Are you looking for the perfect fitness watch but could not decide whether to choose a watch from Polar or Garmin? Do you want to know which brand is better when it comes to fitness watches, Garmin or Polar?
I know choosing the best fitness watch can be difficult, especially when you have two best options in front of and you do not much about its manufacturers. But do not worry, you are at the right place now!
In this article, I will tell you in detail about the two brands and make sure that you have enough information to choose one of the two brands at the end. In this article, I have included a Polar vs Garmin face-off, watch collection from both the brands, and comparison between their popular watches like Polar Vantage M2 and Garmin Forerunner 245, Polar Ignite 2 and Garmin Vivoactive 4, and Polar Vantage V2 and Garmin Fenix 6. So that you can choose the one that is the best for you.
Quick Navigation
- Garmin VS Polar
- Garmin Smartwatch Collection
- Polar Smartwatch Collection
- Garmin And Polar Popular Watch Comparison
- Garmin Or Polar Which Is Better?
- FAQs
Garmin VS Polar
Let us first look at both the companies in brief and then we will look at their watch collections.
Garmin
Garmin is one of the most popular brands when it comes to fitness trackers and smartwatches these days. But how did it achieve this status? Let us find out.
Garmin is quite a new company when it comes to manufacturing watches. It was founded in the year 1989 by two electrical engineers, Gary Burrell and Min H. Kao. They met while working on the same project and shared the same goal of ‘’popularizing the GPS and changing the World”. And with the same aim, they started the company together, in fact, Garmin is the combination of the initial 3 letters of both the partners. ‘Gar’ from Garry and ‘Min’ from Min, the name Garmin seems perfect to me though. Would you have liked the name if they had agreed to keep it as ‘Mingar’?
Garmin has done many innovations since its inception in the field of GPS technology. In 1993, it introduced the GPS 95, which was the world’s first portable GPS for aviation. Then in 1998, it launched the world’s first GPS-enabled cell phone.
Back in 2001 it again surprised the world by launching the first portable navigation device with voice prompts. The wearable journey of the Garmin started in 2003 when it launched the world’s first GPS trainer that could be worn on the wrist. In 2014 Garmin launched its Garmin IQ app store for third-party apps and then it launched its Forerunner 225 watch. This was the first watch from the Garmin that had a wrist-based heart rate monitor. And then it went on to launch its first hybrid and diver watches. Lately, in 2020, Garmin again shocked the world by launching the world’s first solar-charging smartwatch, with its proprietary solar charging technology that could support smart movement modes.
As you can see Garmin started its journey by acing the GPS navigation devices and eventually got into manufacturing smartwatches too. And today it is one of the most well-known smartwatch manufacturers in the world when it comes to fitness tracking.
Polar
Polar, on the other hand, started almost a decade earlier as compared to Garmin and its roots go way back to 1977. It is a Finnish company and it came into existence when its founder Prof. Seppo Saynajakangas invented the world’s first heart rate monitor to help the Finnish National Cross Country ski team in their training. He later founded the company that year and named it Polar Electro. And the company went on to introduce many of the world’s first devices and technologies. Let us look at some of the major ones one by one.
In 1982, Polar introduced the world’s first wireless heart rate monitor. Then in 1990, it introduced the world’s first cycling computer with a heart rate monitor. In 1995, it introduced its first device to monitor heart rate variability. Then in 2005, it introduced its Polar MobileLink, which was the world’s first mobile app that transferred workout data to mobile phones. And in 2007 Polar introduced the world’s first wearable activity tracker. Then in 2014, it launched Polar V800 and Polar Loop. Polar V800 was the world’s first pro-level multisport watch with 24/7 activity tracking and Polar Loop was the world’s first activity tracker with inactivity alerts.
Like Garmin, Polar got into manufacturing the activity trackers and watches a little later. But it is manufacturing fitness and performance wearables since its inception which is way earlier as compared to Garmin. Since its inception, Polar has aced the game when it comes to tracking the heart rate and today it is one of the well known and sought after smartwatch manufacturers when it comes to fitness and health tracking,
So, now that we know a little bit about both the companies, let us now look at their collections one by one.
Garmin Smartwatch Collection
Let us first look at the smartwatch collection of Garmin.
1) Vivoactive Series
The Vivoactive series of the Garmin includes the cheapest smartwatches from the brand. These watches are mainly focused on health and wellness and everyday usability.
2) Venu Series
Venu series of the brand is also focused on health and wellness rather than on performance. But unlike the Vivoactive series, the focus of this series is also on adding a style and aesthetic appeal to the watches.
