Misfit Shine vs Jawbone UP-A Review

I've never done any sort of a review on my blog here, so I'm not sure of all the rules. But I'm just going to say that nobody is paying me for anything. :) Everything you see is my own opinion based on purchases I made (even some I wish I hadn't!).

So around November of 2013 I think I purchased my first activity tracker. After doing a lot of research on the Fitbit Force and the Jawbone UP I decided to go to the Verizon store and check them both out as I knew they stocked them both. The salesperson they directed me to was great as he had USED both! After a long discussion, I decided on the UP.

I used the tracker diligently and I got some interesting tips and information. There aresome great graphs and long-term tracking, so you can really see trends. The app is user friendly and smooth.

While I was having good luck with the app, I was actually having hardware problems. From trouble Charging (twice) to trouble syncing (once) and even a problem with my lights not working. But, Jawbone's warranty and customer service were awesome, they replaced every faulty UP.

So why would I have switched you ask? Well, there are a few things that the UP can't do. Like go for a Swim. And it doesn't track cycling well. So I looked for a tracker that was waterproof and did cycling. What I found was the Misfit Shine.

So the Shine uses a points system instead of just steps, so if you aren't taking steps (cycling, s winning Shine uses a points system instead of just steps, so if you aren't taking steps (cycling, swimming, weights) you're still going to get credit. But, it seems that those people at Misfit are Apple fans and those of us on Android devices got a VERY basic app and experience.

So the real downside to the activity tracking is that if the wrong thing is chosen (for example- I NEVER run) you can't change it. So if you are using your tracker to tell you how many calories you've burned and using that info to know how much you should eat, it's innacurate. I have chosen cycling as my main activity So if I triple tap it will start that activity and the Shine knows if I'm walking or running (supposedly). But! There is no way to END an activity besides being at rest for 5-10 minutes. That doesn't work for me as I cycle to the gym do the elliptical then cycle home. Oh, and there is no option for those kinds of workouts. No elliptical, stair-climber or the like.

And while both track sleep, the Shine app graph is difficult to understand.

I can also set smart alarms on the UP as well as an idle alert. Both cause the UP to vibrate and annoy me into getting up.

In the end, well for now anyway, I've gone back to the UP. The options available at this time just make it a better fit.