While the upgrades seem subtle overall, one of the biggest improvements appears to be their design; with closer attention paid to both materials and finishes. This is particularly true of the Ignite, which was always a more lightweight design-led watch to begin with. The Ignite 2 boasts a number of colours: pink, Storm Blue, Champagne (pictured) and Black Pearl, and comes accompanied by a number of band options too, including variants studded with Swarovski crystals. The standardised lugs also mean you can swap in any 20mm strap if you so wish. Other design details include a lightly textured stainless steel bezel and a double-sided buckle for an extra-secure fit. Like the Ignite 2, the form of the Vantage M2 has also been tweaked, with a textured bezel – the finish of which varies depending on the colourway you opt for – with a choice of black/grey, copper/brown, gold/Champagne or grey/yellow.
It’s a bulkier watch compared to the Ignite 2 at 45 grams (up from 35 grams) but that comes with superior battery life (up to seven days with continuous heart rate tracking enabled, versus five days on the Ignite 2). Both watches also offer a trove of established Polar features, including Fitspark for planned workouts, Serene for guided breathing, Sleep Plus Stages to track both sleep quality and duration, Nightly Recharge to monitor your daily recovery and a wealth of supported sports profiles that includes swimming. Polar has also added music playback controls, richer weather forecasting on-wrist, energy source information and more. The Ignite 2 benefits from HR Sensor mode, which can track and display live heart rate readings in supported apps, on supported gym equipment or through Polar Club, while the Vantage M2 includes Training Load Pro, which grants greater insight into the impact training has on your body, as well as recovery strategies between sessions. The Vantage M2 hits pre-order starting 24 March, priced at £269/€299/US$299, while the Ignite 2 arrives a little later on 21 April, costing £199.50/€229/US$229. Both watches can be picked up directly from Polar. HR Sensor mode will be coming to both the Polar Vantage V2 and Grit X via a software update in the near future, while the Grit X will also gain Weekly Summary and music controls, as found on the Ignite 2 and Vantage M2.
