Polar has unveiled the Vantage V2, the second generation of its premium triathlon-friendly multisport watch. It’s lighter, has a longer battery life and comes with the most complete set of training, recovery, sleep and smartwatch features you’ll find on any Polar tracker.
This latest incarnation of Polar’s top end watch goes up against devices like the Garmin Forerunner 945, Forerunner 745 and the Coros Apex Pro. And to a certain extent its own recent launch, the Polar Grit X.
The Vantage V2 offers the same 40 hours full power GPS battery as the original Vantage V, but that’s now extendable up to 100 hours with the same power-saving settings we saw introduced on the Polar Grit X.
FuelWise fuelling recommendations and Hill Splitter, a hill training tool that automatically logs your splits for climbs and descents on runs, are also carried over along with turn-by-turn route guidance powered by Komoot.
Training Load Pro, running power on the wrist, detailed Sleep Stages tracking and FitSpark workout recommendations are included too.
Polar picks: Polar Vantage V2 v Vantage V v Grit X
And you can still choose between the optical-based Nightly Recharge recovery insights or Recovery Pro – Polar’s Heart Rate Variability (HRV) recovery measure that requires a Polar chest strap.
Polar Vantage V2 quick headlines
- New power save settings extend battery life up to 100 hours
- Fuelwise and Hill Splitter carried over from the Grit X
- Includes turn-by-turn navigation powered by Komoot
- V2 is 21% lighter than the original V2
- New performance tests for running, cycling and recovery
- Music controls for Spotify and all
- Offers weather updates
- Price: £449.00 (£489.00 with a H10 chest strap)
The other big news is a suite of new guided tests for running, cycling and recovery. These active tests are designed to be followed step-by-step on the watch and help athletes benchmark their fitness progress. They also provide a new way to fine tune heart rate and running power tools with automatic updates to your zones, post-test.
The two running performance tests – a maximal (run until exhaustion) and a sub maximal (run and stop before exhaustion) option – reveal VO2 Max estimate along with your maximum aerobic speed and maximum aerobic power.
The 20, 30, 40 and 60 minute cycling tests require a power sensor and are based on an FTP test, revealing your FPT Value, VO2 Max and your Watts/kg.
The leg recovery test follows a standard jump test, to help assess how well you’re recovered at a muscular level with results feeding into the FitSpark daily workout recommendations.
All of these insights along with FitSpark workout recommendations, Nightly Recharge and sleep tracking are powered by readings from the same Precision Prime optical heart rate sensor technology you found on the Vantage V.
Design-wise the always-on, 240 x 240 pixel resolution, colour touchscreen display remains the same as the Vantage V. Surrounding that there’s a new look that includes a more one-piece smooth aluminium casing and a new smoother, swappable silicone strap, presumably to improve comfort.
Polar’s familiar five-button controls are now much more responsive and the whole thing is 21 percent lighter than the V – 52g down from 66g – making it one of the lightest devices in this premium tier.
The v2 is water resistant to 100m, that’s a significant upgrade on the original Vantage V’s 30m.
New screen customisation lets you choose between digital and analog faces, different layouts and a range of colour themes. There’s also one new screen that displays a colour-coded overview of your week’s training based on your time spent in each heart rate zone.
Outside of training, there are new smartwatch features too with 3-day location-based weather updates, music controls for Spotfiy and any other smartphone media player app. You also get read-only smartphone notifications.
The Vantage V2 is on sale now priced at or with a H10 chest strap.
There will be three colour options at launch: black, green and grey-lime.
How we test
By Kieran Alger
Kieran is a world record-setting runner and one of the UK's most experienced running journalists.
A constant tester of the latest fitness technology, he's always hunting for innovations that can make him run faster, further and generally be in better shape.
Kieran is often found wearing four GPS running watches at once. And to date he's tracked more than 50 marathons, 13 ultras and countless half marathons - including the Marathon Des Sables.
In 2022, he became the first person to run the river Danube from sea to source, a measly 1,830 miles in 66 days. And still had time to test running gear.
Kieran regularly takes running tech to the extremes for Wareable and the likes of Runner's World, Mens Health and Wired.