POLAR Pacer Ultra-Light GPS Fitness Tracker Smartwatch for Runners S-L for Men or Women Black

I wanted a fitness watch with an accurate and reliable HRM function that I could use for training, with a chest strap HRM. I wanted a watch with an intuitive interface and easy-to-use buttons that I could manage easily even when sweaty and gasping for breath, because, ya know, that's how it goes when you're training. I needed a watch face that I could glance at and read quickly without glasses, while running. And I needed a watch that would show the functions I wanted to know most while I was running... usually time elapsed, HRM, and distance covered. That's apparently a lot to ask from a "simple" training watch, because I've been looking for a long time for one that fits those particular requirements, and I've been SUPER cranky about it. I don't want a wrist-based HRM, because they're always inaccurate. I don't want a $3,000 Garmin supercomputer on my wrist that will show me a 3D rendered topo map of my route. I don't need to know the barometric pressure, or how far off true north the compass function is. I don't need a watch that will recite Hungarian poetry to me while I run, or anything like that. I just need some basic training metrics, delivered in a reliable form. The Polar Pacer Pro delivers. I am solidly wowed by it. The Pacer Pro watch face is easy to read even with my 55-yo eyes; the interface is dead easy to use, and the watch itself is pretty slim and not too bulky for my wee wrists. It measures the functions I want. Paired with the Polar H10 chest strap, it delivers a rock solid HRM readout, updated in real time. (The wrist-based HRM is pretty good, but when I tested it against a chest strap, it was off by as much as 7-8 bpm and lagged a few seconds in updating its reading. Better than a lot of wrist-based HRMs, but still not as good as a chest strap.) I want to be cranky about having to use an app to get full readouts on my workouts, but the app is really easy to use and I've been really happy with how it presents the info. One thing I didn't think I wanted or needed was the sleep tracking function, but having tried it, I'm finding it's really useful. It made me realize that I do not relax well before going to sleep most nights, and therefore get subpar sleep...so I've started doing some meditation and guided relaxation for a few minutes before bed, and wow, I've been sleeping a lot better, which is making me feel better overall every day. The battery life has been quite good; it goes about a week between charging, and the charging itself doesn't take much time. Rather than draining the battery fully between charges, I've been taking it off my wrist occasionally and putting it on the charger while I eat lunch or take a shower, and that's enough for several days' worth of charge. I would feel absolutely confident it would last through a full weekend of ultramarathoning, although I haven't tested it on that long a run yet. Read more

I have used Garmin watches and they do a lot very well. Most recently the fenix 7 solar. That is a great watch but bulky and heavy. I thought I would try the Pacer Pro at 41 grams. It is very comfortable, you barely notice that you have it on even when sleeping. The GPS is accurate and connects quickly. It measures sleep extremely well. I run but also do many other cardio exercises and they have everything I do as a workout. Also has strength training. The Polar app is comparable to Garmin for what I look at. I gave up music (although I always had trouble with that with Garmin), maps, and the touchscreen. Also Polar does not give you the abundance of watch face options as Garmin and it seems like replacement watch bands are not as plentiful or really as seamless as with Garmin. All that said, for me, the Polar Pacer Pro brings what I need in a fitness watch at a very good price! And it is incredibly light and comfortable! Read more

I will happily write another review about this watch (since the negative one I left in the past was removed). Either way, I would not recommend this watch. I've been a distance runner since high school and was looking for a watch to track some important data (heart rate, distance, VO2 max), and thought this would be a good watch to start with. The watch seemed nice at first, but I was bothered by the high lag when switching between watch faces. I still wanted to use it for running, so I did not return it. After using this watch for a few runs, I noticed the data given on the watch was significantly different from my phone's steps/miles. I thought, "Wow, maybe it is just my phone," so I tried a separate watch at the same time to compare the validity of the data. This watch, again, showed incorrect data, and my other watch/my phone had near-exact data. The biggest issue I've had with this watch was with my heart rate. This watch (in the correct position as specified by the guide) would show I had my heart rate in the 40s. I scheduled an appointment with my PCP the next week and confirmed this watch did not come within 30 bpm of the value seen by her pulse oximeter (>20 bpm difference sitting here while writing the review). There is, of course, a laundry list of other issues with poor quality data, bad battery life, and the app, but my point has been driven home enough. In terms of quality, this watch should not have been more than $50. I have been disappointed at each step and genuinely wish I had returned it. Even worse, I am disgusted with how my review was removed after stating the issues I had with the product. Overall, this is a low-quality product from a low-quality company; this is the kind of product you buy and ask yourself, "This does not adequately do anything I wanted in a product, why did I get it in the first place?" If I can stop even one person from buying this watch, I will consider it a win. Read more

I love this watch! It is light enough to wear all day without noticing it and the Pacer Pro has all the features I could want as a runner and cyclist. The build quality is superb and the form factor is sleek though durable. I like knowing I can swap bands if I want to switch up the look! The HR sensor has been accurate and I like that it tracks my HR all day and while sleeping. Also, being able to control my music and podcasts is really handy! The Flow app (works with the Pacer Pro) is a great tool in keeping tabs on my training, measuring my sleep, and guiding my recovery as well as performance. The running programs are also really useful and I have found them to be great for my 5k training. If you’re looking to upgrade your watch game, the Pacer Pro is a great choice that will last for years to come! Highly recommended. Read more

Easy to use. Easy to read. Has lots of activities you can track. I use it for everything from basic exercise walking and hiking to biking and kayaking. Holds a charge for about 3 days unless you use the gps a lot. But it takes a charge impressively fast. Read more