CHF216.–
Polar Ignite 3
43 mm
Product ratings
Pros
Cons
22 reviews
Good hardware, garbage firmware
Replaced my old Forerunner 35 with this watch. Also have an Apple Watch as a comparison.
Hardware-wise no complaints except for the strap that has a funny texture on the outside that immediately collected all dust on the table and all loose skin particles from the arm. It is comfortable, just doesn't look as clean after 10 seconds of use.
However the firmware is ... raw, to put it mildly.
*** An update, 07.2024, a year after the purchase ***
In short - I would not buy it again and will advice everyone against buying it.
1. Swim tracking is completely broken. 2 km swim in 50 m pool can be tracked as anything between 1.6 and 4.2 km.
2. Run tracking is also broken. Running several km and arriving at the same point shows 50 m elevation gain. The watch will also sometimes report 800 m distance as a kilometer. Both with full GPS lock.
3. The UI is laggy and really finicky. Selecting anything while running is next to impossible, because screen taps are registered as attempts to scroll the screen. "Lift arm to switch on the screen" doesn't work reliably. Absolutely glaring usability issues that should've been fixed well before they shipped the watch.
3b. The UI lacks polish and attention to detail. So much so that one of the default screens has hour and minute digits overlapping.
4. Tech support is awful. Average reply time is 2-3 months and when they do reply it's a templated answer.
5. Software updates are shipped 2-3 times a years. They keep piling up some random features, but they never fix any existing issues.
Additionally, if you read around the Internet, it's clear that the company is not doing well in general. Hence all the issues. I'd strongly encourage you to stay away and look at other vendors.Pro
- Very light
- Excellent screen
- Excellent HR sensor
Contra
- Garbage firmware
- Laggy user interface
- Tap interface is a disaster
- Some of core functions don't work reliably
- Feels like the developers never bothered to actually use the watch
This review was created for a different variant: Ignite 3 (43 mm)
not recommended
Basically good for a sports watch. Some cool features: Battery lasts well (approx. 5-7 days when training 4 times a week). The integrated training sessions are interesting and OK. Body temperature measurement OK. Nightly recharge OK. (uncomfortable for sleeping). Reminder to exercise. No extras, depends on what you need. The synchronisation with the iPhone never worked right from the start and it only helps to switch the watch off completely and then on again, after which you can synchronise it, so very tedious and time-consuming. The touchscreen is also not good, sometimes it doesn't recognise touches at all or simply slips. Pairing with a device is also very laborious and only worked after several attempts. Not suitable for swimming (crawl swimming), it doesn't recognise the lanes, the sensor only recognises them if every movement is exactly the same. If I hadn't had a discount code, I wouldn't have bought it. I don't really recommend this watch, you need a lot of nerve to be able to use it.
Pro
- Activity profile
- Waterproof
- Screen size
Contra
- Very poor synchronisation
- Poor sensor when swimming
- Touch screen
- uncomfortable
This review was created for a different variant: Ignite 3 (43 mm)
Good sports watch
If you are looking for a good sports watch and don't want to pay for the top model, this watch is a good choice.
Pro
- Price-performance ratio
- Pleasant to wear
- Many functions
- Really records everything
Contra
- None
Good product
Super good, like the predecessors, only the recording of sleep can sometimes not correspond to reality (I sometimes collect steps - that can't be).
Polar ignite 3
Clear image clear icons
Pro
- Fine smartwach
- Waterproof
- Clear screen
Contra
- Miss some icons
Watch good, app poorly implemented
Pro
- Elegant design
- Bracelets last for a while
- Measurements are very accurate
Contra
- The app is not very sophisticated
- No payment with clock possible
- the selection of dials is a little poor
- Many functions which I don't need at all
- Incorrect synchronisation with Google Fit
6 out of 22 reviews
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