Misfit has had much success with their Shine tracker and their newest Shine 2 model tracker, but they have another device specifically designed for one activity – swimming. Partnering with Speedo, Misfit created the Speedo Shine to perform in the pool as well as throughout the day.
If you’re on the hunt for a waterproof device that can handle pool time as a daily activity, as well as workouts in the gym, plus all-day tracking, this one is worth a look at.
Details & Features of the Speedo Shine
The Speedo Shine has garnered quite a lot of interest since it’s debut in the fitness tracker world. This activity tracker’s major difference is that it’s designed with swimming in mind, but it also has a few other features that make it ideal for all-day activity tracking.
- Measures steps, calories, distance, laps and sleep
- Is water-resistant to 50 meters
- Made of extremely durable aircraft-grade aluminum
- Features LED display
- Comes with the Speedo Shine device, black band, white band, Action Clip, and clasp
- Compatible with major iOS and Android phones
- Up to 6 months of battery life before needing a battery replacement
The major features of the Speedo Shine include:
- Accurate tracking of swimmer’s number of laps and total distance swam during a session
- Recognizes other activities like walking, running and cycling
- Senses when you’re asleep, including deep and light sleep phases, and sleep patterns.
- Auto-syncs with your smartphones via Bluetooth so you can see your data on the app.
- Data collected also include a number of steps, distance traveled, calories burned and more
- Sponsored by Olympic Gold Medalist Missy Franklin
- Runs off a watch battery for a full 6 months of activity tracking with zero charging
- Can be worn virtually anywhere on the body with Action Clip
Misfit’s original Shine was already a fitness tracker success and the Speedo Shine is an equally popular device. Uniqueness goes a long way, which is one reason why this tracker has been on the wish list of athletes and swimmers everywhere.
Just going by the features of this daily activity tracker, it’s tempting to want to order one watch immediately. But before purchasing it would be a good decision to weigh the pros and cons first.
Advantages of the Speedo Shine
The Speedo Shine watch definitely has some major advantages that are the driving force behind its many positive reviews. The most commonly cited advantages include the following three.
Specifically Designed for Swimmers
It won’t come as a surprise that the main reason people buy the Speedo Shine is that it’s specifically designed for swimmers. Swimming is a popular activity, whether it’s for fun or sport, yet there is a surprising lack of swimming-specific fitness trackers. By teaming up with major swim brand Speedo, Misfit really helped to create a device to take over that niche.
The Speedo Shine is waterproof to 50 meters and has special capabilities to keep track of your lap count and total distance you’ve swum. It is highly accurate thanks to the sensitive 3-axis accelerometer. This device was thoroughly tested in the Aqualab and will work with all major swim types.
Sleep Tracking and Analysis
Many activity trackers have built-in sleep recognition so it’s no surprise that Misfit kept this feature in the Speedo Shine. While the shine fitness tracker doesn’t offer extremely in-depth sleep tracking, since that’s not it’s the main purpose, it still will give you important data about how you’ve been resting.
The device will automatically recognize when you’ve fallen asleep and begin collecting data. By viewing the sleep section of the mobile app dashboard you can see how many hours you’ve slept and how long you were in light or deep sleep phases.
Sleek Design Doesn’t Impede Movement
If you’ve seen Misfit’s original Shine design, it won’t come as a surprise that the Speedo Shine has a very different look compared to other trackers. First off, the actual device is a high-grade aluminum in the color Pure, which is a pale silver. This disc slips into the bands which come with the device. Both bands, one in white and one in black, are simple but attractive. The whole band with a device is extremely lightweight and sits fairly flat on the wrist.
Snagging a fitness band is annoying and can affect the fluidity of your swimming. The very compact and sleek look isn’t just appealing to look at but also stays out of the way when you’re working out. Not to mention that it is nice to wear all day long and during sleep. Its unique look doesn’t scream “fitness tracker”, but rather looks more like a bracelet.
It Isn’t Just for Swimming
It goes without saying that most swimmers also participate in other activities outside of the pool. Even though the Speedo Shine’s main purpose is to track swimming, it also handles all types of other typical exercises. You can go running, jogging or walking with it or go for a ride on a bike. Even more obscure workouts can be done without affecting step counting, distance traveled and total calories burned.
Disadvantages of the Speedo Shine
Even though the Speedo Shine was really pushed as the number one tracker for swimmers, it seems as though many customers aren’t as convinced. Total reviews of this product often land between a 3 or 4 out of 5, with many customers seeming to either love this device or simply be unimpressed.
There are two major disadvantages to be aware of if you are considering buying this product.
The Device Prone to Falling Out of Band
The disc that is the Speedo Shine is certainly durable and won’t easily break, but this doesn’t fix the common issue of it falling out of the band. An overwhelming number of people have found that the disc slips right out of the band when they are swimming vigorously or working out. Others were merely walking around when they looked down to realize the disc had fallen out at some point.
With the numbers of complaints it certainly isn’t user-error that is happening but rather a design fault. Some people never have this problem, and you may not either, but the number of negative reviews related to this disadvantage can’t be ignored.
Isn’t Up to Par with Similar Activity Trackers
Another reason by unfavorable reviews isn’t that the device is bad but rather underwhelming. While it’s true that the Speedo Shine is one of the very, very few trackers dedicated to swimming, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best tracker for this activity.
Those that swim for fun or casually as a workout will probably be happy with this device, but serious athletes may be disappointed. After all, the Speedo Shine only tallies lap counts and distance – two things many swimmers already keep track of themselves.
There are other versatile trackers that may not focus completely on swimming but still have more data collection, like recognizing strokes, calculating swimming efficiency and deliver data on how to improve your technique. These more advanced trackers do cost more than the Speedo Shine, sometimes double or close to triple, so it can be argued that this device is still worth the money.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Misfit Shine is built with a 3 Volt CR2032 Coin Cell Battery. The battery is included in the watch.
To sync your Shine watch, open the Misfit app and tap the “Devices” section at the bottom of the app. Then, click the “+” option on the device screen.
If your Shine watch tracker has been off, and you need to turn it on, go to the Misfit app, in the device section and slide the Slock Clock/Enable Clock toggle “on”. Double-tap “Shine”.
Final Take on the Speedo Shine
Overall, the Speedo Shine is a budget-friendly tracker that is ideal for majority of swimmers that don’t want to have to keep track of laps or calculate distance when they are in the pool as well as the calories burned. It has its problems but that doesn’t mean it should be overlooked entirely.
Recommended Reads:
- Misfit Shine vs. Misfit Flash: Which Is Best For You?
- Misfit Shine vs Fitbit Flex – Which is the Better Fitness Tracker?
- Moov Now vs Misfit Shine 2 – Which Fitness Wearable Should You Buy?
Speedo SHine
Pros
- Great battery life
- Smart design
- Good for casual swimmers
Cons
- Not many extra features
- Not for professional athletes
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