First look: Polar Grit X Pro

Polar has always been known as a brand for hardcore fitness buffs and outdoor enthusiasts, and if you consider yourself among this crowd, their newest premium outdoor GPS watch, the Polar Grit X Pro, won’t disappoint. This updated version of the Grit X contains all the same features as its predecessor, like its famously detailed activity metrics, performance tests, sleep tracking, turn-by-turn navigation and recovery data, with a few additional features to allow you to adventure farther and longer than ever before.

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The basics

The Grit X Pro features a sapphire glass lens and an FKM wristband, adding to the watch’s durability, so it can stand up to the elements. It is water-resistant up to 100m and capable of handling temperatures as low as -20 C and as high as 50 C. Multisport watches tend to be heavy, so if weight is a concern, Polar is offering a titanium version, which is 12 per cent lighter. The watch also boasts an ultra-long battery life, lasting up to 40 hours while training with the heart rate and GPS functions, up to 100 hours while training with battery-saving options and up to seven days on a single charge.

Like the Grit X, the Grit X Pro offers turn-by-turn navigation when linked with Komoot, and uses a wrist-based heart rate monitor with Polar Precision Prime, which is considered to be one of the most accurate heart rate sensors available on any watch. The updated version still has Training Load Pro and Recovery Pro to help you balance your training and recovery, FitSpark on-demand training guidance and running power directly from your wrist to measure the external load of your running.

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New features

The Grit X Pro has several new always-on outdoor features, including a location dashboard to help people discover new areas, a barometric-based altimeter, location co-ordinates, sunrise, sunset and twilight times and a compass. New navigation tools include route and elevation profiles for planned routes, the possibility to change your route partway through your run and track-back navigation to help you return to your starting point.

The watch’s FuelWise smart fuelling assistant will remind you when, how much and what type of nutrients you should be taking in during long runs and the hill splitter will tell you exactly how long you’ll be ascending and descending on any hill.

Finally, the Grit X Pro features comprehensive tests to follow your performance and recovery and to determine your individual training zones, including running and cycling performance tests, a leg recovery test and an orthostatic test.

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The new watch was launched today, but has not yet been made available in Canada. Canadians who want to get their hands on the Grit X Pro can put their names on an email list to be notified when it will become available. The regular version of the watch is priced at USD $499.95, and the titanium version is USD $599.95.