The first two versions of the Polar Ignite were attractive fitness watches that offered a lot of insight into your sleep and everyday activity, as well as being solid sports trackers, all at an entry-level price.
Polar has built on that foundation with the Ignite 3, which is more expensive but should appeal to more people with its more accurate sports tracking, a more impressive screen and overall design, and even more detailed sleep insights.
1. The Polar Ignite 3 Has A Proper AMOLED Screen
The LCD screen on the Ignite 1 and 2 was OK, but the 1.28in (32.5mm) AMOLED display on the Ignite 3 is a considerable step up in how bright and colourful it is. The Ignite 3 is also powered by a faster processor so we’re also hoping the touchscreen will be more responsive than on the old Ignites.
2. SleepWise Will Tell You How Alert You’re Going To Be That Day
Polar has always been at the forefront of sleep tracking with its wearables, offering more insight and actionable advice than others, and the new SleepWise feature takes that even further.
SleepWise analyses factors like the amount, quality and timing of your sleep, and your sleep-wake cycle, to provide suggestions about how alert you are likely to be throughout the day and the best time to wind down and go to sleep that night.
3. It Offers Dual-Band GPS Tracking
This is a surprise inclusion on the Ignite 3, since dual-band tracking is the kind of feature you’d expect on sports watches such as those in Polar’s Vantage range. At its best, we’ve found dual-band GPS produces the most accurate distance and pace tracking you can get for outdoor activities.
4. It Has Widgets
You can customise the widgets on the watch face of the Polar Ignite 3, which act as shortcuts to information such as the weather, your heart rate data and activity levels. This is hardly a new feature for sports watches, but it’s a way to make the Ignite 3 more enjoyable to use each day.
5. The Battery Life Is Still OK!
All the changes made to the Ignite 3 sounded very power-hungry to us, so we were pleased to see the battery life on the watch is still pretty good. The Ignite 3 will last up to five days on a charge and offers 30 hours of GPS tracking, though we suspect that second number will be lower if using the dual-band GPS.
Polar Ignite 3: Price And Availability
The Polar Ignite 3 is available from today and costs $329.95 from Polar US and £289 Polar UK. That’s a big rise on the $229.95/£199.50 price of the Ignite 2, but the watch has had a real overhaul.
