8/12/2019 Tomtom Sports Pace Measurement
Activity trackers are made to monitor your every move, but GPS watches serve a different purpose: They locate you in the world, no matter your activity. Unlike accelerometer-based fitness trackers, GPS watches communicate with satellites to grab your location and follow you as you run, walk, bike, hike and move through a workout. With this detailed information, GPS watches can accurately track speed, pace, altitude and more, making them ideal for serious athletes.
There are quite a few GPS watches to choose from, and they range in price from $100 to more than $400. However, the most expensive devices (and there are many) may not be the best fit for your needs. Here's what you need to know before investing in a GPS watch.
GPS Watches vs. Fitness Trackers
Fitness trackers are ubiquitous now, and even the bare-bones devices track steps, calories and distance as you go through your day. Some will even record how well you sleep.
While most GPS watches track distance, they will only do so when you activate them. That's because acquiring and maintaining a GPS signal requires much more battery life than the accelerometers used by non-GPS-enabled fitness bands. As a result, GPS watches are generally used to track discrete activities, such as a run, hike, or where you are on the golf course. GPS technology also gives you a much more accurate reading of your distance traveled, and can measure your altitude, too.
MORE: Best Fitness Trackers
Since GPS devices can better connect with satellites outdoors, one of the most important things to know is how often you plan on training outside. If you frequently run around your neighborhood, take trips to the mountains to hike or train in different environments, a GPS watch may be better-suited for you than a fitness tracker.
Heart Rate Monitor
Some GPS watches have optical heart rate monitors built in, giving you more data and extra convenience, but they will cost you more.
The $269 TomTom Runner Cardio and the $249 Fitbit Surge both have built-in heart rate monitors. Many less expensive GPS watches, such as the $139 Garmin Forerunner 15, don't have built-in heart rate monitors, but can be paired with a chest strap, which costs anywhere between $40 and $70.
Water Resistance
A GPS watch must be made to withstand the elements. Most, if not all, are at least splash-proof, but even some of the least expensive devices offer more protection. The $99 Garmin Forerunner 10 can be submerged under 165 feet of water (a rating of 5 ATM). Its newest big brother, the Garmin fēnix 3, can survive a dip in up to 330 feet of water, or 10 ATM.
But water resistance isn't just for protection. GPS watches such as the $400 Suunto Ambit3 Sport, which is designed for triathletes, can resist 10 ATM of water and tracks swimming metrics, including time, distance, pace and stroke rate, and type.
Altimeter
For reaching new heights, a built-in barometric altimeter will provide more accuracy. It's a sensor that measures changes in elevation by measuring barometric pressure, working in conjunction with the elevation tracker of the GPS. If you do a lot of off-road running or cycling, or if you're a frequent hiker, this will measure how high you climb during each workout.
Typically, devices with altimeters will cost more, such as the $400 Suunto Ambit3 Sport.
Music Playback
Since smartphones have GPS technology embedded, you don't need both a GPS watch and a smartphone while you're working out. However, listening to music while you run requires a smartphone, and unfortunately not many GPS watches provide music controls. This is more of a smartwatch feature, found in all-purpose devices like the Fitbit Surge. The upcoming Garmin vívoactive, which has GPS, will also act as a music controller.
Battery Life
GPS watches tend to have two battery life ratings: one during standby and one during active GPS tracking. Some devices, such as the Garmin Forerunner 15, can last for months as straight timepieces. However, communicating with satellites is a taxing job and dramatically reduces battery life when the feature is used constantly: When in GPS mode, the Forerunner 10 can survive up to 5 hours on a single charge.
Multipurpose devices have even shorter lives because power is used to support other features such as activity tracking, heart rate monitoring and smartphone notifications. The Microsoft Band starts out with only two days of battery life, and that time is reduced to a mere few hours if you're constantly using GPS.
Devices such as the Garmin Forerunner 15 and TomTom Runner GPS watch can get at least 6 to 8 hours in GPS mode, and are ideal for day hikes, runs and bike rides.
