We are an innovative nutrition customization company delivering cutting-edge supplements to connected athletes and health and fitness consumers worldwide. We quantify nutrition by leveraging wearable technology and converting fitness data into actual nutritional products to optimize performance. With our free mobile app, patent-pending technology and range of wireless devices, we are closing the loop on the ever-growing range of fitness and wearable tech data that consumers have been collecting and use it to create unique, healthier nutrition and supplementation products.
STYR Labs has developed a pretty impressive concept. Instead of just making a one-size fits all multi-vitamin or protein mix they have come up with a new concept that includes technology, your feedback, and the nutrition you need. Pretty cool stuff!
From the second I opened my box from STYR Labs, I was impressed. The presentation was kind of amazing. I opened the lid to my box and an introductory video began playing. Whoa! Nice first impression! The packaging of my products was also impressive. The boxes slid open smoothly and re-closed nicely with little STYR logo tabs. In fact, I am still using one of the boxes to hold my multi-vitamins and activity tracker charger.
Products:
Wireless Scale ($69)
Activity Band ($49)
Available on Amazon.com as well as at Styr.com
I received the Wireless Scale, which also comes with 2 sample protein mixes and the Activity Band which comes with a 15 day sample supply of liquid multi-vitamins.
Set-Up
In order to get the full benefit of each product, I downloaded the free STYR app on my phone (available for Android and iPhone.) Once the Activity Band was charged, it synced within seconds. The wireless scale and I had a few rounds of frustration initially. My phone wouldn’t accept the Bluetooth feature without a code. There was no code to be found anywhere, so after multiple guesses I sent a message to STYR requesting help. I never received a response, but eventually I got lucky with entering a bunch of zeros and suddenly my scale and phone were compatible. (Whew!)
STYR Labs Activity Band
Activity Band and Multi-Vitamins
The activity band came with a wrist band and a belt-clip option. I tried out both and decided that I prefer the wrist band. The sensor easily switches out into either option. The wrist band is light enough that I hardly notice it. The band is a pretty basic step counter. It tracks steps, calories burned (by the steps only), distance, and activity time. It also displays the date and time. In the set-up of the app, I chose a step goal and the band also tracks how close I am to my goal and it vibrates when I reach that goal. I have never used an activity tracker before, so I am enjoying seeing how much I move during the day. (Or on some days, how much I don’t move!) To view the display you tap on the screen to get to the option you wish to view. When you are not viewing the screen, it is simply blank. I assume this helps with the battery life, which is supposed to last for weeks. The one negative is that when you are inactive (or perceived as inactive) the activity band will time out and no matter how much you tap it, the display won’t appear. At first I thought it was broken, but I’ve come to realize that I have to “wake it up” again by walking around for a bit. It often times out when I’m working out, which is interesting. I realize that I am not taking steps in a traditional manner, but walking lunges (etc.) really should count as steps! As for the battery life, I wore my activity band for 13 days before recharging it. I may have been able to get another day out of it, but battery display was at about 1/8, for 2 days, so I decided it was time. The activity band syncs with the app and you can check the app for your daily and monthly totals in all categories that it tracks.
Side note – My husband has used a belt clip activity tracker for several years and had to give up on his due to issues with battery replacement. Since most trackers come only as a wrist band, he hadn’t been able to find a reasonable replacement. He liked this option, so I ended up purchasing one for him as an early Christmas present. Now we can have some friendly competition with step totals.
The multi-vitamins that come with the Activity Band are interesting. They are liquid and come in a cool little packet that dispenses into your glass when you fold it in half. I had gotten out of the habit of taking multi-vitamins years ago, so this was a good addition for me. I like that they are liquid vitamins, which helps ensure I will get the benefit of all the vitamins and not just the small percentage you get with a vitamin in pill form. The disadvantage of liquid vitamins is the taste. You are supposed to add the liquid to 4-6 ounces of water or juice. The problem is that liquid vitamins taste like, well, vitamins. Even with some flavor added, the overwhelming taste of vitamins is still there. I tried combining my vitamins with different liquids and settled on just adding them to a Dixie cup half full of water and chugging it. In my opinion there isn’t a great way to avoid the taste of vitamins in liquid form, so you just have to get it over with quickly. The positive is that there are no artificial ingredients, colors, or sugar in the multi-vitamin.
