Misfit brand smartwatches and fitness trackers offer a unique and uncommon viewpoint into the world of health and wellness. The Misfit Flash and the Misfit Shine provide a peek into the company’s dedication to those who don’t fit in, and are ok with it. Both offer various tracking capabilities that customers will use on a regular basis.
Both the Misfit Flash and the Misfit Shine are fantastic gadgets that allow users to track their sleep and activities. Using these devices helps users make intelligent, informed decisions in regards to their health and well-being. Armed with data provided by these Misfit devices, customers can make significant strides toward recognizing their personal wellness goals.
But while the same company manufactures these devices, they do not share all the same functionalities. There are many similarities between the two, but there are also significant differences that users will want to know about to select the gadget that works best with their lifestyle choices.
Let’s take a look at some areas that help determine which device is the best choice.
Design
From a design perspective, some users immediately want to know color options. The Misfit Shine provides users the ability to look personable with a wide range and variety of colors, whereas its counterpart, the Flash offers only a small selection from which to choose.
These two devices share similar out-of-the-box experiences, with both providing a strap and a clip, meaning users are not required to purchase a separate wristband. One drawback is that customers must select their color before shipping, which means they cannot change the strap. Overall, from a design perspective, users looking for a lightweight, simple, clean, and non-intrusive fitness tracker are making a good choice no matter which device they choose.
The clasp for the Misfit Shine is not designed as well as hoped, as the tracker can become easily dislodged and pop out. It does a user no good if their device falls out and is lost. Misfit tries to remedy this flaw in the Flash, but it still needs some work in this area.
While the Flash design does have a lip that is outside the face of the device, it still doesn’t fit as snugly as expected. It is easy to remove and swap, however, it wobbles around and provides the potential for falling out or getting lost as it moves. The Flash can quickly move out of position, making it difficult for users to view the display.
The Misfit Flash is designed to help users by offering a strap-and-clip type of wristband, which means the device slips into the back of the strap. Users can then secure the band around their wrist and adjust it to a comfortable position. The Flash is flatter than the Shine, and as a result, makes it a more versatile and unobtrusive device that appeals to a larger customer base.
From a device face perspective, the Flash leans more toward a physical knob configuration that shows off bright LEDs, while the Shine is a more touch-sensitive interface. The button on the Flash is centrally located and allows users to determine how close they are to attaining their fitness goals.
With the Shine, users only need to touch-sensitive plate twice, illuminating the light and providing the desired information. Both the Shine and the Flash provide convenient methods to view information. With the Flash, however, users can avoid inadvertently tapping on their device and over-calculating their performance.
The Misfit Shine comes out above the Flash in regards to design and aesthetics. Users that wish to shower or swim with their devices can use either the Flash or the Shine, but where the Shine will provide feedback up to fifty meters deep, the Flash can only provide support at thirty meters.
Neither device is going to win any awards when it comes to building or design, but each provides a quality experience for users looking for a cheap alternative to the more expensive health and fitness trackers on the market.
User Experience
Outside of the way a device looks and feels, perhaps the most crucial question when selecting a fitness tracker surrounds its performance. How well does it work? How does it perform? How do the Misfit Shine and Misfit Flash stack up?
The Flash stands out with its ability to track not only running, swimming, cycling, and walking, but also basketball and tennis. In this area, the Flash surpasses the Shine.
Users will first notice the unusual LEDs surrounding the face of the device. To understand these, users need to touch the face twice to view their fitness progress. The closer users are to attaining their goals; the more LEDs will light up. These LEDs also tell users what time it is by glowing, which allows them to see first the hour of the day, then minutes in the hour.
While it may take users some time to get used to the LEDs concept, the important thing is to keep in mind that it is not a substitute for a smartwatch. It is a fitness tracker, and should not be compared to the sophisticated smart devices available on the market today. As previously stated, users must press the center of the Misfit Flash to engage the dial beneath, which in turn will engage the LEDs.
The Misfit Shine boasts a three-axis accelerometer beneath its primarily metallic body, which does a great job of detecting motion. The sensor is reliable and can be worn nearly anywhere on a person with the provided clasp. A great example of its adaptability is its ability to be worn on the wrist, on the waistband, or on the shoe, all while tracking steps or measuring calories burned.
Like its counterpart, the Misfit Flash can provide users many of the same features. It offers fitness track for walking, running, swimming, or cycling, as well as during a basketball game or tennis match. The Flash also provides an accessory that allows the user to wear the device around the neck like a necklace.