MORE: Fitness Tracker Buying Guide
Watches such as the Garmin fēnix 3, which are meant for more extreme outdoor activities, such as skiing and mountaineering, can last up to 20 hours in GPS mode.
Bluetooth
Believe it or not, Bluetooth isn't ubiquitous across GPS watches. Low-end devices such as the Garmin Forerunner 10 don't support wireless syncing; you must connect the watch to your computer to transfer activity data to a Garmin account.
Even as you go up in price, Bluetooth isn't standard. The $139 Garmin Forerunner 15 only syncs wirelessly to accessories such as foot pods and chest straps, not your phone for data syncing. You'll find more freedom with devices like the $250 Fitbit Surge, which let you sync data wirelessly.
Price
GPS watches can get expensive fast. It's important to know your goals before you buy. If you want a basic companion to wear only while running, an inexpensive GPS watch in the $100 to $150 range will have the features you'll need. However, if you dabble in other activities and sports, and want to perform better and track your progress, investing in a top-tier device will be worth it.
Under $100
The Garmin Forerunner 10 ($100 on Amazon) is your best bet in this price range; it's a solid device that will be perfect for anyone who only needs a device to track and map runs. It starts off a session by grabbing your location and it will track distance, pace, speed and laps while you run. After, you sync to Garmin Connect to view maps and full breakdowns of each activity recorded.
$100 to $200
This price range is a mixed bag, but most of these devices offer a few more features than just GPS tracking. The Garmin Forerunner 15 ($139 on Amazon) has all the GPS capabilities of the Forerunner 10, but it adds daily activity tracking and can wirelessly connect to Garmin accessories, such as a chest strap heart rate monitor.
At the top end of this spectrum, the Microsoft Band ($200) is more of an all-purpose device. It supports activity tracking, heart rate monitoring, GPS and smartphone notifications. Plus, you can download workout routines to the band to follow along with.
$200 to $300
Devices in this price range tend to have premium features like smartphone notifications, built-in optical heart rate monitors and sometimes music controls. The Fitbit Surge ($249 on Amazon) lets you know who's calling or texting you while you run, while continuously monitoring heart rate and letting you flip through songs in your workout playlist. The TomTom Runner Cardio ($269 on Amazon) focuses more on running performance, letting you work toward preset goals like endurance, fat burn and speed. It also has a heart rate monitor built into the watch, and it's water-resistant up to 165 feet.
Over $300
This is where the big boys come out to play. The Suunto Ambit3 Peak ($500 on Amazon) not only has GPS, but also a barometric altimeter and digital compass, making it exceptionally easy to know where you are and where you're going. The device monitors speed, distance, pace, laps and much more while tracking a variety of activities, including swimming. Its battery will also last up to 50 hours in GPS mode. Many watches in this price range come with displays large enough to show a map of your running route and include wireless syncing as a standard feature.
Find the Best GPS Watch for YouBest Value: Garmin Forerunner 10
The $99 Garmin Forerunner 10 is beautifully simple — you wear it while running, and that's it. It tracks distance, pace, speed and laps while mapping your route. It's a no-frills device that, with its comfortable yet plain design, makes it easy to wear even through the longest runs. And it's the most affordable quality GPS watch you'll find.
Best for Multiple Activities: Fitbit Surge
If you find yourself hiking in the morning, jogging in the afternoon and going to kickboxing class at night, the $249 Fitbit Surge can keep up with you through all of those activities. You can choose a specific activity you want to monitor with the watch's full touch screen, and it uses its embedded heart rate monitor and GPS where necessary to capture as much data as possible. The Surge also delivers call and text notifications from your smartphone, and lets you control music on your phone.
Best for Hardcore Training: TomTom Multi-Sport Cardio
The $299 TomTom Multi-Sport Cardio gives you the best bang for your buck when it comes to elite GPS watches. This watch has a built-in heart rate monitor and GPS, and can track running, cycling and swimming. The Cardio will measure your distance, speed, pace and calories and even keep track of heart rate zones as you exercise. Syncing all your data to TomTom's mobile and Web app lets you see maps of all your past routes, giving you as much insight as possible into your training. Spending an extra $100 will get you an altimeter and cadence sensor.
