The Shine Fitness + Sleep Monitor from Misfit is a wearable device with a wide variety of uses. It works with the Misfit app for iOS and Android to gather and track data. In form factor, it is similar to a watch and even jewellery, and it can clip onto your wrist or clothing easily. After using the Shine, I will discuss in detail and share my thoughts on this interesting smart gadget.

Overview

The Shine Fitness and Sleep Monitor is available at the official website and ships internationally. It comes in nine different colours – all of them are vibrant, and the variety is impressive. In terms of features, its primary use is tracking activities. It can track many different exercises with a simple touchscreen interface. The tracker does not have a display, so you are unable to check your stats on the go. This doesn't bother me much as I'm not really a timekeeper.

I love using it for swimming – other devices can't hold up to the water since the Shine is waterproof up to 50 metres deep. It will automatically synchronizes to my mobile device wirelessly and can hold data for 30 days without syncing.

The Shine comes with a lot of different clips, bands and braces that make it easy to attach anywhere. My Shine is grey in colour with a black band which gives off a futuristic look. Others might find the look a bit feminine but it complements me well enough. The replaceable battery is said to be able to last for about six months.

One of my favourite features of the Shine is the sleep monitor. The Shine will track how many hours I have slept and the proportion of my sleeping time that is light or heavy sleep. It can offer me guidance and set alarms for me to wake up and go to sleep at the optimal times for my sleep pattern. I started using the sleep monitor right away and now I get a good night's sleep every time. I hope this will last.

Comparison to Other Wearables

In recent years, wearable trackers have become a major growth area. As a result, the Shine faces a lot of competition but it is up against other activity trackers. One of the main advantages that the Shine has over its competitors is the battery. Having a battery that will work for a long time and not need any recharging is much more convenient than the alternative of having to remember to charge up every night. Instead of charging it somewhere, you can use the Shine to track your sleep. On top of that, the Shine has a more convenient form factor and a stylish look. The Shine also has good integration with apps. It works best with the Misfit app, but the creators have recently opened up the API, so that it can work with My Fitness Pal, Lose It!, Runkeeper, and IFTTT.

The Bottom Line

The Shine makes a great wearable. It is highly cost effective for all of the features that come with it. The design is elegant and beautiful, especially in comparison to the competition. Shine works well with almost any app to track your fitness data in a wide variety of activities, and the sleep tracker helps you time your sleep for the most restful night. The interface is easy to use and the fact that the batteries last for six months is very useful. At a price point of US$99.99, I feel that The Shine is definitely worth buying if you use wearables, well at least for me.

Runner's Boon

• Great design that can fit into any outfit.
• Easy to pick which activity you are doing.
• The Shine is tough and durable – there is no need to baby it.

Runner's Bane

There are a few cons to this wearable.

• The battery is a little hard to replace when it runs low. It's small and not easy to fit into the slot.
• Yoga is missing from the list of activities – this is a major omission.