Hey gang! A few corrections to this video. I mention that the Polar Unite has a "30 FOOT" water resistance when it is in fact a "30 METER" water resistance. Another thing to note is that there IS an "ALWAYS ON" option in the settings for activities so the screen doesn't turn off. However, this will take a pretty big hit on battery life! And finally I mention that the display is "OLED" when in fact it is "TFT IPS", I wasn't given the full spec list prior to filming this video so I made some assumptions based on how the display looked (which is super vibrant). Sometimes I talk too fast for my own good. 🙃
Hi Dave, concerning the display not staying on, once you start a training session, swipe down and you will see a light bulb icon. Tap the icon and the watch display will stay on.
Hey Wayne! I did in fact notice this after filming this video (noted up in the pinned comment). However, it seems like leaving the display on takes a pretty big hit in Battery life. Thanks for watching!
Rocking the runner's tan! My understanding is the reason you can't control your iPhone through a watch is that it's a "security" feature put in place by Apple. Or a way to help sell more iWatches.
Ha! The watch tan line is coming in strong this year. I've noticed the same issue on other watches in regards to music controls. Seems like they just want you to buy an Apple Watch :-D Thanks for watching!
If it supports Stryd like Polars other watches, then the lack of GPS would be a non issue for a lot of people. However, I've seen amazon warehouse "New" or "Very Good" condition Vantage M for around £150 - vs the Unites £134
Something I should have mentioned in this video is that the Polar Unite is capable of pairing with Bluetooth accessories... So in theory pairing with Stryd should work? However, I personally haven't been able to get the Stryd to pair with the Unite. I'll keep trying! Thanks for watching.
Chase the Summit thank you, I had same question about Stryd 👍 BTW: do you plan to review Stryd ? I think you mentioned this on one of your videos. Thank you
Just got mine a few days ago to replace my 8yo FT80. Good review, very accurate and fair. Nice job Polar - I was waiting for a Polar fitness trainer with accurate wrist HR and no GPS.
Preso questo Polar qualche settimana fa, faccio allenamenti di Functional training in palestra ma noto (a differenza del mio vecchio A360) che questo modello non mi da una lettura coerente per quanto concerne il battito cardiaco. Noto che nei momenti in cui faccio sessioni di cardio molto spinte il battito resta pressochè simile senza salire, anche se mi sento il cuore che va molto più velocemente. Col vecchio polar a360 il battito saliva nel cardio per poi scendere nuovamente. Ho anche sostituito il device pensando fosse un problema ai sensori, ma anche col nuovo riscontro lo stesso problema. Eppure tutti dicono sia molto preciso, non capisco cosa sto sbagliando 🥲🥲🥲
Great review, thanks! I really love my Vantage for running and cycling but I'm not sure how to feel about the Unite. No GPS, no buttons, no Always On will be a no go for many potential customers. Honestly I'd rather use my old M430 than this new device.
The Unite does actually have an "always on" option for activities but it will take a pretty considerable hit on battery life. The No GPS thing certainly puts it in a different category. However, I think most casual runners carry their phones these days for one reason or another whether it's music, safety, or even to use to pay for stuff with Apple/Android Pay. Thanks for watching!
@@ChaseTheSummit ever since a fellow runner of mine had a collision with a bike at night at high speed and no phone to call an ambulance, that would have probably saved him, I never leave without my phone in a waist bag. It also feels good to have it for emergencies at home. I get why it's more relaxing not to have it, but there's many pros for being reachable, even during a long run in the wild
The main difference between the two is that the Unite does not have a GPS chip inside. So if you're only using it at the gym and rarely running/cycling I think the Unite would be a better fit. The Ignite will do the job too, but with the added benefit of being able to track GPS activities without your phone. Thanks for watching!
I did notice that! However, In previous experience with the older Polar Ignite and other OLED watches leaving them "always on" tends to crush the battery life. Thanks for watching!
Hi, that you for the review, maybe you can suggest some watch for runners, which has the minimalistic design, that show HR all the time, so the screen doesnt go black?
great review, will it track your data (sleep , or swimming etc) if it is not connected via Bluetooth to a phone?if it on airplane mode? and then when connected to save all the information to the app? more or less like garmin watches can do?
This seems perfect for someone that wants HR, calorie, and other basic metric data while being an avid gym goer right? Wifeys birthday soon and she been asking for a Fitbit and I'm not a fan, but this seems to have all those functions in a much nicer form factor. Thanks for the great review!
Crazy they would make a watch without GPS! I guess great for those who run with their phones all the time I don't since phones are so big nowadays. DId they allow the screen on time to be customized. I felt with the ignite the display on time was just too short. Definitely a good watch for non-distance athletes. Great review Chase.
