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When it comes to fitness watches, I’ve made no secrets about the stuff from Polar being among my favorite. I mean, their stuff just works and gets the job done without you getting in the way. Today, they just announced two new versions of watches I’ve reviewed before – the Polar Ignite and Polar Vantage M.
For those looking for tappable, swipable touch screen interactivity, the Polar Inspire 2 is your path to go. This one I’d say is also a bit more “casual fitness” oriented. Sure, if can track your workout, but it’s also available in a variety of colors (cases matched to straps), offers up customizable watch faces, and some basic interactions with your phone. Here’s the highlights:
- STYLE – Lightweight but durable design that can be personalized with a variety of watch faces, colors and accessory bands – including bands embellished with real crystals from Swarovski®.
- ACCURACY – Advanced wrist-based heart rate technology and integrated GPS to track precise speed, distance and location.
- SLEEP & RECOVERY DATA – Sleep Plus Stages™ and Nightly Recharge™ features provide detailed insights for sleep duration and quality, as well as measuring overnight recovery to set you up for the day ahead.
- SERENE – Guided breathing exercises to balance body and mind.
- FITSPARK™ & WEEKLY SUMMARY – Personalized daily workout guidance based on recovery, readiness and training history with FitSpark™, and progress tracking with the Weekly Summary feature.
- HR SENSOR MODE – Accurate measurement of heart rate in real-time, compatible with other devices such as gym equipment or cycling computers.
- SMARTWATCH ESSENTIALS – Simple-to-use dashboards for wrist-based music controls, weather reports and push notifications.
While the touch screen capability is nice, I find myself drawn more to the utility of actual, tactile buttons. If that’s you, then the Polar Vantage M2 is your choice. Along with swapping touch screens for buttons, you’ve also got battery life that should last for 100 hours in training mode (which means it’s got the HR and GPS activated); just using it as a regular watch should see a bit longer life (for reference, the Inspire 2 has a 5-day battery life). The Vantage M2 is definitely more oriented for someone looking to hit specific training goals, with running-specific functions built in, as well as other solid capabilities:
- UNNING PROGRAM – Adaptive training plans to help achieve running goals with efficiency and precision.
- TRAINING LOAD PRO™ – Provides detailed insights to aid complete physical recovery before the next session.
- ACCURACY – Advanced wrist-based heart rate technology and integrated GPS to track precise speed, distance and location.
- SLEEP & RECOVERY DATA – Sleep Plus Stages™ and Nightly Recharge™ features provide detailed insights for sleep duration and quality, as well as measuring overnight recovery to set you up for the day ahead.
- FITSPARK™ & WEEKLY SUMMARY – Personalized daily workout guidance based on recovery, readiness and training history with FitSpark™, and progress tracking with the Weekly Summary feature.
- FUEL WISE™ – Smart fueling assistant to help find optimal ways to refuel your body during long sessions.
- SMARTWATCH ESSENTIALS – Simple-to-use dashboards for wrist-based music controls, weather reports and push notifications.
The Polar Ignite 2 will go for $229.95 when it’s available in April (direct from Polar), while the GPS-enabled Polar Vantage M2 is available for pre-order (again, direct from Polar) for $299.95. We’ll also be working to see if we can’t get samples in of these and see how they stack up against my trusty daily jogging companion, the original Polar Vantage. polar.com
