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Best Board Games in October

Why we love it: Between perusing and translating the thick rulebook and amending numerous mix-ups on each turn, our first playthrough of Scythe wound up taking six hours. Regardless, we were quickly snared by its monstrous vital profundity and the lovely steampunk-meets-peaceful idyll worldbuilding tasteful that Wirecutter editorial manager everywhere Gregory Han raved about in our 2016 present guide. From that point forward, our play times have fallen in accordance with the 90-to-115-minute gauge, however the game has assumed control over week after week game evenings and propelled a devoted gathering visit for talking about techniques, making and sharing images, and arranging improvised sessions. In under two months, we've just obtained the seven-player development and are truly considering purchasing a redesigned custom box to store its numerous cards and pieces all the more richly. You may be thinking about what sort of individuals need to put that much time in a game and pr...

Checkout the Bellabeat Activity Tracker

There is one bit of innovation that I've utilized for all of 2015 since the day it turned out, and it is anything but a cell phone, smartwatch, or Fitbit; It's a bit of brilliant adornments called the Bellabeat Leaf. A great deal of devices cross my work area, and I seldom feel the sort of association and energy with a gadget that I felt with the Leaf. From the minute I saw it, I needed to wear it.
Bellabeat Leaf

I've worn the Leaf since May 2015 and I've watched the friend application develop and enhance to meet the requests of Bellabeat's exceptionally technically knowledgeable client base. After a large portion of a year wearing it, I can certainly say that the Leaf is the best bit of brilliant gems I've ever utilized — regardless of its underlying developing agonies.

It's an exquisite bit of gems that happens to be extremely shrewd

As somebody who's tried "unisex" smartwatch after "unisex" smartwatch, it was a delight to discover something that had really been made for me. Bellabeat evoked genuine emotion profound inside a section of the populace that has been to a great extent disregarded by the wearable tech furor: ladies. Ladies who would prefer not to wear a non specific unisex Fitbit or Polar tracker, not to mention a mushy pink Misfit Flash or a sparkly Swarovski Shine once a day are attracted to the Leaf's straightforwardness, class, and tastefulness.

It's formed after its namesake and made of characteristic wood and hardened steel. Contingent upon which display you pick, you'll get a light wood with brilliant steel or a dim wood with either gold or rose gold shaded steel. It accompanies your decision of an accessory or the restrictive wristband, which is made of premium cowhide and comes in light or dull hues to coordinate the wood of your Leaf. My underlying audit unit came in the light shading palette however I've utilized the dull wood form, as well.

It's a delightful, downplayed gadget, however it is greater than you anticipate that it will be, estimating almost 2 inches in length and about a large portion of an inch thick. I have little wrists however the Leaf was as yet agreeable as an arm jewelery. I tend to wear it as a clasp or jewelry the most yet it's a matter of individual inclination.

On the off chance that you require style thoughts, Instagram is stuffed with Leaf wearers who can't get enough of its sharp wooden body, hardened steel case, and alluring calfskin wrap wrist trinket. Some wear it styled as a wrist trinket, others a suggest or even a neckband. The way to Bellabeat's prosperity lies in the adaptability of the Leaf's plan. You don't need to wear it on your wrist and most ladies don't. Even better, you don't need to purchase twelve accomplices to wear it in an unexpected way.

Since it's a clasp, you can slide it onto any neckband and most wristbands you officially claim and to wear it as a clasp, you needn't bother with a solitary thing. It's genuinely virtuoso to make a wearable that fits in with your current adornments as opposed to expecting you to purchase new ones the manner in which Misfit and Fitbit do.

The Leaf looks like typical gems, so it's frequently mixed up as a neckband, stick, or cool arm jewelery — not a bit of tech. I've gotten numerous compliments on the Leaf from non-technically knowledgeable companions and the techiest of my collaborators. It mixes in with my other gems and my feeling of style, which isn't something I can sincerely say in regards to some other wearable I've wore. That is the reason I've worn it consistently since it arrived.

