Polar has launched two new sports smartwatches – the Ignite 2 and Vantage M2 – with more advanced fitness tracking and some unexpected glitz to your workouts.
The Polar Ignite 2 looks flashier than the original Ignite, with new colors, an engraved bezel and, surprisingly, two band options studded with Swarovski crystals. It's a watch designed for everyday wear as well as the gym, and these new straps make it look more like a piece of jewellery than a typical fitness tracker (a trend that we also saw with this year's Garmin Lily).
- Check out out complete guide to the best fitness trackers
- On a budget? Here are the best cheap fitness trackers
- If you need GPS, we've tested and ranked the best running watches
The real updates are on the inside, however. Battery life has been significantly improved, and the Ignite 2 can now last five days in regular use with some training and notifications, and up to 20 hours in training mode, compared to 17 for the original Ignite. There's also a new low-power mode for those occasions when you're going to be away from an electrical outlet for an extended time.
In terms of smartwatch features, there are new music controls and a weather dashboard, plus improved GPS accuracy.
For fitness training, there's also a new weekly summary dashboard to show detailed info about your performance, plus extra gym workout profiles too. It's now possible to broadcast data from the watch to compatible gym equipment like treadmills as well, in a similar manner to Apple Gymkit.
The Polar Ignite 2 will go on sale in April for £199.50 (about $270 / AU$360).
Smarter fuelling
The Polar Vantage M2 also comes in a new range of colors, with a two-tone design that's visible through the band's perforations.
Like the Ignite 2, it also offers new music controls and weather forecasts on your wrist. Again, a new weekly summary in the app makes it easier to follow your stats and track your progress over time.
The Vantage M2 also includes FuelWise – a feature previously only found on the Polar Grit X and Vantage V2, which helps you plan your intake of fluids and carbs during endurance events so you avoid hitting the wall.
The Vantage M2 is available to pre-order now direct from Polar for £269 (about $370, AU$480).
There are other updates on the horizon, too. New sensor modes coming to the Polar Grit X and Vantage V2 later in the year, and the company has plenty of updates planned for the Polar Flow app as well. We'll keep you updated as soon as we know what those will be, and will be bringing you full reviews of both the Polar Ignite 2 and Vantage M2 in the coming weeks.
- Check out our roundup of the best cheap running watches
