Polar Electro Oy (more commonly known as Polar) is a multinational company focusing on fitness and tracking devices. Even though Polar established itself way back in 1977, it only just entered the smartwatch market recently. Last year the brand launched its flagship smartwatch named Polar Grit X.
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Now they’re back again with an upgraded version of the Grid X, namely Polar Grit X Pro. Polar markets the Grit X Pro as their most durable smartwatch. That led us to think about how well it compares to the Garmin Fenix 6. So by the end of this Polar Grit X Pro vs Garmin Fenix 6 comparison, you’ll get a better idea of how well these brands compare to each other.
| Features and Specs | Polar Grit X Pro | Garmin Fenix 6 Pro |
| Display | 1. Sapphire Glass Protection | 1. 1.3″ Sunlight Visible MIP 2. Corning® Gorilla® Glass DX or Sapphire Crystal Protection |
| Weight | 53g | Steel Case: 83g Titanium: 72g |
| Dimension | – | 47 x 47 x 14.7 mm |
| Features | 1. HR Monitoring 2. Sleep Tracking 3. Advanced Sport Tracking 4. On-board Map | 1. HR Monitoring 2. Sleep Monitoring 3. Animated Workouts 4. On-board Map 5. Body Battery 6. Daily Workout Suggestions |
| Sensors | 1. HR sensor 2. Accelerometer 3. Barometer 4. Compass 5. GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS | 1. GPS+ GLONASS+GALILIO 2. HR Sensor 3. Altimeter & Barometer 4. Gyroscope 5. Compass 6. Accelerometer 7. Oxygen Sensor 8. Thermometer |
| Battery Life | 40 hours to 7 days | Smart Battery modes( 10 hours to 28 days based on settings) |
| Water resistance | 100 meters | 100 meters(10 ATM) |
Both brands behind Grit X Pro and Fenix 6 claim their watches feature military-grade durability. So if what they claim is true, you can take them anywhere anytime. But one needs to understand the strengths and weaknesses of these watches before settling in on one. Either of these watches could set you back a heavy toll on your monthly expenditure, so you must choose the right one that suits you well.
Polar Grit X Pro vs Garmin Fenix 6: Which one suits you well
There are multiple factors that you must consider while buying a smartwatch for outdoor needs. One must always consider the durability of these products. But what matters the most is the underlying specs and features. There is no point in wearing a rock-solid watch that won’t point you in the right direction.
Pricing
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We strongly believe that pricing is not a factor while buying a smartwatch for outdoor sports and activities. The logic being if you need the best one, you’ll need to pay for it. Even though these devices might seem closely priced, one must consider the release date of these watches to get the complete picture. The Grit X Pro is a recent launch from Polar, and the Fenix 6 has been with us for almost two years. That might mean the Grit X Pro is technically superior to the Fenix 6.
Display and Build
Both watches use a circular dial which gives them a classical look. Stainless steel is the primary material used in both these watches. While Fenix 6 uses Corning Gorilla Glass DX, Polar took it further with a Sapphire crystal. Grit X Pro uses a 1.2-inch always-on transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) display with a resolution of 240×240.
The Fenix 6 comes with a similar MIP display with a resolution of 260 x 260 pixels. It is also slightly bigger at 1.3 inches. Both watches weigh around 80 grams. Polar claims the Grit X Pro is tested against military standards (MIL-STD-810G) and can operate between -20° to 50°C. However, Polar advises not to use it below -10°C as the low temperature might affect battery life and performance.
Battery and Water Resistance
Both watches are water-resistant for up to 100 meters. So you can take them to the pool with ease. Garmin dominates in the battery section as a single charge could give you up to 14 days of battery life. You could stretch it to 48 days with the Battery Saver Watch Mode. GPS will bring it down to a maximum of just 36 hours.
You could use the watch in Max Battery GPS Mode to extend the battery life for up to 72 hours. The Expedition GPS Activity mode would give you up to 28 days of battery life. To put it simply, the Fenix 6 can get the most battery life on a single charge, thanks to the numerous power-saving modes within the watch.
Grit X Pro, on the other hand, only offers very minimal power-saving modes. The Watch mode will give you up to 7 days with a single charge. GPS will bring this down to under 40 hours. Power saving will give you up to 100 hours of battery life mode while training.
Sensors
Both are premium smartwatches that come with all the necessary sensors. The list includes sensors that help you monitor your health and the ones for positioning and tracking. GPS on both these watches will help you track your running and cycling activities with ease. Garmin might have the slight upper hand here with their advanced software-assisted navigation system.
Fitness and Tracking activities
Garmin shines with its years of expertise in providing what the user needs. Polar is good at providing all you need, but Garmin does it better. From side-by-side navigation to Group Livetrack, Garmin does an excellent job in presenting all the data it had gathered using the onboard sensors on their watches.
It seems Polar might need a year or two to reach up to Garmin’s level, as their tools and features are still somewhat immature. For example, the Back To Start feature on the Grit X Pro won’t give you exact direction to the point where you started. Instead, it will only point you in the direction of where you started. It still looks worse than the mini-map from Skyrim.
Smart features
There isn’t much to say in here. Even though these are premium smartwatches, they still fall behind watches like the Apple Watch and the Samsung Watch. Those brands are good at providing smartphone features like music or advanced alerts on a smartwatch. If you’re someone who values them over tracking and fitness, feel free to get any of those.
Our Verdict
Both Polar Grit X Pro and the Garmin Fenix 6 are premium smartwatches for outdoor sports and activities. Suggesting one might be hard for us as both have their advantages. The Polar Grit X Pro is a newly launched smartwatch, meaning it comes with everything latest in the market.
The designs are great, especially the Arctic Gold variant. But we wonder how well such a premium finish stacks up against the harshness of the environment. Polar should pay close attention to the software and services if they wish to stay in business.
The Garmin Fenix 6, on the other hand, is a 2-year-old design. The Fēnix 7 is on its way, and if you’re lucky, you could get your hands on the Fenix 6 for an even lower price. But many would consider the hardware to be outdated. It is worth noting that Garmin has its way with the software. The tools and features offered by Garmin on the Fenix 6 are enough to keep the watch in business for a lot longer.
