I was excited to try this new Alvita pedometer from Omron. The Alvita is billed as a “replacement” for Omron’s HJ-112 Pedometer, the model I have worn daily since August 2008, so I was hopeful that this new pedometer would be an improved version of my current HJ-112.

When I received the Alvita pedometer, I was thrilled to discover several great upgrades off the bat. First, it is a bit smaller than my current pedometer (the clunky size is one of the things that I don’t like about the HJ-112). Second, instead of the HJ-112’s bulky separate clip, the Alvita has a built-in clip plus a streamlined rubber case–sort of like a bumper–to protect the unit. A final, brilliant upgrade is the simple, sliding locking mechanism to open and close the battery case–no screwdriver required! (Plus, the Altiva uses the same type of battery as my current unit, the CR-2032, which is nice.)

The Altiva setup was slightly different than with my old pedometer, as the buttons are a bit different, but it is quite simple. You are asked to input your weight, height, stride length (the brief manual offers instructions for determining this), and time of day; you also put in your measurement preferences (e.g., pounds versus kilograms). Once you have put in the basic settings, the pedometer shows a display of current steps with the time of day underneath. However, after a period of time with no activity, the display goes blank to save battery power (more on this later).

The other functions of the Altiva are exactly the same as the HJ-112 model. In addition to steps, it records miles traveled, calories burned, and aerobic steps. At midnight, all four points of data reset to zero, but the pedometer saves data for the past seven days, a feature that I’ve found very useful.

To test the accuracy of this unit, I wore it together with my HJ-112 for several days. On Day 1, the Altiva came up 127 steps less than my old pedometer. There was an even wider gap on Day 2, with a difference of -346. The third day was only slightly better than this, with the new pedometer being down -324. After the fourth day of this experiment, I finally gave up, as the Altiva recorded a whopping 1117 less than my HJ-112.

I’ve always found the HJ-112 to be pretty reliable; if anything, I’ve thought that it might slightly UNDERcount steps. Clearly, the Altiva’s accuracy was way off. It was almost as if it shut down when the display went off–obviously, this doesn’t make any sense, but I have no other explanation. I’m very disappointed, as I really was happy with the overall features and performance of this new pedometer, and I was hoping to adopt it for full-time use. Given the accuracy issues, however, I cannot recommend it, and my final rating would be 2 1/2 stars.

I used an Omron pedometer many years ago to help me train for marathon. Since that time I have moved on and tried newer cutting edge technology. From Nike+ in my iPod, to GPS app in my phone, to having a GPS wrist watch, I liked them all, but I’ve stopped using them all. They got me more data when they worked, but for the hassle they generate, the reliability issue was annoying.

Now that I have had an opportunity to try this new Pedometer, I see that Omron has made the device sleeker. This new form factor is great. It’s regular in shape (the one I used to have looked like a shield), it’s smaller, and although thicker, this fits better in my jeans pocket. The clip attachment is a very soft rubber, which I feel just give it a great touch. The buttons are nicer, and the overall polish is a definite improvement.

The setup puzzled me a little bit on startup. I pushed a button and couldn’t figure out how to get back. You just have to finish setting everything, and then go back to change the setting you did wrong.

My biggest gripe is that this device turns off its display completely after a few minutes. This, the manual explains, is to help save battery. I mean, yes, it’s annoying to pick up your pedometer one day and find out it’s out of juice, so having longer battery life is good. But when the display is off completely, it makes me wonder if it’s working at all! Also this prevents you from just glancing at your progress. Pushing the buttons (e.g. to activate the display) makes a very audible click so you can’t discretely check your progress.

Otherwise, it’s a good device, and I recommend it.

This makes 3 pedometers we now own. a fourth finally died (but was 20 years old). They get prettier, more stylish but in THIS case, not any more accurate which is the entire purpose. Of all out units we find our trusty Ozeri 4x3razor Digital Pocket 3D Pedometer the most favored overall. Most accurate, price is right and it is the most comfortable to wear & set up.

This works OK but has shown us somewhat erratic results and I simply don’t trust it, or I should say my wife doesn’t, I can’t really walk anymore due to spinal injuries. We have taken accuracy checks to the point of actually also wearing a portable eTrex personal GPS for comparison. I use that on my electric 4 wheel mobility scooter. In the end, they ALL do a reasonable job to motivate you and maybe that is the real plus and most useful feature in the end. We have owned 4, they ALL work and while one day one seems better than the other, they ultimately ALL seem to have "bad days" as it were. I would recommend buying what looks best to you and fits your budget, has decent reviews. Most of all, be GRATEFUL you are ABLE to walk:-)