The world of fitness trackers is rapidly expanding. Every day it seems like something else hits the market with all the bells and whistles. Bells and whistles generally translate into high dollar items. Looking into the Polar a300 and m400 however, proves this is not the case. Both are great products with only slightly varying prices and features. We're going to go a bit deeper into what distinguishes one from the other as well as which tracker wins out.
The a300:
This well-designed product is at a lower price point than its counterpart. By lower, I mean around $40-60 lower. Let’s start with what it has:
- Activity, calorie, and sleep tracking
- Distance tracking and step counting
- Smart coaching, goal setting, and alerts for inactivity
- A watch and alarm clock
- Reminders
- Activity and sleep reporting
- Notifications, call control, and caller ID for your smartphone
- 26-day rechargeable battery
- Weather resistant, splash resistant, and weighing 48 grams
- Compatible with all major phone brands and operating systems
- Blue tooth connectivity
Those are a ton of features for its price point. While many enjoy this product, they often wonder the biggest differences between it and the m400. The m400 has all the same features as above, with a few exciting extras. These extras include:
- GPS
- Stair/floor tracking
The m400 also has a shorter battery life—by 2 or so days—and it is around 9 grams heavier. These are a couple other of the notable differences and may make little to no difference to you. A difference this small doesn't have much effect on how I feel about the product or my choice in buying one over the other.
Aesthetically, these two fitness trackers are a little different, but not by much. The m400 does have a bigger display screen than the a300. Both have different color options to choose from; black, white, and pink. The m400 also has blue and red whereas the a300 has yellow. Both phones are super easy to read on bright, sunny days. The m400 also has a higher screen resolution than the a300. Overall the look of the watch isn't anything to get excited over. It's being worn to serve a purpose, not for looks; this doesn't mean they're ugly, just very simply designed.
Neither of them is a touchscreen nor do they connect to wi-fi. You can order those separately or bundle the monitor and tracker for a deal. Also, with the GPS feature turned on, you only have about 8 hours of battery life. However, the charging process is pretty simple. If you haven't worn either watch before, be warned that the first time using and setting up the product is somewhat of a pain. I wouldn't consider it necessarily difficult, but definitely annoying.
The bands on both of fitness trackers are nice and comfortable. Because neither product has a heart rate monitor, you actually don't have to wear it while you run. Or at least you don't have to wear it on your wrist. You can attach it to a backpack and let it do its thing. If a heart rate monitor is important to you, you can absolutely bundle it with your purchase for a better discount. Already purchased your tracker? You can order the monitor separately, no problem.
A note to readers and potential buyers: both of these products are rated 3 ATM. If you look up what that means, it says 30 meters. This does not mean put in down into 30 meters of water! Personally, I wouldn't take either one for a swim, or even shower with it. It is water and sweat resistant to splashes and hand washing but submerging it in water isn't the best idea.
Personally, I couldn't care less about the number of stairs I've climbed for the day or the GPS feature. Climbing stairs is not an integral part of my workout or training. If I do walk a couple flights of stairs, it's generally not for the caloric burn. As far as the GPS feature goes, my phone has that built in so that's not a huge deal breaker either. I find these fitness trackers have all the hugely important features that I care about while eliminating the fluff of similar products.
When it comes down to the decision of which to buy... at this point, I'll save my money and buy the a300... in black.
No comments:
Post a Comment