Review on 🏃 Polar M200: Advanced GPS Running Watch with Wrist-Based Heart Rate Monitoring by Harry Jenkins

I've had the M200 for about two years and I'm refusing it because it's literally falling apart. Pros: The watch works well. Heart rate with optical sensor and chest strap works well. It should be noted that the optical sensor signal is filtered and delayed. Therefore, it always reacts more slowly than a chest strap. The step counting algorithm seems fairly accurate and the GPS tracking is on par with my Garmin handheld GPS devices. Cons: Watch design is an accident waiting in the wings. The silicone strap will stretch over time and the watch itself, which simply snaps into place, is no longer reliable. This is made worse by the fact that if you're using an optical sensor, you'll need to tighten the band to ensure the sensor is making firm contact with your skin. Eventually the watch will fall out, either when moving it or with something as simple as putting on a coat while pulling the case over the watch. The charging mechanism is a plastic tab with four pins that plug into a USB charging port (cable included with watch). If you're unlucky, the plastic tab will break off as the watch falls off the strap, leaving four wires exposed (see image). I was able to reattach the tongue several times, but in the end I gave up. The only real solution is to buy new straps on a regular basis, which then makes "frugal" watches not that economical after all. I've changed the strap three times in the two years I've owned the M200, the first time under warranty, the second and third time when I paid for it. Pay a little more and get something more reliable and you'll end up happier and spending less.