Polar's newest GPS heart rate smartwatch lasts for 40 hours
The Vantage V and Vantage M want to be your marathon training buddies.
- Nearly 20 years writing about tech, and over a decade reviewing wearable tech, VR, and AR products and apps
Most smartwatches don't last for more than a few hours of connected running with GPS. Dedicated GPS watches do much better. Polar's newest training watches could be ones to look for, based on their promised battery life alone: the new Vantage V lasts a whopping 40 hours with GPS and heart rate on, Polar says.
Both the Vantage V and the lower-end Vantage M have all-new heart rate sensors, using a green and red LED array and new metal contacts that use skin contact to help maintain heart-rate accuracy. Polar claims the improved sensors will work better across skin types, through hair and sweat, and even while swimming. The watch's heart-rate sensing isn't made to be EKG-accurate, but it's designed to work with multiple sports.
The Vantage V has a touchscreen and physical buttons along with a fixed, bulky wrist strap for $500, while the $280 Vantage M has a more easily swappable strap and no touchscreen. The Vantage M's battery life while using GPS is 30 hours, but it's also significantly less expensive.
The Vantage V.
Polar's fitness platform has a few other features that trackers don't normally have. Trainers can use Polar's web tools and push customized workouts to Polar watch wearers, and a new Training Load Pro smart-coaching mode estimates cardio intensity and adjusts workouts to help prevent over- or undertraining.
It's definitely smartwatch and fitness tracker season. Stay tuned for impressions of the watches when they arrive in October.