Misfit Shine 2 Review

Misfit Shine 2 is the second generation tracker of the original circular fitness tracker, the Misfit Shine. It is an elegant activity and sleep monitor that inspires you to live a more active life. It has an eye-catching and distinctive look that boasts a replaceable and lengthy 6-month battery. Misfit Shine 2 can be worn anywhere on your body like your wrist or around your neck, which is a big benefit you don’t get from most other fitness trackers. With vibration alerts, its 12 LED traffic lights and capacitive touchscreen, Shine 2 features new modes of interaction and helps you achieve your health goals and physical condition.

Packaging and Design

Misfit Shine 2 comes with a Sport Band Action Clip for two different wearing modes, sleep monitor, CR2032 battery (pre-installed), Clasp and Battery Door Tool. It looks almost the same as the original. It is a small, metallic disc that is fitted into a silicon band except that Shine’s face is a little bit larger and slightly thinner. Compared to its predecessor, it’s slightly more unisex looking. Shine 2 also features colored LED lights and different light patterns that help you identify when you receive a text message, a phone call or simply a “get up and move” nudge. To keep it more secure, the band is now improved and designed with a special Action Clip, a thin plastic strip that attaches to the back of the Shine and threads through both sides of the band to anchor it in place and prevent it from popping out and lose it forever. For those who want their tracking to be discreet, Shine 2 comes with a clasp which can be attached to a shirt, belt or shoe to capture the same metrics as the wrist. It also features vibrating alerts to wake you up or make you move.

 

Performance

Like the original, Shine 2 is one of the few trackers really suited to the pool since it is still waterproof to 50 meters, and it will track your distance in the pool. Another impressive feature of Shine 2 is its ability to accurately track your step and exercise as it keeps tabs on your distances even if it just monitors the swing of your arm. It has no physical buttons, just tap the screen and you will know how far along in your goal you’ve reached, and a series of red lights will appear around the disc. There are also 12 LED indicators that light up around the ring depending on how far into your goal you are. The further in you get, the colour changes from red to orange to yellow to green. You can tag the exercise, and choose from a range of sports from swimming, cycling, basketball, soccer, tennis and running.

It also tracks sleep and automatically detects you dozing off. You can also set a vibrating alarm on the Shine 2 from the companion app by selecting the time for the alarm to go off each day at the same time. All activity tracking information and goals are stored in the Misfit App that is compatible with IOS and Android and connects through Bluetooth 4.1. The battery life of Shine 2 is six months because it uses a coin cell battery like the traditional watches instead of an Ion-Lithium battery.

Verdict

Misfit Shine 2 is a good choice if you are just looking for a basic activity tracker with stylish design. This tracker is fairly accurate and does not require daily charging. It also tracks sleep well and wake you up with a silent alarm, notifies you an incoming call or text message and pokes you to get moving with a vibrating alert. Shine 2 will appeal to those wanting to get more active and be overwhelmed by tech but is not ideal if you want a full-fledged fitness tracking device. It’s a worthy buy if you’re after a fitness tracker that you can wear 24/7 without recharging except that it won’t stay on your wrist.

FAQs

What are the points on Misfit?
Misfit trackers use a point system that translates activity stats, like time spent running or swimming, into earned points. When you create an account in the Misfit App, you set a goal that dictates how many points you’ll try to earn everyday.

Which phones are compatible with my Shine 2?
IOS 8 and above (iPhone 4s/5/5c/6/6 plus, ipod Touch 5th gen and above, ipad 3/4/Air/Mini)
BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), ready Android devices running software 4.3 and above (Samsung Galaxy S4/S5/S6, Samsung Note 3/4/5 and the Google Nexus 4/5/6)

How will I know when the battery is low or needs to be replaced?
The app will prompt you if your battery is low and needs to be replaced. If the app has not prompted you yet, your battery is within the acceptable range for use.

 

Good: Misfit Shine 2 is an affordable, lightweight and comfortable tracker that works on the body even if you clip it on multiple positions like your shoe, belt, shirt or wrist. It has smart notifications that let you know when a text message or a phone call is received aside from letting you know when you’ve reached your goal and nudging you when you need to get going. It is pretty accurate in steps and distance. You can play or pause music by connecting Misfit Link App to your smartphone or activate the front-facing camera and quickly take a selfie. It has good sleep monitoring. You can also use it as a remote control for some of your smart home devices. It has super light design and low price compared to competitors. The battery life is awesome — it can be replaced and can last for six months.

Not so good: Shine 2 tracks very basic fitness metrics such as steps taken, calories burned and distance traveled but not the number of stairs climbed nor your heart rate. It has no GPS and no heart rate sensor making the activity metrics less detailed. It doesn’t have the traditional display and uses only lights to communicate information to you. The strap needs some upgrading, it failed to keep tracker in place securely. It still pops out of its band. Switching between band and clasp for workout isn’t ideal. There are also some minor sleep detection issues. The features are relatively limited since you can’t customize alerts to show who is texting or calling. The lights are hard to see in bright sunlight.