Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsThe Best Fitness Watch Yet. Period. And it's going to get better!
Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2016
I just received this product a few days ago and I am already impressed! Let's look at why:
PROS:
- Watch is COMFORTABLE. Once I figured out the right fit (which took a couple tries) I wore this thing for over 24 hrs straight and barely noticed it was there! The band is soft and flexible, and has an abnormally large number of possible adjustments. There is zero reason for anyone not to find the perfect fit. Also, with the unique way that this band secures on the wrist, I had ZERO worry that it was going to come off, and there is no annoying floppy watch band tail.
- Features, features FEATURES! Sleep tracking, activity tracking, mileage, GPS, and MP3 BT playback!! Are you kidding me? The best part is that they all work! The ability to leave my phone at home, have a full featured GPS watch, listen to music and recieve audio prompts from the watch.... it's incredible. Oh, and heart rate monitoring! ... let's stop here for a moment.
When I bought this, I read a lot of reviews first. One of the things that I felt like I was compromising on, was the lack of 24hr HR monitoring (like the Fitbit). The first time I connected the phone to the computer, there was an update for the watch. This watch DOES have 24he HR monitoring!! As for the HR monitor itself, I found it to be far more accurate than I expected. I'm forever ditching my HR strap! Kudos to TomTom.
I have yet to try the gym/weight training feature, other users have complained of HR accuracy in that mode, though some say it was fixed in an update. After I try it out, I'll update my review if I think there is a reason to.
- INTERFACE: For some the GPS antenna nub with 4-way directional controls is clunk and unnecessary, for me, I love it. This could be because I am a TomTom return customer, so I am used to it. Touch screens are great, but when you are sweaty or have gloves on they can be unpredictable. For this reason I prefer the buttons. The use of the menus themselves is intuitive and easy to use. If you have never used a TomTom before, it will take you a few minutes to figure it out, but once you get it, it's great!
The screen itself is black with contrasting shades of white/grey which makes this extremely easy to read, even in very bright direct sunlight. The screen on the Spark is bigger than on my Runner, so it's even easier to read/use. The pure depth of the information available to you, and the options on what is displayed while working out is staggering. I have not used an app or other watch with this much info so readily available.
- The APP!: So, being a TomTom owner since 2014, I have seen the progress that has been made. The app today is fantastic, but not perfect. I've heard that other fitness trackers have better apps, and I've also heard that TomTom is working on a huge update to their own. I'm not sure if either of these are true, but TomTom's steady progress here has them poised to be the best. That said, the current app and website offer a great deal of customization and options for setting goals, challenging yourself, and keeping track of trends, metrics and other data.
CONS:
Nothing is perfect, and the TomTom is no exception. Here are a few things that I think TomTom fell short on:
- Battery life. I had the same complaint about my TomTom Runner. I'm not sure there is much to be done here, though. I think that this is just an issue of size vs features vs technology. There just aren't batteries advanced enough to handle the sheer number of sensors/features this watch has and give great battery life. The daily wear and activity tracking life is advertised at about 5 days. Only having this for one day, I am still guessing that is about accurate. I will update if I find this to be different. I went on a 1 hour walk yesterday, using the freestyle mode, and could almost watch the battery meter drain. My hope to use this device on a day hike is pretty much shot, unless I take a portable battery pack and the charging cable. My hope is for the next generation watch to greatly improve on this.
- Phone notifications: There aren't any. Yet. I read a few reviews from people who went to the device launch and they said that this feature is coming in a future update. I look forward to that.
- Watch Band (maybe). While I love the comfort and security of the band, I do have some concerns about the tabs that secure the band. The plastic nubs seem like they might be easily broken. This could be irrelevant if they are stronger than they look.
BOTTOM LINE: I have worn FitBits, the Polar Loop and TomToms. Sometimes at the same time. I've also had to wear chest straps, carry my phone or an iPod. I always felt like I was trapping on way too much gear just to work out. Yet, I loved all the feedback that these thing offered. I'm happy to say that the TomTom Spark Cardio + Music has erased the need for all of that. Now, it's just my watch and bluetooth headphones. This is hands down the single best piece of wearable workout gear I have ever used, and with updates, it's only going to get better.
I am NOT a paid reviewer, nor did I receive any discounts ore requests for a review. I'm just a guy who did a LOT of research before buying. I'm always looking for the best bang for my buck. I don't always win, but this time I did. I HIGHLY recommend this product.