3) Forerunner Series
Forerunner series as the name suggests includes watches for all the runners out there. Does not matter whether you are a beginner or a pro at running, you will find a watch in this series that will suit your needs perfectly. Watches in this series are more focused on measuring and tracking all the running metrics.
4) Instinct Series
Watches in the Instinct series of the company includes some of the costliest watches that the brand has to offer. These watches are focused on individuals that like to explore and are always ready for adventures. The watches in this series are bold and very rugged and can be taken anywhere a person wishes and dares to go.
5) Fenix Series
The Fenix series of the brand includes watches that are focused on multisport performance tracking and is for people that like to be a jack of all trades. These are also rugged and feature-rich watches that can be taken on your next hiking, trekking, hunting, or fishing journey.
Polar Smartwatch Collection
Let us now look at the smartwatch collection of Polar.
1) Polar Vantage
Polar Vantage series includes the high-end smartwatches from the brand on offer. These smartwatches have almost all the features that the brand has to offer and can be compared to the Garmin Fenix and Garmin Instinct series.
2) Polar Grit
The Polar Grit series comes next in line and can be compared to the Garmin Forerunner series. These watches offer great performance measuring and tracking features.
3) Polar Ignite
Watches in this series can be compared to the Garmin Venu series and are meant for everyday usability. These watches include a basic activity tracker with GPS connectivity and are also high on aesthetic appeal. The watches on this series are also the cheapest the brand has to offer.
Garmin And Polar Popular Watch Comparison
We now know about both the brand and we also know about the watches that both have to offer. Let us now look at the comparison of some of the popular smartwatches from the brands.
Polar Vantage M2 Vs Garmin Forerunner 245
Polar Vantage M2 | Garmin Forerunner 245 |
1.2” always-on display | 1.2” display with no always-on feature |
Comes with Polar Precision Prime sensor fusion technology that monitors heart rate accurately | Comes with a wrist-based heart rate that shows notification for abnormal heart rates |
Supports multiple satellite navigation that includes GPS, GLONASS, QZSS, and Galileo for precise and accurate navigation all around the world | Does not come with multiple satellite navigation and only supports GPS navigation |
Features a night recovery tracker that tracks how well you are recovering at the night | Does not come with a recovery tracker but lets you know how long you need to rest |
Comes with the Training Load Pro feature that lets you know how hard you have been training lately | Also comes with a training status feature that lets you know if you are training optimally or overdoing it |
Shows you a customized daily workout according to your recovery and past training schedule | Also shows you daily customized plans |
Tracks your energy sources to show you the amount of protein, carb, and fat you are taking | Does not track your protein, carb, or fat intakes |
Tracks your energy sources to show you the amount of protein, carb, and fat you are taking | Does not track your protein, carb, or fat intakes |
Allows you to control your music. | You cannot control music through it |
Shows you important phone notifications | Also shows you the phone notifications |
Features tracking of more than 130 sports | Tracks a limited number of sports |
Tracks your swimming metrics | Also tracks your swimming sessions |
Shows you breathing exercises to relax | No such feature is available |
Shows you the weather forecast | Also shows you the weather forecast |
7 days battery life with continuous heart rate tracking | Up to 7 days in smartwatch mode |
30M water-resistant | 50M water-resistant |
Does not feature a VO2 max | Features a VO2 max |
Does not track your SpO2 levels | Comes with a Pulse OX monitor |
It lacks running metrics tracking | Tracks important running metrics |
Garmin Vivoactive 4 Vs Polar Ignite 2
Garmin Vivoactive 4 | Polar Ignite 2 |
Features a body energy monitor | Does not feature a body energy monitor |
Comes with a SpO2 monitor & tracks your stress | It does not have SpO2 and stress monitor |
Features women’s health tracking that keeps track of pregnancy or menstrual cycle | No women’s health tracking feature is available |
Has a hydration and respiration monitor | It does not have a hydration and respiration monitor |
Monitors your sleep | Comes with a sleep monitor |
Features a heart rate monitor | Also features a heart rate monitor |
Shows you animated workouts on the screen | Shows you daily workout routine according to your recovery and workout history |
Can track more than 20 sport modes | Can track more than 130 sport modes |
Shows you the phone notifications | Shows you the phone notifiations |
Lets you download music and listen to them by connecting wireless headphones | Lets you control your music |
Comes with an incident-detection feature that sends your live location to your emergency contact in case you are outside and have a hard fall | Does not feature incident detection |
Let's you pay wirelessly for your shopping | It does not support the wireless pay feature |
