Sportline 345 Electronic Pedometer Review

I purchased this pedometer on a whim actually. It was marked down and I thought it couldn’t help to see if these things were as (in)accurate as I’d been told. As pedometer’s go this model is fairly straightforward, relying on the basic kinetic principle along with a customizable “stride” that you can set to fit your needs and activity.

The Sportline 345 Electronic Pedometer is on the low-end of these devices, having only a handful of the basic features (no Radio, MP3, GPS, etc here) but seems to cover the core roll of a pedometer aptly.

Setup was quick and relatively easy. Pace out a few normal walking or running strides and input that amount in inches and you are ready to go. There is also a basic clock feature provided as well but frankly I have enough of those attached to my wrist, hip, neural cortex, etc already so I neglected to set it.

Users have the option of choosing three modes of recording their activity. Step, records the number of steps or strides taken. Kcal, records the estimated calories expended, though I’ve never had much faith in these features on any device. Finally, and most usefully is Dist which will display your distance in kilometers or miles down to the nearest hundreth of a mile (or dekameter for the metric savvy). The device may be manually reset and records a maximum of 99.99 miles in a single session.

I have to admit, at a glance, the Sportline appears a tad flimsy as the rattling of the kinetic meter inside is necessary but chaffs the electronic gadgeteer in me (rattle = broken, in my geekbrain). However, its almost unnoticeable once you get moving and have other things (like cars and unattended dogs) on your mind. The large display is a boon as well as the water (or sweat) resistant flip case.

After completing my route I compared the recorded distance to the known distance (via map and vehicle odometer) and found it to be accurate to a surprising .22%. Not bad considering the estimates I’ve seen quoted elsewhere and easily accountable by minor differences in my route, changes in stride and calibration of stride length.

In closing, the Sportline will probably accompany me on my next hike where I’ll see how it handles longer distances and more adverse conditions.

The Sportline 345 Electronic Pedometer is available from Amazon.com for under $20 US.