3 best alternatives to TomTom Spark 3 as of 2018 - Slant

Garmin Forerunner 630

Top Pro

It's a powerful tool for experienced runners

On top of tracking the stats that most sports watches track, such as step count, burned calories and covered distance, the Forerunner also records a number of in-depth measurements, like heart-rate patterns, running cadence, VO2 max, and many others. See More

Top Con

It's only designed for runners

The Forerunner 630 only has one tracking mode - running. If you also do a lot of biking or swimming, or any other activity, you won't get any meaningful data. See More

Top Pro

It easily oupterforms newer and more expensive watches

Even though this watch was first introduced in 2015, in many ways it still beats the vast majority of new and much more expensive watches: It's 10 to 20 grams lighter than most alternatives; The battery lasts for four whole weeks with the GPS turned off, when the majority of newer models last only for 5-10 days. In GPS mode, it lasts for 16 hours, outperforming most watches that hold a charge for 5-10 hours. And with both GPS and Glonass, the precision and reliability of tracking are great too. Best part of all, the Forerunner 630 comes around $200 cheaper than what you'd pay for a newer watch with comparable performance. See More

Top Con

There's no built-in heart rate monitor

You can only get heart rate data if you purchase the Forerunner 630 Bundle that includes a chest strap. It will cost you about $450. See More

Top Pro

Very long battery life

In idle mode, the battery will last for up to four weeks, when most GPS watches last at best 7-10 days. Of course, the actual battery life will depend largely on how you use the watch, but it's one of the best batteries available in a sports watch nevertheless. See More

Top Pro

Mapping is very reliable

The Forerunner has both GPS and Glonass services, so there's very little chance that it will lose your geolocation. There's also UltraTrack, a tracking mode with low energy consumption but less precision that can be helpful during a multiple-day hike. See More

Top Pro

Using it is intuitive

Especially if you owned previous Garmin models, using this watch is very simple. All modes and apps can be accessed via the touchscreen. You can also access some functions, like turning the watch on and off and locking the screen with physical buttons on the sides. See More

Top Pro

You can use it as an everyday watch

Besides tracking various fitness indicators, you can use this watch to get call and text notifications from your phone and check the weather. See More

Top Pro

The display is easy to read

The screen is big enough for you to be able to easily follow paths and read notification and text messages. The image is very clear, even under direct sunlight. See More

Specs

Touchscreen:Yes

Thickness:11.7 mm

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Garmin Forerunner 935

Top Pro

This is one of the best fitness trackers for triathletes

Among many other types of sports, the Forerunner 935 lets you track running, biking, and swimming. Better yet, you can combine the whole triathlon training session under a single workout - you don't even have to press a button to get accurate data from each activity. See More

Top Con

It's expensive

Although this watch has many advantages over the competition, it still remains very expensive. You can get a very good sports watch for about half the price of Forerunner 935, or even less. See More

Top Pro

It's great for people pursuing a lot of sports types

The Garmin Forerunner 935 will be a good option for a person who likes to try a lot of different activities, such as hiking, skiing, skydiving, rowing, and many more. It can track a vast number of in and outdoor activities and provide in-depth indicators that will help you adjust the intensity and timing of your workouts. See More

Top Pro

Long battery life makes it a great option for hikers and marathon runners

If you're training for a marathon or are planning to go on a multiple-day hike, this is one of the best sports watches to have. It can last for full 24 hours with GPS on, while the majority of alternatives available on the market provide less than a half of that time. See More

Specs

Waterproof:50 m

Thickness:14 mm

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Polar M430

Top Pro

It can track a variety of activities

Although this watch is targeted primarily at runners, you can also use it for biking, swimming, strength training, and many other indoor and outdoor activities that you can choose in the Polar app. See More

Top Con

The software is somewhat limited

You are basically stuck with only three watch faces, which limits your ability to customize the watch for your particular needs and preferences. See More

Top Pro

It doubles as a great general-use fitness tracker

Not only is this watch useful for running, you can leave it on for the whole day and it will monitor your sleep, give recommendations on training intensity as well as recovery, and keep your heart rate in check. With GPS off, it can work for 20 days, so you'll only have to take it off twice a month or so to recharge. See More

Top Con

You'll have to rely solely on GPS for tracking

Overall, the tracking works well, but it would be much more reliable if the watch also had Glonass capabilities, in case you lose GPS signal. See More

Top Pro

The price is very competitve

This watch offers great value for the money - usually, you have to be ready to pay $300 and more for a decent sports watch, but M430 does the same job and costs around $200. See More

Top Con

No music playback

This watch can neither store any music or control the playback from your phone. See More

Top Pro

It has one of the most precise on-wrist heart rate monitors

Even to date, the majority of sports watches don't offer particularly good hear rate tracking capabilities. You either have to buy an additional chest strap or rely on built-in sensors that are often imprecise. The M430 offers the best of the two worlds - you can get data nearly as precise as from a chest strap without having to buy and wear one. See More

Specs

Touchscreen:Yes

Thickness:12 mm

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