Sections
TomTom Runner – PerformanceBefore you can take the Runner out for a run you need to go through a simple setup. You need to download the TomTom MySports Connect software from the website and fill in the standard details about weight, height, age, measurement units and watch settings. It’s here where the QuickGPS function is also set up.Once charged you are ready to go. Again, TomTom has incorporated a foolproof menu system. If you click the left button on the control pad you can see the battery status, internal storage, QuickGPS status and the software version.To begin tracking, you click the right button on the control pad to pick whether you are running outside or on a treadmill. Click right again and you’ll find the GPS finder screen. A click up lets you see the history from previous runs. Click down from the GPS finder screen and you’ll find the graphical training partner. Here you can pick from Goals, Laps, Zones and Race modes. The Race section already has challenges pre-loaded ranging from attempting a 10k in 50 minutes to a 5k in 20 minutes.Once you’ve picked your training session and the GPS has hooked on, you can click right to see the real-time data. The screen is made up of three sets of digits. The large digits display pace, average pace, duration, distance, stride length, heart rate and current time. To change the display, you can simply click the down button. The two smaller sets of digits above alternate depending on what is displayed in the centre of the screen. Putting the QuickGPSFix to the test in on the outskirts of London, the GPS receiver synced within 30 seconds. In our first attempt outside the TrustedReviews HQ, it took a frustrating five minutes to hook onto a signal. TomTom recommends syncing the QuickGPSFix signal every two or three days to improve accuracy. So in our second and third attempts the GPS syncing dropped to three minutes and then to under a minute. It clearly pays off to keep the Runner updated on a regular basis.In terms of the accuracy of information, the TomTom Runner delivers data consistent with the Nike app and the Withings Pulse so we have no complaints with the Runner in this department. Heading to the TomTom MySports website and uploading is really easy. Simply plug the watch module into the dock and the data is transferred over. The web tool is separated into a dashboard and account settings. In the dashboard things are pretty basic. There’s a map of your run and information on distance, time, calories burned, and heart rate. Annoyingly, we couldn’t delete runs we accidentally logged and our attempts to upload data to Runkeeper and MapMyRun were unsuccessful. The site is still in beta, so there’s still time for things to improve. At the moment it’s not quite up to scratch compared to Garmin and Nike’s online tools. TomTom Runner – Battery lifeTomTom claims the Runner can manage 10 hours of battery life in GPS mode. It should last much longer when used as a normal watch. Heavy usage of the backlight and connecting accessories like a heart rate monitor can affect the battery life as well.On full charge, we comfortably made it through two and a half days, including wearing the Runner to sleep. In that time we ran twice for approximately 30-40 minutes. By the second run, the battery had gone flat. It’s not as heavy-duty as the 16 hour GPS battery life on an outdoor sports watch like the Garmin Fenix. Compared to something like the 5 hours battery life in GPS mode on the Garmin Forerunner, it’s a decent performer in the battery department. You will need to keep that charger at hand though. Should I buy the TomTom Runner?At £149.99, the TomTom Runner is thearound same price as the Nike SportWatch but more expensive than the similarly sleek Garmin Forerunner 10 (£99). All three watches feature a light, comfortable design, a nice big screen and a plenty of features to help you stay motivated.
Crucially though, the Runner has a better battery life in GPS mode than the Nike and Garmin watches, some really useful Training modes and the QuickGPSFix technology that really improves the speed the watch locks onto a GPS signal even in built up areas.
It’s made specifically for runners so if you want something packing an altimeter to track cycling or sensors to count laps in the pool, you’ll need to spend more than £150 to get a suitable device.
There is an argument that you could simply download a running app like Endomondo or Runkeeper and use the GPS on your smartphone. It will collect the same kind of data. It really comes down to whether you want to strap on that armband and drain the phone battery.
But if you are a serious runner with your heart set on buying a watch to track performance, the TomTom Runner is a great option.
