To conduct this Polar Grit X Pro review I have worn this rugged smartwatch for sports and adventure extensively. Running and hiking, cycling and mountain biking, paddle boarding and swimming plus I have even tracked my snowboarding wearing this watch.
I have been very impressed by how it supports almost every aspect of the adventure sports I enjoy. The Polar Grit X Pro is packed with features designed to assist adventurers, athletes and explorers and offers benefits that go far beyond simple metrics tracking.
Polar Grit X Pro Review
I have tried to use every feature and to test the Polar Grit X Pro while doing as many different sports as possible. I have even be known to use it to tell the time! For this review of the adventure smartwatch I will take you through its features, talk about how I used them and how they enhanced the activities I was doing.
Design and Durability
In one look you can tell this watch is crafted for rugged use. With a robust metal bezel, titanium on the Titan version, it looks good and is durable enough to take a knock or three. The standard version weights just 79 grams so is lightweight for a big watch, but the Titan is an impressive 53 grams and lightest in the Polar outdoor range.
The sapphire crystal glass not only looks premium but is incredibly resistant to scratches and ding. The Polar Grit X it build to military-grade certification (MIL-STD-810G). This means it can handle extreme temperatures -20 to 50°C, humidity, shocks and immersion in water up to 100 meters.
I have crashed when mountain biking and hit the ground hard. When I picked myself up the watch was covered in dirt and grit, but it all wiped off good as new. I wore the watch snowboarding all day in -15°C in the Alps, but the Grit didn’t miss a beat. I have also worn it in a hot tub and a sauna, again it just sat on my wrist doing what it does!
While I have not reached down to 100m, I have been swimming in the sea and a pool. When surf paddle boarding I have been hit by waves and dragged across the sandy bottom, again not a scratch or dent. This adventure smartwatch is tough!
For outdoor enthusiasts like me, this durability ensures I don’t have to worry about babying my gear. I can focus on the adventure, safe in the knowledge that the watch can handle any abuse I throw it’s way.
Battery Life
One of the standout aspects is the battery – it feels like I wear it for more than a week between charges. In full tracking GPS mode, it lasts up to 40 hours which is much longer than my phone!
This is fantastic for all day bike rides, and even at cold alpine temperatures it didn’t seem to reduce the batteries life. I found I could track my snowboarding all day for three days before I needed to charge the watch, which is very impressive.
I have not had the need to use it, but it power-saving modes the battery lasts even longer. Apparently it will track you for an impressive 100 hours. This will be very useful for multi-day trekking holidays I have planned when charging may not be an option.
This extended battery life means I can trust the watch to last through demanding expeditions. Not needing to pack a power bank or to worry about conserving the battery is a huge bonus when I go camping or on multi-day adventures.
Navigation and Exploration Features
The navigation tools are comprehensive. The turn-by-turn guidance via Komoot, for which you get a free trial, has been really handy when trail running and hiking. It saves the hassle of checking your phone or a physical map. I also found the Track Back feature to be great as it retraced the route when I let me kids go exploring!
- Offline Maps: These are a godsend as you can navigate even without a phone or data connection. The Komoot maps are detailed and incredibly useful for planning routes beforehand and for changes on the go.
- Dual-Frequency GPS: Using GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and QZSS satellite systems the enhanced location accuracy ensures I always know my exact position. This worked well in dense forests and when in the city of London where there was significant signal interference.
- Outdoor Dashboards: There are so many features that are useful when out on the trail. For example, I have used the altimeter and compass when snowboarding to help me assess avalanche risk. Plus it is very simple to get your coordinates if required.
- Every Day Benefits: In every day life I have found the latest weather updates plus the sunrise and sunset times very useful. The only thing missing is the local tide times!
During this Polar Grit X Pro review I have found these tools turn the watch into a reliable outdoor companion that I didn’t know I need. But now I have it I love it, surprisingly I’ve even found it useful when walking in London! Take it hiking in the Himalayas or biking in the Balkans and you’ll never feel lost or unprepared.
Training Features
To be honest while I like seeing the basic information of my activities I am not one for the details. And boy does this rugged adventure smartwatch provide some details.
- Training Load Pro™: This feature monitors how much strain my training and activities place on my body. It breaks it down into cardio load, muscle load, and perceived load (which you input yourself). Apparently this is great for balancing efforts to avoid overtraining and injury, but I have not really got to grips with it yet.
- Hill Splitter™: This adventure smartwatch automatically detects ascents and descents during runs and rides etc. So you can look at detailed performance metrics for each segment of your session.
- Recovers Sessions: Tailored recovery sessions keep you active and to help you recovery and build strength where you need it. During this Polar Grit X Pro review I have only done a 25 minute core workout that the watch suggested. Although its not the smoothest of interfaces, and the instructions text is small there were exercises I’d not done in years so it was useful.
- Wrist-Based Running Power: Unlike other watches that require external sensors to calculate running power, the Polar Grit X Pro does this directly from the wrist. I have no idea how, I assume it is witchcraft!
- FuelWise™: This feature provides useful reminders to eat or drink during long activities. On a recent five hour mountain bike ride, the timely fuel reminder told me to eat before I realised I was hungry. Following the advice I avoided an energy crash.
