Polar Grit X2 review: the Grit X2 Pro in a smaller, cheaper package

Polar Grit X2: One minute review

It's fair to say Polar’s smartwatch line up has become a little confusing over the last few years, with “Pro” and “Titan” versions floating around at premium prices alongside the Grit, Vantage M and Ignite series – it's not exactly easy for buyers to decipher which model is the best for them.

The arrival of the Polar Grit X2 doesn't exactly help things. But it does point to the brand at least trying to make its outdoor models simple again – not by reinventing the wheel, but by taking the best bits of the Grit X2 Pro and repackaging them into something that feels more wearable, less intimidating and – crucially – much cheaper.

That’s the core appeal here. The Grit X2 uses the same underlying hardware and software as the Pro model, including Polar’s Elixir biosensing platform (that tracks heart rate, ECG, SpO2 and skin temperature), dual-frequency GPS for better outdoor accuracy, and a bright AMOLED display that finally makes mapping feel like a proper “modern” feature rather than a gimmick. It also keeps full offline maps capability and a generous 32GB of storage for them, which is still something many outdoor watches either charge extra for or half-deliver.

Where it differs is mostly in the build. The case is smaller and lighter, the materials aren’t as premium as the Pro, and water resistance drops from 100m to 50m. That might sound like a downgrade on paper, but in reality, the Grit X2 is simply more practical for most wrists and most lives, especially if you’re wearing it 24/7 for sleep tracking and recovery insights.

It’s not perfect, though. Polar’s smartwatch features remain fairly basic – notifications, music controls, a few widgets and that’s your lot, as usual with Polar – and Polar Flow is still one of the least intuitive companion apps in the game. The watch interface also looks a bit old-school next to Garmin’s slicker menus and Apple’s “everything is an app” approach.

Still, if what you want is a capable, no-nonsense outdoor watch that leans heavily into training, recovery and mapping, the Grit X2 is arguably Polar’s best value rugged wearable yet.

Polar Grit X2: Price and availability

• Price: £399 / $799 / AU$799
• Release date: June 2025
• Colors: Night Black and Brown Copper

The Polar Grit X2 launched in June 2025 and lands in a noticeably more approachable price bracket than the Grit X2 Pro, which is exactly the point.

In the UK, the watch has a £399 RRP but if you shop around you're likely to find it for less. At the time of writing, it's on sale for £331.17 on Polar's official online store. In the US, the watch is listed for a pretty unproportionate $799, probably due to import reasons from Polar's native EU, and in Australia it’ll cost you AU$799.

That pricing puts it in an interesting middle ground. It’s clearly more “serious” than basic outdoor-ish watches, but it’s also not trying to compete directly with the ultra-premium crowd like the Garmin Fenix 8 or Apple Watch Ultra range on price. Instead, it’s more of a smart alternative if you want flagship-grade tracking and mapping without paying flagship money.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Polar Grit X2: Design

• Slimmer, lighter and easier to live with than the Pro
• AMOLED display looks fantastic and is protected by sapphire glass
• Strap is comfortable but oddly stiff

The Grit X2 feels like Polar’s attempt at a rugged watch that doesn’t look like a dinner plate strapped to your arm. It sports a 44.7mm case (around 45mm in real-world terms) with a fairly slim 12.5mm thickness, which is a genuinely wearable size for an outdoor watch and a noticeable shift from the bulkier Pro model.

Despite being the “cheaper” version, it still keeps a stainless steel bezel and sapphire glass over the display, which is exactly what you want on something that’s likely to scrape against rocks or whatever else life throws at it. The main cost-saving is in the case itself, which is reinforced polymer instead of a more premium metal build. It doesn’t feel cheap, but it does feel less luxurious than the Pro if you’re the kind of person who cares about that.

The watch is also MIL-STD-810H certified, meaning it’s been tested against shock, temperature and humidity extremes. In other words, it’s meant to handle the outdoors properly, not just look like it can.

The display is a 1.28-inch AMOLED panel with a 416 x 416 resolution, and it’s one of the main reasons this watch feels like a modern upgrade over older Grit models. It’s sharp, colourful, and makes maps far more usable than the old MIP screens do. You can set it to always-on too, which looks great, but obviously hits battery life considerably.

Around the bezel you get Polar’s familiar five-button layout, and they’re textured and easy to press even when your hands are cold or sweaty. That matters more than you’d think, especially when you’re mid-run and don’t want to be poking at a touchscreen in the rain.

My only real gripe here is the strap. It’s flexible enough, but it has a slightly stiff feel that makes you very aware of it during workouts. The good news is it uses a simple sliding pin mechanism, so swapping it out is easy if you’d rather stick a softer strap on there.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Polar Grit X2: Features

• Loads of outdoor and training features lifted from the Pro model
• Offline maps are excellent – route guidance is less seamless
• Smartwatch features still feel basic

The Grit X2 is essentially running the same feature set as the Grit X2 Pro, which is a big deal when you consider how much cheaper it is (£399 vs £649 RRP, although obviously US costs are much higher).

