Misfit Speedo Shine Review

Recently I had the opportunity to review one of the newest activity trackers and sleep monitors on the market - the Misfit Speedo Shine.  I am a big fan of wearable activity trackers so I was excited to give this one a try since it also recorded swimming and cycling.  As a triathlete I was excited about this.  While I do have a Garmin 910 that also tracks these activities it's definitely not something I wear around everyday and I often forget it when I go to he pool....like a lot.  So the ability to track all of my activities in single wearable device was pretty exciting!

Super cool and Sleek

Let's start with the basics.  What does it come with?

• Black band
• White band
• Action Clasp
• The Shine unit and battery 

Pros:

• Battery life - The Speedo Shine comes with a watch type battery that does not have to be charged!  Love this!  The battery should last approximately 6 months.  I hate recharging activity trackers so this is one of my favorite features!
• Style - It is simply stylish.  I got so many compliments when I wore it.  It is sleek and small and really looks cool.
• Price - Retail cost is $79.99 so it's very affordable.
• Tracks multiple activities (running, cycling, swimming, tennis, soccer, etc)
• Swim lap tracking
• Versatile - Can be worn on the wrist, foot, chest, etc.
• Easy to use Android or iPhone App

Cons:

• Somewhat difficult to switch between activities
• Ability to tell time easily

Black & White Bands & Activity Clasp

The Details:

When you first get the Speedo Shine you have to assemble it.  You get the Shine itself and have to install the battery and then affix it to the wrist band or the action clasp.  It's really very simple and there is a quick start guide to help you through the process.  Then you can download the app to sync the device and you are up and running.  You can be tracking in 5-10 minutes.

I received the device shortly before heading to Hawaii for a few days so I decided that would be a great place to try it out.  I was a little worried by how light the Shine was and the way it attached to the band that I would lose it, especially in the ocean.  But I never had any issues with it moving around or feeling loose the entire time and I swam with it in the ocean nearly every day.  It did mention that salt water could shorten the life of the battery, but it can be worn which was great! I even did some snorkeling with no issues.  It's water resistant to 50 Meters so you should be good for the majority of water related exercises.

As I already mentioned one of my favorite features was that the tracker does not have to be charged. I was already taking my cell phone charger, Kindle charger, Garmin charger, etc with me, so it was nice to not to have to pack yet another charger.  All I needed was the Shine and my phone to track my activities.

I love that it can be worn on  your wrist, but also pretty much anywhere on your body.  You can attach it to your shoe, your chest, etc...you could even hide it in your bra etc if you want to wear it all the time, but don't want it to be a focal point or don't want to be seen wearing your fitness tracker in your little black dress or suit.

So many people asked me what it was or said I had a "cool watch".  It really is a sleek design that stands out and doesn't immediately scream activity tracker.  I've said it several times already, but I really love the "coolness" of this device.

I ran a half marathon while I was in Hawaii so I wore my Garmin 910, my Garmin Vivofit and the Speedo Shine all for the race....yes I was definitely on tracking overkill.  But I wanted to compare them and see how close they all tracked mileage. They all ended up tracking pretty close to the same distance, so I can say that the accuracy seems to be pretty good.  The Shine tracked ever so slightly less miles and steps than the Garmin products, but nothing noticeable enough to be concerned with overall accuracy.

Loaded with activity trackers

I really only had two items I would consider "cons" and both are pretty minor.

If you want to switch activities  you have to go through a couple of steps.  You have to open the app, change the activity to "swim" or whatever activity you are doing, sync the unit with the app and then tap the Shine three times to start and stop the new activity.  This isn't a lot of steps, but it does take some time.  I would like it if I could just tap a button or something on the device itself to change the activity, but you would probably lose the overall sleek design.

My biggest issue with it was the ability to tell time.   You are supposed to be able to tap it twice and lights will flash at the corresponding points on a clock.  I could not seem to get this feature to work all the time for some reason (probably user error).  And even when I did you have to make sure the device is lined up correctly within the band or it could be upside down or sideways and the lights blink very quickly and you can sometimes miss them.  Overall, I don't use activity trackers for the watch feature so it's not a huge con for me, but if you like to use it in place of your watch it could be an issue.  But again, it was probably just user error on my part.

Overall I was very happy with the Misfit Speedo Shine. I thought it was easy to use, sleek, stylish, affordable and effective!  It is a great activity tracker and has many of the same features as other trackers like steps, miles, sleep, and goals, but with the added bonus of being able to track other activities like swimming and cycling.  This is pretty unique to a small wearable device at this price point.  I think it is extremely versatile and if you are a swimmer and want a wearable activity tracker than I think it's the only one for you.

Disclaimer:  I was not paid for this review.  I was given the Misfit Speedo Shine for this review; however all opinions are my own.