- Activity Tracker: This is probably been my favourite watch face during this Polar Grit X review. You can set an activity level you wish to achieve and it shows you your progress buzzing excitedly when you reach 100%. A typical day of snowboarding or MTB often hits more than 400%!
The training features I used during this review of the Polar Grit X adventure smartwatch have been very useful. They make the watch far more than just a tracker and can help optimise your performance and recovery.
It’s like having a coach on your wrist! Of course I was never one to listen to coaches, which might be why I have not used these features as much as I should!
Test Your Fitness and Performance
The Polar Grit X offers a range of tests to help evaluate your performance and recovery. You can do a running performance test, cycling performance test, fitness test, orthostatic test and a leg recovery test.
- Performance Tests: These help you track of your progress and personalise your heart rate, speed and power zones. Cyclists can also test your personal functional threshold power, although this requires a compatible power meter.
- Recovery Tests: You can check if your legs are ready for speed and strength training in a couple of minutes without specialist equipment. Where as the orthostatic test monitors your training readiness every day. Both help you understand how your body responds to training,sleep, mental stress, illness, temperature and altitude etc.
Being up front I haven’t done any of these tests. In fact I only just realised the watch has them when writing this Polar Grit X Pro review. I will report back further once I have used these features of this rugged smartwatch for sports and adventure.
Recovery and Sleep Tracking
This is another bit of wizardry I don’t really understand or use properly…. Obviously adequate recovery is essential after doing sports and intense activities. Well the Polar Grit X Pro monitors your recovery in various ways.
- Sleep Plus Stages™: This tracks your sleep quality, showing how much time you spend in light, deep, and REM sleep. Almost every night it tells me I have slept poorly. I’m always surprised at how much longer I spend in bed compared to asleep, but it I seem to survive on seven hours versus the eight or nine I think I get!
- Nightly Recharge™: This evaluates how well your body recovers overnight based on sleep and autonomic nervous system data. I have to be honest I don’t really understand it, but then I am not an elite athlete looking for small performance gains. That said avoiding injury would be great so maybe I should pay closer attention!
- Recovery Pro™: By analysing the data from Training Load Pro™ and Orthostatic Tests, coupled with your own assessment, this feature helps you find the right balance between training and recovery.
If you are that kind of person who loves actionable insights into your recovery from exertions this could be a game-changer. Use the data for planning workouts and deciding when to take a rest day. This would be more suited to serious athletes than middle-aged-me who does activities a few times a week.
Everyday Usability and Customisation
The Polar Grit X Pro has an always-on display that is bright and easy to read in everything from direct sunlight to pitch darkness. Although at times, I find some of the text a little small for my liking, particularly if I try to look at it while moving or exercising.
The customisable watch faces and widgets allow me to adjust that to a degree. Although there are times I could do with wearing my reading glasses, which I don’t wear exercising… You can also prioritise the views to see the data you want to see and you can do this separately for 130 different activity types.
The buttons are textured for better grip which makes them easy to use. They are also difficult to press by mistake, a problem I have had with previous watches. I can use the buttons with most gloves, although not snowboarding gloves which are too thick.
This rugged smartwatch for sports and adventure packs a lot in. So much that it could be very complicated to use. However, the customisation and incredible usability makes it feel personal and intuitive to use. Whether I’m on the go, sat at my desk or in bed at night, I can access what I need without fumbling.
Smart Features and Integration
The watch syncs seamlessly with the Polar Flow app, where you can view everything in more detail on your phone or a computer. You’ll find detailed reports on training, sleep and recovery and can store your data over time.
The Polar Grit can also be used to get notifications from your phone and to control your music. It integrates with third-party platforms like aforementioned Komoot, but also Strava, Nike, Adidas and MyFitnessPal. All of which makes it easy to share data with your favoured apps or to plan routes collaboratively with friends.
I have found this connectivity very useful. It ensures that my training and adventures are always recorded and saved where I want them. While I am not really one for setting long-term fitness/activity goals, those that are will find these features incredibly useful.
Rugged Smartwatch for Sports & Adventure
The Polar Grit X Pro is more than a watch – it’s a companion that supports and enhances training and everyday life. It’s durability gives me confidence in any environment, the navigation saves time and encourages exploration, plus the training features help you reach peak performance and recover properly.
At £484 for the basic version and £589 for the premium Titan Grit C Pro – Which comes with spare leather strap and titanium bezel – it has a premium price tag. But the wealth of features and the peace of mind that such a rugged Smartwatch for Sports and Adventure offers makes it worth every penny.
If you’re live for outdoor activities, adventure and sports then this is the watch for you. If you thrive on data-driven training and recovery then you’ll get even more from it than I do. This watch really is like a fitness expert on your wrist.
I wanted a watch that can keep up with my demanding lifestyle. I believe I can conclude this Polar Grit X Pro review buy saying I’ve found it! I wholeheartedly recommend the Polar Grit to anyone looking to get an rugged smartwatch for sports and adventure. Oh and did I mention it also tells the time!
I hope you found the review of the excellent Polar Grit X Pro useful. You can buy direct from Polar from £489 here: www.polar.com/grit-x-pro
