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From Fellrnr.com, Running tips
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My initial disappointment I was initially very disappointed with the {{Polar M400}} has changed , but over timeI've come to appreciate the M400 more and more. There are a number of factors, not least of which is that it's now on sale sells for far cheaper less than its release price, making it far a lot more competitive. Its [[GPS Accuracy]] has also improved, though it still mediocre. This accuracy problem is offset by its reasonable support for the [[Stryd]] Footpod that is extremely accurate. The main competition the M400 faces is the [[Garmin Vivoactive]]. The Vivoactive is a better watch in virtually every respect, except for its Stryd support. In order to get the Vivoactive to get pace and distance information from Stryd you have to turn off GPS, while the M400 can use Stryd for pace and distance whilst still recording a GPS track.
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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Polar M400 Review}}
[[File:Polar M400.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The {{Polar M400}}.]]
* '''How far did I run?''' This is the most basic question, and the M400 has poor GPS accuracy, but this can be offset by using the Stryd Footpod. It may seem odd to spend more on a Footpod than the watch, but I'd argue this is actually a reasonable compromise.
* '''How fast am I running?''' Knowing how fast you're running can be a nice to know, or it can be vital for your training or race performance. Because of the nature of GPS, watches that rely on GPS signal alone tend to have serious problems with current pace. With the Stryd Footpod, you can get extremely accurate pace information, but without it, the M400 is pretty hopeless.
{{BuyAmazon|AZID=B00NPZ7WNU|AZN=Polar M400}}
=Should You Buy The M400?=
I think that in most cases, at this price point you should buy the [[Garmin Vivoactive]] over the M400. The Vivoactive has far more functionality than the M400, including Connect IQ that allows for expanded functionality through downloaded apps. The Vivoactive is a vastly better activity tracker, especially when combined with a good Connect IQ watch face that gives you better feedback on how you're doing. You can even use the Vivoactive on an ultramarathon by [[Charge On The Run]], something that much harder with the M400. Both watches will support the [[Stryd]] Footpod for extremely accurate distance and pace information, but they have different trade-offs. The M400 can still record a GPS track whilst getting distance and pace from the Stryd, where the Vivoactive has to have GPS disabled. On the other hand, the Vivoactive can display the Stryd estimate of [[Running Power Meters| Running Power]] far better than the M400, and it can record this power estimate along with other metrics such as Ground Contact Time. Therefore, I'd only recommend someone buys the M 400 if they really want to record the GPS track whilst getting pace and distance from a Stryd Footpod, otherwise by the [[Garmin Vivoactive]].
=Polar M400 Pros=
* The user interface is nicely designed and intuitive; the buttons, display, and the menu system combine aesthetics with usability. The M400 has five hard buttons, which I much prefer over a touchscreen interface, especially when wearing gloves or in the rain.
