration run. It doesn’t have an in-built GPS, so I linked it to my cellphone for route and distance monitoring.
The Incus Nova may be managed intuitively from the app, the place you can begin, cease and sync your session. Syncing exercise knowledge can take some time, notably for longer classes, however the result’s value it.
I used to be met with a veritable smorgasbord of information, together with every part from my cadence to the typical influence and takeoff pressure of my strides (with knowledge for each my left and proper facet to focus on any imbalances).
Alongside every knowledge set was a digestible graph and a query mark button which revealed insights into what every determine meant and how one can enhance your rating. As one thing of a stat-fiend, this was my favourite characteristic of the product, appearing like a private efficiency analyst in my pocket.
Following this, I used to be excited to attempt it within the water. However, it was right here that I encountered a number of issues.
For apparent causes, you’ll be able to’t management swim-tracking out of your cellphone. Instead, simply earlier than you’re about to push off to start out your swim, you press the solitary energy button on the central unit to start out recording. This will trigger it to vibrate and a light-weight on the unit will change from inexperienced to blue. But, with the unit on my again, I had no means of figuring out whether or not the sunshine had modified.
As a end result, after I checked to see if the primary a part of my swimming session had recorded efficiently, I discovered the unit had switched off relatively than began monitoring, leaving me with none knowledge.
I then switched it on and tracked the second half of my swim, however the knowledge I acquired was incomplete. There was fascinating suggestions on my physique angles within the water, which have been above the really useful vary that means I used to be tilting too far back and forth with every stroke. However, I used to be lacking different knowledge akin to a full swim financial system rating.
Contacting the Incus group, I used to be advised this was seemingly right down to the usage of the Core Run T-Strap relatively than the specialist swimming FIIN vest, with the T-Strap working nicely in some swim classes throughout the model’s testing however shifting an excessive amount of whereas swimming to supply correct knowledge in others (extra on this within the Design and Comfort part beneath).
Incus Nova: Data monitoring
Providing in-depth metrics for each run and swim, the Incus Nova appears like having a one-to-one teacher at your beck and name.
The working suggestions reveals your pacing and cadence, energy and elevation (a measure of vitality per step versus peak gained), take off and touchdown (the acceleration and influence forces generated with every step), and stride flight and phone instances.
Meanwhile, after swimming classes, you’ll be able to view your pacing and splits, swim financial system (a measure of stroke effectivity utilizing the ratio of propulsive and restrictive forces appearing upon you), stroke charge, and (most curiously) physique angles within the water. This final one was essentially the most fascinating in my eyes, as your torso mustn’t pitch greater than 20 levels both means whereas doing entrance crawl – one thing my outcomes confirmed I positively must work on.
Thanks to its central place on the high of the backbone, the Incus Nova can even present particular person figures in your left and proper facet. I discovered this a very sensible characteristic, displaying any imbalances in your approach which will want addressing to enhance effectivity.
Incus Nova: Design and luxury
One of crucial issues to deal with when testing wearable health tech is whether or not it’s snug or cumbersome. Happily, the Incus Core Run T-Strap vest proved to be the latter; inside a number of meters I forgot I used to be even carrying it, with the stretchy, light-weight materials shifting nicely with my physique.
I used to be supplied with each the T-Strap and the FIIN Vest for testing. The unisex FIIN vest is designed to suit tightly to be unobtrusive and supply “NetZero drag effects”. However, whereas the T-Strap vest match me completely, the FIIN vest proved too small and I couldn’t connect the entrance zipper. So, it is likely to be value ordering a measurement up, or paying shut consideration to the dimensions information on the Incus web site.
I used to be suggested the T-Strap might be worn within the water, and this felt snug and unrestrictive all through my pool classes, although it was attributed with inflicting the monitoring errors talked about above.
Incus Nova: User opinions
As a distinct segment product solely accessible by way of the Incus web site, consumer opinions of the Nova accessible on-line are few and much between, although the Incus web site options favorable suggestions from wearers.
Pro triathlete David McNamee says that, “Tracking run power means I can stay consistent in my training,” and Olympic gold medal-winning triathlete Alistair Brownlee (who has been part of the product’s growth course of) provides: “I’ve really enjoyed working with the Incus team to produce accurate and useful information that can add something to everyone’s training.”
Incus Nova: Verdict
It’s exhausting to check the Incus Nova to different working watches because it fills a really completely different position – offering approach suggestions relatively than displaying how your physique responds to train. Given this differing performance and its means to hyperlink to a Garmin or iPhone (with additional manufacturers to observe) it’s seemingly you’ll need each units relatively than selecting one or the opposite.
I used to be a giant fan of the working suggestions and actionable recommendation for enhancing my efficiency accessible by way of the app, which I used to be capable of put into follow on my very subsequent session. The individualized knowledge in your proper and left facet is one other characteristic that units it aside, highlighting imbalances in your approach.
However, it was let down by the unfinished swimming suggestions supplied.
Overall, I might advocate this to critical runners and triathletes chasing that aggressive edge. The detailed knowledge goes past what informal exercisers will need or want, however performance-driven people will love the depth of the forensic suggestions.
Also take into account
Polar Vantage V2
You might desire a wrist-worn working watch to accompany your Incus Nova. If that’s the case, you’ll be able to’t go far unsuitable with the Polar Vantage V2 – our top-rated tried and examined working watch. It does every part you’ll count on from a working watch, after which some, with sleep monitoring, health checks, and extra. It can even monitor working, swimming and biking continuous – welcome information for passionate triathletes.
Garmin Enduro
Alternatively, now we have no hesitation in recommending the Garmin Enduro. Garmin hardly ever misses a beat in terms of wearable tech, and the Enduro is not any completely different, with a wealth of information accessible and phenomenal battery life. There’s even a solar-charged increase, so it’s bought sufficient juice to see you thru even the longest endurance occasions.