The Grit X is the most advanced smartwatch that Polar has put out yet, firmly aimed at those who need their wearables to go above and beyond the norm, and don't mind paying for it – though the watch still comes in at a reasonable price.
Just about everything you could want from an outdoors smartwatch is included here: GPS, a compass, an altimeter, and all the sensors you need to track steps, sleep, heart rate, calorie burn, VO2max and more. You can even get reminders to refuel with liquids or food if you think you'll need them.
You can dig into your stats much more than with a standard fitness tracker – see your uphill vs downhill performance for example, check how well your body is recovering after exercise, monitor the intensity of your running and so on. If you want a comprehensive breakdown of your activities, the Polar Grit X can provide it.
At 64 grams the Grit X is a lightweight timepiece, but it's also passed the MIL-STD-810G military standards for toughness and resistance to temperature and humidity. With most features enabled (including navigation), Polar is claiming a 40-hour battery life; switch a lot of the sensors off, and you can eke that out to 100 hours.
There's no standalone LTE connection here, but Polar says two-day weather forecasts can be beamed straight to the Grit X, giving you a better chance of surviving out in the wilds if you have to do without your phone.
Like many similar watches from Fitbit and Garmin, there are extra software features to help you dig deeper into your activity stats and act upon them: the Smart Coaching tool will make suggestions about how to improve your health and wellbeing, for example, even if it's just some basic breathing exercises.
While hikers, runners and cyclists may well be cooped up indoors at the moment, the Polar Grit X will no doubt appeal to help people prepare for getting back outside when the time comes. It looks stylish enough too, with a 1.2-inch color screen.
You can buy the Grit X now direct from Polar for US$429.95, with three models available: an all-black design, a green and silver design, and a smaller all-white design. A variety of different silicone, fabric and leather bands are available too, selling for $29.90, $39.90 and $49.95 respectively for each strap.
Product page: Polar
