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Misfit Flash and Technical Tee hands-on: Affordable and convenient life tracking

1 of 15 NEXT PREV
  • Misfit Flash and Technical Tee

    Misfit Flash and Technical Tee

    I actually get motivated to move with activity trackers and believe the little things they do to get us up add up over time. One thing I hate is charging up these devices and being locked into a single ecosystem. The new Misfit Flash has been my companion for a few weeks and at just $49.99 I can easily recommend you give it a try.

    While the Misfit Flash comes with a wrist band and clasp, Misfit also sells other accessories to carry the Flash. They sent along the new Technical Tee and it has made running both comfortable and convenient.

    Misfit Flash

    Misfit released the Flash over a year ago. I tried one out for a few weeks, but wasn't happy with it due to the limited application functionality and the bands and clasps that fell apart on me. Misfit now has much better smartphone applications and more rugged accessories.

    Hardware: The Misfit Flash is small and light at just six grams. It is powered by a CR2032 coin cell battery that should last up to six months. It has a 3-axis accelerometer and Bluetooth 4.1 so it can measure steps, calories burned, distance, sleep quality, and sleep duration. It is also waterproof to 30 meters.

    The major differences between the Flash and $99.99 Misfit Shine are contained in the design. The Shine is aircraft-grade aluminum and has a lip design so you can insert it into accessories from either side. The Flash is actually easier to check the status on with the integrated button. I personally found the double tap on the Shine to be a bit of a pain.

    The bottom line is that I prefer the lower cost Flash over the Shine. The clip and wrist band have more solid frames and I have no worries of breaking them like the Shine accessories did way to easily.

    You can buy the Flash in seven different colors. Tapping the front shows you red LEDs with your status and time so you can use it as a watch if you desire.

    I wish it tracked elevation so it could track how many flights of stairs I climb, but at this price I can't be too picky.

    Software: There are both iOS and Android apps, as well as a Pebble app so Misfit covers most bases with the Flash. The iOS app is a bit more powerful, but the Android app works well too.

    The different view screens include activity, sleep, weight, and social feed. There is no food tracking in the Misfit app, which doesn't bother me since that is something I still never use on any service.

    Like Jawbone, Misfit is a fairly open service with support for 3rd party services such as RunKeeper, Lose It, IFTTT, MyFitnessPal, and more. I have it connected to RunKeeper and IFTTT at the moment.

    Goals, leaderboard, and social feeds are presented. I like the visual goals that do help you motivate me and encourage me. The ability to track your status over time is also very useful.

    Misfit Technical Tee

    I have running shirts and shorts, but one decision I have to make when I run is where to mount my devices. I can wear the Misfit Flash on my wrist, but I need a GPS device so I usually run with a TomTom Multi-Sport watch. The new Technical Tee has a dedicated pocket to hold the Flash and is extremely comfortable.

    I lost nearly 20 pounds over the last couple of months and am on pace to lose another 10 before Christmas. As you can see in my image gallery, the shirt is a bit tight around my love handles, but was a joy to run in. It did a fantastic job at wicking away moisture and was very comfortable. It is also attractive in the gray color with reflective logo stitching in place.

    The Technical Tee is available for $39.99 and holds either the Shine or the Flash.

    Published: November 1, 2014 -- 15:00 GMT (08:00 PDT)

    Caption by: Matthew Miller

  • Misfit Flash retail package

    Misfit Flash retail package

    Published: November 1, 2014 -- 15:00 GMT (08:00 PDT)

    Caption by: Matthew Miller

  • Flash pocket in the Technical Tee

    Flash pocket in the Technical Tee

    Published: November 1, 2014 -- 15:00 GMT (08:00 PDT)

    Caption by: Matthew Miller

  • Misfit Flash looks good

    Misfit Flash looks good

    Published: November 1, 2014 -- 15:00 GMT (08:00 PDT)

    Caption by: Matthew Miller

  • Comfortable clasp on the band

    Comfortable clasp on the band

    Published: November 1, 2014 -- 15:00 GMT (08:00 PDT)

    Caption by: Matthew Miller

  • Technical Tee and Flash pocket on the left arm

    Technical Tee and Flash pocket on the left arm

    Published: November 1, 2014 -- 15:00 GMT (08:00 PDT)

    Caption by: Matthew Miller

  • Technical Tee front view

    Technical Tee front view

    Published: November 1, 2014 -- 15:00 GMT (08:00 PDT)

    Caption by: Matthew Miller

  • Technical Tee side view

    Technical Tee side view

    Published: November 1, 2014 -- 15:00 GMT (08:00 PDT)

    Caption by: Matthew Miller

  • Technical Tee back view

    Technical Tee back view

    Published: November 1, 2014 -- 15:00 GMT (08:00 PDT)

    Caption by: Matthew Miller

  • Activity status on the iPhone 6 Plus

    Activity status on the iPhone 6 Plus

    Published: November 1, 2014 -- 15:00 GMT (08:00 PDT)

