3 days ago
Polar Grit X2: Cheaper Than Garmin, Classier Than Coros?
Polar Grit X2
Polar
Polar has expanded its watch line-up with the Polar Grit X2, which fills out the company's line-up and provides a reasonably affordable option for fitness watch shoppers.
The Polar Grit X2 now sits below the Grit X2 Pro, which was announced in March 2024. This new watch's screen is smaller, water resistance isn't as strong (5ATM) and battery life is shorter.
But a huge drop in cost, from 749 Euro to 479 Euro, arguably more than makes up for it.
U.S. pricing is yet to be confirmed. While the Polar Grit X2 has launched in the UK and Europe the "US launch [is]
Pricing elsewhere places the Polar Grit X2 in the ballpark of the Garmin Forerunner 265, while it provides higher-end build and some additional features.
For example, the Grit X2 has a highly scratch resistant Sapphire crystal screen covering, and a stainless steel watch surround.
The Polar Grit X2 also provides offline maps, a feature not available in Garmin's range until you reach the higher level of something like the Forerunner 970. And the watch has a healthy 32GB on-board storage for mapping info.
Other key features include an AMOLED display, measuring 1.28 inches across, dual-band GPS and support for more advanced readings like ECG heart monitoring and skin temperature.
Polar rates its stamina at around seven days of use, down from 10 days in the larger Polar Grit X2 Pro.
While on paper it's tempting to pit the Polar Grit X2 solely against Garmin rivals, as it clearly has a few more aggressive, impressive elements, it's rivals like Coros that are perhaps more pertinent.
At this price you could pick up a Coros Pace Pro, which has a similar AMOLED screen and (mostly) comparable core features, but does not have the Polar Grit 2's high-end glass and bezel material.
Polar's Grit X2 is a compelling proposition, and certainly more so than last year's Grit X2 Pro, which many concluded was just a little too pricey to stand out in a positive way. As per testing from DC Rainmaker, though, the Polar Grit X2 may not get you quite as good heart rate tracking accuracy as a Garmin Forerunner 570, which is consistent with my own previous experience with Polar watches.
I'll be keeping an eye out for news of a U.S. release of the Polar Grit X2, which has — as seen among many tech manufacturers — been derailed by market instability.
'We have made the decision to postpone the US launch because of the current macroeconomic situation, causing uncertainty,' reads Polar's statement.
"This includes rising prices, higher interest rates, and new international trade tariffs, all of which are creating uncertainty currently for many companies. For us specifically, this means for instance reassessing the timing of product launches to better align with the evolving market conditions.'
It's not yet clear when enough stability will return to let companies such as Polar more safely launch products like the Polar Grit X2.
