Misfit Flash Link Review

Verdict

At such a low price, the Misfit Flash Link is hands-down one of the most entry level fitness bands you can get right now.

It tracks your steps taken, your calories burned and your distance traveled. It also has impressive sleep monitoring that starts automatically and records the different cycles of your sleep.

While it lacks advanced activity tracking features such as inbuilt GPS and integrated heart rate monitoring like the Fitbit Surge, it does have a smart button that can perform impressive functions such as turning the Bolt lightbulb on and off while changing its color too!

And although it doesn’t ship with a wristband, you can easily buy one for it and wear it on your wrist if you choose to. However, if you opt to just clip it on in pedometer fashion, you can wear it absolutely anywhere – on your pants as you run, in your pocket while you’re at the office or even clipped to your shoe lace as you cycle!

Furthermore, its use of a CR2032 coin cell battery means it has a superior battery life of 6 months meaning it’ll always be by your side and you don’t have to worry about daily charging. It’s also reliably waterproof up to 30 meters which allows you to conveniently wear it in the rain, in the pool or during intense sweaty exercise!

In all, the Flash Link is a really great product for the price. If you want to see how active you are during the day while being the center of attention as you amaze people with it’s smart button, then it’s one of the best low-risk purchases you can make.

Read the full Misfit Flash Link review here…

Overview

Announcing the fitness tracker you can get for 20 bucks! 

Just when you thought fitness trackers couldn’t get more entry level than the Misfit Flash, Misfit Wearables announced the Misfit Flash Link.

Released out of the blue in July 2015, the Misfit Flash Link is a fitness band you can get for under $20!

Now, you might be thinking “for 20 bucks what can I really get?”

That was my reaction too.

But I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised.

As Simon Crisp from Gizmag said: “Activity trackers are rarely just activity trackers nowadays“.

And looking at the new Misfit Flash Link, he’s right…

Like the Misfit Flash before it, the Flash Link also has a smart button.

This means that you can ‘Control Your World’ which includes some neat tricks like remotely controlling your smartphone to take selfies! (more on this later)

Selfies aside though, is this the right fitness band for you, or do you need something in a higher price range?

Well, read on and you’re sure to find that out!

What is Misfit Flash Link and what does it do?

As Misfit let us know: “Flash Link is the lowest-priced multifunctional and modular wearable product on the market“.

And while your bias radar is going crazy since its obvious they’ll hype up their own product, considering the amount of features the Misfit Flash Link has, its not just all talk…

The Flash Link automatically tracks the cycles of your sleep and will also track your daily activities like walking and running. It also takes it further by allowing you to earn points by tagging other non-stepped based exercises you may do like cycling, tennis, yoga, dance, soccer, basketball etc.

It also tells you the time of day in its own unique way (that I’ll show you below) and syncs with your smartphone to show you your distance traveled and calories burned.

But that’s not all.

It also has a smart button which Sean Keach from Trusted Reviews said “will turn you into a walking Control Hub“.

This feature is pretty exciting and will do anything from taking selfies from your Smartphone to allowing you to control light bulbs – yeah, I seriously can’t make this stuff up!

We’ll talk about these features in depth later but I must say that I wasn’t surprised when I heard Misfit are outselling Fitbit in China… They really are taking the world of activity trackers and fitness bands in a brand new and exciting direction!

With a 6 month battery life and a 30 meter water-rating, the Flash Link is totally hassle free! 

I thought I’d add this separate section in just to tell you how darn hassle free the Flash Link really is!

As the sub-heading suggests, the Flash Link is completely waterproof up to 30 meters making it fit for even the toughest of uses…

I showered, ran in the rain and furiously splashed it in soapy water as I grudgingly did my housemates left over dishes for the third time this week.

Funnily enough, I even left it clipped to my pants by accident and ran it through a washing cycle like the genius I am, and nothing…  The Flash Link was totally fine!

And that’s not all.

As I also said the Flash Link has a battery life of 6 months.

It achieves this impressive feat by running on a replaceable CR2032 coin cell battery that you simply pop into the back of your Flash Link.

Now, I can’t tell you for certain that it lasts a full 6 months since I’ve only had it for just under a month. However, I can tell you that its showing no signs of slowing down in the time that I’ve had it. I’ll update you if anything changes.

Get more information and buy now from Amazon.com >>>

User Interface

Plastic design is comfortable, durable and good for the price 

Now, although the Flash Link was crafted out of the same poly-carbonate used in astronauts space suits, it feels, well… Plasticy.

