Polar announces new Grit X Pro, updates to Vantage V2 and Unite: Wearables for the outdoors | ZDNet

It’s been a couple of years since I last tested a Polar GPS sports watch with the Vantage V offering a complete guided training experience for my half marathon. Today, Polar announced the latest premium GPS sports watches, the Polar Grit X Pro and Pro Titan. We have the Grit X Pro Titan on our wrist so stay tuned for more coverage as we test this newest wearable.

Also: Best sports watch in 2021

Polar obviously captures an enormous amount of data from its users and over the past year it found a decline in sporting experiences, which is expected given COVID-19 lockdowns. However, those that did get out to explore new spaces showed improved sleep quality and lower heart rate readings compared to those who stuck with familiar routes. Polar’s latest products are designed to encourage users to seek out new places and explore the world around them.

Polar Grit X Pro and Pro Titan

The Polar Grit X was introduced in April 2020 with a focus on outdoor enthusiasts. The Grit X Pro and Pro Titan enhance that Grit X experience with a sapphire glass watch face and FKM band. It is also built to withstand the elements with MIL-STD-810G durability, 100-meter water resistance and the ability to perform in temperatures from -20 to 50 degrees Celsius.

New navigation and daylight dashboards, route and elevation profiles, wrist-based running power, various fitness tests, and much more are provided by the new Grit X Pro. The Grit X Pro is available for $499.90 in Nordic Copper, Black DLC, and Arctic Gold.

The Grit X Pro Titan offers the same software and user experience with a titanium body that makes the watch 12% lighter than the Grit X Pro. It is priced $100 more at $599.95 in one color. Buyers also get a waterproof FKM band and a perforated leather band in the retail package. We will be reviewing this watch so stay tuned for more coverage.

Also: Half marathon training with the Polar Vantage V: Detailed plans, reports, and coaching lead to solid results

Polar Vantage V2 updates

While I have enjoyed using the Vantage V and older Polar devices in the past, I wasn’t a huge fan of its proprietary bands. The new Polar Vantage V2 Shift Edition comes with a couple of bands and the ability to easily swap them out with quick release bars. If you own a Vantage V2 and want standard 22mm band support you can pick up the Shift Edition bundle kit for just $49.95, includes your choice of a Polar 22mm band, and add that same capability to your existing Polar watch. The Shift Edition is available in silver and black for $549.95 each. A red color Vantage V2 is also now available.

The Polar Vantage V2 3.0 software update includes the following new features:

• Outdoor features: Always-on features including an altimeter; location coordinates, sunrise, sunset, twilight times and compass.
• Navigation features: Plan out every up and down of a route using new route and elevation profiles, and navigate back to start using the new Track Back feature.
• HR sensor mode: Use Polar Vantage V2 as a heart rate sensor to view heart rate data via BLE on gym equipment or mobile apps.

Polar Unite updates

Fans of the affordable $149.95 Polar Unite may appreciate the new teal and red color options. These lightweight 32 gram wearables offer plenty of excellent features and will also soon get a new software update. This update includes the following new features:

• Weekly summary: See weekly training stats to track progress.
• Energy sources: Learn about energy sources and how they were consumed during each training session; broken down into carbs, proteins, and fats.
• HR sensor mode: Use Polar Vantage V2 as a heart rate sensor to view heart rate data via BLE on gym equipment or mobile apps.

Polar latest new watch and updates to existing models is great to see as we end the summer training season. Polar has a solid track record of supporting its wearables with software updates for a couple of years and also offers compelling wearables at reasonable prices.