Walking Equipment and Accessories

Polar Grit X2 Pro Watch | Review

A sleek and streamlined watch that has some very nifty features that'll suit hikers and all-round outdoor enthusiasts down to a tee

I’ve been using the watch for mountain hikes, lake swimming, sea kayaking and gravel biking for the past few months and while many other smartwatches on the market struggle to last a full day on a single charge, the Polar Grit X2 Pro can easily go for several days (and I mean a week) without needing to be recharged. Having used a number of smartwatches over the years I’ve enjoyed getting my hands dirty with the Grit X2 Pro.

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In addition to its impressive battery life, the Polar Grit X2 Pro is incredibly easy to use. The touch screen interface is responsive and intuitive, making it a breeze to navigate through the various features and settings. The watch also comes with a range of customisable watch faces, not at the level of an Apple Watch but enough so that I can personalise it. I’m a huge fan of the fact that the watch overall looks in place on the mountain or with a smart jacket to a meeting. A lot of smartwatches I find are overtly designed one way or another, and although I’d say this has a fairly masculine look to it, if I change out the strap colour I can dress it up or down.

Compared to other smartwatches on the market of a similar value, the Polar Grit X2 Pro truly stands out for its usability. While some watches can feel clunky and overwhelming to use, this is sleek and streamlined, making it a pleasure to wear.

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Some impressive new features are the sleep tracking capability linked with the light-based heart rate sensor. Your sleep quality is tracked over the course of the night which I’ve found has started to build my awareness of how well I’m sleeping and what affects this, this then sync’s to the Polar Flow app where you can start to build a record over time.

Emma one of our testers, using the Polar Grit X2 Pro out on a mountain hike. Photos: Dave Macfarlane

I’m a huge fan that Polar haven’t attempted to build yet another tracking ecosystem with their watches, instead they seamlessly integrate with whichever tracking app you’re currently using. For me it’s Strava, and once connected your tracks upload automatically. I’m a bit tired of having to sign up to a new platform every time I invest in someone’s product, so this is really refreshing,

Main features include GPS activity tracking, weather, sunrise and sunsets, compass, altitude, heart rate, basic mapping, sleep recording, music control linked to your phone and, of course, time. I have however found myself needing to calibrate altitude a lot, I’ll keep an eye on this.

Overall, the Polar Grit X2 Pro is a top-notch smartwatch that easily holds its own with others at this price point. With its impressive battery life, user-friendly interface, and advanced fitness tracking features, the Polar X2 Grit surpasses many other watches on the market in terms of usability and functionality. Whether you’re a fitness enthusiast, a busy professional, or someone who simply wants to stay connected on the go, the Polar Grit X2 Pro is a fantastic choice that will enhance your everyday life in more ways than one. I highly recommend this smartwatch to anyone in the market for a reliable and versatile wearable device.

About the Tester

This watch was reviewed by Dave Macfarlane. Dave’s a professional adventure filmer and photographer who has worked with the likes of Inov-8 and the Outward Bound Trust. He’s also the guy behind all of the photography from our most recent Outdoor 100 gear guides. He’s based in the Lake District where he’s normally found out on one of the lakes or meres in his kayak.