It’s certainly not the same premium aerospace aluminum used in the Misfit Shine, which feels 100 times better in my opinion.

However, at $20 I won’t complain too much. It’s comfortable, durable and looks good enough despite its plastic feel.

As a matter of fact, it uses exactly the same material as the Misfit Flash before it.

And talking about the Misfit Flash, you might find it hard to tell the Flash and the Flash Link apart.

Don’t worry, you’re not going crazy.

It’s because  the hardware of the newer Flash Link and the Flash are more or less the same. They both measure 28.5 x 8 x 28.5 mm (1.1 x 0.3 x 1.1 in), and weigh in at  6 g (0.2 oz) when you pop the tracker out.

So, you guessed it…

This means that you can technically just buy some sportsbands for your Flash Link which makes it look like a Misfit Flash on your wrist.

So why not just get a Misfit Flash in the first place?

Well, firstly you need a Misfit Flash Link to access the Misfit Link app that we’ll discuss below. Secondly, if you’re not planning to wear your fitness band on your wrist and just want to clip it on, you’ll save money getting the Flash Link that doesn’t come with a band.

It’s probably a good idea to also let you know that the Misfit Flash Link also comes in 3 less colors than the 7 of the Misfit Flash.

However the 4 colors it does come with give you a totally different look and vibe, which allows you to choose something that compliments your personality.

I went for standard black (I know, how adventurous!) However, I can definitely see the appeal of the other colors that you can see in the picture below.

In order- Frost (white), Reef (Aqua), Coca-Cola Red, Onyx (black).

LED lit display gives you the information you need while you’re on the go!

Now, you’re not going to get a conventional screen display as you do with the other clip on fitness trackers like the Fitbit One.

Instead, the Misfit Flash Link communicates with you in its own unique way…

After you press the button of your Flash Link, a  Halo of 12 futuristic LED lights light up to show you how active you’ve been throughout the day by showing you your progress towards your daily goal.

Once you get how this works, it’s a great way to get some quick at-a-glance motivation to reach your goal.

The 12 Halo lights also function to tell you the time of day…

However rather than confusing you with a complicated description of how it does this, I’ve just attached a video below.

In 30 seconds Misfit will describe how to tell the time on the Flash Link and also how to view your activity progress – you’ll see its actually quite easy and intuitive to understand.

And if you were thinking, “I wish the Flash Link would have just had a screen like the Fitbit One”, consider the Flash Link is only a fifth of the One’s price. Having a fully functioning screen would have definitely pushed its price up beyond 20 dollars, making this entry level tracker not so entry level after all.

Never has to leave your side, you can wear it ANYWHERE! 

Here’s what I want you to do…

Look at the picture below and see if you can spot any green dots.

Found any?

Wasn’t a very hard game, was it.

In fact, all those green dots are places you’ll be able to clip your Misfit Flash Link to.

As you can see, it can be worn just about anywhere; your waist, sleeve, pocket, shoes, socks, lapel, shirt and even keychain are all fair game!

This just means one thing for you…

FLEXIBILITY!

I changed where I wore it almost everyday which allowed me to make it overt or covert as I wanted depending on my mood and what I as wearing.

The best thing for me however was that on my bike rides I wore it on my shoelace, which made tracking my riding more accurate.

The clasp was also very strong and it didn’t fall off once – although I was extra careful that I had fully secured it before I started my activity.

The only thing I would say is that the since the Flash Link does not ship with a wristband, you can’t initially wear it on your wrist. However as I mentioned previously, it’s the same size as the previous Misfit Flash so you can just buy a Flash band like the IGuerburn wristband which will allow you to wear your Flash Link on your wrist all day long!

Get more information and buy now from Amazon.com >>>

Key Features

Control the world around you at the touch of the Misfit Flash Link’s smart button! 

Okay, now this is probably the coolest feature when it comes to the Misfit Flash Link.

I’m not joking.

Remember Simon Crisp said “Activity trackers are rarely just activity trackers nowadays”?

Well, this is what he was talking about.

The Misfit Flash Link also has a smart button that allows you to ‘Control Your World’.

Control my world, you ask?

This is Mifit’s lingo for saying you’ll be able to take selfies from your smartphone, control music from Spotify, adjust your Nest thermostat, advance slides in your presentations for work, send ‘Yo’ SMS messages to friends and more, all with a click of your Misfit Flash Link’s smart button.

