Did you read the title of this post and have this response? “Say what?” I’m not sure I agree with the brand naming for this product, but I like the product itself, so I honestly don’t care what they call it.

After my brother’s death, I gained some of my weight back. I’m not proud of that, but a variety of things occurred to help me pack on the pounds. And for the record, I never returned to the “overweight” category, but I got darn close. So, how did I start combating that? I decided to give myself the goal of running a 1K. For runners that probably sounds lame, but after 4 heart attacks and several visits to the ER for anaphylaxis, I think I have to be extremely cautious about this goal. On the other hand I needed a goal that would force me to change up my treadmill routine. I’m now up to 5 minutes of running. That, again, sounds lame, but if you also know I haven’t run since high school, then maybe it’s understandable that 5 minutes of running is monumental.

And now I weigh less than before my brother’s diagnosis, so the changes are working. One factor of my “comeback” is to wear my Misfit Shine–a fitness and sleep monitor, much like a Vivofit, Fitbit and Jawbone. With more notable options available, why did I pick a relatively unknown version?

I did my research. And I’m glad I did.

The Shine is versatile. The entire monitor is contained in a small round disc that is roughly the size of a quarter and is no more thicker than about 2 or 3 of them put together. It came with a sports bracelet that accommodates the Shine easily. The bracelet is very adjustable for wrist size, which is important for me–I have the smallest wrists in the world!

The Shine’s outer shell is metal and thus, mine also came with a “bendable” option to put on either my workout shirt on my gym shorts. Since the shell is metal, the other end of the bendable option is a powerful magnet that snugly holds my Shine in place when I’m working out. Why switch from the wrist version? Because it will more accurately record your activity if attached to your shorts or shirt.

Recently, Misfit added another optional way to wear it–a leather watch-style bracelet that would be great for business or dressy occasions. It also comes with an optional necklace arrangement that is actually pretty attractive. I think it may be on my wish list for Christmas.

In addition to measuring your steps and activity, it also records your sleep time and deep sleep time, as well as your calorie burn. It starts out with a 1000 point goal for the day and I cannot reach that goal until I get on the treadmill, even if I have been shopping and cleaning all day. I think the sleep monitor part is my favorite part. It is teaching me how much I need more sleep, generally speaking and that if I manage to get the full 8 hours, I am in deep sleep for roughly half that time and I can tell I am much better rested and much “smarter” the next day as I work. (Lumosity.com is telling me that last part!) Many other monitors require you to remember to push a button or otherwise tell the monitor that you’re about to go to sleep. The Shine is intuitive and knows when I go to sleep! No button-pushing necessary!

On the activity front it is actually telling me how quickly I can warm down after reaching my target calorie and step goal for the day and shortening my workouts, in the process. This is huge for me, because my workouts often take an hour and 40 minutes. I could use that 40 minutes for better productivity, trust me! It will actually tell me, based on my regular daily activity, whether I need to work out for 30, 60 or 90 minutes!

Also, it easily syncs with my phone. I simply go to the app, push the sync button, and as long as my Shine is nearby, it syncs everything in about 30 seconds. The top exterior is equipped with blinking lights around the perimeter and by merely tapping the top of the disc with my fingers, I can roughly find out how quickly I’m getting to my step goal for the day. If the entire circle lights up, I’ve reached or exceeded my daily goal. Once it tells me where I am for activity, it then tells me, through the same system of lights, the time! It’s only an approximate time, but still, it helps in a number of situations.

The instruction booklet says it’s waterproof and I’ve certainly had no problem with it from the profuse sweating that occurs when I work out, but I’ve decided that I’m not going to tempt fate here. So, for those who swim for their exercise, it probably will be okay, but I can’t attest to that fact personally.

The best part? It’s about $ 25 cheaper than the other highly rated bracelet-version competitor, Fitbit Flex. It’s also rated slightly higher than the Flex. And like the Flex, it comes in a multitude of color options. The color options are much more sleek and classy for Shine, in my humble opinion. 

The down side? No web site where one can easily view workout progress. This isn’t important to me, but if it’s important to you, consider another brand that does provide that. I have a sneaky feeling that Misfit will eventually provide that–they are adding features quickly.

Ready to order or at least investigate? Go here.

Monday’s Post: WOW Time!

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