A completely included partner application with a couple of characteristics

The Leaf tracks development with its accelerometer and from that information, calculations evaluate exercise, rest, and breathing information. When you set up the application (Android and iOS), Bellabeat requests that you sign in with Facebook or make a record with your email. At that point, you set up your profile with your stature, weight, birthdate, and objectives. The application proposes action and rest objectives in view of suggestions from the CDC and World Health Sleep Foundation. The base objectives are 20 minutes of action multi day and seven to nine long periods of rest every night. You can, obviously, be an overachiever and set your objectives higher.

From that point on, the piece keeps tabs on your development on a scale from zero to 100 on the primary screen of the application. A tap on the action bar demonstrates to you a breakdown of all your action for the day in diagram frame with nitty gritty details and cards for singular exercises underneath. Movement following, which is the Leaf's bread and margarine, is strong. The application monitors to what extent you've been dynamic, how far you've strolled, and what number of calories you've consumed.

The Leaf looks like typical gems, so it's regularly mixed up as an accessory — not a bit of tech.

Action following is for the most part on-point and practically identical to the opposition yet the precision varies somewhat relying upon where you wear it. At the point when it's cut on your shirt or worn as an accessory, the application tends to think little of your action. On the wrist, the Leaf gives more liberal readings, sort of like Fitbit. Waving your arm with a Fitbit results in 10 additional means in your check, making the Leaf more precise in such manner.

It would be perfect if Bellabeat added an alternative to state how you're wearing the Leaf amid the day, to guarantee that the following is considerably more exact. The application as of now offers this alternative for rest, so it's a sorry stretch to include it for exercises.

An ongoing application refresh added the alternative to physically track various types of movement, so in the event that you know you will keep running for 30 minutes, you can choose that activity and the Leaf will know to truly focus on your action levels. This is more essential when you do less customary activities like yoga. Already, when I did yoga, the Leaf didn't generally know I was dynamic on the grounds that there's a considerable amount of holding stances and extending included. The new manual movement section is a gigantic change and it opens the Leaf up to a radical new universe of exercises and wellness.

The second bar on the primary page of the application is for rest, which is something that is more hard to track. The application estimates your rest term and quality consequently with exactness yet some of the time attempted to get correct rest and wake times. My wake times were normally off by around 10 minutes, which was justifiable, given my affection for browsing email in bed each morning. Ongoing application refreshes enhanced rest following and the application even checks to make certain it got the occasions just before logging them.

Most wearables battle with getting the occasions precisely right, however, and the disparities aren't any higher with the Leaf than they are with the Misfit Shine, Withings Activite, or Fitbit Charge – all of which I've attempted. A few wearables like the Runtastic Moment don't offer programmed rest discovery.

Bellabeat's quiet alert is another phenomenal element that truly causes you wake up calmly rather than to a blasting caution. It's one of the highlights that is turned out to be typical on wearables nowadays since it's an outright should have. You can likewise set different cautions to remind you to drink water, have lunch, or what have you.
The last bar on the application's fundamental page is for breathing activities. This is one of the Leaf's most interesting highlights — and it's likewise truly outstanding. Breathing activities are superb for backing without end pressure and supporting in fixation. Did I feel like a hippy at a reflection camp the first occasion when I did it? Truly, however the sentiment of unwinding and peace is well justified, despite all the trouble. I'm pretty Type An and certainly a stickler. My shoulders get keyed up to my ears essentially consistently, so driving myself to take 10 minutes to inhale is extremely useful.

After you've done the breathing activity once, you'll ask why you never did it.

To prep for the activity, you just clasp the Leaf onto your jeans' belt so the Leaf can track the ascent and fall of your midsection as you relax. A quiet, relieving lady's voice guides you through the breathing activity and shows you the craft of reflection. On the off chance that you've never done it or you're not a yoga individual, it sets aside some opportunity to become accustomed to it. After you've done the breathing activity once, you'll ask why you never did it. The activity likewise gets more serious as you improve at it.

