Polar Vantage M review

If you're looking for a sports-first smartwatch then there's a lot to admire about the Vantage M (leaving the V model for much more advanced users). As a lifestyle smartwatch it's not so great when it comes to features - no music support and notifications aren't great - but, ultimately, it all boils down to what you want from your wearable.

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It’s more expensive than the older M430, but the Vantage M is a powerful multi-sports training tool that packs in plenty of additional features that make it worth the investment. With a much-finessed design, more accurate wrist-based heart rate and bucket loads of training insights, there’s plenty here to recommend the extra spend.

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The Vantage M is in a better spot than the Vantage V from a product to price feature point. As of today it’s still lacking the smartphone notification bits and other pieces, but those are coming shortly – with smartphone notifications set to arrive in just a few weeks. It’s been weird wearing a smartwatch over the last few months that doesn’t buzz when my phone does.

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The Polar Vantage M might cost less than the Vantage V, but that doesn't mean you get a vastly more inferior sports watch. The design changes are not drastic enough to dramatically alter the experience of wearing the M 24/7. In fact some ways it's nicer to live with. You get pretty much all of the same features or at least a good blend of the best the Vantage V has to offer, at a more affordable price. The price puts it against the likes of the Vivoactive 3 Music or one of Suunto's Spartan Trainer watches. If you care mostly about sports tracking and training insights, this is the one to go for.

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