Then I tried the cycling test. Because I’m a gear editor, I have an exercise bike in my basement. However, I can’t use it to do the cycling fitness test because I don’t have it third party power meter. That’s OK, I think. I can’t get out of the house because I’m at home with the kids, but I’ll simply go to the treadmill for the walking fitness test, because – again – I’m a gear editor and There is also a treadmill.
That doesn’t work either, as the walking test needs to be externally mapped. Fine, I think. I waited until my spouse got home, changed again, and went out to start the test. I ran three blocks down the street, keeping my heart rate within the Polar Pro’s carefully specified launch spec, until I hit a stop light. The watch informed me that I failed the run test because I had to stop.
I started asking myself: Who is this for, again? What kind of watch makes you travel, not only outside, but also to the closed outdoor track, and have a slightly obscure third-party sensor just to do basic tests? I finally did the test, took about 40 minutes and gave me VO2 the maximum score is 30. Of these, the only test that worked and the results made sense to me was the one I lay on the floor.
Working paper
None of the features that Polar offers on this watch are particularly new. We’ve seen software like FitSpark, which recommends different workouts, FuelWise, to let you know when to eat and drink, and Training Load Pro, which works like Garmin Coach to let you know your workout is up to you. efficient or overwhelming, on previous Polar watches.
For me, the newest aspect of the Pacer Pro is how confusing its recommendations are, even when compared to previous Polar watches I’ve tried. For weeks, the watch told me every day that I was at risk of injury by continuing to exercise. Every other fitness tracker, even Whoop, considers me a pretty good fit. Polar explains that Training Load Pro only takes into account the last 28 days of training sessions, so the difference could make it suffer; but I work pretty consistently. My guess is that those basic tests are just for fun.
It’s confusing because these metrics are comparable to my Apple Watch and Garmin measurements. Pacer Pro uses three separate satellite navigation systems, and I didn’t notice any difference on my previously mapped routes. With two activities tracked every day for a month, I still got the advertised battery life of less than 7 days.
Photo: Polar
