So what this means in practice is that as soon as you start your run, a little icon appears on a blank screen saying “home” on it. A line is then drawn covering the directions you run in, with each twist and turn being shown on the screen like an etch-a-sketch drawing taking shape.[gallery:3] The main reason you'd consider upgrading from the Spark to the Spark 3 is the new route exploration feature. This basically means you can now go out on a big run and the route will be mapped out on the watch screen, helping you navigate your way home a little easier. You can now add routes to the watch as well, which is handy if you want to run an approximate distance or just freshen up your running routes. It's a feature that usually crops up on more expensive sports watches, so it's definitely a positive to see it appear on the Spark 3. The trails support is also fantastic. I moved house and so didn’t really know the running routes around here, which always makes you a little apprehensive about going out for a longer run. Thanks to the .GPX route support, I just jumped online and used PlotARoute to generate a predetermined distance based on my starting point, which can also be a circuit. You can also use MapsToGPS in conjunction with Google Maps to easily generate a .GPX route to load onto the watch.

Regardless of which model you choose, all are competitively priced; I just wish that TomTom also sold the Spark 3 Cardio + Music without the headphones. Battery Life TomTom used to be a company synonymous with add-on satellite-navigation systems for cars. Gradually, as GPS technology became more affordable and included in even the most budget of smartphones, satnav systems became less popular and TomTom needed a new plan. Its answer: scale down from cars to people, and enter the fitness market.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it – right? That appears to be TomTom’s thinking with the Spark 3, which hasn’t changed significantly in the looks department since the first version. If you’re upgrading from a running app, or this is your first fitness watch, you might find the number of options a bit daunting. The square watch face is slightly rounded at the edges, and the whole unit is controlled by a rectangular four-way button that protrudes through the strap from underneath the screen. The whole watch face pops out of the strap for charging, but don’t imagine that means you can get a more fashionable strap for it. There are a number of third-party straps available, but I wouldn’t call any of them stylish. They still need to house its heft, after all. The screen is quite dark, but it uses power-saving reflective LCD tech, so it’s always on. The four-way navigation system will take time to get used to, and finding a feature can sometimes feel like an endless game of Snake; up-left-down-down-left-right. According to TomTom, you're not required to calibrate the compass before activity but the Spark 3 will offer to calibrate if it considers it's needed. You can still calibrate whenever you wish as well.

While not offering as much at-a-glance detail as the elite Garmin Forerunner 935 for instance, information is clearly displayed and, crucially, easy to read when running. Running might be the focus on the Spark 3, but it fares very well when it comes to cycling too. Indoor and outdoor riders are covered, and you can set up the same training targets as when on two feet. The watch isn’t touch-screen, so you interact with it using a four-direction button under the face. Each direction pushes you into a different feature — Up turns on bluetooth and controls music, Left shows you your day’s fitness readings (such as number of steps), Down goes to settings and Right starts your workout. It's a similar story for cyclists if you want to capture more ride data by connecting an external cadence or speed sensor. TomTom has tested its own sensor and the Wahoo Blue SC setup as well, but it should technically work with all Bluetooth Smart compatible sensors as well. You need to head into the Sensors menu again and this time go to Bike to get things paired up. Give Spark 3 a reboot TomTom has put some much-needed work into their app over the past year and it has undoubtedly been improved, giving a decent breakdown of your activities, with splits, a map and an adjustable graph that can show heart rate, elevation and pace.For treadmill training, the Spark is pretty good at matching the totals you’ll see on the equipment and you can adjust distance easily afterwards. It offers most of the same workout options as when outdoors, so you can set up interval sessions and the like in the warmth of a gym come winter time.