TomTom Multisport Cardio & MFP

I have a Tomtom Multisport (not cardio) which I link to MFP via Strava. It works fine (apart from a minor blip last week when I had a new Fitbit and that confused things) and will also name my activities on Strava as swimming, run etc. Strava seems to do a better job at interpreting the data (such as a hike with a lunch break where I forgot to pause) than the tomtom app.

You're right about battery life too - dead impressed.

After using the TomTom Spark for a week here are my insights regarding using it and why I decided to buy it over other devices (and trust me I researched them thoroughly) .

For those who don't want to read it all, the short of it is "I LIKE!"

I looked at all the currently available activity/sports tracking watches with wrist based HRMs and decided on the standard Spark Cardio/GPS without music. I opted for a model without music because the music features weren't of interest to me, mainly because of the limit of 10 playlists, and 3 gb capacity (my music collection is close to 50 times that). When I used to cycle/jog I didn't listen to music as I preferred to be alert and able to listen for traffic on the roads, for other users when I was on canal tow paths, public footpaths etc. Also after going though lots of different types of headphones I have settled on a nice pair of wired headphones, and didn't feel like spending another £80+ on a Bluetooth pair.

Pretty much it does nearly everything I want it to do, is easy and intuitive to use, the HRM seems accurate, it's water proof, it tracks walks, runs, cycling (including cadence with a cadence/speed meter, which I will haven't tested since my existing one is a Garmin ANT one, which is an unsupported format), it calculates (maybe estimates) daily calorie use, distance moved in a day, how long you've been active, and how many steps you've taken.

Confirmed updates include smart phone notifications, 24/7 heart rate monitoring, and being able to post your activity data to social media. (http://uk.support.tomtom.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/21693/) This will bring it closer in line to the Fitbit Surge.

I've also read that a planned update will include VO2 max calculations, so if you workout to heart rate zones, you can do that more accurately. (http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2015/09/tomtom-spark-first-impressions.html) Since this isn't an officially announced update I would take that with a pinch of salt.

The GPS lock was fast, much faster than my (much) old Garmin sports watch and 2 year old Garmin cycling computer.

It was important to me that the watch was water proof because I go swimming, I turned the mode to Gym mode and the heart rate sensor worked underwater and tracked my heart rate and calorie use. I tried the swim mode, but it didn't work correctly for me, which is a common problem, but in my case it's probably caused by a lazy and inconsistent stroke

The swimming mode doesn't measure heart rate (because of potential difficulties with water interfering with the readings). I exercise by heart rate, so not using the dedicated swimming mode and using a mode that only records heart rate and time is preferable to me. Ideally they'll be an update that allows heart rate monitoring while using the swimming mode, and by then my lessons would have allowed me to swim with a stroke that can be tracked by the watch (I am currently learning to swim to rehab a back injury).

The music feature also doesn't work while swimming as the watch would be immersed in water and the water would block or interfere with the signal to the headphones. The same goes for the GPS.

Again, it is really easy to use. I mention this again because it's such an important point for me. I like the control system, it's not as fiddly as I thought it would be. I like how the back light is turned on my covering the face of the watch with your palm (I use my fingers). It's easy to do, and wouldn't be awkward if I was jogging.

Tap once to see your daily activity record, tapping up and down shows your active time, distance travelled, steps taken, calories burnt. Tapping left again to see your weekly records.

Tapping down lets you go to the settings, and see watch details, including battery life in the about setting. Going to the sensor settings allows you to get a live heart rate reading after 6 or so seconds.

Tapping right lets you select, start your and record your exercise (running, cycling, swimming, gym, or freestyle). Once you select a workout type, you can tap down to change settings, up to see the history for that exercise type, or right to start recording.

Tapping up is meant to control your music, but I can't comment on that as I opted for a model without the music.

Some people have issues with wrist based heart rate monitors when they are doing an activity that causes their wrist to be under tension (weight lifting/rowing/crossfit). You can use an external chest strap HRM if this is the case, but since mine is a Garmin ANT one and not a Bluetooth 4/smart/LE one I have been unable to test how well this works. I have however used the watch while doing some weights (bench press, curls and sitting shoulder press) and didn't notice any issues with the heart rate reading seeming too low or erratic.

Using an external chest HRM means you can also wear the watch over a base layer/over your clothes when you go cycling/running in the winter and still see the watch and not use the heart rate data without freezing your wrist off.

Currently the worst part of using the watch isn't the watch it's self, but the web/phone app that you use to look at and analyse your activity, it's a bit poor compared to Garmin Connect and others, but you can export your data to many different sites (such as this one) automatically.

