Polar Fitness Tracker Reviews 2024

The Polar Vantage V offers dead accurate heart rate data, with no chest strap needed. Polar built-in standalone GPS, as well as a barometer for predicting weather changes. This watch is worthy of professional athletes, but the rest of us will get a lot of goal setting and crunchable data, too, after learning how to use all the modes and settings.

The watch is lightweight enough not to interfere with clothing or daily tasks. Bands are made from silicone and a polymer called TPE, but Polar also has woven bands from recycled materials. TPE stands for thermoplastic elastomers, which are chemical combinations of plastic and rubber. This composition makes the band stretchable, to conform to your skin, without overheating and without ever losing its shape. You can even use a non-Polar wristband, opening a world of looks and feels, as long as the band uses spring bars in 22 mm size.

If you are willing to spend the money, and you are certain you will use the watch consistently, we are confident in saying the Polar Vantage V is one of the best fitness watches on the market, if not the planet. Of course, we are all about choices here, so read on for some lower-priced options that will take you where you need to go.

The charging port is in the wristband, a nice, convenient innovation that will make things easier. Charging is fast, and the battery will work for up to five days on a single charge. This is if you use the heart monitor the whole time. The watch weighs 45 grams, or about 1.5 ounces, including both the face and the band. The face is protected by glass and tough polymers, with stainless steel buttons and hardware.

If you use the GPS, of course, it will shorten battery life. But even with GPS, you get up to thirty hours of life. It's more than enough for a marathon, if that is your training goal, and will definitely see you through your next self-routed training 10K.

The face display is full color and is always on. We worry a bit about the watch being a distraction when you are not training, but, like a regular watch, the Vantage M is easy enough to hide under clothing. With the massive array of band choices, too, you can dress the watch down for neutral work clothes. In addition to everything else it does, this watch will help you stay fit by tracking your steps when you take the stairs at the office!

The V650, following the standard cycling computer design, looks and operates similarly to a smartphone. It is smaller, though, and comes with a sturdy mount so you can attach the computer to your handlebars. The computer weighs 120 grams (about 4 ounces). That's about 20 grams lighter than the average smartphone. The difference may seem minor, but cyclists know that every gram counts when it comes to reducing weight and maintaining speed.

The HD touch screen gives you on the road access to GPS and third party cycling app suites. Those apps include Favero, Powertap, Stages Cycling, and Quarq. Not every feature of the V650 works with every app feature, so be sure to use Polar's side by side comparison table when researching this product.

Polar included an onboard Training Benefits program. The program will give you immediate post-ride feedback on the physical effects of your ride. Accurate feedback depends on how consistently you stay in your target heart rate zones, giving you extra incentive to pedal hard and push through your training rides. In addition, you can download any premade route as long as it is in the right file format. With the V650, you could take your bike to an unfamiliar town and jump right into the most common routes. It's a great way to meet new cycling friends, along with the social sharing capabilities included with the computer.

If you are familiar with Strava, you know it is a specialized app that gives you metrics and social media for any outdoor cardio pursuit. The V650 will interface with Strava. However, it requires a paid Strava subscription to unlock all the benefits. If you already use Strava Premium, this computer will mesh right in with your existing adventures.

The price tag is the only reason the Titan did not crack our top three. It has every feature you could think of, and many that must be seen to be believed. While anyone can learn to use the watch and reap serious benefits, it is meant as a training tool for the seasoned professional, semipro, or otherwise competitive multisport participant. By the way--competing against yourself, smashing your previous records, also makes you a competitor.

The case is titanium, not stainless steel, making it virtually indestructible. The titanium also reduces weight. For all its versatility, the Titan weighs just 59 grams (2 ounces). The back cover of the face is glass fiber, reinforced with a polymer to supplement the titanium case. The battery will give you 40 hours with GPS and constant heart rate, or several days in passive tracker mode. Connectivity with devices and apps is via Bluetooth Low Energy, which uses less power than standard Bluetooth and adds to battery life.

The Gorilla Glass lens is shatterproof, scratchproof, and coated to resist fingerprints. The display is full color, always-on, and sports a 240 X 240 resolution. The GPS ad barometer sensors get a boost from something called GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System). In a nutshell, GLONASS will give you more accurate readings at high or low latitudes. GLONASS has been in orbit longer than the GPS satellites, so it has more parts and is not available on most lower-end navigational devices.

The silicone wristband is comfortable, heat resistant, and simple to adjust. If we have a bone to pick with this awesome watch, it's the custom USB charging cable. The Titan will only charge with this cable. But this is true of all Polar products; more on that later.

The face and band of this watch are thick and solid, but not bulky. The rounded square face is visibly bigger than what you would see on a traditional digital watch, with plenty of room for big, bright, easy to read numbers and menu options. Currently, the band comes in black, white, and bright orange. It is made from plastic polymers, giving the whole watch a futuristic sporty look.

This watch pairs with Polar's Polar Flow app for data management and goal tracking. One thing we really like about Polar Flow is that you can use it on a laptop or desktop. Not everyone wants to crunch numbers on a mobile screen, although the watch lets you do that with no problem if you prefer. Syncing with third-party apps, including Strava, is also possible.