I should have mentioned in the review that you can enable "Always On" for the display in the running profile. However, this will take a huge hit in your battery life. Yeah, not having GPS is something a lot of people might have an issue with but in reality there's a HUGE segment of the market that only runs or bikes once or twice a week and when they do they always have their phone on them. I think for that segement, this might be a good option and possibly a better alternative to something like FitBit. Thanks for watching!
@@ChaseTheSummit yeah always on for workouts are good. Just wished it had a longer timeout for when not in a workout. Trying to shoot B-roll of it before I found out about the always on workout mode was a irritating. 😂
@@ChaseTheSummit Thank you so much for the great video and the information. Quick question - is it an option for polar vantage v or m to have the display off during workouts? like "theatre mode" on Apple Watch? thanks in advance
@@mariapilavaki4394 I'm not sure why you'd need this but I don't think the Polar watches do this. I can't find a setting for it on my Grit X and it's basically the same software as the Vantage. Hope that helps!
Just curious to know if the Bluetooth connection can be completely turned off? Or is there any 'stealth' mode to conserve the battery? Thanks for nice review!
I have a Polar Unite. The "wrist flip" display control does not work at all. Never. I contacted Polar a week ago, and they have not gotten back to me. I also have a Polar M450 bike computer with a chest strap heart rate sensor. I find the heart rate sensor in the Unite to be wildly inaccurate as compared with my Polar chest strap heart rate sensor. I love the sleep analysis feature on the Unite, but the inaccurate training heart rate sensor, and being forced to push the button for the display are disappointing flaws.
Hi Dave. Have you a chance to check is it possible to connect Polar Unite for both Polar H10 strap for precise heart rate and iPhone for GPS at the same time?
Great review! A question: what is your impression of the daily calorie count on this device? This has been a much discussed issue with regard to the Ignite an Vantage series. Are the algorithms the same as the other watches or have they been modified on the Unite? Thanks! 👍
I haven't had enough time with the Unite to really put it through its paces. So far the Active Calorie numbers look pretty similar to what I've seen from my Grit X so I think the software is probably still the same. But time will tell.
I have a question for you, if you use the watch not connected to your phone, does it track the distance correctly? because I connect my phone to my airpods, so I wouldnt be able to connect the watch at the same time
The distance won't be perfect if its not paired to your phone since it will rely entirely on step counting. You also won't get a track of your path. Hope that helps!
Greetings, I currently have the Galaxy Watch Active 2 but, I feel that the calories burned during exercise are a standard number and not taking into account the heart rate. Perhaps this Polar Unite is more accurate in terms of counting calories burned? I am looking for precision in a fitness watch. Thank you very much!
I haven't had a chance to test the Active 2 but I have heard that the HR sensor isn't perfect. The Unite does a great job at calculating calories burned and is on par with some of Polar's more expensive options. Hope that helps!
@@ChaseTheSummit as far as HRM function do you think it unite is more accurate than charge 4? Handle hr spikes and fluctuations better when it comes to interval training?
Having a hard time to choose which to buy. The garmin fr245 or the polar unite. This would be my first fitness smart watch. Can you advise which is the one suitable for me? I cycle daily prob for an hour or more and always track my ride (would be nice to look at some data). I am not a hardcore guy. I dont run, mainly road cycling during night time, mtb trail riding once a month day time and definitely don’t listen to music during exercising and always carries my phone with me. I am looking for a good fitness watch with reliable/ accurate data, mainly the hr monitoring, activity tracking, gps, sleep quality, etc. I don’t mind spending the extra bucks to invest on the garmin fr245 if it’s is a better choice. Would love to hear your opinion. Many thanks.
Hey Henry. That's a tough call. I guess you need to decide what's more important. GPS tracking, or sleep/HR tracking. I think the Unite has a better Heart Rate sensor, and Polar's sleep tracking is top of the line. That said, Garmin FR245 has GPS built in and still has a ton of great features like FirstBeat analytics for tracking your fitness. You'll get longer battery life out of your phone because you wouldn't need to use it for GPS tracking. If it were me... and I primarily tracked runs/rides outside I'd go for the 245. BUT, if you find a lot of value in recording sleep/wellness data the Unite is better for that. Hope that helps!
Chase the Summit awesome man. I am leaning more towards the hr and sleep monitoring. Without the gps built in is fine for me since I always bring my phone with me during exercise. Again thanks a lot for your advice.
That really depends what you do. If youre primarily a runner or cyclist the GPS is nice to have. But if you mainly workout indoors, or you always have your phone when you run the Polar Unite is a compelling option. It has a much nicer screen, better sleep tracking, fitspark, and it actually looks like a watch which I prefer. Its all about picking the right tool foe the job!
