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Polar Grit X vs Garmin Forerunner 945
Let’s talk about top-ranking multisport watches!
These days there are countless different kinds of fitness trackers and smartwatches on the market, each with unique and more high-tech capabilities than the last.
The number of GPS watch options out there can be truly overwhelming. That’s why we like to do a little bit of the legwork for you and educate you on the top products.
A smartwatch is an excellent way to be conscious of your physical abilities and challenge yourself to push your limits and achieve your fitness goals daily.
There are so many great options out there, but today we will be talking about the Polar Grit X vs Garmin Forerunner 945, arguably two of the best sports watches on the market today.
Both smartwatches have a slew of informational tracking functions and useful features, but which one is best?
On the whole, both watches have similar capabilities, but there are many notable differences between the two watches.
In this article, we will be reviewing and comparing the Polar Grit X vs the Garmin Forerunner 945 to give you a more clear idea of the unique features and functions of each watch.
The goal of this article is to help you decide whether or not either of these watches is the one for you. So if you’re in the market for a new piece of rugged technology, keep reading.
Polar GPS Watches
Founded in 1977, the brand has been paving the way with its technical innovation. It all started with heart monitors, and has since grown into an array of many useful products.
The brand’s mission? To help its users get under the skin of their training, understand their bodies, and inspire them to lead a healthy, more motivated lifestyle. With its emphasis on physiology and technical innovation, Polar has birthed some truly amazing products.
The brand carries a wide range of GPS watches, acceptable for all fitness levels, and tailored towards particular activities.
There are GPS watches designed for multisport & triathlon, cycling, running, fitness & cross-training and many more. So whatever your activity of choice, you can rest assured that there’s an option for you.
Please keep reading for an overview of our first watch, the Polar Grit X.
Overview of the Polar Grit X
The Polar Grit X is a smartwatch for the adventurer at heart. This durable military-grade watch packs a punch with plenty of top training features and is incredibly lightweight at the same time. It’s designed with the sensibilities of a runner in mind.
The watch features built-in GPS capabilities, compass, altimeter, and even gives you access to Polar Flow.
Polar Flow is an app which conveniently stores your training activity, sleep data, progress reports, and future workout plans. With all of these built-in capabilities, the Polar Grit X is like the swiss army knife of sports timepieces.
One standout feature is the FuelWise™ smart fueling assistant. This handy feature reminds you when you need to fuel up. It’s so important to maintain proper energy and hydration while getting active, and if you’re someone who struggles with knowing how much fuel you are going to need for your journey, the Grit X has got you covered and will do the calculations for you.
The Polar Grit X retails for $429.95 and is an excellent choice for the outdoor enthusiast who wants a simple easy to use interface with an impressive suite of tracking tools.
The price is more affordable but you’re still getting all of the in-demand features that some of the pricer options out there have to offer. This is an excellent watch.
Now let’s talk about some pros and cons.
Pros
Easy to use touchscreen interface.
Dust-resistant and water-resistant up to 100m.
- Swimming, cycling, running, triathlon, and multisport modes available. In total, this smartwatch supports 130+ different sports, so this is incredibly versatile for a wide range of activities.
- Accurate GPS, heart rate, and altitude tracking.
- 40-hour battery life and power-saving options.
- Passed several MIL-STD-810G tests, including tests for extreme temperatures, drop, and humidity.
- Always-on color display. It’s incredibly bright and sharp.
- At 64 grams, it has been named one of the lightest multisport watches.
- The Hill Splitter™ feature provides you with insight on the up and downhill portions of your session.
- Sleep and recovery insight analysis.
- Route planning with Komoot, which can keep you on track and give you turn by turn guidance.
- Smart coaching features include Guided breathing exercises, fitness tests, training feedback, tailored running programs, and more.
- Can sync the watch up with other fitness apps, i.e., Strava, Nike+ Run Club, MyFitnessPal.
- Displays current weather, as well as a 2-day weather forecast.
