Garmin Fenix 6 is arguably the best outdoor sports watch you can own right now. But since Polar Grit X was born, Fenix 6 has had a real competitor in terms of price and features and battery life.
Both are outdoor sports watches with a variety of features that appeal to outdoor sports enthusiasts in general. Both combine maps, navigation, long battery life, and durable design, focusing on workout parameters over long distances.
Both have caused many difficulties for users to choose either. So, we’ll compare Polar Grit X and Garmin Fenix 6 to point out the biggest differences to help you better understand both and be able to choose the right companion for you.
Contents
Design
The first difference is in size. At this point, the Polar Grit X seems a bit modest with only a 47mm size. And Fenix 6 is more generous when it also gives you some more options with 42mm, 47mm, or 51mm. You can also customize different premium versions or cases for different prices.
Both offer a steel case in combination with a polymer, but Fenix also has a titanium case for lighter weight to choose from. At 64g, Grit X is lighter than the similarly sized Fenix 6, 83g for stainless steel, and 72g for titanium. This is quite important, especially for those who choose to run watches, the first thing they pay attention most is about weight.
Both have waterproof features up to 100 meters so it is perfect for swimming pools and natural waters if you are a swimmer.
How to operate on both slightly different when with Fenix 6 you will have to set up by physical buttons. Meanwhile, Grit X can use both touch and physical buttons. However, when experienced, the response and quality of the touch screen on Polar Grit X is not very good and will force you to use more buttons.
As high-end watches, both offer quality displays and good visibility. You will have backlight on both to illuminate at night. Both have always-on-screen features currently in focus.
Watch straps in both are also emphasized. You will get a handmade silicone strap with Grit X. You can also replace it with a third-party accessory cord. With Fenix 6, Garmin offers users a bit more with different material carrying bands. In this respect, Garmin scores more with users because it offers more different styles than Grit X.
Outdoor Features
Mapping
The first is with Grit X with features like mapping, providing route guidance with real-time guidance, and route planning using the third-party Komoot application. Garmin also offers navigation from point to point, trail in real-time. You also get preloaded topographic maps, ski resort maps, and a few other features in this feature.
Garmin has its own mapping features, and the watch has a course navigation feature that can sync with services like Strava and Komoot to upload routes. Strava will create free routes and you’ll have to pay for extra features like Live Segments.
Polar will ask you to use Komoot to plan the route, of course you also have to pay to get the most out of this feature. As for Fenix 6, Garmin has provided much richer TOPO maps to watch on the watch.
Track ramps
Another unique outdoor feature of Grit X is the Hill Splitter. This feature provides data about the downhill and downhill sections of your workout. Garmin also has the same feature as ClimbPro, which allows you to view real-time data about current and upcoming climbs.
Through experience, Hill Splitter seems a little better when given some general results. It’s nice to see that both offer a feature that is sure to appeal to both novice and amateur runners.
Tracking body energy
Polar’s new FuelWise feature is designed to provide smart reminders based on exercise time and heart rate to help determine when to take a break. It also provides the ability to set a drink reminder to keep you fueled.
Polar’s nutrition management plan was a huge success and this is an important reason for runners who choose Grit X. However, this feature’s announcement is too easy to miss but this may be improved easily. Garmin, though, doesn’t offer energy tracking, but it does offer similar water tracking.
Sports tracking
Polar promises over 130 sports and outdoor training. You will have modes for those who like hiking, trails, super running, mountaineering, skiing, and mountain biking. Fenix 6 also has built-in outdoor sports modes including hiking, mountaineering, mountain biking, skiing, cross-country skiing, and even kayaking. It can be clearly seen that Garmin owns a more specialized outdoor sports mode.
You will also get many training and analysis metrics if you want to dig deeper into your performance. Garmin has teamed up with Firstbeat and its heart rate-based analytics software to deliver features like Training Status, Downloads, and Training Effects.
Grit X uses the company’s payload and training details to give you a better sense of training and make sure you don’t overdo it. However, Polar misses the Professional Rehabilitation Training feature already available on Polar’s Vantage V watches .
Objective review can tell that the Fenix 6 specifications are better than Polar Grit X. Although Polar’s web application does a better job of allowing you to browse data on the screen. larger image. Finally, what enhances the usefulness of these training features is the accuracy of the heart rate sensor. At this point both work very well and can be paired with an external heart rate chest strap such as the Garmin HRM-Tri , Polar H10 .
Next is the GPS sensor, the Grit X is a little bit better when the GPS signal lock time is faster than Fenix 6. But overall, Fenix 6 is not too much difference. If you are interested in data fields, you will be able to add more data displayed on the Fenix 6 screen compared to the only one Grit X.
