Lumen STOPS the subscription model (kinda)
More: Detailed Lumen Review
In very welcome news, Lumen has removed the need to have a subscription to use its fat-burn analyzer.
It is now possible to buy the device outright and have access to basic sensor reading values and then optionally subscribe to the ongoing fitness and nutrition advice.
Lumen looks like an inhaler except you breathe into it. It measures the concentration of carbon dioxide in your breath and from that determines to what degree your body is currently using fat or carbs as a fuel source. Over time it assesses your metabolic flexibility and how you respond to certain kinds of exercise and nutrition. A further significant component is the nutritional recommendation from Lumen’s app.
You can now buy the device for a one-time payment of $299/£299/Eu299 which gives you unlimited breath measurements and enhanced results. There is a 30-day return policy.
Q: If I don’t get the subscription, what will I see in the app?
A: You can take unlimited metabolic measurements and see your Lumen level result from those measurements.
The nutrition guide and macro recommendations are now covered by a new, cheaper, subscription at $19/£19/Eu19 a month.
Q: What else do I get from the subscription?
A: There are more than just meal suggestions and nutritional plans. You get all this too
- Lifestyle insights and recommendations
- Daily personalized nutrition plan
- Macro-based meal suggestions
- Metabolic coaching and support
- Integrates with Apple Health, Google Fit, and Garmin (ie you don’t get this for device-only)
Q: What if I’ve already subscribed to Lumen
A: Your contract continues until the end and then you can stop the subscription (and lose the nutritional features) or switch to the monthly option
Thoughts
Smaller companies want us to sign up for subscriptions as it gives them a more certain revenue stream which improves cashflow planning and aids whatever market exit strategy they have. However as consumers, we sometimes forget to stop the subscriptions or perhaps use the product less than we originally thought we would, these subscriptions can then seem too expensive. As many companies are now seeing, in tougher economic times people cancel their subscriptions and bang goes the revenue stream
I like the Lumen model where there is a fixed cost for working hardware and then a premium subscription for a premium service. With this product, for me, all I need are the readings. I’m less interested in the nutritional advice side of things (my partner is a qualified nutritionist!). My only criticism would be that in my opinion, the hardware should still link up with Apple Health, Google Fit and the Garmin ecosystems. Currently, the data sharing needs a subscription.
Try Lumen now for $299/£299/Eu299 plus an optional subscription at $19/£19/Eu19 a month.
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I used Lumen for a couple of weeks before I returned it (the return process was an absolute pain in the a**…I can understand that they want you to keep it but it was not a good experience). The missing integration with Garmin and the “so…now what” when I got the results were the main reasons for returning it.
ty for the feedback on their returns process…always good to know
the garmin integration (and apple for that matter) should be ok now
If you obtained the lumen prior to 2023 then you are essentially leasing the lumen as you have to pay for the subscription for life as there is absolutely no functionality with the device without the lumen subscription (at the time of writing this). If you purchased the lumen in 2023 then you essentially own the device and you can do basic readings independently of the Lumen subscription you only have to pay for the nutritional advice. I also note that the subscription is 35usd per month. Let’s hope Lumen revisit this position and allow those pre-2023 customers who have paid more than 8 months subscription (paid off the cost of the device via subscription – same amount paid as the new customers paid for the device) to have the option of access to basic lumen readings with no subscription costs like the new customers currently have now.
You can contact support to unlock it for $90
JFYI if you got Lumen before mid-2023 the only subscription offered is a $35 one. But you can contact their support and pay a one-time fee of $90 to unlock the Lumen for subscription-free use, which also includes 2 months of app use gratis.
Yeah Lumen customer service isn’t great. Do not buy one of these second hand. It’s useless without spending the $90 activation plus a one month $19.99.
I think the customer service is generally good, I’m sure exceptions will always happen.
Regarding the second hand side of buying a Lumen. I confess to not looking at that. Putting the hygeine and risk to one side, as you say I’m not sure the numbers make it worthwhile