New Polar Grit X adventure smartwatch is a Garmin Fenix 6 rival with new features

Polar picked a bad time to launch its otherwise exciting new adventure outdoor watch, the Polar Grit X – even more so than Fitbit, which chose the same time to announce the Fitbit Charge 4 with built-in GPS. The Polar Grit X is aimed at "outdoor enthusiasts" who want to "push their boundaries", but lockdown reduced the chances of any boundary pushing. Now that lockdown has been eased – although who knows for how long? – this could be a good time to grab the chance to try one!

• Buy the Polar Grit X directly from Polar, prices from £379

Regardless of the bad timing, the Polar Grit X has a few tricks up in its sleeve, like the new Hill Splitter feature that "automatically detects uphill and downhill segments and delivers detailed ascent/descent performance reporting after each session." This will come in handy for all those hard core trail runners and even beginners who would like to better understand their performance on the hills. Once we are allowed back out, that is.

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There is also the new FuelWise smart fuelling assistant that can deliver "tailored, automatic nutrition and water refuelling reminders required to maintain proper energy and hydration through even the longest sessions."

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Polar Grit X: image gallery

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Polar Grit X: release date, price, availability

• Buy the Polar Grit X directly from Polar, prices from £379

The Polar Grit X is available to buy now at Polar for £379 in sizes Small and Medium/Large.

There are two strap-colours available (standard straps): black and olive-green.

Black, white and green silicon accessory bands are available for £26.50.

Green Tundra, Red Paracord, and Blue Paracord textile accessory bands are available for £36.

Leather accessory band is available for £44.50.

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Polar Grit X: battery life and build

The Polar Grit X features US military-grade standard (MIL-STD-810G) construction, designed to "endure the roughest conditions". The watch is rather light, although not super light considering the circumstances, but definitely lighter than the new Casio G-Shock GBD-H1000.

As for battery life, the Polar Grit X can deliver up to 40 hours of continuous tracking with all features fully activated, and even up to 100 hours via multiple power save options. This power save function sounds similar to Suunto's FusedTrack and Garmin's UltraTrac feature: it probably only checks GPS signal occasionally and turns off the optical HR sensor in order to save on battery juice.

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Polar Grit X: other features

Other new additions in the new Polar Grit X include Komoot integration for route sourcing and turn-by-turn guidance, as well as current and 2-day weather forecasts for easier planning and on-the-go updates as conditions evolve.

Other features included:

• Polar Precision Prime: Polar's 9-sensor optical heart rate sensor returns with different coloured LEDs, possibly to have a more accurate reading on different coloured skin
• FitSpark Polar Grit X and the FitSpark training guide are ready-made daily workouts that match your recovery, readiness and training history. Kind of like an adaptive virtual trainer.
• Nightly Recharge: an overnight recovery measurement that shows you how well you recovered from all the stress of yesterday, like queuing for toilet paper and hand sanitiser in front of Sainsbury's. Similar to Garmin's Body Battery feature, but with more emphasis on training recovery.
• Training Load Pro: Training Load Pro "takes a comprehensive approach, combining Cardio Load, Muscle Load and Perceived Load into a single, easy-to-understand view." Essentially, it's a glance view of your training status, based on an algorithm.
• Sleep Plus Stages: the Polar Grit X can track your sleep stages and – though the Polar Flow app – give "detailed insights into your sleep quality". The watch does look a bit on the large side to be worn overnight, but should you do, you can benefit from this feature.
• Running Power: now this is a USP of the Vantage series. The Grit X monitors your muscular work rate while running on the wrist, without any additional straps or running pods. According to Polar, "Running Power is the key to gauging running workout intensity, enabling you to hit your perfect run intensities every time."