VerdictThe TomTom Runner is a comfortable, easy to use GPS sports watch with good battery life and a great QuickGPSFix mode that makes it one of the best sports watches to buy for intermediate level runners.
Next, read our round-up of the best headphones for running
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There are quite a few GPS watches to choose from, and they range in price from $100 to more than $400. However, the most expensive devices (and there are many) may not be the best fit for your needs. Here's what you need to know before investing in a GPS watch.
GPS Watches vs. Fitness Trackers
Fitness trackers are ubiquitous now, and even the bare-bones devices track steps, calories and distance as you go through your day. Some will even record how well you sleep.
While most GPS watches track distance, they will only do so when you activate them. That's because acquiring and maintaining a GPS signal requires much more battery life than the accelerometers used by non-GPS-enabled fitness bands. As a result, GPS watches are generally used to track discrete activities, such as a run, hike, or where you are on the golf course. GPS technology also gives you a much more accurate reading of your distance traveled, and can measure your altitude, too.
MORE: Best Fitness Trackers
Since GPS devices can better connect with satellites outdoors, one of the most important things to know is how often you plan on training outside. If you frequently run around your neighborhood, take trips to the mountains to hike or train in different environments, a GPS watch may be better-suited for you than a fitness tracker.
Heart Rate Monitor
Some GPS watches have optical heart rate monitors built in, giving you more data and extra convenience, but they will cost you more.
The $269 TomTom Runner Cardio and the $249 Fitbit Surge both have built-in heart rate monitors. Many less expensive GPS watches, such as the $139 Garmin Forerunner 15, don't have built-in heart rate monitors, but can be paired with a chest strap, which costs anywhere between $40 and $70.
Water Resistance
A GPS watch must be made to withstand the elements. Most, if not all, are at least splash-proof, but even some of the least expensive devices offer more protection. The $99 Garmin Forerunner 10 can be submerged under 165 feet of water (a rating of 5 ATM). Its newest big brother, the Garmin fēnix 3, can survive a dip in up to 330 feet of water, or 10 ATM.
But water resistance isn't just for protection. GPS watches such as the $400 Suunto Ambit3 Sport, which is designed for triathletes, can resist 10 ATM of water and tracks swimming metrics, including time, distance, pace and stroke rate, and type.
Altimeter
For reaching new heights, a built-in barometric altimeter will provide more accuracy. It's a sensor that measures changes in elevation by measuring barometric pressure, working in conjunction with the elevation tracker of the GPS. If you do a lot of off-road running or cycling, or if you're a frequent hiker, this will measure how high you climb during each workout.
Typically, devices with altimeters will cost more, such as the $400 Suunto Ambit3 Sport.
Music Playback
Since smartphones have GPS technology embedded, you don't need both a GPS watch and a smartphone while you're working out. However, listening to music while you run requires a smartphone, and unfortunately not many GPS watches provide music controls. This is more of a smartwatch feature, found in all-purpose devices like the Fitbit Surge. The upcoming Garmin vívoactive, which has GPS, will also act as a music controller.
Battery Life
GPS watches tend to have two battery life ratings: one during standby and one during active GPS tracking. Some devices, such as the Garmin Forerunner 15, can last for months as straight timepieces. However, communicating with satellites is a taxing job and dramatically reduces battery life when the feature is used constantly: When in GPS mode, the Forerunner 10 can survive up to 5 hours on a single charge.
Multipurpose devices have even shorter lives because power is used to support other features such as activity tracking, heart rate monitoring and smartphone notifications. The Microsoft Band starts out with only two days of battery life, and that time is reduced to a mere few hours if you're constantly using GPS.
Devices such as the Garmin Forerunner 15 and TomTom Runner GPS watch can get at least 6 to 8 hours in GPS mode, and are ideal for day hikes, runs and bike rides.
MORE: Fitness Tracker Buying Guide
Watches such as the Garmin fēnix 3, which are meant for more extreme outdoor activities, such as skiing and mountaineering, can last up to 20 hours in GPS mode.