Since Bellabeat's attention is on ladies, the application reminds you, unassumingly, that breathing activities are likewise extraordinary for spasms when you have your period, which is the other one of a kind metric the application monitors for you. It'll even caution you when it's coming, which is pretty darn accommodating. Already, I utilized Clue to track my period despite everything I do on the grounds that its list of capabilities is more grounded, yet Bellabeat could without much of a stretch expand upon the component to make it more powerful. It additionally tracks fruitfulness, so in the event that you need to get pregnant, your Leaf will enable you to out with figuring which days you're generally ripe. You can kill that, however, in the event that you're not presently arranging a family.

There's a great deal going ahead in the application however it's still simple to utilize. One of its best highlights is a straightforward little thing: positive criticism. Bellabeat needs you to know when you meet your objectives and celebrate with you. Motivational cards give a shout out to you and disclose to you fascinating tidbits about how your accomplishments convert into true advantages. For instance, when I hit my action objective on Saturday, Bellabeat let me know "there is just the word 'incredible' in your lexicon." Another day it inquired as to whether it could "crown the Queen of Healthy Sleep?:)" after I checked in a decent 10 long periods of mull over an end of the week. I've additionally been compared to a feline for my end of the week rest propensities.

Bellabeat Leaf

Jessica Lee Star/Digital Trends

It sounds senseless however uplifting feedback levels, if it's canned. There's potential for additional here and the application could offer counsel or proposals on the best way to enhance, which is something not very many trackers do at the present time. Bellabeat's Leaf is further developed in such manner than practically some other tracker I've attempted. Its consolation is likewise clever and one of a kind, which influences it to stand out additional. Bellabeat's not in the matter of helping exercise center rats get buff — it simply needs ladies to live sound glad lives and that is the thing that the application centers around.

Amusingly, the hardest thing about offering a wellness tracker is making a decent application. Bellabeat's application positively had developing torments first and foremost however it's created into a strong application for following your prosperity.

A half year of battery life and no charging

The battery should last you a half year, and it's replaceable. The primary rush of Leafs went out without the small screwdriver you have to change the battery yet now every Leaf accompanies one. The battery is shabby and simple to purchase on the web, so you don't need to stress that it's something dark. There's likewise no charging included, which is a reward.

Be that as it may, changing the battery is somewhat of an issue. The screws are outrageously little, as is the screwdriver. Fortunately, I didn't lose any and the bundle came with additional items, yet it was pretty nerve-wracking opening the Leaf up. When you do expel the screws, the metal part slides off the wooden part, and you see a thin supple defensive layer. When you lift that up, you can see all the internals and the battery, which flies out effortlessly. Once you've supplanted it, you can simply screw it back together. The first is the hardest to adjust.

After almost a half year of utilization, my unique Leaf still had a great deal of juice — it was around 40 percent. That was likewise an early survey unit, thus far, the last retail form I got appears to have much greater life span.

Guarantee data

The Bellabeat Leaf has a one-year constrained guarantee, however it doesn't cover significantly more than genuine deformities. On the off chance that you treat your Leaf with mind like you would a neckband or wrist trinket, its chances getting harmed are entirely low. It's even survived a couple of tumbles through the washer, as per neglectful Leaf proprietors' posts on Facebook.

OUR TAKE

Bellabeat's Leaf is the best of the two universes: It's a keen wellness tracker and a perfect bit of adornments. Most shrewd adornments offers less usefulness for more cash, and some don't offer action following by any stretch of the imagination, as Ringly and Altruis, which center around warnings. The Leaf ranges from $120 to $150, contingent upon the model, while Ringly costs $195+, Altruis costs $345+, and the Fossil Q Dreamer costs $125. The Leaf takes off past its fundamental rivalry in the space since it offers indistinguishable level of usefulness from a Fitbit or a Misfit Shine, yet with significantly more style.

Is there a superior option?