From what I've read TomTom used to use MapMyFitness, but have now opted to go their own way and are developing their own app/webpage which is constantly being updated.

Exporting to this site gives all my freestyle workouts the same name "Running (jogging), 7 mph (8.5 min mile)" but the calorie count is correct (or at least matches what the watch calculated).

The watch pops out of the strap, so you can change the strap to a different colour or the running/sports style of the TomTom Runner 2 strap if that's something you're interested in. If the strap gets damaged you can change it for a new one without having to buy a new watch.

Talking of the strap I find it comfortable, can sleep with it and wear it all day and night.

Comparing it to the Fitbit Surge, the TomTom Spark doesn't monitor the quality of your sleep, just how long you've slept for. The mysports app also doesn't currently allow for logging food/calorie counting. But you can export all your workouts here, and use this site's food log. The Fitbit Surge does both of these things, but isn't water proof, doesn't record/show cadence while cycling. It is also a one piece design, so if the strap gets damaged/broken the whole unit is defective. The Fitbit Surge also tracks how many flights of stairs you've climbed, which the TomTom Spark doesn't. The Fitbit Surge also doesn't allow for the use of an external chest strap HRM for instances it's sensor is inaccurate or inconvenient to use. There are probably other things the Fitbit Surge does that this watch doesn't, but I can't recall them as they didn't interest me when I read them.
The Fitbit also currently allows for smart phone notifications, posting to social media and 24/7 heart rate tracking, these have been announced by TomTom as features in an upcoming firmware update for the TomTom Spark.

The Garmin Vivoactive's swimming mode works better (by virtue of working), and has a golf mode to tell you how far you are from the green, has a colour screen. Sadly it uses a chest band heart rate strap, so that ruled it out for me as a 24/7 activity tracker.

Garmin's Vívosmart HR has a wrist based heart rate monitor, but no GPS and limited use as a multisport watch.

There isn't a perfect activity/multisport watch out yet, and each one is a compromise. It's down to which features you want and can do without. I'm not too fussed about sleep analysis, how many flights of stairs I've climbed, or the other features missing from the Spark. The features missing from the Garmins and the Fitbit Surge are things I wanted.

Since I hurt my back, swimming is the only pain free exercise I can do for prolonged periods of time, so it being water proof was the most important thing for me. Since it would be replacing a running watch, and being used to log cycle rides once I can cycle and jog again, having GPS and the ability to use a cadence meter was important to me. Also, as a 24/7 activity tracker I wanted a wrist based HRM.

Feature wise for me, it's the watch that was closest to what I wanted. If you want music, then there's not much competition for it.

TomTom are also a well respected brand here in the UK/Europe for their GPS guidance devices, and I have TomTom car navigation devices, which I like and find easy to use. These facts probably played a part in me feeling confident about purchasing and owning a TomTom multisport/activity tracker.

For me personally, it works well, it does what I want and if there are further updates to the firmware and web/app software the experience can only get better.

Probably far better reviews are http://the5krunner.com/2015/10/19/tomtom-runner-2-spark-detailed-review/ and www.wareable.com/sport/tomtom-spark-review

One thing I forgot to mention, is that it doesn't have an auto pause. So if you've stopped at a traffic lights, it'll carry on recording.

hedgehog002 wrote: »

godsrose wrote: »

@hedgehog002 do you like the TomTom Spark music? I can't find any reviews on it. I just got it for Christmas and would like to know how well it works. Was thinking about exchanging it for something with good reviews. It's my first TomTom product. Thank you!

I have to say other than the fact that the step count does not show on the MFP app and the issues with it syncing to its own app, I really do like the Spark. I like that I can take it in the water and not worry about it dying on me. Pairing bluthooth headphones can be a little tricky as is loading the music. However, it's nice to have your own music on without needing your phone nearby for those days in the gym. The band is very cmfotable and it has a nice large face to read all the information. I got mine a few days before Christmas and am still learning. This is also my first TomTom product. All in all, it's a good product that still has room to grow. ☺

My TomTom Runner had issues syncing to the app as well. Now I know you just have to hit the button to the left (on the Runner, it brings up the summary screen with the battery charge, storage capacity, etc.) and that starts the sync. Probably an undocumented "feature" LOL. I purchased the Garmin 235 at the beginning of the month and just sent it back to get the TomTom Spark Cardio. The Garmin (which also never automatically synced to the software, though it did have a force sync feature that was 6 clicks into the menu system rather than just one on the TomTom) had a lot of quirks and bugs. If I'm going to have quirks and bugs anyway, I'll go with the much cheaper watch.