Polar A360 reviewed: Another fitness tracker with smartwatch envy

Video shot/edited by Jennifer Hahn. (video link)

At the end of last year, both Garmin and Polar introduced new fitness trackers that incorporate a few smartwatch features. Garmin's is the formidable Vívosmart HR and Polar's is the A360. Both combine heart rate monitors with daily activity tracking and smartphone notifications to make all-purpose devices that are meant to live on your wrist. Polar's $199 A360 is a little more customizable than the Garmin device, and it borrows features from Polar's other trackers that are ideal for anyone doing regular, serious training sessions.

Design: A little bulky, but it could be worse

The A360 is the slightly chunkier cousin of Polar's Loop 2, with its thumb-sized module and stretchy silicone band. Its 160×80-pixel color LCD touchscreen is bold and easy to use, while the button on the bottom left corner is awkward at first, particularly if you wear the A360 on your left wrist like I did. But you get used to it after a day or so. Like many other wristbands, the A360's display lights up to show the time when you flick your wrist.

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