Lumoid

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
Pros Convenient service for trying out wearables, cameras, and other tech gear. Reasonable fees and rental prices. Shipping included, both ways. Great selection.

Cons Trial time is short. Communication regarding estimated shipping times could be improved. Selection is very good, but not stellar. Bottom Line Try-before-you-buy service Lumoid rents digital cameras, fitness trackers, and other tech gear—even the Apple Watch—to  you for a reasonable fee. Like the device? Keep it and Lumoid charges you the retail price.

By Jill Duffy Lumoid is a convenient try-before-you-buy service for tech gear, especially wearables and cameras. You can try several devices at once for a reasonable cost, or simply rent items, such as the new Apple Watch or a drone quadcopter, on a short-term basis. The company specializes in wearable tech, including fitness trackers, but also offers cameras, lenses, and some home health devices. In the past few weeks, the selection has grown to include drones, Google Glass, and Apple Watches. Prices vary, shipping took more than two weeks in my trial, and the loan times can be a little tight, but Lumoid's convenience makes it a worthwhile service, and for that, it's a PCMag Editors' Choice.

What Can You Try?
When I signed up for Lumoid, the company was pushing wearable tech pretty hard, especially fitness trackers. For $25, you can borrow up to five devices, as long as you ship them back within seven days of receiving them. If you decide you like one of the items enough to buy it, you ship back everything else, and Lumoid will charge you for only the item you keep and waive the $25 fee. Shipping, both ways, is included. The setup is similar to the men's clothing service TrunkClub.

Some of the more expensive products, like D-SLR cameras and drones, come with a per-day fee instead (more like RentTheRunway than TrunkClub). A pretty sweet Nikon camera kit for landscape photography goes for $65 per day, with a three-day minimum. You can rent a GoPro Hero4 for just $10 a day. Prices seem to change often. so be sure to check the site for the latest fees. You might find better (or at least more) options for camera kits at BorrowLenses, a service that rents professional photo gear and sells used gear, too.

For my trial box, I ordered a Withings Wireless Blood Pressure Monitor, a Nike+ iPod Sensor, a Misfit Shine, a Jawbone UP Move, and a Striiv Fusion. Where color and size options were available, I selected what I wanted, which is ideal if you think you might like one of the devices enough to keep and purchase it.

I noticed that some of my favorite activity trackers, such as the Basis Peak and the Mio Fuse were not available (the Basis Peak has since been added to Lumoid's offerings). Bummer. The selection changed a lot in the time since I tried the service and wrote this review, so be aware that the product you want to try might not be on hand now, but it could be available soon.

Beginning April 24, the Apple Watch, in Sport and Steel editions, will be available, as part of the five-item wearables box or to rent on their own. There's an extra cost to include an Apple Watch for trial: $45 for the Sport (with $25 of that going toward a purchase, should you decide to buy it) and $55 for the Steel (with $30 toward a purchase).

Lumoid Logistics
Unfortunately, my box didn't ship for more than two weeks, and the company didn't email me any updates as to why it was taking so long. I kvetched on Twitter, and Lumoid was quick to look up my order and inform me that not all my color and size combinations were in stock. Had I known, I might have changed my choices to get the box sooner. Live and learn.

I also did not get any communication from Lumoid after I shipped the box back to the company. A brief email stating that the return shipment had been received and that all the items were intact would have made me feel better about the process, especially given how expensive these items are.

As I mentioned, you get to try the wearable devices for seven days. Day one begins as soon as the postal carrier delivers or attempts to deliver your package. If you frequently miss packages and end up waiting until the weekend to pick up your stuff, this service may not be for you. Moreover, as you lose a day on either side for shipping, seven days is a tight timeline to set up, test, and return multiple activity trackers. I recommend wearing more than one at once to get as many days out of them as possible. You really need several days with a tracker to get a feel for it.

A return shipping label is included in the box, so all you have to do is place all your devices inside the same box used for delivery, seal it up, and send it on its way. Once Lumoid receives the return shipment, the company will charge your credit card $25 (it was actually $20 when I tried the service, but prices have increased) or the retail price of the item you keep.

I'll admit that I've purchased fitness trackers in the past, with the strong suspicion that I would return them to the seller within 30 days, the typical return window. A month is a much-better amount of time to test a device that measures your activity all day and night. But, if you buy the product and return it, you have to float the full cost on your credit card until the return. At least with Lumoid, you're only paying a flat $25 fee for five products, or no fee at all if you decide to purchase one.

Convenient and Cost Effective
Lumoid is a convenient and fairly cost-effective way to get your hands on some new gear. I love being able to try out new and sometimes expensive products before deciding whether to buy them, and I'm happy to have a service that offers short-term rentals, too. With a great range of products, particularly cameras and fitness devices, and more being added all the time, Lumoid is worth checking out.

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