Overall whichwearable rating 

Value 

“With the Grit X Polar have introduced a new ‘tough’ category multi-sportswatch. Get out and get dirty with the Grit X ”  whichwearable

Available to buy at around £379 from the Polar website .

Summary

The Polar Grit X is a watch for people who want to do multiple sports and use a new catergory of product called a “tough’ watch. The watch is easy to use and seeks to take you to the next level of fitness with daily prompts to get you different exercises from ‘cardio’ to “strengthen’. Running performance can be improved with Strava segment support. Point to point navigation helps you ‘do trail’ with the web partner Komoot.

Unboxing

Inside the box is the watch and charge/sync cable (USB).

Audio Podcast

If you’d rather listen to a 10 minute review hit the play button on the podcast below.

Why buy it?

• You’re active in more than one sport or seek to do more than one sport
• You want something different, like tracking hills (Hill Splitter)
• You are into Strava and PBs.
• You want a product that is tough and can be bashed about
• You want a prompt to do varied exercise such as Cardio
• You may want to get into a few new trails that you haven’t done before
• It displays useful info such as weather (every hour) on the home screen
• You want a watch that is easy to use as an old Nokia phone

Say hello to a tough smartwatch

Polar Grit X has passed several MIL-STD-810G tests, including extreme temperatures, drop and humidity. This is useful if you bash your watch about when mountain biking and exercising. The casing is super tough and it looks like you can drop this product without incurring damage.

Run

Running has the normal features plus ‘Hill Splitter’ . Hill Splitter is a new feature that counts the amount of ups and downs you do with hills. You need to navigate to the Hill Splitter screen (Select the down key on the watch after starting a run).

The key feature here is Strava segment integration. Strava segments let you time segments of a run again and again to see if you can beat the time. You need a Premium account with Strava to use ‘segments’. You can consider what I did and try the Premium subscription for free for one month and cancel at the end of the month if it’s not for you.

Here are two videos of me using the Strava segments features. the first is me approaching the segment and the second is me coming to the end of the run segment.

The data available after a run is extensive and includes :

1. Heart rate max and min
2. Heart rate zones
3. Pace
4. Speed zones
5. Power in Watts (Very useful)
6. Power Zones (Very useful)
7. Cadence
8. Altitude
9. Hill Splitter
10. Laps

Trail and navigation

The watch provides turn by turn navigation from maps downloaded. These are useful if you are new to an area. If you are not new to the area ditch navigation and just go and have some fun.

I used the watch with the App Komoot on my phone to plot a destination in Swinley Forest in Bracknell. This was going from the car park to a place called Pudding hill . If you planning trails it is best to use your PC or MAC to plot your route then sync it with the watch .

I came across some nice gentlemen using the old school technique, a map. Maps are useful and fun. Tech doesn’t win always.

Fitspark

The watch looks at what you have done and proactively suggests you to something else. This is called the “Fitspark’ feature. An example is that you ran yesterday and today it will offer you a ‘strength’ workout with lifting weights. This is like having a coach on your wrist. By touching the suggestion ‘strength’ this will start the workout. It even gives you a warm-up so you don’t injure yourself.

Other features of interest

1. Power Options. There are options during exercise to save battery by switching off the screen and changing the GPS timings.
2. ‘Serene’. Encourages you to breath and meditate. Nice animation and vibration feedback to make you relax.
3. ‘Fuel reminder’. Set reminders to drink and eat during long runs
4. ‘Nightly recharge’. See how well you are sleeping.

Tips to save you time

1. How to find the Strava segments and compass. To find the Strava segments set up you Strava segments first of all then during a run press the down key . To find the compass start the hiking application and then hit the down key until you find the compass.
2. Calibrate compass. When calibrating the compass move the ball around the circle very slowly to complete the calibration. You will get vibration feedback eack time the ball hits a section slowly. If you move the ball too fast it will take a long time. Move the ball around very slowly.
3. Favourites shown in the Polar Flow Watch Favourites screen are not Strava favourites but you can see them clearly in the Polar Flow App Favourites list.