It even lets you turn on and off and change the colors of your Bolt lightbulb!

Yeah I know, not bad for a 20 dollar tracker, right?

Also the good thing is that more function just keeps getting added. And with integration with IFITTT you can even take this a step further and create your own commands to control any compatible Bluetooth devices you have!

This is the future of connected living which is simply where everything in your home will be connected via the internet.

If you’re struggling to get your head around what this looks like, watch the 50 second video below of the Misfit Flash Link controlling your world.

Tagging activities allows you to track your activity beyond step-based workouts! 

Now, if you’re gonna buy a fitness band in 2015, it should definitely be able to do more than just  track your steps.

I mean, just say NO to glorified pedometers!

Thankfully though, you won’t have to say no to the Misfit Flash Link.

This is because, as I mentioned before, it can track your activities outside your steps taken.

You do this using the Misfit app that we’ll discuss very soon.

In the app, you simply enter the activity you will be doing. You then press and hold your Flash Link to begin tagging that activity. The lights on your Flash Link will spin around to let you know you are in the activity tagging mode. At the end of your workout, you press and hold your Flash Link to end tagging.

After you do this, your Flash Link will send your data to the app.

When you review it in the app, you’ll notice it hasn’t tracked metrics such as your distance traveled for your tagged activity, but has given you a ‘Points’ score.

The premise with Points is simple – the more intense your workout, the more points you earn.

Now, while it’s true Points doesn’t give you the most detailed information like your pace during a bike ride, it definitely beats other fitness bands that just log everything as steps – remember these are the ones you say NO to!

The Flash Link also allows you to tag a range of activities; cycling, soccer, tennis, swimming, basketball are all included.

You can see how the tagging and points feature works during a bike ride in the short 2 minute video by Misfit below.

P.S: It’s not me in the video. I’m, in fact, way cooler :). However, this was more or less what I did when I tagged my bike rides (I even wore my tracker on my shoe like this guy who’s obviously copied me).

Tracks your sleep cycles to help you sleep better at night

Now for a fitness tracker that only cost $20, I was pretty surprised how well it tracks your sleep.

For starters, sleep tracking is automatic which means it can automatically detect when you fall asleep, and start the sleep monitoring process for you. This is all without you having to access the app or press any buttons.

This was actually pretty shocking for me, since many trackers that even cost a whopping $100+ more than the Flash Link do not have this feature.

*Cough* Jawbone UP3 *Cough*

Anyway, now that I’ve cleared my throat back to the Flash Link…

When it tracks your sleep it’ll measure your total hours slept. It then breaks this down into your light and deep sleep cycles which is really helpful for seeing patterns in your sleep over time.

But here’s the catch.

Because there’s no haptic feedback on the Misfit Flash link,  there’s no silent alarms you can set.

This means there’s no peaceful buzz to wake you up in the mornings as you can do with the Fitbit Charge HR.

But regardless of this, for the price, sleep tracking goes above and beyond with the Flash Link so it definitely gets a double thumbs up from me!

Automatic Bluetooth syncing means you never stress about your activity data

Syncing your data with the  Flash link is a breeze.

Once your Misfit app is open, it uses BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) 4.0 technology to make this happen.

The thing to note here though, is that like the Misfit Flash before it, you have to open the app for the sync to start.

This means that if you don’t open the app, the automatic sync won’t happen. This isn’t really an issue though since, like me, you’ll be opening up your app multiple times a day to do things like set activity goals and check your calories burned, so it gets plenty chances to sync.

Furthermore, the Flash Link also stores up to 30 days worth of your activity data before you have to sync. This just makes it hassle free for you and makes activity tracking feel like less of a chore.

Note: Although tagging an activity doesn’t require you to be within Bluetooth range of your phone, the other commands like any IFTTT recipes you make, do.

Misfit Software conveniently keeps all your data in one place and gives you the power to control your world!

There are 2 apps you need to know about when it comes to your Misfit Flash Link:

1) Misfit app

In April 2015 Misfit revamped the Misfit app to Misfit 2.0 which included a dashboard for your web browser and a completely new and easy to use design among other things. More recently, they released Misfit 2.03 which was a minor update to enhance the stability of the app.

Within the app and the web dashboard you can  track your progress over time, set daily goals, blow past your goals, add in workouts like yoga and track your personal bests.

In the Misfit app you can also see all of your hard work in easy to read graphs and charts.

Seeing your daily stats like steps, calories, distance and sports activities helps you visualize where you’re headed and helps you get to where you need to be.

