In comparison, the Apple Watch incorporates more metal in the casing, giving it a premium feel. The 20mm silicone strap is very thin, and all this compounds to make the watch feel a bit like a toy when first strapping it on. The slender watch weighs just 35g – very light, which is nice during workouts but takes a while to get used to. The watch's actual design functionality is fit for purpose, coming in three colorways: Black Pearl, Champagne and Blue. I was seriously impressed with the Ignite 2 from a performance perspective, and it equals, and often outdoes, competitors that sometimes reach double its price point. Nevertheless, it's a good way to get you thinking about your training as a whole, and optimising your decisions. If it's been a few days since my last session, and my activity levels are looking low, the watch might recommend I do a 45-minute cardio circuit instead. It's a really clever bit of kit, even if you won't always be following the watch's recommendation, as I'm sure most people have their own routines they prefer. This afternoon, the Polar Ignite 2 recommends I do a 23-minute dynamic mobility workout to offset any tightness. For example, the morning before I wrote this review, I recorded a light run on the watch. It was neat to see all the metrics onscreen right then and there, but it all felt a little cramped in the 40mm screen, especially with the bottom cut-off bezel (haven't round smartwatches moved past this already?), so I preferred to access any historic data in the app.Īs well as selecting your own workout, the watch's FitSpark function (which is also a part of the Vantage M2) recommends optimal workouts for you at any given time, split between strength, cardio and supportive functions. You can see the level of data from a single night's sleep below, tracking even the minutiae of my night's rest with fantastic detail: I loved the sheer amount of metrics you could get from each workout, even if they seemed better-suited to cardio burns and running rather than strength sessions. You're able to delve in much further detail, breaking down your week and month's training scores and heart rate zones all on the watch's little screen, which was every bit as good as Fitbit Premium's "active zone minutes" function with no paywall to speak of. The activity tracking was fast and accurate, and the tracking was really comprehensive. You can also control music from your phone, too, so you don't have to get your phone out to change track on the fly. It's all incredibly detailed - perhaps too detailed for someone who's just after a more simple heart rate, calorie counter and fitness tracker.īuilt-in GPS is a really nice touch, especially since so many watches rely on your phone for this feature. Workouts show calories burned, average heart rate and even energy expenditure: the amount of carbohydrates, proteins and fats used during a workout. In the app, you can see your interruptions during sleep, your REM cycles and it's all presented in a detailed bar chart.Īll your workout metrics go into similar detail. Continuous heart rate monitoring via three different kinds of sensors is used to get a pinpoint-accurate reading 24/7, while sleep tracking functionalities go beyond standard "deep sleep" and "light sleep" readings to give you a "nightly recharge score", to illustrate how well your body has recovered. Sleep tracking is also phenomenally detailed. It can track an enormous range of different activities, from running, strength training and yoga to more esoteric ones, from aqua fitness, aerobics and boxing to volleyball and wheelchair racing. It can also recommend and record breathing exercises. For one thing, the watch has a smorgasbord of advanced fitness tracking. Where to start? The Polar Ignite 2 is absolutely stuffed with features. (Image credit: Future) Polar Ignite 2: Features
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