Steps, Sleep, and Smoothies Keeping Track With The Misfit Shine (Giveaway)

I’ve sworn off wearing an activity tracker for years.

First of all, I know I’m active. Most days I’m not only attending a workout or going on a run, but as a city girl I typically spend a lot of time walking to and fro, climbing stairs, and running after cabs. I always felt like having something to tell me just how active I was – well, it was kind of redundant.

The second reason is that, in all honesty, I am straight up old school. I don’t like listening to music when I run. I don’t like having apps tracking my every move. And on top of all the technology already in my daily life, I’m skeptical about inviting extra gadgets and gizmos into my day. The more I can do to eliminate screen time, the better.

So when the team at Spright asked me if I’d like to review the new Misfit Shine tracker, my first response was “no way.” I’ve gone this far without wearing one, why start now?

But then I took a closer look and a few things changed my mind. Ultimately, I decided to give it a go.

Why?

The tracker it tiny – about the size of a quarter. But beyond that, it’s one of the most inconspicuous devices I’ve seen on the market. It doesn’t flash stats or progress throughout the day and it doesn’t give you updates with the push of a button. You need to physically go into an app to get that information.

Which, for me, is perfect.

Like I said, the less screen time the better. I can wear it on my wrist or attach it to my pants and literally forget about it all day long. When I want to check in, I can. And when I don’t, it’s not bugging me in the meantime.

I wore the Shine nonstop for a week. It took a few days to get into the swing of things, but I quickly realized that it does so much more than track steps and activity – while still giving you the power to do as much or as little tracking as you wish. While I’m still holding on to my low-tech ways, that kind of flexibility may change my mind on trackers. I’m really enjoying it so far.

On top of tracking my activity, here’s what else I like about it:

sleep // The Shine tracks my sleep patterns each night so I can see exactly how much restful sleep I got (or, in reality, didn’t get). I don’t really do much with this information – it’s just handy to have on hand. You can also set it to wake you up at the most optimal time in your sleep pattern in the morning, so you feel refreshed instead of groggy. I haven’t tried this yet but if the Shine can increase the probability of waking up on the right side of the bed every morning…well then it’s worth its wait in gold!

food journal // The Shine also lets me enter and track photos of my smoothies and meals and keeps track of my daily weight. I’m still fighting to lose the five pounds I mysteriously gained over the summer (hello NYC bagels, pizza, and rosé) so having a place to holistically see my activity, food intake, and resulting weight will be really helpful when keeping things healthy and in check.

battery powered // I don’t have to charge it. Having one less thing to plug in = bonus points.

triathlete friendly // While I haven’t taken it for a test run yet, the Shine helps count laps in the pool and time on a bike – perfect features for when triathlon training starts up next season.

Here’s what I’m still trying to figure out:

accurate tracking // Daily activity is logged as points, calories, miles, and steps. The app also lumps periods of activity (walking to work, morning run, spin class) together – but I am still figuring out how to make this more accurate. I read a few articles that suggest tapping the tracker three times to signal the start of activity, so I will try that next time and see if it helps keep things more organized. But for example, I did a 45 minute barre class yesterday and the tracker says it was 586 steps and only 21 calories. There’s no way that’s right.

best placement // I’ve worn the Shine both on my wrist, clipped to my pant pocket, and on my shoes when I spin or run. I still can’t tell if one is more accurate than the other. Something I’ll still working to uncover.

Overall, the tracker inspired me to be a little more mindful about my daily activity and eating habits. Like any other on the market, it’s not a perfect representation of all I do in a day to stay healthy, but it does enough for me. It stays out of the way until I’m ready to check in, and lets me live my unplugged life without spending too much time in front of a screen.

GIVEAWAY: Want to try the Shine for yourself? Here’s your chance! The team at Spright is giving one lucky The Fit Crasher reader the opportunity to win their very own tracker. Click here to enter + good luck!