Polar Ignite Fitness Watch Review

Joe & I have both been using the Polar Ignite as our daily fitness watch for the past 5+ years. In that time, we've upgraded to the latest models, and both agree that it's one of our favorite and most-used purchases that we rely on daily. Aside from the shower (although it is waterproof), I wear my Polar Ignite 24/7 to track my sleep, daily activity, heart rate and more. Here's a breakdown of the features, what we love, what could be improved and more...

Appearance

The appearance is actually what first drew me in to do more research on the watch. I'm a Mac/Apple girl through and through but just couldn't get over the fact that the Apple Watch doesn't look like an actual watch with it's rectangular face. The Ignite's round watch face is on the larger size, but the rest of the design is compact and slim, so it doesn't feel like it overpowers my small wrists. I also love the gold hardware on my Ignite 2.

The Ignite comes with a 20mm silicone wristband based on the color you choose, but the wristband can be easily swapped out. The only downside to this is that the underside of the watch face is designed to match it's corresponding wristband, and if you opt for a wristband in another color, there's a contrast with the body color. A minor detail, but worth noting!

Heart Rate & Fitness Tracking

I love tracking my training on the Polar Ignite fitness watch. You can choose from a variety of fitness settings (for example weight training, pilates, spinning, treadmill running, etc.) to train on so the watch gives you a more accurate read on output level and calories burned. It also has an intuitive fitness training program that gives you detailed insights on your training load and different recommendations (Joe and I don't use this feature because we follow our own programs).

Polar tracks heart rate with their Polar Precision Prime™ sensor fusion technology, which combines optical heart rate measurement with skin contact measurement, and it's been incredibly precise over the years.

Activity Tracking

This is one of my favorite features of the Polar Ignite. After answering a few questions about your typical daily activity, the Ignite tracks your activity level each day from 0-100%, with more detailed insights like step count, time active, and total calories burned. I'm always paying attention to my activity level and trying to at the very least hit that 100% each day, and this makes it so easy to track that, along with my daily steps.

Sleep Tracking

If you're focused on getting a good nightly recharge, this feature is amazing. After learning your sleeping patterns for a few days, the Ignite gives you a comprehensive view of your sleep and recovery each night, giving you really detailed insight into your sleep patterns. Joe & I always compete over our Nightly Recharge, which is measure on a scale of poor to very good, based on factors like, how much deep sleep did you get? how many REM cycles did you complete? how many interruptions did you have? and more. This feature has truly pushed me to strive for a better night's sleep and it's spot on. When I have a poor recharge, I feel it all day.

Polar Flow App

Polar Flow is an app that works on both desktop and mobile that allows you to analyze all of the data your watch collects. You can sync your watch to the app, and see detailed insights on sleep, activity and training. We only really use Polar Flow when our firmware needs an update, and I find the app to be glitchy and unreliable. This is probably the worst feature overall in my opinion, but since it's optional, it doesn't affect how I'm using my watch on a daily basis.

One thing I learned the hard way is that it's important to sync your watch at least every few months. If your watch falls too behind in firmware upgrades, the app software won't work with the older version of the watch, and could cause issues.

Battery Life

Obviously watch use affects battery life (if you're training for a few hours each day, your battery will run down quicker) but overall, the charging time and battery life are amazing. The watch charges to full battery in minutes, and can last for up to 5 days. With my current use and training schedule, I usually get close to 4 days before I have to put it on the charger.

Price

The latest verison of this model (the Ignite 3) retails for $339.95, which is fairly comparable to the standard Apple watch (the Polar is a little lower in price) and significantly lower than it's Garmin Venu competitor. Although there are some features the Ignite doesn't have in comparison to its counterparts, it has everything I personally need (plus it looks the best IMO)!

Why Not Apple or Garmin?

As I mentioned above I ruled out the Apple watch immediately because of the rectangular face. When deciding between Polar and Garmin, it really came down to appearance (the Garmin looks just a little bulkier overall) and features. I wasn't interested nor did I really need a watch that was fully connected to my phone. I like to use the 2 separately, so it didn't make sense to pay the extra money for features I wouldn't use on the Garmin.

Overall

I love the Polar Ignite fitness watch because it does everything I need it do and gives me the information I care about on a daily basis, like my activity, my training performance and insight into how well I'm sleeping. I also like that I don't have to be dialed in to my phone and notifications 24/7 and that it's really just a watch (I realize this might be a deal breaker for some people, but I feel the opposite).

Joe recently upgraded to the Ignite 3, while I'm still using the Ignite 2. I tried out the Ignite 3 in the "Greige Sand" color, and really didn't like how grey it looked, so I returned it. There are limited colors, so that was a let down for me and I'm hoping they release something new or go back to a more neutral beige or brown in the next model.

Frequently-Asked

Does the Ignite connect to your phone?

Yes, BUT it doesn't allow you to text like you would on the Apple watch. You can pair the watch with your phone and control your music, receive app notifications (including calls and texts), etc.

Does it have GPS?

Yes, and it provides location, speed and distance data

Is it waterproof?

Yep! Up to 30 meters. We don't take our watches off when swimming.

Can you change out the band with a non-Polar brand?

Any standard 20mm silicone watch band will work with this watch, but I always recommend buying directly from Polar because it's made to fit perfectly.

What are the main differences between the Ignite 2 & the Ignite 3?

You can see a comparison breakdown on Polar's website here.

Where should I buy the Ignite?

I would recommend buying directly from Polar but we've also bought models on Amazon (direct from from Polar's storefront). You can take advantage of Prime shipping on Amazon but I've found it easier IF there's any issue with the watch for Polar to be able to locate your order and help when they have a record of a purchase directly from their website.