The Upright Go is an elegant wearable posture trainer that claims to replace slouching with upright sitting in just two weeks.
That’s quite a claim.
Nobody can improve your posture for you. But if a device can focus your awareness on your posture over and over again then maybe with time, your repeated corrections can bring about a change.
I had the privilege of giving Upright Go a test run, and based on my experience I recommend this product if you’re looking to improve your posture.
The Upright Go is sleek and the user experience is pleasant. It weights only 12g and is about the size of a light switch. It has the lines of the mouse you wish you owned, only smaller. You just stick it on your upper back and a gentle vibration reminds you every time you slouch.
When your upper back bends forward, your lower back bends forward too, so this small device is intended to protect your entire spine. Training sessions increase incrementally so you don’t exhaust your muscles. Nobody at work has to know that you are wearing it under your clothes, but you’re probably going want to tell them.
Packaging and manufacturing: The whole package is nice. The product is made in China but the English in the brochure is free of errors, inspiring confidence. Still, I would like to see more information about the story behind this Israeli product.
You Choose Training or Tracking Mode
Upright Go can be used with or without its app. You can just stick it on your back, press the power button and feel the buzz every time you slouch, but I recommend using the app to calibrate your upright posture. If you actually love data, you can track your posture through the app even when not in training mode. With your fit bit tracking your activity and the Upright Go tracking your sedentary behavior all that’s missing is a trip to the sleep clinic and you’re covered 24/7.
I was relieved when the app showed me that the first day’s training was only seven minutes. The program is customized and uses your own upright sitting posture as a baseline. After you have decided whether or not to input the truth about your weight and age, you can decide how forthcoming you want to be about your posture.
I find the Upright pro surprisingly forgiving. I don’t have to sit like I’m at military academy. Relaxing back into the seat of my chair doesn’t activate the buzz. It’s only hunching my shoulders and collapsing like a turtle retreating into its shell that sets it off. To my happy surprise, I looked forward to wearing it every day. Better still, I was thinking about my posture more than usual even when not wearing the device.
As an aside, I want to remind you that a posture training wearable is no replacement for break reminder software. Even if your seated posture is perfect, you are still at risk of an ergonomic injury if you don’t get up and move around frequently throughout the day.
However, the Upright Go is great at reminding you to relax your shoulders and stop slouching. Is two weeks long enough to reverse a habit that took years or even decades to form? Not sure, but the product is unobtrusive enough keep wearing until your body starts to change the way it organizes itself.
If you believe that change is possible, then this little product is worth the try.