A premium-looking watch with loads of features and health metrics for a great price
If you're interested in more health tracking features than the lower-end GPS models, this could be a great step up for a small amount of money. Polar is known for their health tracking and great heart rate monitoring equipment, and they include these strong suits in this model. It's packed with a multitude of health features such as sleep scores, recovery tools, breathing exercises, and nutrition reminders.
The Vantage M2 features a sleek, basically edgeless, color display with a metal bezel and durable plastic body. Dedicated buttons and a smooth, responsive interface make this model easy to use. A well-designed integrated mobile app helps you visualize your data and upload it to third-party applications. This is a great step up for a basic entry-level option.
Performance Comparison
Features
Clearly, health metrics were prioritized in this model, as it features sleep tracking with scores, nutrition intake, nightly recharge, and training load. There are, of course, also your basic GPS tracking functions and various sports modes. Syncing with your smartphone provides notifications and the ability to control your music.
We wish Polar implemented the tool/widget design found on Garmin and Coros models. These widgets are extremely helpful for doing various tasks such as finding your phone or fast-starting various tools such as a stopwatch or timer. While we always prefer to have advanced navigation features on our watches, the simple back-to-start found on this model is better than nothing. There are no compass or altimeter functions available on this model.
Battery Life
The battery life found on the Vantage M2 is slightly better than the cheapest models in our lineup. At a claimed GPS track time of 30 hours, we suspect this will be sufficient for most of our readers. There is a claimed 100 hours with battery-saving options, but ultimately your GPS and health metrics will suffer accuracy under these modes.
We found this watch to be a great everyday watch, but we would be hesitant to choose it for longer adventures or expeditions. We appreciate the battery options when starting a workout that clearly state the GPS sampling rate among the various other settings, unlike some other models that just list Good/Better/Best.
Ease of Use
While the Vantage M2 doesn't have the easiest interface we have tested, it's far from the worst. Dedicated buttons make navigation easy and precise. The menu system is easy to learn, and the dedicated mobile app is well designed and also easy to navigate. If you are coming from a different brand, it may take you a bit to learn since a lot of the button presses are a bit different.
During activity the watch functions well without any quirks — we experienced few to no accidental button presses, which is a complaint with other models. The menu system is smooth and has plenty of adjustable features to tailor the watch to your liking. We wish there were an implemented tool section to access various tools and settings quickly. This system is found on the Coros and Garmin models, and it greatly increases usability.
Accuracy
When taken on our three-mile GPS test loop on a remote road in Colorado, the M2 scored similarly to the competition with only +/- 0.01 miles variance. All of the watches we tested scored great, and we are happy to see this trend taking form in the GPS watch world. This model has the least amount of compatible satellites, but that shouldn't be an issue unless you are in steep technical terrain. We experienced no issues connecting to satellites, and the connection was quick.
Polar is known for its heart rate monitors, and the M2 lived up to that. This model was one of the most comfortable, which likely enhanced the accuracy, never being more than 1 - 5 bpm off from our heart rate chest monitor. If you are looking for the best accuracy possible, we would recommend getting a compatible heart rate strap from Polar. If heart rate monitoring is your priority, this is the perfect model.
Design
A sleek design and smooth bezel make this watch a bit less rugged and more sporty than some of the higher-end adventure-specific watches we tested. The color screen is bright and easily readable in various conditions. The outer metal bezel ring gives a premium look, while the rest of the body is made of durable plastic. Metal buttons feel nice but are a bit mushy compared to the competition.
The removable watch band is comfortable and has a softer, almost fabric-like coating which feels nice on the skin. The closure design, while attractive, is a bit finicky and requires more precision when taking the watch on and off. On our tester's wrist, the clasp sat centered under the wrist instead of off to the side. This wasn't very pleasant when typing on the computer or resting the wrist flat. While we experienced no durability issues, the clasp and pin are much skinnier than other models and could be a source of failure; luckily, they are replaceable. We think this is a great design if you want a premium-looking watch for a fraction of the price.
Value
We are impressed with the value of this watch. We would recommend it to those looking for high-end health metrics and tracking with a great design. The screen and interface are better than some of the other tested watches that sell for much more. That said, if you are in the market for a more adventure-focused watch, we recommend paying a bit extra to get some helpful navigation features and an ABC (Altimeter, Barometer, and Compass). If these features aren't needed, the M2 is a great choice.
Conclusion
A great design packed with features makes the Polar Vantage M2 one of our favorite entry-level watches — especially if you prioritize design and health-related functions. We are impressed with the value to performance ratio and would not hesitate to recommend this watch to our friends and family looking for basic GPS tracking in a sleek package.