Bellabeat's Leaf costs the same or not as much as most straight up wellness trackers from Fitbit, Polar, and different organizations. Maverick and a couple of others offer less expensive trackers yet they're not as rich or flexible as far as style as the Leaf seems to be. Bellabeat's other favorable position originates from its permission that the Leaf isn't intended for wellness monstrosities – it's only for ladies who need to have a more beneficial existence. As far as immediate choices, Ringly makes two wellness gems extras (a shrewd ring and brilliant arm ornament) however neither one of the offers rest trackers, which — as said above — the Leaf possesses a great deal of.

To what extent will it last?

In the wake of wearing the Leaf day by day for most of a year, the tracker keeps on working unbelievably well. Beside typical wear and tear — which is insignificant, as is — nothing about the gadget looks prepared to separate. Moreover, predictable application refreshes mean the Leaf is similarly as important, or better, today as it was when Bellabeat discharged it. This sort of routine support is likewise something wearers can hope to appreciate for quite a long while as the Leaf remains Bellabeat's lead action tracker.

Would it be advisable for you to get it?

Indeed. The Leaf isn't only our most loved bit of keen adornments, it's additionally our most loved wellness tracker. In case you're a lady (or you know one) who's continually whining about how terrible wearable tech is in any case needs to experiment with a wellness tracker, you'll cherish the Leaf.
Move over action trackers, there's a more popular child nearby.

On the off chance that you are searching for a movement tracker that doesn't resemble an action tracker, in case you're searching for an approach to join your conceptive wellbeing into your entire wellbeing following, or if wellness trackers simply haven't done what you need them to do, it may be a great opportunity to look at the Bellabeat Leaf wellbeing trackers.

There are two models of the Bellabeat Leaf: Nature and Urban. The key distinction between them is water obstruction – the Urban is water safe and somewhat more costly as a result of it.

On the off chance that there is one thing that is distressfully ailing in the blast of wellness and movement GPS beacons, it is a female look. That is to say, there's almost no decent variety in shape and capacity in any case, however with regards to separating wearables by sex there basically aren't numerous choices out there.

The Bellabeat Leaf is a movement tracker that is particularly ladylike in both frame and capacity. We as of late had the chance to try out a Leaf that Bellabeat sent us for survey.

Shape

The Leaf is about the size and state of a little to medium measured leaf you may discover on a tree. It is 1.8 inches tall by 1.1 inches wide and not as much as a large portion of an inch thick.

There are an assortment of looks accessible—changed examples and shades of metal—yet the fundamental frame is the same in any case. There is a wood composite "rock" encased in a hypoallergenic hardened steel cut. It is intended to be worn as an accessory or wristband, or simply cut on to your attire.

The unit is water safe, however not battery-powered. It keeps running on a standard CR2032 watch battery with an expected life expectancy of around a half year.

Capacity

The capacity of the Leaf is like pretty much some other movement or wellness following contraption. You just wear it to accumulate data about when, how, and the amount you're moving, and afterward synchronize that information with an application on your telephone. Bellabeat offers an application for the two iOS and Android, and the information can be matched up remotely from the Leaf utilizing Bluetooth.

Leaf tracks the standard things you'd anticipate from a wellness checking gadget—movement, steps, and so forth. The Leaf adopts a more all encompassing strategy than most, however—and more ladylike. Notwithstanding checking action, the Leaf likewise screens rest, care, stretch, and your menstrual cycle.

My Experience

All things considered, not my experience, really. The Leaf is an unmistakably female gadget with particularly ladylike highlights, so I let my significant other test it out.

I'll begin with a brisk back story. My essential movement GPS beacon is my Apple Watch, yet I used to depend just on my iPhone. My significant other was attempting to utilize her iPhone for checking steps and action, yet her telephone is frequently in her satchel, which implies that it isn't generally with her—and notwithstanding when it will be, it doesn't really record precise information. To take care of that issue, I got her a Fitbit Zip that she can cut on to her belt.

