If there is one problem I have had with a Misfit wearable, it is the look. And while some hoped that Misfit getting acquired by Fossil would help the former’s cause, not much has changed. But, make no mistake, Misfit makes some of the most accurate fitness trackers out there, and the Shine 2 that I strapped on to my wrist to test out is no different.

Handle with care

The Misfit Shine was notorious for falling out of its clasp. Now, the company has made additions in the form of a clip that attaches to the back of the strap to keep your Shine 2 from falling out. But I was still on a slippery slope here as the disc did pop out a fair bit of times.

Also, the hardware that comes with the tracker is not aesthetically pleasing, either. And given that the Shine 2 isn’t much of a looker unless the 12 LED lights circling the disc’s periphery are lit up, this is a disadvantage. I actually had acquaintances ask me if I am wearing one of those plastic dummy watches that are given to kids before you trust them with the real thing.

Pretty little lights

The Shine 2’s circular disc gets leaner in this iteration and when you tap on it, the LED indicators show you how much of your daily fitness goal you have accomplished. The tiny, starry lights are wonderful to look at. They even tell you the time in the form of the lights mimicking a clock face and the hour and minute arm, although this could take you a short while to get used to.

However, there is no guide to what the different kinds of light combinations are meant to imply, and this is something you need to get used to, as well.

But for starters, note that the LED lights glowing red and forming a circle show you how far you’ve reached in attaining your fitness goal. A full circle means that you have done your bit for the day, and if you go past it, that is indicated too, by starting a fresh circle.

The Shine 2 can also sync with your phone via Bluetooth and can vibrate and light up to notify you of calls and messages. A blinking green semicircle on top tells you that you’re getting a call, and blue lights indicate a message. I found this handy when my phone was tucked away in my bag.

Near perfect tracking

I tested the Shine 2 with other fitness wearables and found that it was very good with step tracking and distance covered. Sleep monitoring is also very well tuned, and my Shine 2 even recorded my afternoon naps with accuracy.

It can also register the different kinds of activity one indulges in, and my unit easily told the difference between my running and brisk walking.

You can also tune it to vibrate if you have been inactive for a specific time period.

It’s also waterproof and made for pool use, and although I did not get the chance to take it out for a swim, it worked perfectly well after a quite a few splashes I subjected it to.

However, there is no heart-rate monitor and this is where the Shine 2 falls behind when compared to the Fitbits and other competing products. (Even Xiaomi’s humble Mi Band now comes with a heart-rate monitor).

Wear it anywhere

The Shine 2 can be worn on your wrist, or you could choose to clasp it to your shoe, wear it on your hip, or clip it to the front of your sweatshirt, and it is still as accurate as can be.

You get a clasp in the box for this purpose. But just be careful so as to not lose it, when wearing it on your shoe or the likes.

Easy to use app

The Misfit app, available on Android and iOS, is required so it can display your steps, distance, and other parameters. It is a well-designed app, where apart from seeing your activity, you can also use the Social feature to find your friends using it and compete with them on fitness goals, etc. It also has a handy feature called ‘Today’s story’ where you can view your progress and sleep details. You also have a graph where your activity is recorded by the time of the day and you can view how active you have been (or not) in the form of bar graphs.

I found this feature quite handy to time my short jaunts in-between work. The only little niggle with the app is that I found it difficult to sync the Shine 2 in one go and it asked to try syncing again a couple more times before they finally connected.

Non-rechargeable battery

The wearable doesn’t come with a rechargeable battery. Instead, it is powered by the coin cell and Misfit claims a battery life of six months. I’ve been using it for three weeks now, and the app tells me that the battery is high. I found the non-rechargeable battery an advantage because I could have the tracker on me all the time without the need to remove it and plug it in to charge.

The Shine 2 is handy for a basic fitness conscious person, but not for the heavy-gymming aficionado. It is accurate and useful, but doesn’t stand out in terms of looks.

For a wearable offering basic features, it is also quite pricey. If you don’t mind that and want a pure, simple wearable that does the job, you could consider it.

Price: ₹7,495

Love: Accuracy, good for swimming, replaceable battery and no need to charge

Hate: Plain looks, price, keeps slipping out of the clasp, no heart rate monitor

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