Under Armour HOVR review – the connected shoes that can track your run

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VERDICT

• VERDICT

If you want to find your best form and increase your fitness and receive the real-time coaching and encouragement to help you meet your goals, the Under Armour HOVR running shoes and the MapMyRun app make a great combination.

When you think of tracking your run, most people would think of their phone, smartwatch or fitness tracker but now you can do it with your shoe – and more specifically the Under Armour HOVR.

Under Armour is a well know brand in the fitness space and it also has a range of fitness apps so it made perfect sense to combine those two worlds.

And when you think of it, what better way to track your run than with the shoes on your feet.

There are six UA shoes in the HVR range which offer varying levels of cushioning and cover different types of runners and cope with how they run.

For this review we used the UA HOVR SONIC 3 ($180) which offers both cushioning and flexibility which can be used for long or short runs and walks.

The full range is:

UA HOVR MACHINA ($220)
The softness of a high-cushion distance running shoe with the springy speed of a racing flat, for runners with serious goals. Uncaged UA HOVR and a carbon-filled Pebax plate give lightweight cushion and responsive speed, for energy return.

UA HOVR INFINITE 2 ($200)
The anchor of the UA run suite, the UA HOVR Infinite features just the right amount of cushion and bounce, for runners looking to go the distance. The UA HOVR Infinite 2 features a slightly updated upper, with the same fit and feel underneath your feet.

UA HOVR SONIC 3 ($180)
For runners who need flexibility, cushioning and versatility, the UA HOVR Sonic 3 offers our smoothest ride yet. Lightweight cushion and a breathable upper make this a go-to for any run.

UA HOVR PHANTOM RN ($200)
These offers an amped-up feel, a sock-like fit, and flex vent panels give comfort on shorter, faster runs. Improved breathability and an anatomically shaped collar are two key features of this update to the UA HOVR Phantom collection.

UA HOVR GUARDIAN 2 ($220)
It offers lightweight stability to help overpronators direct their bodies to the most efficient stride. New for 2020 is a slight update to the mesh upper, while the midsole and outsole remain unchanged.

UA HOVR VELOCITI 3 ($200 – launching in June)
The UA HOVR Velociti is a lightweight, durable tempo shoe for fast workouts and shorter races. A sleek new upper gives the shoe a fast look.

The UA shoes are quite stylish with bright colours and designs and are also super comfortable to offer the support you need whether you’re running, walking, on the gym or doing any type of exercise.

To get started you need to download the UA MapMyRun app and then you need to pair your shoes – yes, that’s right pair your shoes.

The sensor is located in the right shoe so you need to move or tap your right foot to wake up the sensor and make it detectable by the app.

A few seconds later you’re connected and ready to go. We did a couple of runs and a few walks and was amazed at the amount of data it can capture while you’re exercising.

It’s also possible to install the app on Apple Watch and just run it from there. You can also monitor your runs with a Fitbit, a Suunto watch and also add a heart rate chest band.

We somehow ran the app at the same on both our iPhone and Apple Watch and were getting notifications from both.

By notifications, we mean a voice interrupting whatever you’re listening to with a report about your walk or run and all your stats. You can turn this voiceover feature off if you like.

And the level of detail is quite impressive. It includes distance, pace, cadence and even stride length.

With the sensors in the shoes, it also reads things like ground contact time and your foot strike angle.

The companion app is excellent and can provide GPS mapping through your paired phone and also allows you to link Apple Music.

But that’s just the start. The app can also provide real time coaching to help you reach your targets for pace, heart rate (obtained from Apple Watch), speed, distance and calories burned.

It’s quite comprehensive and will satisfy even the most active users to tally their stats and look back on their progress and find areas to improve.

VERDICT

If you want to find your best form and increase your fitness and receive the real-time coaching and encouragement to help you meet your goals, the Under Armour HOVR running shoes and the MapMyRun app make a great combination.