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Hybrid smartwatches like the Misfit Command mean you can keep on top of the most important notifications - calls from loved ones, emails from your boss - without being bombarded by alerts, and without strapping a miniature computer to your wrist. This particular hybrid manages to do slightly more by making use of a busy (but orderly) face and second dial.
As well as serving up life’s most important notifications, the Misfit Command offers a quick and easy way to see a second time zone, and dips its toe into fitness tracking without it being overwhelming.
More than just counting steps, it attempts to break up your daily activity into meaningful chunks of information. It doesn’t always get this quite right - and it needs your help to identify what each activity was - but if you’re willing to put some effort in, the Misfit app is as comprehensive as most casual users will need.
That quick-release buckle needs binning as soon as you free the Command from its box, and the app won’t be all things to all people, but otherwise this is an attractive hybrid smartwatch which is well priced and offers just the right amount of smart features for most users.
Who's this for?
As with most hybrid smartwatches, the Misfit Command is for those who want some of the smarts of a device like the Apple Watch 3, Samsung Gear S3 or a Wear OS smartwatch, but without the touchscreen and limited battery life.
Those looking for a basic activity tracker might be interested in the Command, and the app’s ability to track a range of activities - running, tennis, yoga, swimming etc. - is a nice bonus, but these need to be labeled manually.
Those wanting a dedicated fitness tracker might want to look elsewhere, as the Misfit’s capabilities are limited. But if you are looking for a simple place to log daily steps and exercise, the Misfit app is an attractive place to keep tabs on your fitness routine.
Should you buy it?
The Misfit Command, as with a lot of today’s hybrid watches, carefully treads the fine line between tech-focused gadget-on-the-wrist and attractive watch. The busy face might not appeal to everyone - and you could argue that hybrids should focus more on simple good looks than trying to do too much. But we think the Command just about gets away with it.
At $149.99 / £135 / AU$229.95, the Misfit Command represents decent value for money and offers a smart and subtle way to gain some connected features without investing in an all-out smartwatch.
Feeling a vibration on your wrist for calls and texts is useful, but being alerted to every WhatsApp message, or every Instagram notification, might become annoying.
That said, the Command is well priced and attractive, with enough smart features to make it a compelling purchase for those wanting a smarter watch rather than a smartwatch. Just make sure you get rid of that quick-release buckle.
First reviewed: May 2018
