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* '''Where am I? '''The V800 has no navigation features. If you're lost, the V800 is probably only useful as a reflector to signal for help.
* '''What's my cadence? '''[[Cadence]]''' '''is one of the most critical and often overlooked aspects of running. If you get your Cadence right, many other things naturally fall into place. The V800 has limited support for a [[Footpod]], no support for Cadence from the internal accelerometer, and no Cadence alerts. It's better than nothing, but it's not pretty grim for a high end watch.
The V800 is rated at 13 hours, but I managed to get nearly 24 hours in testing. To get that life, I didn't press buttons or have Bluetooth connected, but that's still an impressive figure. It also has a rated 50 hour battery life if you activate extended mode which reduces the GPS accuracy. In addition the V800 can be charge on the run. See [[Shoes#Watches for Ultrarunning| Watches for Ultrarunning]] for more details.
[[File:Polar V800.jpg|none|thumb|200px|The {{Polar V800}}.]]
=Polar V800 Pros=
* The V800 provides more information when you press the lap button than other watches, as well as far more useful data at the end of the run.
* Like the [[Suunto Ambit2]] and [[Suunto Ambit3]], the V800 can be configured via the website, which is easier than fiddling with the watch itself. Most of the options can be also set on the watch, which means you're not stuck if you're away from the Internet.
* With GPS recording set normally the battery life is 13 hours which is adequate for most runners, and I managed to get nearly 24 hours in my testing. However , ultrarunners may need to use the power save mode that extend the battery life up to 50 hours (I got just over 50 in my tests). While the documentation claims that the power save mode records GPS location once per minute, I've found that in practice it's a little more random than that (see below for details). The V800 can be charged on the run by plugging it into a portable USB battery. I have had instances where the V800 would reset on disconnect, but I suspect this might be an issue with the battery overall.
* The V800 provides some interesting analysis of your training. This is similar to the [[Firstbeat| Firstbeat Training Effect]] used by Garmin and Suunto, which is a simple number between 1.0 and 5.0. The V800 provides more detailed analysis with a text description of its evaluation. It has 17 different classifications including things like "maximum training", "tempo training", or "steady-state training". Each classification has a little congratulatory message associated with it that explains the benefit of that particular type of training. This is a nice feature, though it can be a little simplistic and it was far less accurate for me than the [[Firstbeat]] approach. If you're prepared to take it with a pinch of salt, it's a nice feature.
* The V800 also provides some guidance on your recovery. Again this is a little more sophisticated than the Garmin and Suunto approach which give the number of hours until you are recovered.
* The V800 will predict your [[VO2max|V̇O<sub>2</sub>max]], but unlike the Garmin devices that used [[Firstbeat]] technology and give a good result, the V800 is wildly wrong for me. Obviously this is a sample of one and Your Mileage May Vary.
* Another irritation is that the V800 will sometimes ask you a question when you press the start button, which is not the ideal time.
* I have had some issues with the battery on my V800. When I allowed to fully discharge by not using it for weeks I had problems getting it to take or hold a charge. The V800 would claim it was fully charged, but then give a low battery warning almost immediately after disconnecting from the power. Leaving it on charge for a few days seemed to resolve the issue.
=What's Missing=
While I don't consider these missing features as 'cons', it's worth understanding the features that are missing compared with other watches.