The smartwatch space has been rather stale in several years past, with only Apple seemingly taking the reins. But a new challenger would very much like to change the way things are. Enter the Polar Ignite fitness watch.
Just announced, Polar’s new tracker is a mid-range GPS sports watch that bundles some of the technology from its Vantage lines with improvements in sleep tracking, overnight recovery insights, and more.
The new Polar Ignite is the watchmaker’s thinnest and lightest entry yet, which is sure to please customers who don’t want their wrist watches too bulky. On a single charge, the watch lasts up to five days, which is neither impressive nor too atrocious. It’s the sweet spot, and for $229 you get your money’s worth.
New features include Sleep Plus Stages, Nightly Recharge, FitSpark, and Serene. It also lets you track data in more than 100 sports. It comes with a so-called Precision Prime advanced optical heart rate monitoring technology. With three sensor types, this watch should provide you with super accurate and reliable heart data.
We’re not sure if this is really going to hold a candle to the Apple Watch, marketing-wise. It’s certainly brimming with heaps of functionality, but Apple’s strength lies in its ability to market luxury, ease of use, and its signature “it just works” ethos.
The Polar Ignite is available now in white, yellow, and black band choices. Additional bands, if you want to get them, cost $25 apiece. If you don’t have an Apple Watch yet or aren’t really a fan of Apple’s approach to fitness, this is worth considering.