Has a battery life of up to 8 days in smartwatch mode | Has a battery life of up to 5 days |
Comes with a 50M water-resistant rating | Comes with a water-resistant rating of 30M |
Does not support multiple satellite navigation and only supports GPS | Supports multiple satellite navigation system that includes GPS, GLONASS, QZSS, and Galileo. |
It does not track your meals | Tracks the amount of protein, carb, and fat you are taking in your meals |
Does not monitor the body's recovery overnight | Monitors your recovery overnight |
Shows you the personalized running plan to train you to reach your goals | Shows you the personalized running plan according to your goal. |
Tracks different swimming metrics | Tracks swimming metrics |
Polar Vantage V2 Vs Garmin Fenix 6 Sapphire
Polar Vantage V2 | Garmin Fenix 6 Sapphire |
Features an Optical Heart Rate Technology to track your heart rate precisely | Also features an Optical Heart Rate Technology for tracking heart rates |
Battery life of up to 7 days with continuous heart rate tracking | Has a battery life of up to 14 days in smartwatch mode |
100M water-resistant rating | Also comes with a water-resistant rating of 100M |
Supports multiple satellite navigation systems that include GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, and QZSS | Supports multiple satellite navigation that includes GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo |
Shows you your training load so that you do not overdo things | Does not show you the training load |
Tracks your recovery overnight | It does not track your recovery but tells you the recovery time after every workout |
Monitors your meals to track the amount of fat, carbs, and protein you take | No tracking of meals |
Calculates the amount of energy you generate with every step while running | Does not calculate energy generated while running |
Features a leg recovery test shows you if your leg muscles have recovered from your last workout or not | It does not feature such tests |
Comes with a sleep monitor | Also comes with a sleep monitor |
Shows you breathing exercises to relax | Does not show breathing exercises to relax |
It comes with a performance and recovery test so that you can check your progress as well as recovery | No such tests are available |
Features TOPO maps too | |
Comes with an inbuilt barometer, altimeter, and compass | Also comes with an altimeter, barometer, and compass |
Shows you weather conditions and daylight times like sunrise and sunset | Also shows you weather forecast |
Lets you control the music on your phone | Lets you store songs on the watch that you can listen to by connecting wireless headphones |
Shows you important phone notifications | Shows you important phone notifications too |
Tracks more than 130 sport modes | Has limited sports tracking |
Has a 1.2” colorful always-on touch display | Has a 1.3” colorful display |
Does not have a sapphire crystal | Comes with a sapphire crystal to protect it from scratches and cracks |
No golf or ski maps | Has special maps for golfing and skiing |
Does not come with a SpO2 monitor | Features a SpO2 monitor |
No wireless payment feature | Comes with a Garmin Pay feature that lets you do payments wirelessly |
Does not have an incident detection feature | Has an incident detection that detects an incident while you are outside and sends your live location to emergency contacts |
Garmin Or Polar Which Is Better?
So which one is better Garmin or Polar? If you have read the whole article and reached here then I am sure you must have made your mind already. In case you are still confused, then let me help you out.
If you want an overall great watch for everyday usability and do not care much about performance tracking but want to keep track of your basic overall health then you should go for a Garmin smartwatch. They offer a lot of features like SpO2 monitoring, stress monitoring, VO2 max monitoring, etc which are not present in Polar watches.
However, if you want a watch that can not only track your performance but can also track your recovery then you should choose a Polar smartwatch. Because if you are an athlete then you already know very well the importance of recovery. That being said Garmin smartwatches are also not far behind but Polar does have a little edge over it.
And if you are someone that likes to go on adventure often then you should go for high-end Garmin watches as they offer a lot which the Polar watches miss out on. But if you are someone that wants accurate heart rate monitoring and nothing else then you should go for Polar watches without any doubt. Polar beats any other smartwatch manufacturer when it comes to heart rate monitoring hands down.
FAQs
Are Polar Watches Any Good?
Yes, Polar makes one of the best multisport watches in the world and if you are serious about your training then you should definitely consider buying one.
Is Polar More Accurate Than Garmin?
Yes, when it comes to heart rate monitoring, Polar watches are more accurate than Garmin watches.
Does Polar Watches Have GPS?
Yes, Polar watches do have GPS. Some even support multiple satellite navigation system that includes GPS, GLONASS, QZSS, and Galileo.
What Is The Best Fitness Watch?
Some of the best fitness watches are Garmin Fenix 6 Sapphire, Polar Vantage V2, Polar Vantage M2, Garmin Forerunner 245, etc.
Is Polar A Chinese Brand?
No, Polar is not a Chinese brand. It is based out of Kempele, Finland.
