The Polar Vantage V3 is the update to Polar’s flagship premium multi sports watch, which launched back in 2020 , but I just recently purchased one and upgraded from the Vantage 2 series. I use mine for heart rate, tracking sleep, recovery as well as lap times via Lit Pro app. This is what I mainly use mine for but it is nice to have my way tell me who is calling/texting me without looking at my phone. Below is a breakdown of the Vantage 3 with some technical watch terms as well as a real world MX consumer. The headline addition might be the new AMOLED screen, but Polar has also introduced its new Elixir biosensor that can now deliver blood oxygen, skin temperature and heart rate via ECG to arm you with more metrics. It’s also adding offline maps and dual-frequency GPS to deliver more accurate outdoor data. I wanted to add this even though I thought it didn’t mean much to me but the AMOLED screen is much brighter/crisper than the Vantage 2 that I had. While the Vantage V2 was a solid offering from Polar, the Vantage V3 sees things step up a notch and it now feels like a better match for the competition, AKA like Garmin Forerunner owners.
New AMOLED touchscreen
Heavier than Vantage V2
Nicely textured buttons that are easy to use
The Vantage V3 is Polar’s performance watch, so unlike its Grit series, it’s offering high grade materials, all while keeping things relatively light and comfortable to wear day and night. I had a Grit series a couple years ago and I can attest to its bulky/heavier feel.Â
It still measures in with a 47mm case like the V2 but is now thicker at 14.5mm compared to the 13mm thick case on the Vantage V2. It’s also got heavier, jumping from 52g to 57g but I don’t feel it. Those changes ultimately don’t alter the experience of strapping the V3 on however. It’s still a pretty sleek-looking watch with aluminum in the case and the bezel to give it an attractive metallic frame. The strap attached to that case is a workout-friendly silicone one, though you wouldn’t think it at first glance as Polar has clearly tried to give it the appearance of a traditional watch strap. I’m not sure I entirely love the feel of it though as it isn’t the softest strap I have worn. Both strap and watch case are waterproof up to 50 meters depth, which does mean you can use it in water but is a downgrade on the stronger 100 meter waterproofing available on the V2. This is not a huge thing for me though as I am not going in the ocean, but mainly in jacuzzi and pool.Â
Around that aluminum case lies five physical buttons and they still have that nicely textured finish that makes them nice to press, even with sweaty or wet fingers. That surrounds a 1.39-inch, 454 x 454 resolution AMOLED touchscreen with Gorilla Glass on top to protect it against scratches. Along with the added pop of color it’s a bigger display, and while there is a thin black bezel around the edge it’s well hidden by Polar’s predominantly black colored watch faces.
It’s a great AMOLED panel, with deep blacks, good max brightness and I’ve had no issues viewing it indoors, outdoors or while on the bike. The screen can be kept always-on with the raise to wake gesture support not as responsive as I’d have liked. What is nicely responsive is the software running on the V3. It’s slick, doesn’t lag and is a massive improvement on the experience of interacting with its predecessor.
When you need to charge it Polar includes a proprietary charging cable that clips into the port just below that new sensor array. It’s not the most secure of charging setups, and you just need to be mindful it’s out of the way of anything that might knock it out of place. The Vantage V3 takes everything that was good on the V2 and aims to make improvements in some pretty important departments.
On the tracking front, Polar’s introduced dual-frequency GPS to enhance outdoor tracking accuracy for off-road riding or when in bad weather or densely forested areas. It’s now also adding free offline maps to join the existing turn-by-turn guidance offered by the Komoot app support if that interests you?
There’s still over 150 sports profiles offered and Polar is bolstering one sport in particular, of course motocross! Around the back of the watch is where you’ll find Polar’s new Elixir sensor array, which sees a change in the design of the optical setup that’s now capable of capturing blood oxygen, skin temperature, take ECG heart rate measurements, with the upgraded Gen 4 version of Polar’s optical heart rate sensor also in tow.
