Hi, absolutely agree with you, all you have said is my resume in last couple of weeks. Looking hardly to LOVE this watch based on what it provides on the paper but it fails seriously in real life. I have the V3, the same Elixir sensor as well as on the X2 pro. I have been waiting for the FW 2.0.19 in order to be able to say what I'll say now. Finally the fw 2.0.19 is so bad as well as the fw 1.3.5. Maybe you look into the maps and 2.0.19 gives some more features. Not useful for me. What prim for me is the HR and HRV metrics, ECG too. The Polar Elixir sensor is the WORST ppg HR reader I have EVER seen in my experience! I sign and commit to what I say. Compared to the high-end SW I have had, but also , what is frustrating, the entry level bands. Nothing to compare to the H10 that I have too, ok not fair comparison as it is the ecg, but nothing to compare to the polar OH1 ppg hr neither. So Garmin, Samsung and Huawei are 2 classes better. I've written the same to the Polar customer support...some kind of the ChatGPT answering machine, oups Polar GPT customer support. And as the Polar HR sensor is so BAD, I can no longer trust the metrics of the HRV and nightly recharge function, ANS etc. All is probably WRONG. It looks really nice in term of the design, like the french or italian car, but inside you have the s.... like if it's bought on the Aliexpress for 60eur, not 600e. so you pay 540eur for the historical branding of Polar. I think that they have no IT resources anymore...Finish companies are in deep difficulties in last 10 years and overpassed technologically. And still would like to invoice in the premium segment. I would like to believe in the IT and FW quality issues. If it is the hardware what's the final difference if any...not having the quality sensor in the high end watch is the suicide in 2020ies. or they expect some kind of the OPA very soon and don't want to invest looking in the short term EBITA figures. another disappointing thing is the low quality ECG sensor. Poor readings...and now I see better why there is no AFIB detection in their ecg specs. I've thought that Polar have no money to invest in the FDA and EU ecg afib certification, but in fact after the real field/life tests, so real condition measuring the very light Afib event, around 80/90bpm, very easy exercise for ecg watches, the Elixir Vantage V3, the same will be with the Grit X2, is not able to measure the ECG signal well. it is noisy! The same eveny in pararell measured by the H10, goes PERFECTLY...I mean with all limitations of the 2 leads, position etc, but very useful information. Lifesaving information maybe. The V3 is absolutely not able to measure the afib event, neither tracing the ecg for the reliable HR ECG, even not the light one...And the PPG HR stays at 60bpm...It's like the dangerous joke, when on afib you're at 100bpm. All wrong. so they will never obtain the afib certification. they know it and will not ask for it. I would like and will be HAPPY if I'm wrong. I am back to the H10 and orthostatic test with the V3, available also with old polars. the integrated ecg is bad too so I don't use it anymore...you can see in the variation of the HRV measurement H10 vs V3 integrated ecg. RIP Polar. Cheers. PS : I know that the Apple watch has the best HR tracking up today, so as well as their HR the HRV logically will be the most accurate, so well the night sleep tracking etc. but I refuse to go to the Iphone, closed eco system, too many restrictions. So maybe have to go to Garmin, when they get ECG unlocked for the EU...to be followed.
Your´s the best "review" of the new Polar devices I´ve come across. I´m still using the old Vantage V and it´s OHR is not too far off compared to my H10. But I wanted to upgrade and now I´m in the same boat as you. Apple? No, I use Android phones and keep in mind, you have to buy (!) additional apps to get the full functionality out of the Apple watch. Garmin? Looked into Epix 2 pro and Forerunner 965 and am not so sure. The UI seems cluttered and I somehow don´t like Garmin. Maybe the Venue 3 would be enough for me, but I want navigation and all the sports metrics. Coros and Suunto are no option.
I experienced similar poor OHR results while walking and hiking with my Polar V3, to the point where I just disabled the OHR under options each time. I found though that if I wear the watch higher -- 2 finger-widths above my wrist -- and tighter, it does less poorly, to the point where it has some utility.