For heart rate sensors, both offer the ability to connect to an external chest strap. Fenix offers Bluetooth and ANT + connectivity , while Grit X has bluetooth only. The heart rate readings you get in your activities are pretty accurate because both use the most advanced heart rate measurement technologies you have developed. However, sometimes this number still has some errors when you exercise at high intensity.
In short, both provide the best sports tracking experience available to users even though there are still some minor issues sometimes. You can monitor your training and review data on the app comes on your phone or on the website.
Smartwatch features
What users continue to care about is the smartwatch feature of the watch. In order to keep track of exercise, Garmin seems to be slightly better than Polar. But what about smart features like step tracking, sleep tracking and continuous heart rate monitoring on both?
Through experience, the tracking of Grit X provides redundant parameters, while the sleep tracking feature of the stages of Sleep Plus is much more useful. Polar also includes a nightly recovery tracking feature it introduced on its Ignite watch . This feature will consider your recovery level after a day by collecting more data from your sleep.
Polar Grit X Watch
Polar will take data from sleep quality and combine insights with how your autonomic nervous system ( ANS ) takes a break to give you a recovery score. This depends a lot on sleep monitoring. So Grit X used Withings ‘ dedicated Sleep Tracker to register core sleep data.
The Garmin device is a bit less accurate at monitoring sleep, specifically the device calculates an error about an hour before we actually go to sleep. Garmin also includes additional parameters from the Pulse OX meter and respiration via the heart rate monitor. If you want something to track sleep better with your exercise, then Polar performs better in this area.
Garmin Fenix 6
As for the basic features, Grit X allows you to view notifications and provide regular weather updates. Fenix 6 gives you notifications, payments, music features, and access to the Connect IQ Store to download apps, watch faces, and more. While Grit X works well with third-party platforms like Strava and TrainingPeaks, there aren’t any app stores. You can only use those apps available on the watch.
So, if you want something that creates a better balance between smartwatches and sports watches, go to Fenix 6.
Battery life
If you plan to spend more time exploring the outdoors, having a sports watch with long battery life is essential. And both of these watches have their own battery advantages.
Grit X promises that you will have 40 hours in training mode with GPS and heart rate monitor. If you only use smartwatch mode, you will have about 7 days. Although the actual number will be less, only around 4-5 days.
If you turn off continuous heart rate monitoring, the battery life will be longer. For workouts, the Grit X still has good battery life and has energy-saving modes for various sports to help the watch stand significantly longer during tracking.
For Fenix 6, Garmin announced a battery life of 36 hours with GPS tracking feature and 2 weeks in smartwatch mode. There is also a GPS mode for up to 72 hours and Expedition mode to help the watch last for 28 days. Garmin also offers a power saving mode for the watch with the ability to survive up to 48 days.
Through the above figures, it can be seen that both have very good battery levels during the tracking process. Although the Polar Grit X is a bit inferior to the Fenix 6. Garmin seems to have thoroughly equipped the Fenix 6 with extremely useful power management levels, giving you a bit more time to monitor activity. Before using the charger.
Price
There is a significant price difference between Garmin Fenix 6 and Grit X, even if you choose the cheapest version of Fenix 6. Even if the version 6S often no Sapphire crystal lens for enhanced protection, the price is $ 599.99 also ( over 14 million ).
Meanwhile, there is only a single version of Grit X and costs $ 429 ( about 10 million ). So you will need to consider your budget when choosing Grit X or Fenix 6.
Conclusion
So you want to own Fenix 6 or Grit X? If you want one that will give you the best outdoor watch experience, Techwear will recommend you to choose Fenix 6. Fenix’s core features like mapping will make users feel a bit better than the Grit X. You still have a lot of battery life and more focused data and outdoor activities to research carefully. Its design also looks better and fits in more situations.
In fact, Polar Grit X is no less than Fenix 6 in the field of tracking outdoor activities. You will also get some of the same features as on Fenix 6 or even more in-depth. The Grit X’s FuelWise is definitely a great addition and this is a snout that Polar has given Garmin in the field of monitoring how well he recovers and the amount of water needed during long workouts.
The most important thing here is still the amount you have to pay because even the cheapest Fenix 6 is more expensive than the Grit X. Although there are not many options for a good outdoor sports watch with the same prices like Grit X.
You might also consider something like Coros Apex, but you’ll definitely miss out with some of the richer workout features you can only find on Grit X. And if you’re willing to spend more, then obviously Fenix 6 will be well worth the extra features provided to you.
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