For the most in-depth data, you do have to leave the app and visit the actual Polar Flow website. We don't think it's a big deal but could be inconvenient if you prefer to view all your data in one central spot. You get activity and sleep tracking with this watch, including monthly summaries in graph form. If you are new to running, this watch will support you with a 5K, 10K, marathon or half marathon training program. There's no need for paper logs, a mobile app, or that old, familiar Couch to 5K website so many of us have used.

The Ignite is a fitness watch, something in between a smartwatch and a fitness tracker. It is priced accordingly, and still has an array of features with Polar quality craftspersonship.

You can plan your workouts with the Ignite, or just let the watch do much of that planning for you. That's because the Ignite monitors your sleep, including how well you recover from activity. The watch's software will then suggest a new workout for you, tailored to your level of readiness. We wouldn't follow every single workout down to the last detail, but this feature is a good guide and a cool way to take some of the pressure off of your planning. You won't have to feel like you are hatching new plans all on your own.

The idea behind the Ignite is that it is less a sport-specific training tool, and more a central hub for helping you with overall wellness. With that in mind, the watch can track calories and summarize your movements after a group fitness session. GPS keeps track of your outdoor activities and makes it easy to revisit a favorite route later. All the logging and progress measuring comes through the Polar Flow app.

Finally, the Ignite offers a breathing exercise mode called Serene. This is proprietary to Polar. It gently guides you through progressive, mindful, relaxing breathing techniques, helping you recharge and unwind as it provides a meditation-like experience.

While lacking the special features of the Ignite, the A370 will guide your workouts and activities, giving you suggestions based on your track record and assigned parameters. Heart rate tracking is built in, but this tracker needs phone pairing for GPS use. The rectangular slimline face blends in with the rubber polymer buckle closure wristband. The band is thick and secure, but not too chunky. It comes in four different colors.

There is an advanced sleep tracking feature, called Sleep Plus, which shows you optimal bedtimes, makes getting up easier, and generally aids you in improving sleep hygiene. We think this is useful because even those of us with active lifestyles will run out of steam quickly if we short ourselves on quality sleep.

Although the GPS mapping only works with a phone, the A370 has its own sensor that gives you speed and distance from the movement of your wrist. This capability includes both treadmill workouts and outdoor runs. We can't help but wonder, though, how accurate this is for Pilates, yoga, or plain old lifting. In those sports, your wrist may not move much or may even stay still, throwing off calorie burn measurements.

The A370 is an upgrade on Polar's older, but still available, A360. That watch did not have continuous heart rate, sleep plus, or GPS with or without a paired phone.

The Fusion gives you standard step, distance, and calorie metrics. There is also a sleep hygiene tracker, and you can review elapsed active time throughout and at the end of your day. This all comes in a slimline bracelet style package, with five choices for band color. The bands are inexpensive and also easy to trade out, so you could tailor the watch to each different outfit if you are fashion minded.

Rounding out the features, you get smartphone alerts, app notifications, and vibration alerts. You can pair with your phone or other streaming mobile devices to remote control your music. While not for swimming, the Fusion resists both sweat and light splashing. The battery is good for as long as five days on one charge, with no heart rate monitoring or GPS to drain power.

When you order new, you get the tracker face, 3 different colored bands, the stainless steel closure buckle, a cradle for charging, and a micro USB cable. You also get a hard copy user manual. The sporty looking band is another elastomer, making it durable, comfy, and heat-dissipating for cool long term wear.

In fact, the blocky, thick banded MorePro, with its brightly lit chunky face, was a number one new release at the time of this writing. Customer reviews are glowing, with users praising the watch for its comfort and simplicity. The screen goes to sleep, to conserve energy; you can bring it back during a long run just by rotating your wrist! It's one of the surprising innovations you get with the IP68.

Like its higher-priced Polar counterpart, the watch gives you both GPS and GLONASS navigation without smartphone pairing. The watch is swimproof, though definitely not for seawater, so leave it ashore if you go parasailing at the beach, you get seven points of data for pool swimming, including distance, calories, strokes, laps, and more. There's also an always-on heart rate sensor, with tools to help you stay in your target zone during cardio workouts.

The IP68 will pair with most iPhones and Android phones, but no tablets. The battery can last up to seven days on a charge, less if you use the GPS often. There is a proprietary mobile app, or you can sync with both Strava and Apple Health.

The buckle's trick is that it can attach to any watch (with a 20mm band) and convert it into a basic fitness watch. The buckle's gyroscope, minimalist design, and decent Amazon reviews keep it from being a novelty, though it doesn't pretend to be the best tracker you can buy.

The buckle will track your daily activity and also monitor your sleep. Since the buckle can't actually redesign a watch face, you need a proprietary mobile app to retrieve your data. The buckle is surprisingly resilient, with decent protection against dust, rust, water, and impact.

When you pair the buckle with your iPhone or Android phone, LED lights on the buckle act as alerts. Again, this is not the most full-featured tracker, and not sport-specific at all, but we still admire its cleverness and ability to help you work on goals if you cannot use your regular tracker for some reason. We also give it credit for helping you alleviate the "look at me, I'm wearing a fitness watch" syndrome that sometimes makes even us feel a bit self-conscious.