You can also compete with friends on a leaderboard that you can create from the app. This allows you to see each other’s activity as well as your own progress towards your goal.  It’s always fun and games to call your best friend out when they haven’t been very active or receive praise when you’ve had an excellent day!

The Misfit app also syncs with other health and fitness apps like LoseIt!, Runkeeper, MapMyFitness, Apple iHealth and MyFitnessPal. This comes in handy since apps like MapMyFitness offer you detailed information on your running that you can pull to the Misfit Dashboard allowing you to get the best of both worlds.

2) Misfit Link app 

This app is especially designed for the Misfit Flash Link…

As Misfit say “[its] a new software experience that makes Flash an even more powerful tool to control and connect with the world around you“.

What they’re talking about here is all the cool ‘Control Your World’ features that we talked about above.

Basically, the Link app enables you to take selfies from your smartphone, control music from Spotify, adjust your Nest thermostat, advance slides in your presentations for work, send ‘Yo’ SMS messages to friends and more.

You can also manage multiple Flash Smart Buttons and assign them different actions.

IMPORTANT:  Right now the Link app is only compatible with iOS devices. This means that if you have an Android device you won’t be able to ‘Control Your World’. However no need for the long face! An Andorid app is in the works and should be released this month (August 2015 , at the time of writing).

Verdict

At $20, the Misfit Flash Link is hands-down one of the most entry level fitness bands you can get right now.

It tracks your steps taken, your calories burned and your distance traveled. It also has impressive sleep monitoring that starts automatically and records the different cycles of your sleep.

While it lacks advanced activity tracking features such as inbuilt GPS and integrated heart rate monitoring like the Fitbit Surge, it does have a smart button that can perform impressive functions such as turning the Bolt lightbulb on and off while changing its color too!

And although it doesn’t ship with a wristband, you can easily buy one for it and wear it on your wrist if you choose to. However, if you opt to just clip it on in pedometer fashion, you can wear it absolutely anywhere – on your pants as you run, in your pocket while you’re at the office or even clipped to your shoe lace as you cycle!

Furthermore, its use of a CR2032 coin cell battery means it has a superior battery life of 6 months meaning it’ll always be by your side and you don’t have to worry about daily charging. It’s also reliably waterproof up to 30 meters which allows you to conveniently wear it in the rain, in the pool or during intense sweaty exercise!

In all, the Flash Link is a really great product for the price. If you want to see how active you are during the day while being the center of attention as you amaze people with it’s smart button, then it’s one of the best low-risk purchases you can make.

Get more information and buy now from Amazon.com >>>

WWT Tips…

Check this before you buy!

To get the full use out of your Misfit Flash Link, you’ll need a compatible device. The Misfit Flash Link is compatible with:

iPhone 4S/5/5C/5S/6/6 Plus, iPod Touch 5th Gen and above, iPad 3/4/Air/Mini (all running iOS 6.13 and above), Samsung Galaxy S4/S5/Note 3, Google Nexus 4/5, BLE ready Android devices running software 4.3 and above.

Need help changing the battery?

The Misfit Flash Link uses easy to replace coin cell CR2032 batteries. Replacing the battery involves opening the battery door on your Flash Link with a  non-metallic tool or fingernail and replacing the old battery with the new. Misfit clearly demonstrate how this can be done in this 30 second video.

Don’t get caught out. Look out for this!

When you see the low battery indicator on the upper left hand corner after you sync your Flash Link to the app, you have less than one week to replace the battery!

Get the most out of your Misfit Flash Link’s battery by doing this…

Make sure you’re always running the latest app and the latest firmware for your Misfit Flash Link. A good way to do this will be to follow the Misfit’s blog and look out for any announcements.

Furthermore, refrain from unnecessarily clicking the Flash Links smart button as this drains battery faster.

Can’t see your Misfit Flash Link clock? Make sure it’s turned on…

To turn on the clock on your Misfit Flash Link :

1. Launch the Misfit app and tap Devices

2. Slide the Enable Clock (iOS) or Show Clock (Android) toggle to ‘ON’.

3. Sync Flash Link.

4. Press Flash Link. The time now displays after your activity progress.

Trouble syncing your Misfit Flash Link to the Misfit app? Watch this video!

Misfit explain how to sync your Flash Link with the Misfit app in this 30 second video.

Your Misfit Flash Link will not turn on when you press it? Check this!