BluetoothTomtom Sports Pace Measurement Test
Solidworks cannot open future version youtube. Believe it or not, Bluetooth isn't ubiquitous across GPS watches. Low-end devices such as the Garmin Forerunner 10 don't support wireless syncing; you must connect the watch to your computer to transfer activity data to a Garmin account.
Even as you go up in price, Bluetooth isn't standard. The $139 Garmin Forerunner 15 only syncs wirelessly to accessories such as foot pods and chest straps, not your phone for data syncing. You'll find more freedom with devices like the $250 Fitbit Surge, which let you sync data wirelessly.
Price
GPS watches can get expensive fast. It's important to know your goals before you buy. If you want a basic companion to wear only while running, an inexpensive GPS watch in the $100 to $150 range will have the features you'll need. However, if you dabble in other activities and sports, and want to perform better and track your progress, investing in a top-tier device will be worth it.
Under $100
The Garmin Forerunner 10 ($100 on Amazon) is your best bet in this price range; it's a solid device that will be perfect for anyone who only needs a device to track and map runs. It starts off a session by grabbing your location and it will track distance, pace, speed and laps while you run. After, you sync to Garmin Connect to view maps and full breakdowns of each activity recorded.
$100 to $200
This price range is a mixed bag, but most of these devices offer a few more features than just GPS tracking. The Garmin Forerunner 15 ($139 on Amazon) has all the GPS capabilities of the Forerunner 10, but it adds daily activity tracking and can wirelessly connect to Garmin accessories, such as a chest strap heart rate monitor.
At the top end of this spectrum, the Microsoft Band ($200) is more of an all-purpose device. It supports activity tracking, heart rate monitoring, GPS and smartphone notifications. Plus, you can download workout routines to the band to follow along with.
$200 to $300
Devices in this price range tend to have premium features like smartphone notifications, built-in optical heart rate monitors and sometimes music controls. The Fitbit Surge ($249 on Amazon) lets you know who's calling or texting you while you run, while continuously monitoring heart rate and letting you flip through songs in your workout playlist. The TomTom Runner Cardio ($269 on Amazon) focuses more on running performance, letting you work toward preset goals like endurance, fat burn and speed. It also has a heart rate monitor built into the watch, and it's water-resistant up to 165 feet.
Over $300
Tomtom Sports Pace Measurements
This is where the big boys come out to play. The Suunto Ambit3 Peak ($500 on Amazon) not only has GPS, but also a barometric altimeter and digital compass, making it exceptionally easy to know where you are and where you're going. The device monitors speed, distance, pace, laps and much more while tracking a variety of activities, including swimming. Its battery will also last up to 50 hours in GPS mode. Many watches in this price range come with displays large enough to show a map of your running route and include wireless syncing as a standard feature.
Find the Best GPS Watch for YouBest Value: Garmin Forerunner 10
The $99 Garmin Forerunner 10 is beautifully simple — you wear it while running, and that's it. It tracks distance, pace, speed and laps while mapping your route. It's a no-frills device that, with its comfortable yet plain design, makes it easy to wear even through the longest runs. And it's the most affordable quality GPS watch you'll find.
Best for Multiple Activities: Fitbit Surge
If you find yourself hiking in the morning, jogging in the afternoon and going to kickboxing class at night, the $249 Fitbit Surge can keep up with you through all of those activities. You can choose a specific activity you want to monitor with the watch's full touch screen, and it uses its embedded heart rate monitor and GPS where necessary to capture as much data as possible. The Surge also delivers call and text notifications from your smartphone, and lets you control music on your phone.
Best for Hardcore Training: TomTom Multi-Sport Cardio
The $299 TomTom Multi-Sport Cardio gives you the best bang for your buck when it comes to elite GPS watches. This watch has a built-in heart rate monitor and GPS, and can track running, cycling and swimming. The Cardio will measure your distance, speed, pace and calories and even keep track of heart rate zones as you exercise. Syncing all your data to TomTom's mobile and Web app lets you see maps of all your past routes, giving you as much insight as possible into your training. Spending an extra $100 will get you an altimeter and cadence sensor.
