The Polar Vantage M3 has premium guts in a mid-range bundle — with one key flaw

The Polar Vantage M3 is the model’s first inexpensive AMOLED watch, after the $599 Vantage V3 and $749 Grit X2 Professional first shed off the outdated MIP customary. The $399 M3 shares their 4th-gen Elixir OHR and dual-band GPS, which means it ought to supply dependable accuracy on par with Polar’s flagships.

I made a decision to place this to the check! Regardless of the wet climate and coming down with a chilly, I took the Polar Vantage M3 on a number of runs, lengthy walks, and a monitor run over the previous couple of weeks, evaluating the outcomes towards the Garmin Fenix 8‘s dual-band GPS, the COROS HRM armband, and the Polar H10 chest strap.

Once I pitted the Vantage V3 towards flagship Garmin and COROS watches, it fell a bit quick for GPS accuracy (whereas nonetheless doing higher than a GPS-only watch) and was pretty correct for HR information in comparison with a chest strap. So I used to be curious to see how the mid-range Vantage M3 would do with comparable {hardware}.

Seems the Polar Vantage M3 is kind of dependable for GPS, however rather less dependable for coronary heart charge accuracy in some instances. Nonetheless, the mid-range M3 is already making the flagship V3 look somewhat overpriced by providing the identical expertise for much less.

Polar Vantage M3 GPS accuracy

I used the Fenix 8 as a location accuracy management group as a result of Garmin’s dual-band GPS tends to guide the business for reliable ends in my exams. The mid-range COROS PACE Professional did surprisingly nicely towards it in my accuracy check earlier this month, so I had excessive hopes that the Vantage M3 may do equally nicely.

I am sorry that so lots of my exams have been quick jogs — which are typically too quick to disclose discrepancies — or lengthy walks which might be often too slow-paced to problem the antenna’s full skills. I did not get to go on a hike for correct elevation testing or accuracy on a tree-obscured route, both.

From what I used to be capable of check, nevertheless, the Vantage M3 did respectably nicely, all the time falling carefully inside the similar margins because the Garmin look ahead to a future.

If you happen to look extra carefully on the GPS map between the Vantage M3 (orange line) and Fenix 8 (blue) for my most up-to-date 10K run above, there are just a few cases the place the Vantage M3 drifts barely into the road or buildings, with the identical unprompted zig-zagging and exhausting angles because the dual-frequency Suunto Race, in addition to some points with underpasses that the Fenix 8 did not encounter.

Fortunately, the Vantage M3 has fewer gaffes than Suunto and does completely nicely in regular situations, sticking to the right facet of my native path. And for my monitor run under, it did not stick completely to the primary lane, however that is one thing each watch I’ve examined struggles with; Polar’s consequence is definitely among the many finest I’ve seen amongst dual-band watches.

Whereas I could not do a correct hike, my stroll alongside one other close by path was illuminating. Within the screenshots under, you will see how the Vantage M3 (now the blue line) does completely nicely on the unimpeded stretches, however underneath tree cowl, you will see much more wavering in brief stretches the place I used to be strolling straight forward (and Garmin’s orange line is often extra constant). My whole distance was solely two-hundredths aside, although, so most individuals will not thoughts.

Total, I believe individuals will likely be pleased with the Vantage M3’s location accuracy, particularly for its worth. What’s maybe extra fascinating is how Garmin and Polar persistently monitor working energy, coaching load, and steps per minute in a different way.

I am inclined to belief Garmin over Polar for steps; Garmin has gained a number of step-counting accuracy exams, and Garmin, Apple, COROS, and Fitbit all carefully matched on whole steps and cadence throughout a 20-mile, four-watch check.

However I’ve observed previously how Garmin coaching load appears to underestimate walks and overestimate monitor exercises, whereas Polar separates cardio and muscle load in a manner that feels extra subtle and correct to my effort stage — except for the grossly-underestimated monitor load. And working energy has all the time felt like an arbitrary metric that varies by model, so I do not put a lot inventory in it.

Polar Vantage M3 HR accuracy

My Polar Vantage M3 coronary heart charge outcomes gave me whiplash. For most traditional runs, it delivered constant HR averages, if all barely under my exterior HRMs. However my monitor run outcomes have been disappointing and my stroll information confirmed the right averages however was bizarrely wild on the graphs.

For each run besides one two-mile jog, the Polar Vantage M3 was 1 bpm in need of my optical arm band or my Polar ECG. Within the two HR graphs under (hit the magnification button), you’ll be able to see how the purple Garmin graph sits barely above the pinker Polar one at most factors, except for when my effort dips and Polar is slower to drop.

There’s usually a delay between wrist- and arm-based optical displays or chest straps, however a strong health watch ought to nonetheless common out to the identical consequence ultimately. I might wish to see Polar work out its algorithm to shut the small hole, however 1 bpm is not a significant problem and it is nonetheless in the best ballpark.

What’s barely weirder is taking a look at my two strolling exercise charts. Polar actually struggled to remain near my fluctuating coronary heart charge for each actions, with a 5–10 bpm hole above or under my precise HR for sustained stretches.

They ended up averaging out to equivalent or shut bpm averages for 6- and 4-mile walks; so once more, maybe you will not care concerning the distinction. However which will have been luck greater than all the things else; I observed this 5Krunner HR accuracy check did tremendous for many runs however had bizarrely inflated HR totals for a peaceful stroll. So I am hoping that is an space the place the Polar algorithm can enhance with time.

As for my monitor exercise, I can solely present a portion of the graph as a result of it by some means acquired totally misaligned in-between lap pauses about midway by way of, so the outcomes have been needlessly complicated. This portion offers you a glimpse of what to anticipate, although: just a few beats quick at most factors, dipping as little as 20 bpm underneath at one level, and overestimating my max by just a few beats. Mainly, it is far and wide.

I will do an unpaused monitor run for my full Vantage M3 evaluation, to keep away from any bizarre points with flat, skewed outcomes. However even with this incomplete check, I really feel just like the Vantage M3 may have performed a lot better in that preliminary snapshot. If I have been a severe athlete making an attempt to trace anaerobic effort, I might most likely purchase an exterior monitor to pair with my Vantage M3.

The Polar Vantage M3 holds its personal

There is a new class of AMOLED working watches that value about the identical as an Apple Watch or Pixel Watch however supply a severe leg up for coaching metrics, battery life, and accuracy.

If I had to decide on between the COROS PACE Professional ($349), Suunto Race S ($349), Polar Vantage M3 ($399), and Garmin Forerunner 265 ($449), I might have a critically powerful resolution on my fingers — however I might additionally really feel like I could not go mistaken with anybody selection.

With the Vantage M3 particularly, I recognize its light-weight and skinny design, Strava route and Komoot instructions integration, full suite of sensors like ECG and pores and skin temp, and default topo maps.

Its 7-day battery life is on the quick facet for a working watch, and I am not the most important fan of Polar Move as a companion app, however it would not really feel like a significant downgrade from the pricier Vantage V3, with comparable perks like its helpful VO2 Max and orthostatic exams and comparable accuracy. Whereas I’ve but to evaluation it totally, the Vantage M3 appears to be like extra compelling than the V3 for sheer worth.

I simply want it was somewhat extra correct for anaerobic runs or low-effort cardio.