Hi folks, I just saw a Cycling tips article about the Nix sweat biosensor and wondered if anyone has first impressions. As a heavy sweater and lover of electrolytes, this is intriguing.
It says it will track electrolyte balance and hydration status in real time and give recommendations. It can get pricey if you keep getting replacement patches, but I imagine testing a few times a year/during a specific training period is all one would need. Might be an interesting podcast topic too.
Definitely intrigued and will probably buy it once they do Garmin Edge integration. Can’t help it
So many questions, but the big ones are:
Great points, and I’m hesitant to buy until they’ve been through a few iterations.
I really like being able to pair with Garmin devices too…
I got a marketing email from The Feed pushing the sensor, not sure that means anything though.
It’s been a year and the Nix website doesn’t mention integration with Garmin/Wahoo. I just sent them an email. I’ll report back what they say.
The jist is that cyclists don’t want to fumble with a phone.
Plus I want the data to get into the ride file, not exist in its own silo
Here is my unscientific experience with Nix.
5 rides comparing Nix, H-Drop, Garmin Edge 1040, and Weight scale sweat test (weigh before/after exercise on a scale):
H-Drop is consistently highest
Nix is next highest
Garmin is lowest
Weight Scale is between Garmin and Nix (much closer to Garmin estimate).
You have to have a phone to start/stop tracking with Nix and the connection to Garmin in my experience has been more miss than hit (and having to waste a patch each time is cost prohibitive).
Nix does not write any data to the .fit file even when it does connect to your Garmin Edge computer.
If you want live recommendations while actually out riding you have to have your phone on, with the App open and actually getting the connection from the phone App to stay connected. Side effect of this is that it kills your phone battery, because you can’t acknowledge that you drank any liquid on your edge, you have to open the App on the phone and swipe to tell it that you’ve taken in fluid. Definitely not ideal out on the road riding a bike.
Bottom line for me, until the patch/sensor becomes more accurate, actually integrates with Garmin (writing data to the .fit file), and is useable without a phone connection I won’t be buying any more patches at $20 a set.
Are you going to continue to use the hDrop?
A lot of what you mentioned seems consistent with hDrop. While there’s a Garmin connectIQ app I’m pretty sure you have to have the sensor paired to your phone for it to display live data. It also doesn’t write to the FIT file that I’ve seen. While you can log fluid in the app, I don’t really see the point of it since it detects fluid intake on it’s own based on change in hydration status. The hDrop app does not drain the battery on my phone at all though.
Overall these devices still have a lot of compromises in their current state, but I still think the hDrop gen 2 is a good device. It gives me useful enough data and there are no recurring costs to using it at all since there are no patches. If I had to pay by the patch it would not be worth it.
Excellent summation! I never received a response to these questions from Nix, after sending an email over a week ago. I do receive their marketing emails though.
At this point, something will need to change my mind before I give it a (first) try, YMMV.
H-Drop has updated their firmware and Garmin App so i’m going to give them another go, but since in all my testing they have been way higher than the other methods it will be interesting to see. If the results are still high, then using just the Garmin calculated number as the minimum fluid loss is almost as accurate as weighing myself pre-ride, measuring how much weigh in fluids I took in, and then weighing myself post-ride to get a comparison. Without a lab, the sweat rate weight test is about as accurate as I can get.
Tried the H-Drop last night. Here’s my results:
Still higher than Garmin Calculated (but only about 5 oz higher).
New Garmin CIQ field let’s you start and stop the H-Drop on your Garmin Device.
H-Drop data is written to the .fit file and viewable on Garmin Connect (App and Web).
Overall better integration with Garmin than Nix (Nix doesn’t write data to the .fit file, and still is problematic on staying connected to Edge, and you have to start/stop recording on the phone App) and you don’t have to waste a patch every time.
If I can determine an offset value for the H-Drop that is consistent then I’ll definately use the H-Drop over the NIX product.
Are you using it on your arm or chest? Attaching it to my HRM chest strap is super convenient, but I find it over estimates fluid loss in comparison to their recommended arm location.
I’ve tried it on both locations. Chest for me seems more accurate (or closer to Garmin estimate and weight scale sweat test).
Sorry to resurrect after a year, but I see hdrop has a gen 2 out. I was curious if y’all’s impressions have changed at all and if you’d recommend the device. Thanks!
I have the gen2 device. It’s been out a while. It’s good I think for post-analysis, and to help me to drink knowing I will see the report later.
There are 3 stages of analysis
iOS app analysis on device
Garmin data field analysis real time
server-based analysis after you submit the activity from the app
None of them agree with each other
The best I believe is the one you submit from the app for server-side analysis
The app real time is closer
The garmin data field real-time analysis/update is wretchedly out of order. It’s useless. And I have told them this, repeatedly, and nothing has changed. Your own garmin data field does not agree AT ALL with your own server-based analysis.
I don’t feel like this is an actively developed product, and I have also told them this.
I like the product, but only as a post-analysis tool. I’d miss it if it no longer worked. Like a whoop, it doesn’t tell you anything you don’t already know, but it drives behavior.
The software has not changed in a while, on garmin and iOS. There have been no firmware updates in many months.
I’m not sure this is a continuing project for the makers.
I should add that I have done a birthday suit weigh-in just before riding, and a similar weigh in after, while tracking every ml of fluid intake, and the hdrop was right on it (server-side analysis)