Polar has chosen the worst time to launch its new outdoor adventure watch, the Polar Grit X, just as Fitbit chose the same time to announce the new Fitbit Charge 4 with built-in GPS. The Polar Grit X is aimed at “outdoor enthusiasts” who want to “push their limits,” but given the current circumstances, it might be a bit difficult to sell a smartwatch for lovers of training in the park.
Regardless of the bad time, the Polar Grit X has a few tricks up its sleeve, such as the new Hill Splitter feature that “automatically detects ascending and descending segments and offers detailed climb / descent performance reports after each session.” This will be useful for all trail runners and even beginners who want to better understand their performance on slopes. Once we are allowed to leave, it will be so.
There’s also the new FuelWise smart fuel assistant that can deliver “personalized, automatic refill and feed reminders needed to maintain adequate energy and hydration even for the longest sessions.”
Release date, availability and price
The Polar Grit X is available to buy now on the Polar website for € 429 in small and medium / large sizes. We will find it in two different strap colors (standard straps): black and olive green. Black, white and green silicone bands are available for € 29. Green Tundra, Red Paracord and Blue Paracord textile bands are available for € 39.90. Although the most expensive are leather bands , which are priced at € 49.90.
Enhanced battery for great performance
The Polar Grit X features an American standard military grade construction (MIL-STD-810G), designed to “withstand the harshest conditions.” The watch is quite light , although not super light considering the circumstances, but it is definitely lighter than the new Casio G-Shock GBD-H1000.
When it comes to battery life, the Polar Grit X can offer up to 40 hours of continuous monitoring with all functions fully activated, and even up to 100 hours through multiple power saving options . This power saving feature sounds similar to Suunto’s FusedTrack and Garmin’s UltraTrac: it probably only checks the GPS signal occasionally and turns off the optical FC sensor to save battery power.
What new features does it have?
Other new additions to the new Polar Grit X include Komoot integration for route sourcing and turn-by-turn guidance, as well as current and 2-day weather forecasts for easier planning and on-the-go updates as evolutions terms.
Other features included:
- Polar Precision Prime: Polar’s 9- sensor optical heart rate sensor returns with differently colored LEDs, possibly for a more accurate reading on different skin colors.
- FitSpark Polar Grit X and the FitSpark Training Guide are ready-to-use daily workouts that match your recovery, readiness and training history. Sort of like an adapted virtual trainer.
- Nighttime Refill: An overnight recovery measure that shows how well you recovered from all the stress of yesterday, like queuing for toilet paper and hand sanitizer. It’s similar to Garmin’s body drum feature, but with more emphasis on workout recovery.
- Training Load Pro: Training Load Pro “takes a holistic approach, combining Cardio Load, Muscle Load and Perceived Load in one easy-to-understand view.” Essentially, it’s a quick view of your training status, based on an algorithm.
- Sleep Plus Stages: Polar Grit X can track your sleep stages and, through the Polar Flow app, offers “detailed information about the quality of your sleep”. The watch looks a bit large to be worn at night, but if you do, you can take advantage of this feature.
- Running Power: The Grit X monitors your wrist muscle work rate while running, with no additional straps or treadmills. According to Polar, “Running Power is the key to measuring the intensity of running training, allowing you to reach your perfect running intensities every time.”
