With so many GPS watches out there out there, it may be overwhelming to undergo all the evaluations to determine which one is best for you. Step one is to slim right down to a model, which might be why you’re right here: Polar Vs Garmin.
All of the well-known manufacturers manufacture have a number of sequence of GPS watches with various options and in a spread of costs. All this implies is that there’s something for everybody.
A couple of of the main variations with Polar and Garmin:
- Garmin needs to be a part of your ENTIRE life, with cycle monitoring, every day occasions, and so forth
- Polar needs to boost your coaching with coronary heart fee variability, higher HR monitoring, and so forth
If you happen to’re trying to buy your first GPS look ahead to working, try my publish on GPS watch errors to not make, so that you don’t find yourself getting greater than what you want and spending more cash than mandatory.
This side-by-side comparability ought to provide help to higher perceive the totally different options and slim down your selections.
Not concerned with all of the analysis and simply wish to know what I’d decide?
✅That is the watch I’d select as a newbie.
It has greater than sufficient options to final you thru that first 5K right through many marathons and is less expensive than different choices.
I’ve in contrast Suunto vs Garmin and FitBit vs Garmin earlier articles, and this time I’m pitting Polar vs Garmin.
The right way to Select the Greatest GPS Look ahead to Operating
Each Garmin and Polar make nice, top quality GPS watches. You possibly can’t go unsuitable with both model.
Selecting the correct look ahead to you is a matter of desire for options just like the show, numerous monitoring modes and actions, and the app used to sync the info out of your watch.
Every model makes quite a lot of watch fashions to swimsuit totally different budgets and wishes.
To assist determine on the suitable look ahead to you, ask your self the next:
- Do you simply desire a fundamental watch that may monitor your coaching and races?
- Would you like a multi-sport watch that may handle cross coaching?
- Or, would you like a do-it-all watch that retains monitor of your each second, 24/7?
- Are you working extremely marathons within the mountains or street marathons?
- How necessary is battery life?
Verify present Garmin costs
Shopping for tip: They don’t normally have huge reductions, however you’ll discover $50 off steadily or largely reductions on the holidays.
Shopping for Tip: If you have already got a watch and are simply trying to improve, persist with the model you have got and know.
Except there’s a function you actually dislike, then there’s no motive to be taught a brand new interface. Consider it like switching from an Apple to a PC.
Right here’s a fast breakdown of the watches that you simply’ll see. After the desk discover an in depth dialogue of options after which extra particulars about every watch.
GPS Watch Characteristic Comparability
Even probably the most fundamental of GPS watches right now embrace the identical options resembling coronary heart fee monitor, tempo, distance, calorie monitoring, and lap perform.
The place the 2 manufacturers differ is within the {hardware}, coaching instruments, alerts, and extra knowledge recording options. Some watches go above and past what we frequently want, for these trying to nerd out on statistics.
One cool function of Polar watches are the 5 minute health checks. These easy assessments decide your present cardio health stage and supply an estimated VO2 max.
Show and Monitoring – Tie
Each Garmin and Polar watches show customizable real-time knowledge, resembling tempo, time, distance run, energy burned, and coronary heart fee, plus extra should you need.
Abstract data like common tempo, stride rely, and elevation acquire are all additionally out there real-time by the push of a button.
The show on the Polar Vantage V is noticeably dimmer than that of Garmin watches. Whereas nonetheless readable, it does require use of the backlight extra usually and is more durable to learn in brilliant gentle (as reported by some runners. I used mine in brilliant solar and didn’t have this difficulty).
The most important distinction between the 2 manufacturers on this area is available in show customization.
The six screens on the Polar Vantage may be modified through the Polar app, however to not the identical extent as Garmin fashions, The Garmin IQ app permits customers to select from a collection of widgets, together with music and climate, relying on the mannequin.
When it comes to which watchmaker reigns in monitoring, it’s a tie. Relying on the watch, each embrace quite a lot of sports activities modes and have excellent GPS accuracy attributable to utilizing a number of satellites.
GPS Watch Battery Life – Garmin
Except for the Polar Vantage sequence, Garmin watches far exceed in battery life.
- in steady coaching mode, the Vantage sequence lasts 30 and 40 hours, relying on the mannequin
- the Garmin competitor can go for simply 24 hours
Nevertheless, the Garmin Fenix 6 and Forerunner 945 can swap to UltraTrac mode, which sacrifices GPS accuracy in alternate for an extended battery life, as much as 60 hours.
UltraTrac mode is a battery saving function that periodically shuts off GPS and makes use of the accelerometer to find out pace and distance.
