Polar M600
Back in 1977, Polar was the first company to offer a wireless heart rate monitor, and since then has become one of the most notable producers of running watches on the market. With their the Polar M600, the company has created yet another tenacious fitness tracker. Using an Android system, the M600 offers GPS, an accurate heart rate monitor, daily activity tracking (including steps taken, calories burned, and distance traveled), a dedicated fitness app, and a host of notification and smartwatch features, including a music player and email and text notifications. The M600 has found a great balance between being a workout watch and a smartwatch, often seeming more like an Android Wear than a fitness watch.
Central to unlocking this activity tracker’s capabilities is the Polar Flow app, which is also to be downloaded to your smartphone in order to sync up the data collected and to unlock the numerous features that help you get as much as possible from using the M600. This app–which includes the Polar Flow desktop client–even stores your information in the cloud so you can pull up your stats and data wherever you are.
Through the Polar Flow app, you can load up to 20 different sports profiles (out of the hundred plus available) to record a variety of metrics for each workout. While there are many common sports profiles that many fitness watches feature, including hiking, running, jogging, walking, spinning, strength training, and indoor cycling, the wearer can also track sports like football, hockey, and baseball, as well. And unlike some fitness watch profiles, the pre-set goals are far more realistic.
With an easy-to-use interface any Android user will be familiar with, a great dedicated fitness app, and an activity tracker with all of the features of a smartwatch, the Polar M600 provides runners and exercise enthusiasts looking for both accuracy and options in their fitness watch.
- Highly accurate activity tracking
Waterproof with IPX8 certification
Allows for a number of third-party activity tracking apps to be used
Has all the functionality of a smartwatch
Somewhat larger and bulkier than comparable activity trackers
Display smaller than its overall size would suggest
Activities
Basic Features
Advanced Features
Polar Flow is the main app to be used in conjunction with this activity tracker, featuring 100+ different sports profiles and with the M600 being able to have 20 loaded on the watch at a time. Features like the Polar Flow’s Running Program, Running Index, and Training Benefit all seek to help the runner get the most out of both their run and their use of the watch, and in this regard, the Polar Flow exceeds many similar apps that are to be used with other activity trackers.
And because this is Android Wear, the runner isn’t tethered to this one app, as there are a number of other apps that can be used to upload data to and use. But the Polar Flow is already an incredibly detailed, intuitive, and useful app that many may find they don’t have to stray far from using it exclusively to get the most out of their workout.
Accuracy
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Apps
Comfort
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Band
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Ease of Use
The user simply swipes up, down, left, and right to scroll through various training options, to read through collected data, and your daily activity. You select a sports profile that you’d like to enable by tapping the screen, tap again to start it, and you’re off to the races. One important note: the M600 will not automatically detect your exercise, as some fitness trackers do, so you have to specifically enable the sports profile or training mode for it to record your progress.
Power Sources
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Accessories
Key Features
- Fast, built-in GPS unit that tracks your run with accuracy
- Full-color touch screen with easy-to-navigate menu
- Polar Flow app provides the user with an in-depth analysis of their workout and over 100 sports profiles to choose from
- Versatile thanks to Android Wear; lets third-party apps run and functions like a smartwatch