UTG ULTIMATE TECH GUIDE

WHETHER YOU’RE MAKING A LAST-MINUTE CHRISTMAS LIST OR PLANNING A NEW YEAR PUSH FOR YOUR RUNNING GOALS, YOU’LL FIND GADGETS HERE TO HELP YOU MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY RUN, FROM ANALYSING YOUR NUMBERS TO JUST PROVIDING THE TUNES TO KEEP YOU MOTIVATED. WELCOME TO OUR FIRST ULTIMATE TECH GUIDE!

48 RUNNING AND SPORT WATCHES

52 FITNESS TRACKERS

54 SPORTS HEADPHONES

56 RUNNING HEADTORCHES

58 FITNESS AND RUNNING APPS

THE BEST… WATCHES

If money is no object keep track of your progress with these top-of-the-range watches

POLAR M600

£299, polar.com

For years, Polar has led the way in producing heart-rate monitors for runners and, more recently, adding built-in GPS and all-day activity tracking to its range has kept the brand up to speed with the market. The M600 builds on the M400, a slimline GPS and heart-rate monitor that syncs to Polar Flow software for in-depth analysis. The big news with this update is the integration of Google’s Android Wear to make the watch a work and lifestyle companion, with voice-activated message response (for Android users), search, and control of some functions.

The initial set-up is a bit long-winded, particularly if you’re an iOS user, but once the watch and phone are paired it’s easy to use. Two simple buttons and a bright (if small) touchscreen make it easy to navigate when you’re moving, and the screen lights up with a flick of the wrist so it’s always visible. As a sports watch it’s great, with Polar’s own 6-LED wrist-based heart-rate measurement giving accurate HR stats, and the GPS has improved from the M400 we tested, locking on straight away to start tracking your speed and distance. Through Google Play, you can access thousands of apps and sync to your music, so that you can listen to it without your phone. It feels a bit like a complex and valuable sports watch with a lifestyle bolt-on, and for Apple die-hards, the Android Wear aspect takes some getting used to. However, for people who are serious about their running and want to stay connected at the same time, it’s a good option.

GARMIN 735XT

£359.99, garmin.com

Best described as a cross between the Garmin 920XT and the 630, with the heart-rate functionality of the 235, the beauty of this watch is its ability to track training across a range of sports while delivering fitness tracking 24/7 thanks to the wrist-mounted heart-rate monitor. Smart notifications and advanced running dynamics such as stride length, ground contact time and balance all feature.

TOMTOM RUNNER3 MUSIC + CARDIO

£219.99, tomtom.com

The TomTom Runner range has been a favourite with the WR team since launch, and version 2 of this neat, user-friendly GPS watch was a winner again in our 2016 Awards. This update still features wrist-based heart-rate monitoring, 3GB of music storage and multiple sports tracking with a simple one-button operation. TomTom has also added its new route exploration feature, so you can explore new routes without fear of getting lost.

FITBIT BLAZE

£159.99, Fitbit.com

A WR Awards winner, the Blaze is a smarter offering from the market leaders in wearable tech. It’s more smart watch than sport watch – there’s no built-in GPS, for example (it uses your phone’s GPS when connected) – but our testers liked the intuitive navigation, the display, the social aspect of the app, and the connectivity with other devices. It measures heart rate, steps and sleep, and automatically senses activities like cycling and running.