The cool thing about STYR Labs is that they will create a custom multi-vitamin that works best for you. Based on the data you input into the app and your activity levels, etc. you order a “refill” of vitamins that are “optimized for your age, gender, location and activity. [It] Delivers only the ingredients you need and can effectively use. [The] Liquid delivery assures rapid absorption while eliminating fillers.” Once you answer some standard question, the app creates your custom multi-vitamin formula. Before ordering you can look at the various vitamins that have been included and see how much of each they chose for you. You can also click on each individual vitamin to find out more about why you need it and read about its uses, side effects, and interactions. Using the app, you can easily order a 30 day supply
It is hard for me to tell how truly custom the multi-vitamin is. The questions you have to answer before the recommendation is given are pretty limited, and obviously, you can only tell so much from an activity band, but I appreciate that it is more custom than picking up a bottle at the store.
Styr Labs Activity Tracker and MultiVitamin starter kit
STYR Labs Wireless Scale
Wireless Scale and Protein Mix
The wireless scale is pretty high-tech looking. At first glance you have to wonder where the display is on this all glass scale. Once you step on it, the numbers seem to glow through the top of the scale. You can weigh yourself without using the app to see only your weight. However, if you want more details like body fat percentage, muscle mass, bone density, visceral fat and water content you have to weigh in using the app. First you open the app and then choose the “Weigh In” option. The app tells you to tap your foot on the scale to activate it. Then you step on the scale. The scale displays your weight, but the app will show you all the other data. I have to admit that it took me awhile to figure out how to navigate the app in order to view my past data. I found that information on navigating the app was little to none, so it involved a lot of trial and error on my part. But, if you are more tech savvy than I, you will probably figure out the process a bit faster than I did.
One of the negatives for me in relation to the scale and app is that the app records all your data in whole numbers. Initially you see all your data to the tenth, but when you go back to review your data, it is saved as whole numbers. The other negative for me is that this scale consistently weighs me 1.2 lbs heavier than the scale I was using. Bummer! While I realize that all scales have a percentage of error, I don’t like seeing larger numbers. But, depending on your scale, perhaps you will find yourself a bit lighter!
The scale came with 2 sample protein mixes: toasted coconut and chocolate banana, but there are a variety of other flavors available. The sample mixes are standard, but the concept of STYR Labs is that based on the data you put into the app and your activity levels and goals, they will create a custom protein mix just for you based on the science of over 250,000 articles, studies, and clinical trials. “Every ingredient is sourced from domestic suppliers, quality checked and mixed in cGMP FDA approved facility. Even more importantly, our app will explain why each ingredient was selected, the reasoning behind any adjustments and provide links to studies or clinical trials validating the claims or efficacy.”
I have had a lot of poor experiences with protein mixes, so I was a little nervous about trying these. However, the flavor was pretty good. I did make the mistake of trying to mix my first one by hand (since my shaker bottle was at work) and it turned out a little lumpy. But, after I removed the lumps, the toasted coconut wasn’t too sweet and it didn’t drop in my stomach like a rock. I was able to workout after drinking the mix and had the energy to complete my workout without a heavy “over-proteined” feeling.
As for the custom protein mixes, the process is similar to the custom vitamin process. You answer some basic questions including if you are vegan/vegetarian, and if your protein drink is for before or after your workout or for weight loss, etc. You also choose a favorite flavor. From there your custom mix is recommended. You can see a list of all the ingredients they recommend and what percentage of each will be included. You can adjust the percentage if you wish. If you click on the ingredient you will get more detailed information about it. Once you are happy with your custom protein mix, you can order a 1 pound bag using the app.
Overall, I have enjoyed using both the Activity Band and the Wireless Scale. I have gotten back in the habit of taking my multi-vitamins, and found a decent tasting protein mix. I have not ordered any custom products, but I am contemplating the idea. The app has several options that I have yet to consistently use, like tracking hydration, heart rate, and food. Some of those tracking options seem to be there for potential development, as they are pretty basic and can’t be well-customized currently. I would like to see the app be a little more user-friendly and specific, but overall it has been useful for logging daily steps and weight. If you are looking for more customized protein mixes and/or vitamins, this is a great option with the bonus of some technology to go along with it.
Thank you to Styr for providing us with products. Please read our transparency page for info on how we do our reviews.
