POLAR Grit X Rugged Multisport GPS Smart Watch

I’ve been a Polar user since the 90s. I’m also a tech nerd that loves watches. So naturally I was excited to see this new Grit X and purchased it straight away. I mostly mountain bike and swim now when working out outside, so a strong and rugged watch appeals to me ( I unfortunately do go down time to time). First impressions of this watch is that it is very aesthetically impressive. The new big metal buttons and large touch display are a welcome feature. I wear full finger gloves so its nice to be able to easily find the buttons on the go. Watch is comfortable too and noticeably lighter than another brand GPS watch I own. Here are my favorite features of this watch Optical HR sensor. It is extremely accurate. I ride my bike on a smart trainer 2-3 days a week during winter/spring, using the Zwift app. I have a Polar H9 heart rate strap paired to the Zwift app. I can pair this to the Grit X, but did not detect any delta between the HR strap and the optical. On both rides, at various intensities I never saw more than a 1-2 beat delta between the two. Very cool as I like to see my HR, but don’t like to always wear a strap while mountain biking. Hill Splitter. This is a welcome feature for anyone that likes to do hill repeats. No input needed. It senses your ascent, and automatically counts your repeats for you as well as the distance and time of ascent and decent. This worked great two days ago on hill repeat workout on my road bike. This is fun and convenient feature. Screen display and touch features. I like the new display. Very clear and just bright enough. Of course easy to light up with the top left button. I have it on the weather screen all the time. Nice to have winds and temperature right in view. Route guidance. This was something I did not use a watch for until now, but very comfortable using now with the Grit X. I live in Bend Oregon where we have a plethora of trails to explore. If you want an effective way to find a prescribed route, this watch makes it very simple. You will easily stay on your trail/road and know when to turn. Battery life. I did three loooooong workouts in 2 days, had the optical HR, GPS etc. on continuous and still had tons of juice remaining went to charge it. I love all the other features such as swim metrics, sleep stages, and nightly recharge. Just started to use FitSpark and I’ll edit this review after I use it for a few weeks, but looks like another great training tool. All in all this is another great watch from Polar. This watch can do it all and more than my other brand GPS bike computer. It is a personal coach/trainer on your wrist along with the Polar Flow app, and the durability of a G-Shock. I highly recommend this sport watch. 5 Stars.