- FuelWise™ smart fueling assistant which helps you make sure you are properly fueled for your journey.
- This watch can track your heart rate through your wrist using its advanced Precision Prime™ sensor fusion technology.
Cons
- Depending on your route’s location, you may have to pay for Komoot route planning services.
- The touchscreen isn’t always responsive and can be laggy at times.
- No music or contactless payments.
- Polar didn’t include the Recovery Pro feature, which is available on the Vantage V model.
- The watch cannot connect to wi-fi.
- App and overall appearance of the interface is not customizable.
- You want a lighter watch
- You prefer using touch screens
- You want to sync your watch to your calendar
- You take regular breaks during workouts
Garmin GPS Watches
Garmin is another leading company in the GPS watch space. The brand’s mission is to bring GPS navigation and wearable technology to the automotive, aviation, marine, outdoor, and fitness markets.
Garmin has an impressive line of smartwatches to its name. From running and swimming to golfing, boating, and everything in between, you can be sure to find a fitness tracking watch for whatever it is that you are looking for. They even carry a line of fashion smartwatches, so you can reap the same benefits while adding a touch of style to your everyday look.
Please keep reading for an overview of our second watch, the Garmin forerunner 945.
Overview of the Garmin Forerunner 945
Garmin has a large selection of GPS watches. Of those, this one is top of the line when it comes to the art or running (Hence the name, Forerunner). So if running is your thing — this could be the watch for you.
The Garmin Forerunner 945, an update to Garmin’s popular 935, features an extended battery life and several new training metrics, safety measures, and more. This model shares the same features as that of the beloved Fenix 5 Plus. This powerful watch is the multisport athlete’s best friend. You won’t ever go without it.
The watch features a built-in GPS, heart monitor, compass, and even the capability to monitor blood oxygenation levels (something our friend the Grit x does not do).
This watch has all of the functionality you would expect, with the added addition of smartphone capabilities. Aside from the recent music upgrades, this version also has remote pay capabilities, text notifications, and you can even check your email.
One unique feature of this watch is its emergency notification function. Not something that you would ever hope to use. But, if the time comes, you’ll be incredibly thankful for the feature. If your physical activity comes to an alarming halt and an accident is suspected, the phone will alert an emergency contact that you have pre-programmed into the device.
This watch is an excellent choice for the ultra-connected user who wants to leave their phone at home but still have the same smartphone perks on their smartwatch. The Garmin Forerunner 945 retails slightly higher at $599.99 but boasts some unique features and capabilities.
And now for the pros and cons.
Pros
- Dustproof and water-resistant up to 50m.
- Accurate GPS, heart rate monitor, and altimeter.
- BODY BATTERY™ energy monitor that suggests when a break or rest period is ideal.
- Menstrual cycle, hydration, and sleep monitoring capabilities.
- 2 Week battery life in smartwatch mode.
- Incredibly lightweight at 50g.
- Swimming, cycling, running, triathlon, and multisport modes available.
- Stream music downloaded onto the device or via 3rd party app.
- Remote pay capabilities.
- Able to connect to Bluetooth and wi-fi.
- Has temperature tracking, will read your body temperature while wearing the watch.
- Interface is customizable. You can add widgets and personalize the appearance of the app.
- The device has a feature to find your smartphone if lost or misplaced.
Cons
- Slightly more expensive.
- Large menu interface that can be more difficult to figure out.
- Battery life on the whole is great, but music drains it quite quickly.
- Resolution on map functions can be quite limited.
- Band may not fit smaller wrists quite as well.
- Requires an account for use.
- You can’t actually respond or take action when it comes to external smartphone notifications.
- Accurate and high-tech GPS
- Ultra-lightweight with a durable and waterproof design
- Music syncing
- Contactless payment
- Safety tracking features
Polar X Grit vs Garmin Forerunner 945 Features: How Do They Compare?
