Polar M600 review: The best sports focused Android Wear smartwatch available

We've read reports that there will be no new Android Wear smartwatches from Huawei, Motorola, or LG this year. If you are interested in a new Android Wear smartwatch that also serves as a solid GPS sports watch, then none of this matters as the Polar M600 is available now.

Lightweight and comfortable to wear 24/7; GPS performs as good as the Polar V800; Onboard music playback works well; Fully customizable workout screens; Can't answer phone calls on the watch

Vibrations are a bit too light for morning alarms; Thick watch with limited band options; Display too dim in direct sunlight

Polar M600 review

While we were disappointed with Polar's first attempt at wrist-based tracking with the A360, we found the M600 to be extremely accurate when compared to a chest-strap. We did multiple runs with either a MyZone or Wahoo chest-strap on and the M600 never let us down.

Great Polar Flow integration; Battery life is great; Android Wear fitness apps

Design is bland; Quite pricey (for a Polar; No auto activity detection

Polar M600 review

As a comprehensive fitness tracker, the M600 is pretty well equipped. You’re still not guaranteed to find GPS and heart rate tracking in other Android Wear watches, so if you can put up with the mundane looks, it has a slight edge for recording your exercise routines. With an ever-increasing app library, too, there should be something here for pretty much every activity or sport. Android Wear notifications and second screen smartphone controls are handy to have, but only if you’re going to be wearing your watch all the time. I’m not sure this fits the bill for something you’d wear every day, though. The design and build make me think this just isn’t meant to be worn outside of the gym. Seeing as it’s kind of pricey, too, I think you’re either better off with a dedicated fitness tracker like a Garmin Vivoactive HR, or saving a bit more cash and going for an Android Wear watch you’ll actually put on every day. Buy the Polar M600 here from Amazon

GPS and heart rate tracking; Respectable battery life; Built to take a dunking;

Really not very good looking; Limited software smarts out of the box;

Polar M600 Review

In , David Foster Wallace describes the lopsidedness of competitive teen tennis players, the forearm of their stronger sides having grown out of proportion relative to the rest of their bodies. I remembered that passage as I looked at the Polar M600 dragging my left side ever closer to the earth, wondering whether I, too, would wind up with one enlarged arm after reviewing it. The $329.95 M600 fitness tracker is a hulking beast, and I say that as someone who's hardly a petite little thing. It measures heart rate during activity, and it's sturdy, made with high-quality materials, and well designed—if you're six-foot-three. Because it's also an Android Wear smartwatch, it can do some neat things that other trackers and running watches can't, which makes it an intriguing option for anyone who can deal with its size and shortcomings. Design, Display, and Battery Life The emphasis on high-quality materials, such as Gorilla Glass and a soft silicone band, is immediately apparent with t...

Polar's latest and most impressive device to date is a three-in-one runner's watch, fitness tracker, and smartwatch. It has an optical heart rate monitor and is fully waterproof, but cramming in all that functionality means big hits on battery life and wearability.

High-quality build; Built-in optical heart rate monitor; Runs modified version of Android Wear; Waterproof; Works with both Android and iOS devices

Bulky; Short battery life; Occasionally high heart rate readings in testing; Can't set a custom activity goal

Polar's new Android Wear fitness smartwatch is chunky but capable (hands-on)

Polar, best known for its line of heart-rate chest straps and running watches, feels that taking fitness seriously is what other smartwatches have been missing. Its new Polar M600 will be available towards the end of September for $330 or £300 (which converts to around AU$435).

The Polar M600 has GPS, interval training, a built-in heart-rate sensor and phone notifications.

Polar M600 review review

GPS and heart rate tracking; Respectable battery life; Built to take a dunking;

Really not very good looking; Limited software smarts out of the box;