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News of Polar\u2019s financial struggles has been sad to hear, with a 15% reduction in headcount last year due to poor sales in 2022 and into 2023.<\/strong><\/p> It\u2019s a similarly bleak picture across the industry, of course, with cycling hit particularly hard.<\/p> It\u2019s not hyperbolic to say that much weighs on the success of the company\u2019s new Vantage V3 (\u00a3519\/$599.95). <\/p> But can it beat the likes of Garmin\u2019s Forerunner 965<\/strong><\/a> and Suunto\u2019s Race<\/strong><\/a>, which already have a place on our list of the best triathlon watches<\/strong><\/a>?<\/p> Well, it can certainly match them when it comes to clarity on the fly thanks to the crisp AMOLED screen.<\/p> This proved its worth during a dark, grey, wet test period. The downside of AMOLED is its battery drain, albeit around 28hrs in full-workout mode isn\u2019t bad at all.<\/p> As you\u2019d expect for a \u00a3500 training watch, it\u2019s packed with all the sports modes you need including pool and open-water swimming.<\/p> Positively, it recognises swim styles beyond front crawl, which will be a boon for triathletes who favour breaststroke, though this doesn\u2019t transcend to open water.<\/p> That said, GPS is impressive, though outdoor swimming was limited due to December testing. (See our list of the best swimming watches<\/strong><\/a> if you plan to spend most of your time in the water).<\/p> Unfortunately, the same can\u2019t be said for the optical heart rate sensor, which delivered inconsistent readings.<\/p> Whether this is a hardware or algorithm issue remains to be seen but was something picked up on by Fredrik Mentzoni, a PhD engineer working at the Norwegian Olympic Centre, who showed the V3 was much less accurate than the Polar Verity Sense chest strap<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p> That might not be surprising, but it does seem a particular concern on the V3.<\/p> The jury\u2019s not out on the new maps feature, however, which will appeal to many.<\/p> You can download the coloured maps via the Polar Flow website and use them offline.<\/p> Navigation is a simple breadcrumb, but it\u2019s certainly a strong base from which to update down the line.<\/p> Another standout is the ECG \u2013 the first time Polar\u2019s used this feature.<\/p> To take an ECG, you scroll through to the \u2018Tests\u2019 section \u2013 via touchscreen or button \u2013 and tap \u2018ECG\u2019. You then place a finger on the upper-left button for 30secs.<\/p>Polar Vantage V3 review<\/strong><\/h2>
Display and battery life<\/strong><\/h3>
Sport profiles and GPS<\/strong><\/h3>
Heart rate tracking<\/strong><\/h3>
Standout features<\/strong><\/h3>