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

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.