Great review Hunter, thanks for a job well done! Interesting that no other reviewer has mentioned the rather dinty vibration, which I think is too weak already in my current Grit X Pro. Is it similar or even weaker than in the original GxP? The complementary info here will definitely help me decide...I think. Keep up the good work!
POLAR keep realesing watches that are, really nice hardware pieces, but are 50-60% complete on the the Firmware side. On realese, it's not stable, and damn it ... the UI - UX on POLAR's watches is just ... not good, thoses menus are the same since 5 years now. For me, the watches deserved so much better in terms of features and UI. Esspecially with the AMOLEDs now. Nice honnest review, keep on the good work man.
Thanks! And I agree - but it will say this watch does feel like a step up, and I am totally fine with a repeat version of the way they handle glances because it seems like everybody is somewhat similar in this area so their version doesn't feel outdated. But the firmware issues for heart rate tracking for a workout on a sports training watch being this incorrect is totally unacceptable!
Thanks for this review! I've been researching and researching this watch and I can't get it out of my head, but I think it's just the appearance that sells it to me. The heart rate and the sleep monitoring issues (requires 4+ hours of uninterrupted sleep in order to reford anything) are a huge downer! This gives me a lot to think about. I still might splurge and get it. Is your opinion so strong that you'll never use it, or just mininally or what? Just curious.
Great questions! My opinion is that it's great if you for sure connect to chest strap or external HR monitor for workouts, and I wish it was really $600 or maybe $650 at most! I won't be keeping mine. If I was given one I'd likely think about it being my daily watch, but not sure would replace Garmin
Hahaha - not this one! I honestly love their wellness and recovery nightly recharge. I love it! But it's unfortunately because the watch is a little too one dimensional otherwise compared to someone like Garmin that I would turn it down, not to mention a severely faulty workout heart rate accuracy!
Hi, absolutely agree with you, all you have said is my resume in last couple of weeks. Looking hardly to LOVE this watch based on what it provides on the paper but it fails seriously in real life. I have the V3, the same Elixir sensor as well as on the X2 pro. I have been waiting for the FW 2.0.19 in order to be able to say what I'll say now. Finally the fw 2.0.19 is so bad as well as the fw 1.3.5. Maybe you look into the maps and 2.0.19 gives some more features. Not useful for me. What prim for me is the HR and HRV metrics, ECG too. The Polar Elixir sensor is the WORST ppg HR reader I have EVER seen in my experience! I sign and commit to what I say. Compared to the high-end SW I have had, but also , what is frustrating, the entry level bands. Nothing to compare to the H10 that I have too, ok not fair comparison as it is the ecg, but nothing to compare to the polar OH1 ppg hr neither. So Garmin, Samsung and Huawei are 2 classes better. I've written the same to the Polar customer support...some kind of the ChatGPT answering machine, oups Polar GPT customer support. And as the Polar HR sensor is so BAD, I can no longer trust the metrics of the HRV and nightly recharge function, ANS etc. All is probably WRONG. It looks really nice in term of the design, like the french or italian car, but inside you have the s.... like if it's bought on the Aliexpress for 60eur, not 600e. so you pay 540eur for the historical branding of Polar. I think that they have no IT resources anymore...Finish companies are in deep difficulties in last 10 years and overpassed technologically. And still would like to invoice in the premium segment. I would like to believe in the IT and FW quality issues. If it is the hardware what's the final difference if any...not having the quality sensor in the high end watch is the suicide in 2020ies. or they expect some kind of the OPA very soon and don't want to invest looking in the short term EBITA figures. another disappointing thing is the low quality ECG sensor. Poor readings...and now I see better why there is no AFIB detection in their ecg specs. I've thought that Polar have no money to invest in the FDA and EU ecg afib certification, but in fact after the real field/life tests, so real condition measuring the very light Afib event, around 80/90bpm, very easy exercise for ecg watches, the Elixir Vantage V3, the same will be with the Grit X2, is not able to measure the ECG signal well. it is noisy! The same eveny in pararell measured by the H10, goes PERFECTLY...I mean with all limitations of the 2 leads, position etc, but very useful information. Lifesaving information maybe. The V3 is absolutely not able to measure the afib event, neither tracing the ecg for the reliable HR ECG, even not the light one...And the PPG HR stays at 60bpm...It's like the dangerous joke, when on afib you're at 100bpm. All wrong. so they will never obtain the afib certification. they know it and will not ask for it. I would like and will be HAPPY if I'm wrong. I am back to the H10 and orthostatic test with the V3, available also with old polars. the integrated ecg is bad too so I don't use it anymore...you can see in the variation of the HRV measurement H10 vs V3 integrated ecg. RIP Polar. Cheers. PS : I know that the Apple watch has the best HR tracking up today, so as well as their HR the HRV logically will be the most accurate, so well the night sleep tracking etc. but I refuse to go to the Iphone, closed eco system, too many restrictions. So maybe have to go to Garmin, when they get ECG unlocked for the EU...to be followed.