The Leaf offers that same flexibility, yet with the special reward that it can likewise be worn as a pendant or an arm jewelery. It accompanies a silver chain and a cowhide arm ornament lash in the container, so you have the greater part of the choices accessible to you. We found that occasionally you should need to change where you wear it, contingent upon what you're endeavoring to screen or track. Neckband or arm ornament mode are useful for throughout the day action following, however we got more exact outcomes for rest by section it to the belt of night wear.

The Leaf application is a urgent piece of the experience, in light of the fact that there is no show on the Leaf itself. The main way you can see the information is by matching up the gadget with the application. Gratefully, the application is pleasantly done and generally easy to utilize.

You set your objectives in the application settings to characterize how much movement you're making progress toward in a given day, how much rest, how much reflection, and so forth. One thing that is cool is that you can physically include movement too. Exercises included physically appear in an alternate shading on the Activity tab, so you can't simply cheat without getting captured. It's pleasant, however, to have the capacity to give yourself acknowledgment for movement regardless of whether you happen to neglect to wear the gadget. You can likewise set the Leaf to vibrate in case you're latent for a really long time—somewhat provoke to get off your butt and go accomplish something.

The care, stress, and period following make the Leaf more complete than numerous wellness gadgets. Reflection and breathing activities assist you with relaxing and be careful. The period following gives you a chance to track your cycles. It will likewise endeavor to foresee which days you're ovulating, and incorporates the capacity to set an update for things like taking a conception prevention pill consistently.

The Verdict

The Leaf Urban Silver Edition that we tried expenses $139 on the Bellabeat site. There are surely less expensive wellness and movement following devices out there, yet $139 is a sensible cost for this gadget—particularly when you consider that it additionally accompanies the accessory and arm ornament to give you alternatives for how to wear and utilize it.

The Leaf has an extraordinarily ladylike appearance that catches everyone's eye of unclear dark groups, and the application enables it to screen wellbeing and wellness from an exceptionally female point of view too. The main other wearable gadget I've seen that tends to the sexual orientation hole this well is Omate Lutetia smartwatch. No action tracker is immaculate—and the Leaf is no special case. It doesn't screen heartrate, and the absence of any kind of show on the gadget itself might be an issue for a few, yet in the event that you need to screen and track your wellness with style, you should look at the Leaf.

Bellabeat Leaf Urban

Bellabeat Leaf is outlined particularly for ladies. A portion of its key highlights include:

Movement and rest following

Stress forecast and guided reflection

Menstrual cycle following

Shrewd caution

14-day memory

Remote match up

No charging required

Chapter by chapter guide [show]

Plan

A standout amongst the most engaging things about the Leaf is the plan. It looks not at all like a wellness tracker, and can be worn as a wristband, neckband, or clasp. The wood and metal outline is pretty and current. There are numerous frill accessible to enable you to alter your look.

There are no catches and no screens, so there truly is nothing about the Leaf that resembles a movement tracker. It comes in delightful shading blends like Blackwood and Rose Gold. Generally, it's exceptionally well made and richly outlined. It isn't for wellness aficionados – there's a decent shot it may fall off in extreme exercises. However, it remains on amid runs, yoga, strolls, and other low-force exercises.

Highlights

The Leaf means to be an all encompassing movement tracker and to empower you to go up against a more beneficial way of life. This point is clear when you take a gander at the essential highlights. There are some engaging parts of the Leaf, and in addition a few regions that it is inadequate.

Activity Tracking and Reminders
Like all good activity trackers, the Leaf keeps count of your steps. It seems to be fairly accurate; compared with devices at a similar price point, the Leaf holds its own. It gives you data related to how far you’ve walked and the number of calories it estimates you’ve burned.

It doesn’t have the functionality to decipher what activity you are doing, so that’s something you must add in manually when you sync the device (more on that later). It will tell you how much time you were active (in addition to steps counted), so that is helpful if you are trying to just be more active. It can be a bit of a pain to add the activities, but there are plenty to choose from at least.


