For an Android Wear smartwatch with fitness chops, you can currently do no better than Polar's M600. It offers the most intuitive third-party integration with Google's wrist-based OS we've seen yet, and the comprehensive set of workout options should be exactly what most generalist gym visitors are...

Built-in GPS; Robust fitness tracking; Waterproof

Screen shows scan lines; Not the best-looking smartwatch; Poor battery life on iOS

Whether you're working off last night's takeaway, trying to outrun middle age on a treadmill, or lifting weights in front of a mirror like a preening peacock, you're basically just a sweaty mess.

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;

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;

Excellent device. The band is soft and comfortable for all day use. Using with iOS. Short battery life requires nightly charging. Ok once you get in the habit. Features are excellent and the HR monitor works much better than other wrist base devices for tracking sport performance.

Throughout the past few years, we've had to choose one or the other – fitness trackers or smartwatches . Dedicated fitness trackers might be better at tracking your daily activity and heart rate, but they normally lack things like voice commands and proper notification support – two features...

Accurate activity and GPS tracking IPX8 water resistance Two-day battery life Plenty of third-party fitness apps (thanks to Android Wear

Large; bulky design Display is a tad small compared to the overall footprint Software can be buggy at times Should be ~$100 cheaper

If you're in the market for an excellent running watch with a heart rate monitor that also counts steps and has some smartwatch capabilities, the Polar A360 and the Garmin Vivoactive HR are much better options.

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

There's no shortage of Android Wear watches to choose from. Companies including Huawei, LG, Casio, and Fossil all have smartwatches that run on Google's wearable operating system, and all of them can use Google Fit's activity tracking.

Bold; bright touchscreen display; Onboard GPS and space for local music; Rated IPX8 so you can swim with it; Android Wear will add useful features and notifications for those connected to an Android smartphone

Bulky design makes it hard to wear all day; Heart rate monitor can be slow to catch up to high pulse rates; Expensive for what it offers; Not worth the money for iPhone users when they can get the comparable Apple Watch Series 2 instead

The M600 is probably one of the most unique products that Polar has made in a long time. It's also one that's clearly pushed them outside of their comfort zone, and I say that in a good way.

The explosion of smartwatches and fitness trackers has thrown up some real gems and thrown down some real turds, leaving us all to step carefully when choosing a new device. Polar is an established name in fitness devices, one of the oldest, perhaps, when dealing with heart rate monitoring.

Solid design; Sports takes priority over smartwatch; All of Android Wear's functions; Polar Flow does so much; Respectable battery performance for a smartwatch; IPX8 waterproofing

Design could be more exciting; Swimming could be better served; Heart rate can be a little erratic; Price