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Review: For slouchers, iPosture is a go

A new solution for bad posture. Here's a close look at the iPosture by Sharon Vaknin.

A discreet solution for slouchers. iPosture

After putting the iPosture on my Crave holiday wish list, I was lucky enough to obtain one for review. Four days later, this gadget gets kudos.

Most doctors prescribe an exercise regimen for improving posture, but the iPosture was created by doctors to fight slouching on the go. The iPosture is about the size of a large button, and clips onto a bra strap or necklace or can be stuck directly onto the chest. When the user is slouching, it alerts them by vibrating once.

I do have a history of bad posture (can you say: get off the computer?), so I thought this could be a solution to my problem. During my review, it was clipped onto my bra strap for two days, and stuck on with adhesive for two days.

After putting it on, I immediately tried bending down, slouching, and so on, and got no response from the device. Maybe we tech geeks can't figure everything out without a manual, because I soon found that the user must be slouching for at least 60 seconds before the iPosture vibrates. This is done to avoid false positives when bending down to pick something up or twisting.

Every time I got into a new position like sitting, standing, or walking, I'd have to press the iPosture once so it could memorize my correct posture.

At first, I hesitated using it, as I was afraid people might see or hear the device, but it was actually very discreet. There was one embarrassing moment, however, when I walked up to a checkout counter and subconsciously pressed my iPosture to reset the position, which was followed by a vibration. After an awkward stare from the cashier, I could see her obvious conclusion: "Fembot!"

For the first couple of days, the gadget seemed to have a sort of placebo effect--I knew I was wearing it for better posture, so I was always conscious about how I carried myself. However, for the last two days, I had gotten used to wearing it, and the vibrations escalated. As I continue to wear it, I have noticed an improvement in my posture, and a decrease in the nagging vibrations.


The verdict: This device is great for anyone who has bad posture and doesn't want to spend time or money in physical therapy. I would normally say $90 for a gadget like this is pretty steep, but iPosture is now selling it at $49.95 for the holidays.

There's also a bonus in the form of a free exercise book. The best part is that when you're done improving your posture, you can just hand off this little device to a friend.