Polar Ignite is an all-around fitness device offering advanced metrics
Polar has announced today the latest addition to its wearables range. Dubbed Polar Ignite, this is an all-around activity tracking device that focuses strongly on overall well-being and recovery.
Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets
Most people only focus on training, but recovery is equally important. Trying to push harder can sometimes be counter-productive and in extreme cases lead to injury.
This GPS fitness watch is marketed as a versatile training tool for a variety of sports and activities. What’s most unique about it is that Polar has slapped on advanced sleep analysis, overnight recovery insights and personalised and adaptive training guidance. These take sleep parameters, heart rate measurements and recovery into account to offer deep insights into the state of your body.
Let’s start with Sleep Stages Plus. This takes sleep analysis to the next level. Users will get info on light, deep and REM sleep stages and an overall Sleep Score. You can use this last metric for quick info on whether you’ve had a good night’s rest.
The sleep stats work in conjunction with something Polar calls Nightly Recharge. In a way similar to Garmin’s Body Battery, this looks into how quickly your autonomic nervous system calmed down during the early hours of your sleep and how well you slept. The info is tied in with your daily activity stats to let you know whether to take a days rest or train as usual.
The company wants this watch to be your ultimate fitness partner. Ready-made daily workouts will be compiled so that they match your recovery, readiness and training history. You’ll get 2-4 to choose from per day within cardio, strength training and performance categories. The watch tracks 130 different indoor and outdoor activities, including the likes of running, CrossFit, rowing and surfing.
Simply start an exercise and Polar Ignite will spit out training guidance right from your wrist. There are also guided breathing sessions to calm your body and mind down after the strenuous workouts.
Polar Ignite is extremely lightweight (35 grams), it’s waterproof (down to 30 meters) and it has a five-day battery life (7 hours in training mode – with GPS and wrist-based heart rate). The watch comes with a colour touchscreen, a glass-fiber reinforced polymer case, a stainless steel bezel and a 1-button interface.
This is a device that, in terms of specs, sits slightly below the Vantage V & M watches launched in September last year. You can pick it up from today in white, yellow, and black wristband options on Polar’s website for $229.95 and Amazon (check price).
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