Activity trackers are becoming increasingly common and even the most unlikely brands have decided to enter the market as more and more consumers find that tracking everything they do can be useful or at least somewhat interesting.
Misfit Wearables has come out with the Shine which may very well be one of the best looking trackers currently on the market. Every aspect of the Misfit Shine screams minimalist and while this is beneficial in many cases, it also hurts the device in others.
Right from the beginning it is easy to tell that the Shine is a high-quality product with its aluminum design which is not something that can be said for many of its competitors in the activity tracker industry. The device does not include a lot of tracking information on its actual display but it does provide a clock and with the included wristband mount, it is actually possible to use the Misfit Shine without looking odd. Again, the watch aspect of the tracker is limited but it does show the time, although this is far less information that you will find with other trackers that can show in-depth activity statistics.
A re-occurring theme with the Shine, no matter what you use it for, is that the device’s software has much less to offer than you would hope to see with a $120 product, but on the hardware side of things, it may very well be possible that the Shine is the best activity tracker on the market. With only two pieces and a completely waterproof design, the tracker can truly be used in any scenario and setting it up is also quite simple.
If you were to bring the tracker with you wherever you go, some of Misfit’s accessories such as the leather band and necklace mount ($79.95 each) may be necessary.
Getting into what truly matters with any activity tracker, the Shine is definitely less advanced than many of the devices in its price range. However, it is worth noting that although you cannot do as much with the device itself, when combined with the app, its functionality is improved significantly.
With the help of the app, you can choose between a variety of activity modes so that the Shine knows what it is tracking. These modes include sleep, swim, and cycle. By default, it is able to record steps and determine if you are walking, running, etc. However, the built-in accelerometer is not capable of telling if you are walking up steps which is something that some trackers are able to do.
The vast majority of features present in the Shine can be activated either with the smartphone app or through the tracker’s touch interface which is actually one of the best that we have seen. So, as long as you have access to a smartphone and are not trying to actively check your activity stats, the Shine is able to provide a lot.
At the end of the day, all of the measurements end up in the app and are calculated with a point system. This point system will record most of your activity and can also be used to set future goals.
Misfit stuck with the bare necessities with the Shine activity tracker. Unlike some of the devices from Jawbone and Fitbit, this device does not have many extra or special features but at the same time, it is more stylish and easier to incorporate into an outfit than its competitors.
Note: Some of the statements present in this review may be based upon the opinions of other consumers and writers. This is the case in order to make sure that the most accurate review of a device/game is provided.