Polar - Grit X Pro

The first thing I used was a Garmin Vivosmart 4. It was a thing fitness band, so turning it inside on my wrist wasn't too uncomfortable. Then I got a Polar H10 chest strap. First tracking using my phone in the Polar Beat app. I think this is the only option if you want to use the "save on device" feature. Which is useful if you're going to be doing something like martial arts training. Now I use my Polar H10 paired to my watch (Polar GritX Pro). I think this is the best of the options I've used. I put the watch beside me on the ground and still use the buttons to count sets (I'm surprisingly bad at this when my heart rate gets high).

You can get the Polar Grit X second hand for around 100-150 EUR/USD these days. Never had any issues with HR or GPS accuracy. I also use it almost exclusively for running.

When I was swimming regularly in a 25m pool with grit x and vantage V, I found that taking a little longer from pushing off from the side before taking the first stroke on each turn makes a huge difference to accuracy of recordings. Only issues I’d ever have were the occasional missed turn.

Polar Grit X. Polar is like Garmin but much cheaper.

I use a Polar Grit X. Reliable and robust and easy to sync with a phone. Already survived multiple crashes. Compared with other Polar models the Grit-models are more robust. It’s not a smartwatch but a regular sportswatch the can receive notifications from a connected phone. Imho a real smartwatch is too fragile and/or too expensive for offroad usage (with chance of crashing). The Grit X works fine on most routes/trails. Only when S-curves are very tight it gets confused and cuts off the route and in the end the total distance shown is not correct.

A fairly old and battered Polar Grit X Didn't want to splash out on my first sports watch, so bought this second hand for under $100 and it does the job for me!

Well, I compared my polar gritx watch to polar h10 chest strap in a threshold session, the difference was still within 1-2bpm, mostly exactly the same. The chest strap was slightly faster, but unless I'm doing 10 second intervals I don't really care that much. It is also more hassle, more uncomfortable, and more susceptible for dropping data in regular use. I just gave it away.

I don't know how to answer that. But basically all modern Polar watches have same standby time. Pacer, Pacer Pro, Ignite 3, V2, V3, Grit X, Grit X Pro, Grit X 2. But if you go back in the lineup you will have a lot more standby. But that doesnt make sense to buy that old today. How ever, the GPS-time you can do a workout differs more. But, I have had best battery on Grit X. 30-40 hours races done with that. Wrist HR and just run. But I think you get same from basically all "top-line" watches.

I am not an apple person but the Apple watch is routinely the best one on the market from independent studies and scientific studies. Personally I use a Polar GritX that's a couple years old.

Don't get a Polar. My Grit X lap tracking is all whack with no way to fix the data, and the strokes misinterpreted all the time. Maybe it's just my shitty form.