Fitness trackers aren’t exactly uncommon these days. Not only are there dozens of them on the market, but there’s little to set many of them apart. Even the ones that are unique are often riddled with issues like inaccurate heart rate tracking.
TomTom, however, hopes to change that. The company has come out with the Spark 3, the third iteration in the much-loved and highly reviewed Spark fitness tracker line. But does the Spark 3 live up to the Spark name? We took the device for a spin (and a run…and a swim) to find out.
It’s important to note that the Spark 3 comes in a range of different models with different features. We’re testing out the Spark 3 Cardio + Music version of the device.
Built for sport
The Spark 3 is quite obviously built with the sportsperson in mind – it’s not something you would wear with a suit and tie, or even necessarily to work. While it’s technically a member of the “sports watch” category, there’s a heavy emphasis on sports here.
Unlike some other sports watches, the main body of the device separates from the band, which is something you’ll have to do in order to charge it. That’s not to say that it can slide in and come out easily – it never felt like the body was going to fall out at random times, and to take it out, you’ll need to press reasonably hard.
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The Spark 3 is quite obviously built with the sportsperson in mind – it’s not something you would wear with a suit and tie, or even necessarily to work regularly.
When you first get the Spark 3, you’ll notice that it’s nowhere near as chunky as some other sports watches. The main body is 11.5mm thick, but it doesn’t feel that thick by any means, especially when it’s in the band and on your wrist. The body is fairly oddly shaped – it’s got a rectangular screen, but underneath that screen the body continues to protrude down, where you’ll find the physical buttons. There are four buttons, up and down, and left and right – all of which are located around what looks like it should be one main button. It’s not a main button at all; instead it’s just a piece of plastic that helps you find where the buttons are.
The Spark 3 certainly isn’t ugly, but a few changes would have been nice – for example, the unit as a whole might have looked a little smoother if it had a touchscreen and did away with the physical buttons altogether. It isn’t the most comfortable watch out there either, especially with the rubber band that we tested. Part of that has to do with the rubber and how it rubs against the skin, especially considering you have to strap it on snuggly in order for the heart rate monitor to work properly. The band also doesn’t really let much air in; it got really sweaty under there after only a moderate run. That’s partially why you may not want to wear this device all day everyday – instead it works best as a wear-it-while-you-workout kind of device.
Setup and the TomTom app: why so many apps?
Unfortunately, setting up the device isn’t the easiest process. You have to go to the TomTom website and download the app for your computer first, after which you’ll need to plug it in, then download the smartphone app (Android | iOS), set the app up for pairing, set the watch up for pairing, and then follow the on-screen instructions. The desktop app is a nice feature at times, but it certainly doesn’t make sense as a necessary part of the set-up process, and it would have been nice if you could simply set it up without using a computer at all.
Speaking of the smartphone app, it feels like there are a few things missing here. For example, you can only sync music to the watch using the desktop app, which is a bit of a pain. There were also problems getting the watch and the app to sync up. After first connecting the two, we assumed they would pair up relatively quickly once they were near each other. Instead, the app regularly got stuck in the pairing process and we were often told to restart Bluetooth on my phone – a process that rarely worked. Sometimes the two would sync up and information would transfer over automatically, but whenever we tried to sync them up on command, we would run into far too many issues.
How’s the tracking?
If you can get past the syncing and comfort issues, the tracking features really makes the Spark 3 shine. You’ll find seven different tracking modes on the device: run, cycle, swim, treadmill, gym, indoor, and freestyle. You’ll also get a stopwatch mode if you need to time yourself.
Once you enter a mode, you’ll be presented with all the information you need, like route information and heart rate. That can be convenient when you’re on a run and don’t want to pull out your phone or another device – simply take a quick glance at your watch and you’ll see what you need to know.
Another nice thing about the Spark 3 is the accuracy of the heart rate monitor. While other fitness trackers have had varying results when it comes to tracking heart rate, we had no issues with this one – in fact, on the contrary it managed to keep up pretty well.