Mapping and Navigation – Tie
For these working new routes or who generally tend to get rotated throughout a run, the navigational options on Garmin watches will ensure you keep on track and return dwelling safely.
If you happen to don’t thoughts taking a look at a map on a tiny display screen, the Garmin Fenix sequence contains shade topographic mapping capabilities.
Coronary heart Charge Monitoring – Polar
Today, most GPS watches include both strap-based or wrist-based optical coronary heart fee screens. Optical screens are identified to supply inaccurate outcomes attributable to recording random actions.
Nevertheless, the Polar Vantage sequence has the one watches presently out there in the marketplace that use bio-impedance expertise to override readings attributable to motion.
- After a couple of months of testing the Polar, I’ve discovered it to be extra correct in chilly climate and fewer points with random spikes whereas working than the Garmin Fenix.
- Nevertheless, the brand new Garmin Enduro was extra correct with solely occasional spikes the place it was doubtless exhibiting cadence and never HR. A identified difficulty referred to as “cadence lock”.
Each manufacturers monitor wellness-related knowledge like sleep metrics and coronary heart fee all through the day.
The distinction between the 2 manufacturers is that all the Polar watches embrace some variation of this function, the place Garmin has a couple of fashions that don’t.
Since I run with low coronary heart fee coaching I’ve come to know the relevance of utilizing a coronary heart fee monitor to enhance my coaching. All the Polar watches and the upper finish watches within the Garmin lineup embrace wrist-based and/or optical coronary heart fee monitoring.
For some tips on getting extra correct coronary heart fee readings try my GPS watch ideas.
Information Administration and Apps – Garmin
Polar makes use of the Polar Movement App to investigate post-workout summaries, highlighting coronary heart fee, cadence, pace, and altitude on a map. Not like Garmin, nevertheless, Polar watches don’t routinely sync coaching stats to the app.
You need to open the app and do it manually out of your watch.
Maybe probably the most progressive and helpful app function of Polar watches is the flexibility to create a customized coaching plan.
When you set your race date and distance, the app will generate a coaching plan, populating a calendar with exercises. Throughout your run, alarms will sound to point whether or not you’re staying inside your goal coronary heart fee.
Garmin makes use of a program referred to as Join that features related analytical options as Polar Movement, and customers love the extra capabilities like the flexibility to create exercises, construct programs, and problem mates to competitions.
If you happen to’re switching between manufacturers, then an app like Strava might be the most effective place to maintain your entire knowledge safely in a single place.
BONUS: If you happen to’ve ever puzzled how correct the Coaching Standing is on a GPS watch, checkout this text for the complete scoop.
Garmin vs Polar Watch Comparability
Choose any hyperlink under to see the watch and extra perform particulars.
We’ve divided this in to excessive finish, mid-range and entry stage watches to assist evaluate fashions. I didn’t spend quite a lot of time on the tremendous excessive finish just like the Garmin Enduro, which is mostly extra of a path working or again nation watch.
Funds Watches
Garmin Forerunner 55 ($194)
That is now what’s thought of an entry stage working watch and it has EVERYTHING together with good watch options.
You possibly can go extra fundamental with the Garmin 25, but it surely’s not nicely supported now. So with the 55 you’ll get wrist based mostly HR, GPS options, Security options and extra.
It’s an excellent worth after I suppose I paid this value for my first Garmin that might solely monitor how far I ran!
Here’s a full in-depth assessment of the Garmin 55 >>
As famous, I nonetheless advocate the predecessor the 45, which is able to prevent about $70.
Polar Unite ($149)
The Polar Unite is the most effective promoting health watch in Europe, as an replace from the M430. It’s listed as a health tracker over a working watch, although it accommodates a lot of the identical options.
The Unite includes a wrist-based coronary heart fee monitor to remain on high of zone coaching, together with tempo, distance and the fundamentals to your run.
Different options embrace:
- Restoration standing that
- Sleep monitoring
- Sensible notifications
- 50 hours in coaching mode
- 4 days in watch mode
The HR Monitor is just not the up to date model that I rave about with the Vantage V or V1.
This easy watch is nice for anybody on a finances who needs a fundamental watch to trace their working exercises. At $149, the value is nice for the included options.
Mid-range Operating Watches
Garmin Forerunner 245 ($199)
For about $150 extra, you will get the Forerunner 675, which is far more helpful for these doing triathlons and needing multi-sport mode. I don’t imagine the 245 mannequin can be round for much longer, so it’s possible you’ll be higher off going up or down to make sure you get a watch that’s being supported with all their updates.
This watch will monitor working, swimming, and biking and let you know your floor contact time stability, stride size, and extra.