Bellabeat Leaf Nature

Because of its focus on healthier living, the Leaf lets you set up periodic reminders to get moving. There are options to add a “Do Not Disturb” range of time to eliminate reminders during that period. The active time for reminders is customizable, and having that push to get up and do something is very nice. This is an appealing feature for office workers, in particular. Having a reminder to get up, stretch, and walk around makes a big impact on your workday.

In addition to the “get moving” reminders, you have the option to set up some other reminders and alarms as well. The morning alarm isn’t great for deep sleepers, but the other alarms and reminders are excellent for things like prompting you to take medication or to be somewhere each day. These are silent vibrations, so they are nice and discreet.

Sleep Tracking
The sleep tracking on the Leaf is accurate and insightful. The best way to ensure it is functioning properly and gauging your sleep is to sync it in the morning and check. You have the option to update anything that doesn’t seem to be correct.

This feature gives you some good information about your sleep habits. It deciphers both the length and quality of your sleep, and it will show you a 7-day overview, complete with averages and patterns. It won’t automatically log nap time, but you can add naps in manually.

Stress and Breathing
In the spirit of “holistic health,” the addition of stress tracking and guided breathing are useful tools. The stress tracking is more of an estimate of your stress levels or ability to handle stress based on the other aspects (sleep, activity, reproductive health). It would likely be a lot more comprehensive if it also had heart rate monitor. Even so, this is a nice addition for those who want to be more mindful of their stress levels and contributing factors.

For guided breathing, you simply clip the Leaf to your pants, select the exercise you want from the app, and move into breathing and meditation. This, combined with the stress tracking, is such a great tool for people with anxiety, or really anyone with high-stress levels.

Battery Life and Sync
One of the most appealing features of the Leaf is that it requires no charging. The battery lasts up to 6 months and is easy to replace with a standard CR2032 battery. This means that you never have to worry about charging, and a quick replacement (with the included screwdriver) is super simple.

However, because of this, you do have to sync the Leaf manually. The memory lasts up to 14 days, so you’ll be fine if you can’t sync it for a few days. It’s easiest to sync each day to update anything such as sleep inaccuracies or changing activities.

A common complaint about the Leaf is that the sync is a bit tricky. It can take a bit to figure out, and the device itself can be a little finicky. Fortunately, once you get the hang of it, it’s quick and painless to sync the Leaf. Plus, Bellabeat has fantastic customer service, so if you need help at any time, they are there for you.

Reproductive Health
The Leaf’s target consumer is women, so naturally the reproductive health tracking integration is a big part of the sell. The Leaf keeps track of periods and will tell you when you are ovulating and when your period is due. This is an excellent feature for women who are trying to conceive. It’s also a great addition for any women who want to be more mindful of their reproductive health.

This is another feature of the holistic health approach of the Leaf. Your cycle can play a role in things like stress or sleep habits, so the Leaf can give you useful feedback about what’s going on at any time during the month. The period tracking and fertility calendar works well and seems to be accurate.

App
The app offers a good range of data, and it allows the user to customize, add additional info, and create benchmarks or goals. It works well and is intuitive, so even technophobes will have an easy time figuring it out.

It’s not the best app out there (Fitbit still leads the pack), but there isn’t anything terrible about it. The syncing can be a bit of a pain, but you won’t have issues with functionality or accessibility. And, as we mentioned before, Bellabeat’s customer service is excellent, so you can contact them directly if you run into issues.

Pros
Thinking about picking up a Leaf? Here are the pros:

Designed for women, and it shows
Beautiful design
Can be worn in several different ways
Lots of great features to help you focus on overall health
Tracking seems mostly accurate
No charging required, plus long battery life
Cons
There are some drawbacks to the Leaf, including:

Must sync manually (can be cumbersome)
Lots of info must be manually entered
Not waterproof (Urban is water resistant, but you’ll still have to take it off to shower)
Design isn’t great for intensive activity
Verdict
We really, really like the Bellabeat Leaf, but it’s easy to see that it’s not for everyone. For those who do want its holistic health tracking and like the design, the Leaf is well priced and full of useful tools.

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