    Caption by: Matthew Miller

  • Check out all of these achievements

    Check out all of these achievements

    Published: November 1, 2014 -- 15:00 GMT (08:00 PDT)

    Caption by: Matthew Miller

  • Sleep tracking results

    Sleep tracking results

    Published: November 1, 2014 -- 15:00 GMT (08:00 PDT)

    Caption by: Matthew Miller

  • Weight tracking and weekly trends

    Weight tracking and weekly trends

    Published: November 1, 2014 -- 15:00 GMT (08:00 PDT)

    Caption by: Matthew Miller

  • Set your goals

    Set your goals

    Published: November 1, 2014 -- 15:00 GMT (08:00 PDT)

    Caption by: Matthew Miller

  • Support for other services

    Support for other services

    Published: November 1, 2014 -- 15:00 GMT (08:00 PDT)

    Caption by: Matthew Miller

1 of 15 NEXT PREV
Matthew Miller

By Matthew Miller for The Mobile Gadgeteer | November 1, 2014 -- 15:00 GMT (08:00 PDT) | Topic: Mobility

  • Misfit Flash and Technical Tee
  • Misfit Flash retail package
  • Flash pocket in the Technical Tee
  • Misfit Flash looks good
  • Comfortable clasp on the band
  • Technical Tee and Flash pocket on the left arm
  • Technical Tee front view
  • Technical Tee side view
  • Technical Tee back view
  • Activity status on the iPhone 6 Plus
  • Check out all of these achievements
  • Sleep tracking results
  • Weight tracking and weekly trends
  • Set your goals
  • Support for other services

Activity trackers are important pieces to improving your health. Misfit hit it out of the park with the $50 Flash and it may be my last activity tracker.

Read More Read Less

Misfit Flash and Technical Tee

I actually get motivated to move with activity trackers and believe the little things they do to get us up add up over time. One thing I hate is charging up these devices and being locked into a single ecosystem. The new Misfit Flash has been my companion for a few weeks and at just $49.99 I can easily recommend you give it a try.

While the Misfit Flash comes with a wrist band and clasp, Misfit also sells other accessories to carry the Flash. They sent along the new Technical Tee and it has made running both comfortable and convenient.

Misfit Flash

Misfit released the Flash over a year ago. I tried one out for a few weeks, but wasn't happy with it due to the limited application functionality and the bands and clasps that fell apart on me. Misfit now has much better smartphone applications and more rugged accessories.

Hardware: The Misfit Flash is small and light at just six grams. It is powered by a CR2032 coin cell battery that should last up to six months. It has a 3-axis accelerometer and Bluetooth 4.1 so it can measure steps, calories burned, distance, sleep quality, and sleep duration. It is also waterproof to 30 meters.

The major differences between the Flash and $99.99 Misfit Shine are contained in the design. The Shine is aircraft-grade aluminum and has a lip design so you can insert it into accessories from either side. The Flash is actually easier to check the status on with the integrated button. I personally found the double tap on the Shine to be a bit of a pain.

The bottom line is that I prefer the lower cost Flash over the Shine. The clip and wrist band have more solid frames and I have no worries of breaking them like the Shine accessories did way to easily.

You can buy the Flash in seven different colors. Tapping the front shows you red LEDs with your status and time so you can use it as a watch if you desire.

I wish it tracked elevation so it could track how many flights of stairs I climb, but at this price I can't be too picky.

Software: There are both iOS and Android apps, as well as a Pebble app so Misfit covers most bases with the Flash. The iOS app is a bit more powerful, but the Android app works well too.

The different view screens include activity, sleep, weight, and social feed. There is no food tracking in the Misfit app, which doesn't bother me since that is something I still never use on any service.

Like Jawbone, Misfit is a fairly open service with support for 3rd party services such as RunKeeper, Lose It, IFTTT, MyFitnessPal, and more. I have it connected to RunKeeper and IFTTT at the moment.

Goals, leaderboard, and social feeds are presented. I like the visual goals that do help you motivate me and encourage me. The ability to track your status over time is also very useful.

Misfit Technical Tee

I have running shirts and shorts, but one decision I have to make when I run is where to mount my devices. I can wear the Misfit Flash on my wrist, but I need a GPS device so I usually run with a TomTom Multi-Sport watch. The new Technical Tee has a dedicated pocket to hold the Flash and is extremely comfortable.

I lost nearly 20 pounds over the last couple of months and am on pace to lose another 10 before Christmas. As you can see in my image gallery, the shirt is a bit tight around my love handles, but was a joy to run in. It did a fantastic job at wicking away moisture and was very comfortable. It is also attractive in the gray color with reflective logo stitching in place.

The Technical Tee is available for $39.99 and holds either the Shine or the Flash.

Published: November 1, 2014 -- 15:00 GMT (08:00 PDT)

Caption by: Matthew Miller

1 of 15 NEXT PREV

Related Topics:

Mobility Enterprise Software Smartphones Mobile OS Security Hardware
Matthew Miller

By Matthew Miller for The Mobile Gadgeteer | November 1, 2014 -- 15:00 GMT (08:00 PDT) | Topic: Mobility

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