A weak point on the Spark 3’s fitness tracking is the slight delay in initially picking up a GPS signal, and it may drop out a few times during your workout – perhaps once or twice in an hour. That’s not a deal breaker, but something to keep in mind nonetheless. Overall we found that the GPS was pretty accurate, even if it did drop out every now and again.
While other fitness trackers have had varying results when it comes to tracking heart rate, we had no issues with this one.
Setting up the device for a workout is extremely easy. Simply choose which type of workout you want, let it get itself ready with the GPS and heart rate monitor, and then hit “get going.” Once you finish your workout, long press the left button to end the workout and you’ll get quite a bit of information to review once the workout data syncs to the phone. After a run, for example, you’ll be able to see information like where you went on your run, how far you went, your average heart rate, your heart rate over time, and so on – all information that you can use to tweak your workouts and runs. After swimming, you’ll be able to see your distance, number of strokes per minute, speed, and more. It’s a lot of information and the TomTom app presents it in an easy-to-read manner.
One of the biggest things that the Spark 3 has over the Spark 2 is the new route exploration feature, which basically shows your run being mapped out as you go, and can help you find your way back to your starting point if you happen to get lost on your run – all of which uses the new built in compass. Not only that, but you can also add routes to the watch, which is a nice addition often reserved for more expensive fitness tracking devices. TomTom supports uploads of GPX files, which is the most common form of GPS data file, but you’ll need to do that through the desktop app.
Run to some tunes
One version of the device – the Spark 3 Cardio + Music – allows for music playback, and it comes with a Bluetooth headset for listening on the go, adding a whole new functionality to the watch. We had a few issues connecting the device to the headset, especially with other Bluetooth headphones around, but after a few tries they connected and started playing our tunes.
The device features 3GB of storage, and you’ll need to upload music in the form of playlists from iTunes. The desktop app is able to scan your computer for playlists, which is pretty convenient, but you’re stuck if you’re a Spotify user or tend to go for another streaming service. The advantage, however, is that you can run to music without needing to carry your smartphone around.
The headphones that come with the device are adequate, but audiophiles may want to use their preferred option. We did experience one of the earbuds falling out a lot during running, so if you’re serious about listening to music while you workout, it may be worth investing in some other workout earbuds.
Battery life
The Spark 3 is definitely equipped for both short workouts and marathons – TomTom says that you’ll get as much as 11 hours of battery life in tracking mode, which is around what we experienced. Of course, most people will get far more than that – few use the tracking mode for 11 consecutive hours per day, so if you work out for an hour a day, then you’ll get multiple days of use out of a single charge.
In general, your battery life will vary depending on how many sensors you keep on during use. For example, the heart rate sensor will take a toll on battery life, but if you keep the sensors mostly off, you’ll get a week or more of use.
Our Take
The TomTom Spark 3 is an excellent fitness tracking device, but it’s one that’s probably better suited to the workout junkie rather than the casual user who wants a smartwatch they can use to workout. This device doesn’t offer notifications from your phone, so if that’s something you’re looking for you may want to look elsewhere, such as a device from Garmin.
Tomtom Sports Pace Measurement Center
Still, if you are a fitness junkie, this is an excellent option. With GPS, the ability to play music, and excellent accuracy, you can’t do much better at this price. – the device ranges between $130 and $250 depending on the features you want. All models are waterproof up to 40m too, so this will be enough for any swimmer not using it for scuba diving.
Is there a better alternative?
The DT Accessory Pack
Not at this price. The Spark is an excellent device for fitness purposes and those looking for a more comprehensive fitness tracking watch will have to move up to another pricing tier.
How long will it last?
Given its waterproofing and the fact that you’ll mostly use this while working out rather than on the day-to-day, this device should last at least a few years.
Should you buy it?
If you’re looking for a fitness watch to use while you’re working out, then this is the device for you. For a more comprehensive smartwatch, however, you may want to look elsewhere.
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