I am going to start with “I have nothing bad to say about my Polar M400.”
That being said, I have several things to say about it.
Fitbit has nothing on Polar. I know it is unfair to compare the Fitbit Flex to the Polar M400, but I will anyway. I am also going to compare it to the Fitbit ChargeHR. Comparing it to the Misfit Shine would just be an extremely low blow to Misfit, so I will abstain (I have said enough on that).
In terms of “fashion”, I have to say that I have gotten many compliments on my “watch”. More than a few people have said they really like it and asked me about it. Of course, only one knew what it was when I said it was from Polar.
In terms of fit, I love it. It fits perfectly. No rashes with this one. A truly wonderful feature is the metal back panel which helps moisture evaporate and keeps the area dry. At first, I did not like the closure, but now I can’t imagine not having it. To be honest, I did not like the closure because of my dislike of a similar one on the Fitbit ChargeHR. However, the Fitbit ChargeHR was a disappointment all around: fit, comfort, closure.
Battery life is exceptional. I have gone more than 3 weeks without plugging it in, when not using GPS or recording. If I do use GPS or record workouts through out the week, I have to plug it in every 6 or 7 days. It also charges rather fast. I have gone from about 20% charge to 100% in 20 minutes while I had it plugged into a car charger.
I love that I can record my workouts, including HRM and GPS (if outside). If I use GPS, I can even “Relive” my workout on their Flow website.
The Flow website and app are another pro. I can schedule a whole month’s worth of workouts with a few clicks. Then, I just have to access the calendar on the M400 to start recording the planned workout.
It does everything the other trackers do, and more. It tracks steps, distance, sleep, Calories. That’s great and a lot of other trackers do the same. However, M400 does more. The M400 knows when you are laying down, sitting, standing, walking, running. It even knows when it is not being worn.
When paired with HRM (I use the PEAR HRM band) via Bluetooth, it also assigns your effort to the right category based on your heart rate; so, even if you are walking, you get credit for the higher activity level if you are exerting yourself sufficiently. In the Flow app, you see all your day at one, in a per hour pie or per category pie; no line or bar graphs here.
The M400 also has a “Get Moving” alarm. [I don’t know that’s the official name, but that’s what I call it.] If I spend about 60 minutes sitting or laying in place and it knows that I am not asleep, then beeps and shows “It’s time to move!” on the screen. It will likely do so in a moment.
The M400 breaks down your workouts on the screen while you are recording, and gives you a summary once you save. It connects to the Flow app on your iOs device (I am not sure about Android) via Bluetooth. You can also connect it to your computer and the Flow website via a micro-USB cable.
The port is located on the back, against your wrist when being worn, and you can connect to your computer or USB AC adapter for charging. I like to use my iPhone or Kindle AC Adapters.
So, I loved my Fitbit Flex, but, over time, I outgrew it. I was sad to say goodbye to my Fitbit tracker. I still have a Fitbit Aria, so I haven’t completely divorced Fitbit.
However, the Polar M400 has been magnificent so far. I have a few friends who use other Polar products and love them, but I was hesitant to jump in. I am so glad I did. Polar definitely knows what they are doing. If their Flow website was a little bit more input friendly, so that one could save time adding training sessions to the Diary, it would be truly awesome all around.
That’s it, folks!