- Compass, Pulse Oximeter
- Level to Level Navigation, Breadcrumb monitoring
- LIVE Monitor function
- Stride, vertical oscillation
- 14 days smartwatch mode
- 24 hours in GPS mode
Polar Vantage M2 ($299)
A mid-range watch with almost each function you may probably need.
The Precision Prime wrist-based sensor is the one one in the marketplace that mixes each an optical sensor with bio-impedance expertise, meant to beat erratic readings attributable to motion.
This waterproof watch makes use of wrist-based coronary heart fee monitoring, calculates VO2 max publish exercise, and tracks restoration and sleep high quality and the battery lasts as much as 30 hours in steady exercise coaching mode.
It is a barely up to date mannequin from the M that I examined, however most options are the identical. I just like the watch on the entire, however was much less impressed after utilizing the Vantage V listed under.
- Sleep and restoration monitoring
- Smartwatch controls for notifications, climate and music management
- 130 several types of exercises supported
- Fueling reminders, VO2 Max
- 40 hours battery life in coaching mode
- 7 days in watch mode with HR monitoring
Excessive Finish Watches
Garmin Fenix 7 ($700-900)
Garmin’s premier sport watch, the Fenix sequence does just about something you need, however is commonly the wanted watch as a result of it has an on a regular basis look.
Let’s be sincere, the white/rose gold look mainly satisfied me I want the Garmin Fenix 5s (the S model is made smaller for a wrist)! 
This watch is for the athlete who needs their watch to only know what they’re doing. It’s going to have each bell and whistle we’ve mentioned beforehand, plus the elements are upgraded.
The Fenix can inform the distinction should you’re working indoors vs outdoors vs on the street or path. It is aware of should you’re in a pool or swimming in open water. It could possibly even offer you an correct climate forecast through Bluetooth.
- The Photo voltaic model goes to extend your battery life by charging on the go, I’ve examined and it’s fairly cool
- 18 days of battery life in Smartwatch Mode
- 57 hours of battery life in full GPS mode (73 hours with photo voltaic)
- Irregular HR alerts, pulse oximeter
- Altimeter, compass, maps
Proper now you will get the Fenix 5s at an enormous low cost as a result of they’ve simply rolled out the brand new Fenix 7 sequence.
See my full assessment of the Garmin Fenix 5S.
All proper now, we’ve accomplished a Garmin watch comparability so you may see what makes the totally different costs, however how does it stack up towards different manufacturers? Beneath you’ll discover Polar, however you can too see how Garmin compares to Suunto right here.
Polar Vantage V 2 ($499-$700)
For an improve of $200 extra you may go for the Polar Vantage V, which permits route imports, orthostatic checks, energy meters and Strava Dwell segments.
For anybody like me who trains by HR, you’ll actually love one key function of this improve:
Polar Precision Prime™ sensor fusion expertise. This innovation combines optical coronary heart fee measurement with different sensor applied sciences in an effort to rule out involuntary motion which may disturb the center fee sign and produce unreliable readings.
I’ve been testing this watch and agree that it positively has all of the options you want for coaching, plus it does provide notifications out of your cellphone.
It doesn’t have a number of the good watch options which have a tendency to extend the value of the Garmin watches. So should you simply want a look ahead to coaching, that is going to avoid wasting you bucks and supply all of the instruments.
And but the BIG UPSIDE to the Vantage is that I’ve discovered the HR knowledge to be way more correct! It additionally has Coronary heart Charge Variability and a Energy Meter inbuilt to the watch, which is unparalleled in a watch.
- Smartwatch options for climate, notifications, handle music
- HR Variablity and energy meter
- Monitoring altitude, maps for navigation
- 40 hours in GPS mode
- 7 days smartwatch mode (I swear mine goes for weeks)
What’s the finest GPS look ahead to runners?
Relying in your finances and your function preferences, each Garmin and Polar make high quality working watches.
- If you would like all the info and metrics, take into account one thing just like the Garmin Fenix or Polar Vantage V2.
- If you happen to simply need fundamental working statistics, then go for the Garmin Forerunner 55 or the Polar M430 .
- And don’t neglect to see how they each stack up towards Suunto.
Strive to take a look at the watches at your native working or out of doors retailer to tinker with the shows and see how they really feel in your wrist.
Are they one thing you may put on all day lengthy to trace all the info?
Are they too heavy or is the face too large to your small wrists? Mess around with the totally different apps beforehand to see which interface you want.
The right way to determined between two nice watches?? A breakdown of Polar vs Garmin that can assist you determine! #runchat #working Click on To Tweet
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