There are many companies out there making smartwatches nowadays but one company has been in the fitness tracking game a lot longer than the rest. Finnish company, Polar, know how to coach an athlete and their M600 smartwatch builds on that legacy brining a powerful Android Wear 2.0 GPS enabled system along with it.
It is first worth noting that this isn’t an Apple Watch, its utilitarian design is rubbery, hefty but has reassuring durability. Weighing in at a manageable 63g, what sets this smartwatch apart from the rest of it’s field and a big draw card in our eyes is its IPX8 certification or basically water and swim proof, a welcome addition for you half human – half dolphin types. The silicone strap is also very comfortable but does catch a lot of dust and lint, which can be a little frustrating for those wanting to keep the aesthetic of the watch. On the plus side, the TFT gorilla glass coated full color touch screen is super bright and readable outdoors, something that is often overlooked by other smartwatch makers. The only thing we didn’t care for was Polar’s charging solution, using a pogo pin connector that was simply a pain to attach at the best of times.
Polar’s approach on the smartwatch is different to others, the focus is on personal fitness and as such, it can log data for a variety of activities in its multi-sport mode, ranging from running to swimming to cycling. It additionally can map your position with its built-in GPS sensor and log location data on a map while also accurately monitoring your heart rate. Being an Android Wear 2.0 watch also means it is compatible with iOS and Android, which does open the door to multiple platform users.
Speaking of platforms, the Polar Flow app is equally well made and very intuitive, tracking your fitness activity but also sleep and step count too. Polar’s unique Smart Coaching feature turns that activity and training data into actionable insights, making it very easy to track your own individual progress and was decidedly accurate day to day. One thing we really appreciated about the M600 was the ability to control music right from your watch, essentially being able to go phone less with Google Play Music and 4GB of on-board storage, not to mention the ability to receive app notifications right on your wrist.
Polar have managed to design a smartwatch that feels as though it can take the necessary abuse from multi-training programs and keep up with the punches. It is easy to set up, syncs well with the Flow app and give accurate metrics of fitness data. What else could one want from a smartwatch?
Buy yours here – Polar M600 Smart Sports Watch black