Polar’s Elixir biosensing platform is the main draw here, boasting 4th-gen optical heart rate tracking, wrist-based ECG, blood oxygen-sensing (SpO2) and skin temperature tracking. In real life, that translates to a watch that feels properly serious about health data, rather than just ticking the usual smartwatch boxes.

Polar’s recovery tools are still some of its strongest features. You get Nightly Recharge, which breaks down how well your body recovered overnight, and more sleep insights than most people will ever need. There’s also Training Load Pro and Cardio Load, which help you understand how hard you’re pushing across sessions, plus performance tests like leg recovery and walking tests.

It’s a very “Polar” approach, which is to say it’s geared toward people who actually care about training patterns and recovery trends rather than just collecting colourful rings.

The outdoor side is equally strong. You get full offline maps, 32GB of storage for them, and navigation features that finally put Polar in a more competitive place with the likes of industry big guns Garmin and Suunto. The maps themselves look great on the AMOLED display, and moving around them feels responsive rather than laggy. You can switch orientation, view points of interest and pan around without it feeling like you’re fighting the watch.

The less slick part is how you actually get routes and turn-by-turn navigation. You can upload GPX files, or sync routes from services like Komoot and Strava, but those options often require paid subscriptions – and the whole process still feels more fiddly than it should. You can absolutely use the maps without turn-by-turn guidance, but if you want a seamless experience planning a route on the fly, for instance, Polar still isn’t there yet.

As for smartwatch features, it’s the usual Polar story. You get phone notifications (but can’t act on them), weather widgets, and music controls. That’s basically it. There's no app store, nor is there a proper ecosystem. Nothing that feels meaningfully new compared to previous Polar watches. If you want your watch to replace your phone for anything beyond workouts, this isn’t the one.

• Features score: 3 / 5

Polar Grit X2: Performance

• Dual-frequency GPS is accurate and reliable for most outdoor training
• Heart rate tracking is solid, but can drift high in hard efforts
• Sleep and recovery insights are strong

In day-to-day use, the Grit X2 performs like you’d expect from a watch using Polar’s latest hardware.

Dual-frequency GPS is now becoming standard across sports watches, allowing for more accurate positioning in challenging environments. However, that doesn’t automatically mean every watch that features it is perfect. In the Grit X2’s case, though, it’s a strong performer. Compared against watches like the Garmin's latest Forerunner 970, it generally held up well in terms of accuracy and didn’t do anything weird with routes.

Heart rate tracking is also solid, especially in steady-state workouts where optical sensors tend to behave best. When intensity ramps up, it still has that familiar wrist-sensor problem where readings can spike a bit higher than expected, especially during sudden pace changes. It’s not the end of the world, but if you're obsessed with accuracy, you'll be way better off with a chest strap, or perhaps using the Polar H10 alongside this watch.

I also used the Grit X2 for indoor sessions and general gym workouts, and it handled those well enough, with the usual caveat that wrist HR is never going to be flawless when you’re gripping bars or constantly flexing your wrists.

Sleep tracking is one of Polar’s longstanding strengths, and it shows here. The Grit X2 does a decent job of capturing the broad trend, like when you fell asleep, how long you slept, and whether your night was restful or messy, etc. Sleep stages (REM, deep, etc.) are still something I take with a pinch of salt on a wrist-mounted wearable, but the overall sleep score and recovery insights are useful. If you want a watch that encourages you to take recovery seriously, Polar remains one of the best at it.

The area where Polar lets you down in the Grit X2 isn't the tracking, it's the presentation. The Polar Flow app might be packed with data, but it's just so poorly put together. Some of the terminology is also a bit cryptic, which makes quick glances harder than they should be.

When it comes to battery life, the Grit X2 uses a 310mAh battery, which is smaller than the Pro model’s chunkier cell. Polar says you’ll get up to a week in smartwatch mode (assuming you don’t use the always-on display), and in my experience that’s realistic. Turn on always-on, however, and that’ll obviously be cut down.

For GPS tracking, you’re looking at about 30 hours in the best accuracy mode, which is decent for most runners, hikers and cyclists.

One genuinely neat addition is that you can charge the watch while still tracking an activity. That’s not something you’ll do while running, but if you’re hiking with a power bank in your pack, it’s a smart way to avoid ending an activity early just because battery anxiety kicks in.

The most interesting battery detail, though, is that it’s replaceable. That’s rare on rugged sports watches, and it’s a big deal for longevity. Polar says you can’t do this yourself and will cost €39.90 ( around £35 / $45), plus service and shipping fees to send the watch to a Polar Service Center. If you’re someone who keeps watches for years, that’s a pretty good perk.

• Performance score: 4 / 5

Polar Grit X2: Scorecard

Polar Grit X2: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

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How I tested

I wore the Polar Grit X2 daily for around two weeks, testing its features during various activities, including running, cycling and yoga. I used its dual-band GPS for outdoor workouts and tracked recovery metrics with Polar’s app tools.

I also evaluated its smartwatch functionality by syncing it to a smartphone, using it for notifications and assessing app integration. To test durability, I wore it during both high-intensity workouts and casual everyday use, paying attention to comfort and battery performance.

First reviewed: January 2026