Both devices provided by Misfit are beneficial if the primary goal of the user is to measure steps taken, calories burned, or distance. However, there is a drawback. Where other fitness trackers will provide a notification of some form or another when attaining a goal, the Misfit devices do not. There are no indicators or pings letting users know they have met their goals. This means users are left to their own devices when it comes to finding the necessary motivation to get moving.
Battery
An essential item to keep in mind is that neither the Shine nor the Flash batteries are rechargeable. Users have a watch-like disc battery that slides into the device. The benefit, however, is that the battery can last up to six months on a single charge on the Flash, and nearly four months with the Shine.
Battery longevity is excellent for those that merely want to strap their health tracker on, get going, and forget about it. Those that don’t want to interrupt tracking with the tediousness of recharging will find this particularly appealing.
Misfit App
While the display of the devices themselves do not offer the ability to set goals or view progress, there is an application provided by Misfit which allows users to do so. The Misfit Link App enables users to set daily targets and resides on both the iOS and Android marketplaces.
While the Misfit Shine provides Bluetooth Low Energy 4.0 (BLE) support, the Flash supports BLE 4.1. Each allows users to set daily fitness goals which can be viewed on the mobile application anytime.
Digging a little deeper into the iOS and Android versions of the application will provide users a comprehensive experience that helps organize daily activities, diet choices, quality of sleep, and activity information. While this application won’t wow it’s users, it is simple, intuitive, and provides basic health information.
For instance, the food logger allows users to log their daily meals by taking a photograph of the meal and uploading it to the application. This way users don’t have to worry about remembering exactly what they ate. It also provides users the ability to track their weight if desired.
On the activity tracking tab, users can view an “Activity Remaining” prompt, which shows them exactly where they stand in regards to their goals. It lets users see miles, calories, and steps metrics, providing users the information they may need to determine how much they have left to accomplish throughout the day.
Another option within the application is the “Sleep” section, which allows users to switch the device to Sleep Mode before retiring for the evening. The drawback to this feature is that it is a manual switch, which means users must remember to make the change, as the device won’t detect when users turn in.
On the plus side, however, is the accuracy with which the device tracks sleep patterns. Both the Misfit Shine and Flash offer sensors which can detect when a user is engaged in REM sleep, or only light sleep. This type of tracking gives users the data needed to make changes to their nightly routines if necessary.
Another nice feature both the Misfit Shine and Flash offer is the Smart Alarm. The alarm, which comes from the user’s smartphone, is helpful in reminding users when to wake up. The Smart Alarm is a great alternative to a sleep monitor, and users can’t go wrong no matter which device they choose, as both the Shine and the Flash employ the identical software builds.
The Link App also provides a social function. Users can share their objectives and targets online with a specific group of people if so desired. Letting friends in on their goals can help motivate and encourage users to get up and get going. While this feature is not a boon for all users, there are those that will use it to let others know of their activities.
Lastly, the Misfit Link App allows for integration with other health-related applications. Users can connect to the iOS HealthKit or Google Fit applications to view progress across multiple platforms. Other applications include MyFitnessPal, IFTTT, MapMyFitness, and Runkeeper. Integration with additional applications allows users to gather and analyze activity data and get the most out of their health-related activities.
Summary
Let’s take a peek at how the two devices stack up against one another:
| Misfit Flash | Misfit Shine | |
| Battery Life | 180 days | 120 days |
| Elevation Tracker | x | x |
| Smart Alarm | x | x |
| Waterproof Max Depth | 30 meters | 50 meters |
| Android Compatible | x | x |
| iOS Compatible | x | x |
| Sleep Tracking | x | x |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.1 | 4 |
| Tracks Calorie Intake | x | x |
| Provides Sleep Reports | x | x |
| Provides Activity Reports | x | x |
| Weight | 6g | 9.4g |
| Width | 28.5mm | 27.5mm |
| Distance Tracker | x | x |
| Swimming Stroke Counter | x | x |
| Social Features | x | x |
| Syncs to Cloud | x | x |
| Thickness | 3.3mm | 3.3mm |
| Height | 28.5mm | 27.5mm |
Both the Misfit Shine and Flash offer a great alternative to anyone looking to take a dip into the ever-growing health tracker and wearable market. These devices are solid activity and sleep trackers and provide users a way to explore the smart device world without drowning in information overload. Both trackers share many of the same features, and the primary difference is physical appearance.
These devices offer users the ability to set goals and track their activities, all while providing incredible battery life. They can also track sleep, weight, and meals through the MisFit App, which also allows users to view reports based on these behaviors.
The Shine is more appealing, based on its aircraft-metal appearance, whereas the Shine offers a more sporty, casual look. Choosing between the two is a difficult decision, and ultimately will depend on what the user is looking for in a health tracker.
Further read, The Fitbit Blaze vs The Apple Watch 2
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