Your´s the best "review" of the new Polar devices I´ve come across. I´m still using the old Vantage V and it´s OHR is not too far off compared to my H10. But I wanted to upgrade and now I´m in the same boat as you. Apple? No, I use Android phones and keep in mind, you have to buy (!) additional apps to get the full functionality out of the Apple watch. Garmin? Looked into Epix 2 pro and Forerunner 965 and am not so sure. The UI seems cluttered and I somehow don´t like Garmin. Maybe the Venue 3 would be enough for me, but I want navigation and all the sports metrics. Coros and Suunto are no option.
Garmin the best by far.
I experienced similar poor OHR results while walking and hiking with my Polar V3, to the point where I just disabled the OHR under options each time. I found though that if I wear the watch higher -- 2 finger-widths above my wrist -- and tighter, it does less poorly, to the point where it has some utility.
The heart rate is THE thing that matters. If that has flaws, nothing on the watch matters one single bit.
Great review Hunter, thanks for a job well done!
Interesting that no other reviewer has mentioned the rather dinty vibration, which I think is too weak already in my current Grit X Pro. Is it similar or even weaker than in the original GxP? The complementary info here will definitely help me decide...I think.
Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the review
Love your reviews. For the price there charging the watch doesn't have poi and save locations. That's crazy
POLAR keep realesing watches that are, really nice hardware pieces, but are 50-60% complete on the the Firmware side. On realese, it's not stable, and damn it ... the UI - UX on POLAR's watches is just ... not good, thoses menus are the same since 5 years now.
For me, the watches deserved so much better in terms of features and UI. Esspecially with the AMOLEDs now.
Nice honnest review, keep on the good work man.
Thanks! And I agree - but it will say this watch does feel like a step up, and I am totally fine with a repeat version of the way they handle glances because it seems like everybody is somewhat similar in this area so their version doesn't feel outdated.
But the firmware issues for heart rate tracking for a workout on a sports training watch being this incorrect is totally unacceptable!
Thanks for this review! I've been researching and researching this watch and I can't get it out of my head, but I think it's just the appearance that sells it to me. The heart rate and the sleep monitoring issues (requires 4+ hours of uninterrupted sleep in order to reford anything) are a huge downer! This gives me a lot to think about. I still might splurge and get it. Is your opinion so strong that you'll never use it, or just mininally or what? Just curious.
Great questions! My opinion is that it's great if you for sure connect to chest strap or external HR monitor for workouts, and I wish it was really $600 or maybe $650 at most! I won't be keeping mine. If I was given one I'd likely think about it being my daily watch, but not sure would replace Garmin
@@fitgearhunter thanks again! I'm gonna mull this over a while.
Muchas gracias por el análisis.
Podría indicar si el reloj analizado es del update 2.0.19??
Muchas gracias
yes, 2.0.19 update firmware. Very bad HR sensor me too
In the end you always turn down watches because of poor recovery features haha
Hahaha - not this one! I honestly love their wellness and recovery nightly recharge. I love it! But it's unfortunately because the watch is a little too one dimensional otherwise compared to someone like Garmin that I would turn it down, not to mention a severely faulty workout heart rate accuracy!