M430

Nah, not really. Whoop just came out with version 5 which did not get a hardware update. Only that change for the band size, so that you have to buy new straps. That means whoop users will sit on year old hardware for a few more years. Polar has the industry leading sensor tech and device specific experience with the Polar 360 for at least a year. That means Polar can fix everything through software while whoop needs to wait until they can ship a new device. Edit for context: Whoop 4 user. Using the Polar m430 for exercise because of accuracy.

I ended up getting a Grit X2 pro but I hope it lasts longer. My Grit X Pro failed in barely over 2 years and the Vantage and M430s I had earlier also had stupid issues like buttons getting stuck. Not to mention the horrible charging port corrosion issues in the M400 days. Polar needs to get their shit together. I honestly don't mind that they have less features (which has cost them a lot of buyers in the market) but loved the tracking ecosystem and was willing to overlook the less "smart" features for the quality. If Polar doesn't get their act together, this will be my last Polar watch. Although I have my doubts the company will even exist if they continue to fall further behind and continue focusing on chasing stupid fads like their fitness band.

One word. Flow. When I was buying my first running watch, I was deciding between Garmin and Polar. I went with the Polar M430 because through my research I figured out that Polar's training ecosystem was better for me. I didn't like the idea of switching between different manufacturers since I wanted my data in one place. So whichever manufacturer I ended up choosing I would choose for life. Flow's simple design and putting your data front and center without any gimmicks is how one should design a good training platform.

I started with Polar M400, then Polar M430 (which is now with my father in law) and now Polar Pacer Pro and my wife has the Polar Ignite 2... After starting my running path with polar, because of a friend I decided to stay. It works for me. I don't like apple or samsung devices. Maybe some day I will change to Garmin or Suunto, but now I am happy with polar.

I had the exact opposite experience, switched to a polar one and didn’t have any issues anymore

G-Shock Edit: Used to wear a Fitbit. Broke too many of them hitting my punching bag. The heartbreak tracker would stop working. Fitbit was great about sending me replacements. I got sick of it and bought a Polar heart rate monitor. So much more accurate anyway. I pair that with my iPhone. Whenever I’m not hitting the bag or tracking heart rate, I wear my G-Shock.