Make sure your Flash Link’s battery is correctly oriented. If this fails, contact Misfit support and a Misfit representative should be able to help you out.

Want a secure wristband for your Misfit Flash Link?

The iGuerburn silicone wristband is a great option for the Misfit Flash Link since it’s more secure than the default wristband the Misfit Flash comes with.

Alternatively, if you want to add a splash of color to your Flash Link wristband, you can check out the GL-Sail color replacement bands.

Take this into account!…

Although you can wear your Misfit Flash Link just about anywhere, where you wear your Flash Link will determine how accurate it is. For example, if you clip it to your t-shirt collar on a bike ride it won’t be as effective as if you had clipped it to your shoelace. Consider this when you are about to start your activity!

Want more info about the Misfit app? 

You can keep up to date with the latest updates to the Misfit app by regularly checking this page or keeping up to date with the Misfit blog.

Want to learn more about the Misfit Link app? 

You can keep up to date with the latest news and updates to the Misfit Link app by regularly checking this page or keeping up to date with the Misfit blog.

What’s inside the Misfit Flash Link box? 

Misfit Flash Link | Clasp | Quick start guide

Get more information and buy now from Amazon.com >>>

FAQs

Where can I get the Misfit Flash Link?

You can buy the Misfit Flash Link from Amazon.com

How Misfit Flash Link tracks sleep?

The Misfit Flash Link tracks your sleep automatically. When you wake, it would’ve tracked your total hours slept by breaking your data down into light and deep sleep which helps you gain insight into one of the most important parts of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Does Misfit Flash Link monitor heart rate?

The Misfit Flash Link does not have inbuilt heart rate monitoring capability. Furthermore, it does not have a chest strap heart rate attachment either. If you’re looking for a fitness band that has inbuilt heart rate monitoring function there are many bands you can choose from. A good place start would be to read our Fitbit Charge HR, Microsoft Band and Jawbone UP3 reviews to see which will be best for you.

Does Misfit Flash Link tell time?

Yes the Misfit Flash Link tells the time by using its halo 12 LED lights around the tracker. You can see exactly how the Flash Link displays the time in this video.

Does Misfit Flash Link have an alarm?

The Misfit Flash Link does not have a silent alarm since it does not have vibration capability (haptic function). If you were looking for a fitness band with a silent alarm with good sleep tracking, we’d recommend reading our Jawbone Up2 and Jawbone UP3 reviews.

What is the difference between the Misfit Flash Link and the Misfit Flash?

The hardware is more or less the same. However, the new Flash Link will only come with a companion clasp (to be clipped on your clothing), while the regular Flash also comes with a sports band allowing it to be worn on your wrist like a traditional watch. The Flash Link is also only available in 4 colors compared to the Misfit Flash’s 7. The colors the Flash Link comes in are Onyx (black), Frost (white), Reef (turquoise) and Coca Cola Red.

Furthermore to access the Misfit Flash Link app, you will need a Misfit Flash Link tracker.

How do I view my goal progress on my Misfit Flash Link?

The Flash Link displays 12 LED lights in a halo around the face of your tracker. On a goal of 10,000 steps when you have reached 5000 steps 6 of the 12 lights will be lit up. Since the Flash Link does not have a traditional screen it cannot show you your actual number of steps.

How do I tag activities on my Misfit Flash Link? 

The custom activity tag can be set in the Misfit app. This is found under the option Devices > Activity Tagging. You can tag numerous actives including cycling, soccer, tennis, swimming, basketball and more.

Items frequently bought together with the Misfit Flash Link

Bolt Lightbulb

Your Misfit Flash Link can pair with this smart lightbulb allowing you to turn it on and off and change its color all from a click of your Flash Link.

CR2032 batteries

These are the batteries that give your Misfit Flash Link its amazing 6 month battery life. It may be a good idea to stock up on some if you plan to use your Flash Link for the long term.

iGuerburn Misfit Flash Replacement Band Wrist Strap

The sports bands you can buy for your Misfit Flash Link are prone to breaking if you wear it too tightly. The iGuerburn is an affordable alternative wristband that is more secure.

GL-Sail Color replacement bands 

Alternatively you can get these bands if you want to add a touch of color to your wrist. These bands come in a pack of 6 at an affordable price and can also be more secure than the default Misfit sportsband

Get more information and buy now from Amazon.com >>>

What do you think about the Misfit Flash Link? What features would you like added? Is there anything you would improve from your experience of using it? Comment below and let us know! 

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