Basic Specs At a Glance
Design
Both of these watches are quite lightweight, but the Garmin Forerunner 945 weighs in at 50g, a little lighter than Polar’s X Grit which weighs in at 64g.
When it comes to the aesthetic design of the Polar X Grit, the watch has a sleek, simple, and modern style. You can take your pick of a silicone strap that is available in several colorways: black, white, green. Or you can switch it up with a woven textile or leather band that allows you to dress up your watch a little and integrate it into your chosen outfits.
The Garmin Forerunner 945 is similarly lightweight, sleek, and subtle. It’s got a sharp look and won’t be a bulky burden on your wrist. In terms of colors, there aren’t quite as many options but it is available in both black and blue.
Both watches’ color displays feature 240 x 240 pixels and are fashioned of heavy-duty Gorilla Glass for ultra durability. So aesthetically, they are quite similar overall, the Polar X Grit just gives you more options for customization with their wider range of interchangeable straps and accessories.
Interface
The Polar Grit X is equipped with an easy to use touchscreen interface, whereas the Garmin Forerunner 945’s general interface is more extensive and can be a little trickier to navigate.
Battery Life
Battery life is so important when choosing a piece of technology like this. You want the battery to last throughout your journey, whatever length and distance that may be.
The Polar Grit X features a battery life of 40 hours (in training mode). Additionally, there are power-saving options as well for whenever you’re a little low on juice. The battery life is quite good.
And now for the Garmin. When it comes to battery life, this powerhouse boasts two weeks of battery life in smartwatch mode, 10 hours in GPS mode with music, or 60 hours in UltraTrac™ mode.
Of the two, the Garmin has better battery life, with an additional two weeks of charge. Overall, I’d have to say that the battery life on this particular watch is quite impressive and more ideal for someone who engages in frequent activity sessions.
Sport Modes
The Polar X Grit is a standout in this category, as it has 130+ different sports modes. You can find a unique setting for most any activity you can think of.
The Garmin Forerunner 945 is filled with an array of sports modes, although not as many. 30 disciplines, to be exact. The Forerunner 945’s specialty is more firmly focused on running but you can also find sport modes for skiing, swimming, and cycling.
Music
Is music important to you? Many people have a habit of listening to music during their sessions. If music is an important feature that you look for, I would definitely be in favour of the Garmin Forerunner 945.
One downside of the Polar X Grit is that it does not have any music features. Alternatively, the Garmin Forerunner 945 gives you the option to download and store MP3 files directly to the watch or stream via a third-party service i.e., Spotify.
Conclusion Polar Grit X vs Garmin Forerunner 945
So is there a clear winner here? To conclude, it’s clear that these are both excellent pieces of technology. When it comes to the Polar x Grit vs the Garmin Forerunner 945 I’m not going to say that one is infinitely better than the other because I believe that they both have unique capabilities and functions and are great for what they have to offer.
When it comes to Polar vs Garmin devices in general, my research has led to the following — Garmin aims to be a part of your entire life, as made clear with its smartphone-like integration, daily events, and smartphone features like remote pay and text notifications. Polar is more focused on fitness tracking itself and doesn’t try to be more than what it is.
The cheaper of the two, the Polar X Grit, is incredibly impressive with its wide range of features and tracking abilities. For the price you pay you are still getting a lot of bang for your buck (and a more user-friendly interface to boot). It may have a few pitfalls and a few less of the unique features found in the Garmin — but it remains sleek, efficient, and gets the job done.
Overall, the Garmin is the better smartwatch, but the X Grit is nothing to laugh at. It’s a powerhouse in its own right. I hope this review gave you some good insight into both of these smartwatches’ functions and abilities and give you a basis on which to make an informed purchasing decision.
Robby McClung
This article was written by the editorial staff of the Canaan Valley Running Company and Robby McClung. Robby is the founder of the Canaan Valley Running Company. You can read more in the about section of the website on Robby and the Canaan Valley Running Company.
