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Polar M200 GPS watch review

Well priced GPS watch for mountain biking with plenty of features

Our rating

4

Navigating the simple menu is intuitive and the large face is easy to read.

Steve Behr

Robin Weaver

Published: May 15, 2019 at 2:00 pm
Our review
Easy to use and keeps tabs on all of your ride data, at a good price, but GPS tracking can be slow to start

Pros:

Loads of features and info with the Polar Flow app; easy-to-read screen; light, comfortable and durable

Cons:

GPS takes time to locate signal; heart rate monitor isn’t super-accurate

Polar’s cheapest wearable unit, the M200, covers all the data any mountain biker needs, in conjunction with its Flow app.

It includes built-in GPS, a heart rate monitor and daily activity tracker, plus it can display notifications from your phone — not bad considering the price.

Navigating the simple menu is intuitive enough (there are only two buttons) and the large face is easy to read.

The M200 can take time to locate the GPS signal, so it missed tracking the first few minutes of some rides, but once going it works fine.

The heart rate monitor is a little hit-and-miss too compared to a bar-mounted unit with chest strap, but you can pair it with a chest strap, sold separately.

Features-wise, the M200 packs a real punch. Post-ride, it’s easy to view data on the watch, including heart rate, calories burned and max/average speed. Head into the app for plenty more info, such as a map of your ride (with elevation and so on) and a breakdown of how much time you spent in each heart rate zone.

Battery life is seriously impressive, especially if you remove the watch at night, and it charges quickly too. It’s waterproof and has handled its fair share of rough and tumble to date, although the rubber strap is getting a bit baggy around the watch face now.

Polar M200 GPS watch specifications

  • Weight: 44g
  • Thickness: 12mm
  • Display size: 26mm, 1,342px
  • GPS: Yes
  • Heart rate monitor: Yes
  • Activity tracker: Yes
  • Connectivity: USB-A for data sync to Mac or PC, Bluetooth
  • App: Polar Flow, FlowSync
  • Price: £130 / US$150 / AU$199

Robin Weaver

Technical editor-in-chief

Rob Weaver is BikeRadar's technical editor-in-chief. Rob manages all of the testing here at BikeRadar and across our magazines, Mountain Biking UK and Cycling Plus. Rob first graced the pages of MBUK back in 2001 when working as a freelance writer and went on to start testing bikes for the title in 2007. In 2010 he joined the team full-time and has been keeping a close eye on all things test-related ever since. Rob’s expansive knowledge of bikes comes courtesy of his passion for racing. He cut his teeth racing cross-country mountain bikes in the early 90s before finding his feet in downhill. After many years competing on the UK national circuit (including a year attempting to race UCI DH World Cups), Rob realised his know-how and passion for bike setup, tech and writing clearly outweighed his racing ability. A degree in sports technology and decades of riding experience all help to give Rob a thorough understanding of what’s needed to create a great bike or product. While Rob’s a mountain biker at heart and never happier than when he’s sliding down a Welsh hillside, he’s more than happy to put the miles in on the road or gravel bike, too.
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