Bellabeat Leaf Review

There is one piece of technology that I’ve used for all of 2015 since the day it came out, and it’s not a smartphone, smartwatch, or Fitbit; It’s a piece of smart jewelry called the Bellabeat Leaf. A lot of gadgets cross my desk, and I very rarely feel the kind of connection and excitement with a device that I felt with the Leaf. From the moment I saw it, I wanted to wear it.

I’ve worn the Leaf since May 2015 and I’ve watched the companion app grow and improve to meet the demands of Bellabeat’s very tech-savvy user base. After half a year wearing it, I can confidently say that the Leaf is the best piece of smart jewelry I’ve ever used — in spite of its initial growing pains.

IT’S A GORGEOUS PIECE OF JEWELRY THAT HAPPENS TO BE REALLY SMART

IT’S A GORGEOUS PIECE OF JEWELRY THAT HAPPENS TO BE REALLY SMART

As someone who’s tested “unisex” smartwatch after “unisex” smartwatch, it was a joy to find something that had actually been made for me. Bellabeat struck a chord deep within a segment of the population that’s been largely ignored by the wearable tech craze: women. Women who don’t want to wear a generic unisex Fitbit or Polar tracker, let alone a cheesy pink Misfit Flash or a sparkly Swarovski Shine on a daily basis are drawn to the Leaf’s simplicity, class, and elegance.

It’s shaped after its namesake and made of natural wood and stainless steel. Depending on which model you choose, you’ll get a light wood with silvery steel or a dark wood with either gold or rose gold colored steel. It comes with your choice of a necklace or the proprietary bracelet, which is made of premium leather and comes in light or dark colors to match the wood of your Leaf. My initial review unit came in the light color palette but I’ve used the dark wood version, too.

It’s a beautiful, understated device, though it is bigger than you expect it to be, measuring nearly 2 inches long and about half an inch thick. I have very small wrists but the Leaf was still comfortable as a bracelet. I tend to wear it as a clip or necklace the most but it’s a matter of personal preference.

If you need style ideas, Instagram is chock-full of Leaf wearers who can’t get enough of its stylish wooden body, stainless steel case, and attractive leather wrap bracelet. Some wear it styled as a bracelet, others a broach or even a necklace. The key to Bellabeat’s success lies in the versatility of the Leaf’s design. You don’t have to wear it on your wrist and most women don’t. Better still, you don’t have to buy a dozen accessories to wear it differently.

Because it’s a clip, you can slide it onto any necklace and most bracelets you already own and to wear it as a clip, you don’t need a single thing. It’s truly genius to create a wearable that fits in with your existing accessories instead of requiring you to buy new ones the way Misfit and Fitbit do.