Polar continues to offer rich sleep and training features, so you’re still getting access to its Training Load Pro and Recovery Pro insights, with Polar’s FitSpark suggested daily workouts and FuelWise fueling reminders for endurance athletes also still on board. It’s added the voice guidance support from the Ignite 3 along with the Work-Rest-Guide, which uses heart rate data to dictate when you should rest between workout sets. On the smartwatch front, Polar still keeps things simple once again, offering the ability to view your notifications, change watch faces and control music playback on your paired smartphone. The added AMOLED screen and boost in CPU performance certainly makes these features much nicer to use day-to-day.
The V3 is Polar’s premium multi sports watch, so it’s giving you the best the company has to offer in watch features. It’s bringing in the dual-band GPS support it debuted on the Polar Ignite 3, it’s boosting the mapping and navigation features it introduced on its Grit outdoor watch and the new Elixir sensor aims to offer boost in accuracy to improve the reliability of sports, wellness and sleep tracking.
Then there’s the reliability of that new Elixir sensor, which promises an upgraded optical heart rate sensor, though I can’t say the accuracy has been massively upgraded for me. Even on steady paced workouts I found the optical heart rate sensor tended to report lower average heart rate readings and maximum heart rate readings seemed higher against a heart rate monitor chest strap. It’s not a terrible performer, but it’s also not the best performance I’ve seen from a wrist-based heart rate monitor. If in doubt, pair up an external heart rate monitor like I do.
Polar’s Elixr sensor array also brings new blood oxygen tracking, skin temperature tracking at night, and ECG measurements when you hold your finger on the top physical button for 30 seconds. All of these new metrics place the onus on your simply tracking and analyzing trends, which can help you decide whether you should be taking it easy or you’re in good shape to have a strenuous day.Â
That insight also works in tandem with Polar’s rich sleep tracking, something that does separate it from the sports watch competition. Along with core sleep tracking stats, it’s offering you nightly recharge measurements, nightly skin temperature and the boost from sleep insights. Crucially, the sleep data is some of the most reliable I’ve come across on a watch that I have purchased.
Another big positive is that unlike previous Polar watches, comprehensive sleep tracking doesn’t show a huge drain on battery, which on the whole, is a big improvement on the Vantage V2. There’s now a bigger 488mAh capacity battery, which Polar says can last for up to 12 days (I found it more like 9 days) in its daily watch mode and 61 hours in training mode, up from 40 hours (in training mode I found it up more like 30 hours from the Vantage 2). I found the Vantage V3 could last a week with regular tracking using the top GPS accuracy mode. When you opt to keep the screen set to always-on, you’re going to get less than 5 days, and using features like GPS will see a further dent too.
Best If:
You want the best Polar sports watch
The added AMOLED display is just one of the new features that makes this Polar’s most impressive and feature-packed watch.
You want lots of sleep-tracking stats
Along with reliable sleep data, Polar also goes deep into using that sleep data to better inform your recovery needs. I like this because “recovery” is one thing I am not good at.Â
You want an attractive-looking sports watch
The V3’s aluminum-heavy design that doesn’t weigh heavy, those textured buttons and cleverly disguised black bezel combine to give Polar’s watch a likeable design.
A watch that isn’t bulky to wear while you ride.
Lap Times via LitPro app.Â
Not Great:
You want the best sports watch and smartwatch mash-up
Polar simply doesn’t match what Garmin and Apple offer on the smartwatch front, if you want something that’s more useful outside of tracking time.
You want great wrist-based heart rate monitoring
It might pack in an upgraded heart rate sensor compared to the V2, but the accuracy improvements just weren’t there for me compared to wearing the strap.
You easy to understand training analysis
While Polar offers a lot on the training features front, it takes a bit of work to really put those extra insights into context of your training needs for Moto.
Overall, I am very pleased with my $600.00 purchase. Yes, it’s a lot of money but for me it’s something I need daily to help me track training, lap times, recovery, etc. The battery life is reliable and the watch is tough. I do recommend protecting it from rocks and such if you wear on the bike. Amazon sells screen protectors that simply go over the glass portion of the watch face. It does distort the view of the watch somewhat while on but still much better than cracking a screen while you ride. Nothing makes me more mad when my $600.00 watch fat has cracked.
