Polar’s new sports watches help runners keep their pace

Studies claim that the number of people who run increased significantly during the pandemic. Polar’s new sports watches Pacer and Pacer Pro are aimed at those who have just taken up running or are planning to do so.

The more affordable Pacer is for beginners and Pacer Pro with more features is designed to help serious runners achieve better results. Both watches have a faster processor and more internal memory than their predecessors. Both watches also feature the Polar Precision Prime optical heart rate monitor. The watches are very similar in design and are not very different from the previous Polar models. The watches feature a minimalist design, five physical buttons and a colour screen that is clearly visible even in bright sunlight. Battery life is also identical – up to seven days in normal mode, up to 35 hours in workout mode with active GPS and heart rate monitor. Both watches also show incoming notifications from the phone and weather forecasts and can control music played on the phone.

The main design differences are the weight, bands, and colours. The difference in weight is very small, with the Pacer weighing 40 g and Pacer Pro 41 g. Both watches use 20 mm wide bands, but the cheaper model only supports quick release bands.

The watches are aimed at runners of different skill levels. The Pacer features a 15-minute walking test for beginners that evaluates the user’s form. The more expensive model also features the walking test, but also offers a more strenuous running test. The Pro also includes GPS-based navigation and a barometer that measures the user’s performance in watts. Simply put, the idea is to monitor how much effort the runner is putting in and to guide them to run at the correct level of intensity.

Both watches also feature the classic exercise and recovery aids such as heart rate monitor, fitness tracking, sleep tracking, and running index score.

The Polar Pacer and Pacer Pro sports watches will be available for sale this spring.