Changes

From Fellrnr.com, Running tips
Jump to: navigation, search

Polar M400

2,700 bytes added, 18:41, 28 September 2015
no edit summary
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Polar M400 Review}}
[[File:Polar M400.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The {{Polar M400}}.]]
The {{Polar M400}} is a disappointing watch, with poor GPS accuracy and limited support for [[Cadence]]. Even at its low price point it I don't think it offers good value for money. If you're after a midrange GPS watch, I'd suggest looking at the [[Garmin 610]]. While it's an older watch, it offers far more features than the M400. The Garmin 220 is more expensive, but offers better functionality. For a simple evaluation of a GPS watch, I look at how well it can answer some basic questions:* '''How far did I run?''' This is the most basic question, and the M400 has stunningly bad GPS accuracy. I've had the M400 be out by a mile on an 18 mile run, which could really screw up your marathon training. * '''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. Without the ability to display current [[Pace from a Footpod]] while getting all other data from GPS, combined with such poor GPS accuracy, the M400 can't answer this question. * '''Where am I? '''The M400 has no navigation features. * '''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 M400 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 great.The M400 is not a good choice for ultrarunners, as its battery life is too short. See [[Shoes#Watches for Ultrarunning| Watches for Ultrarunning]] for more details.
=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.
|[[File:ZigZagPolar M400.jpg|none|thumb|x300px|Here is the zigzag with the M400 tracks color-coded for direction, with green coming from the right, blue from the left. Typically GPS watches record tracks that have the green lines shifted slightly down and to the left, blue up and to the right. However the M400 appears to be a little more random than that.]]
|[[File:ZigZagPolar V800.jpg|none|thumb|x300px|As you would expect from a device as accurate as the V 800, the tracks are close together and follow the line of the zigzag nicely.]]
|}
=Visual Comparison=
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Polar M400-top.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Polar M400 top]]
|[[File:Polar M400-side.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Polar M400 side]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Polar V800-top.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Polar V800 top]]
|[[File:Polar V800-side.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Polar V800 side]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Suunto Ambit3-top.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Suunto Ambit3 top]]
|[[File:Suunto Ambit3-side.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Suunto Ambit3 side]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Suunto Ambit2-top.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Suunto Ambit2 top]]
|[[File:Suunto Ambit2-side.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Suunto Ambit2 side]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:TomTom Cardio Runner-top.JPG|none|thumb|150px|TomTom Cardio Runner top]]
|[[File:TomTom Cardio Runner-side.JPG|none|thumb|150px|TomTom Cardio Runner side]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Garmin Epix-top.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Garmin Epix top]]
|[[File:Garmin Epix-side.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Garmin Epix side]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Garmin 920XT-top.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Garmin 920XT top]]
|[[File:Garmin 920XT-side.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Garmin 920XT side]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Garmin 620-top.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Garmin 620 top]]
|[[File:Garmin 620-side.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Garmin 620 side]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Leikr 1-top.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Leikr 1 top]]
|[[File:Leikr 1-side.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Leikr 1 side]]
|}
=Comparison Table=
{{:Best Running Watch-table}}

Navigation menu