Appreciate the kind words! More content is certainly coming! I use a Samsung Galaxy S20+ but I think most phones perform better if they have a clear view of the sky.
Interestingly enough you can still view your training load in the Polar Flow app from activities that were recorded on the Polar Unite. So it appears they only left off the "training load" widget but still left the functionality there.
Cyclist that has GPS unit but wants something to track activity during the week, sleep, etc? And doesn't want/need to spend the extra cash on a watch with built-in GPS? Another target group?
I think the Unite could certainly work for that use case. Interestingly it does support pairing with external sensors so you might even be able to pair a power meter to it? I haven't tried but that would be a nice set up for a bike. Thanks for watching.
It really depends what you want to do with it. It's clearly not designed for hardcore runners or cyclists. However, if you're someone who mainly trains indoors at the gym or at home while occasionally running outdoors with your phone... Then it's definitely a decent option. Thanks for watching.
Hey gang! A few corrections to this video. I mention that the Polar Unite has a "30 FOOT" water resistance when it is in fact a "30 METER" water resistance. Another thing to note is that there IS an "ALWAYS ON" option in the settings for activities so the screen doesn't turn off. However, this will take a pretty big hit on battery life! And finally I mention that the display is "OLED" when in fact it is "TFT IPS", I wasn't given the full spec list prior to filming this video so I made some assumptions based on how the display looked (which is super vibrant). Sometimes I talk too fast for my own good. 🙃
Buddy, this is a great review for common users. Thanks!
Thanks for watching!
Hi Dave, concerning the display not staying on, once you start a training session, swipe down and you will see a light bulb icon. Tap the icon and the watch display will stay on.
Hey Wayne! I did in fact notice this after filming this video (noted up in the pinned comment). However, it seems like leaving the display on takes a pretty big hit in Battery life. Thanks for watching!
Rocking the runner's tan! My understanding is the reason you can't control your iPhone through a watch is that it's a "security" feature put in place by Apple. Or a way to help sell more iWatches.
Ha! The watch tan line is coming in strong this year. I've noticed the same issue on other watches in regards to music controls. Seems like they just want you to buy an Apple Watch :-D Thanks for watching!
If it supports Stryd like Polars other watches, then the lack of GPS would be a non issue for a lot of people. However, I've seen amazon warehouse "New" or "Very Good" condition Vantage M for around £150 - vs the Unites £134
Something I should have mentioned in this video is that the Polar Unite is capable of pairing with Bluetooth accessories... So in theory pairing with Stryd should work? However, I personally haven't been able to get the Stryd to pair with the Unite. I'll keep trying! Thanks for watching.
Chase the Summit thank you, I had same question about Stryd 👍 BTW: do you plan to review Stryd ? I think you mentioned this on one of your videos. Thank you
@@igorzingllc7344 I'm working on a "Running Power" comparison video featuring Stryd and various other devices/software. Stay tuned!
Just got mine a few days ago to replace my 8yo FT80. Good review, very accurate and fair. Nice job Polar - I was waiting for a Polar fitness trainer with accurate wrist HR and no GPS.
Sounds like the right fit for you! Enjoy!
Thanks for the great review! You basically covered everything I needed to know. Heading to your affiliate link to make a purchase!
Elior Helose 🙏 Thanks!
Preso questo Polar qualche settimana fa, faccio allenamenti di Functional training in palestra ma noto (a differenza del mio vecchio A360) che questo modello non mi da una lettura coerente per quanto concerne il battito cardiaco. Noto che nei momenti in cui faccio sessioni di cardio molto spinte il battito resta pressochè simile senza salire, anche se mi sento il cuore che va molto più velocemente. Col vecchio polar a360 il battito saliva nel cardio per poi scendere nuovamente. Ho anche sostituito il device pensando fosse un problema ai sensori, ma anche col nuovo riscontro lo stesso problema. Eppure tutti dicono sia molto preciso, non capisco cosa sto sbagliando 🥲🥲🥲
Great review, thanks! I really love my Vantage for running and cycling but I'm not sure how to feel about the Unite. No GPS, no buttons, no Always On will be a no go for many potential customers. Honestly I'd rather use my old M430 than this new device.
The Unite does actually have an "always on" option for activities but it will take a pretty considerable hit on battery life. The No GPS thing certainly puts it in a different category. However, I think most casual runners carry their phones these days for one reason or another whether it's music, safety, or even to use to pay for stuff with Apple/Android Pay. Thanks for watching!
@@ChaseTheSummit ever since a fellow runner of mine had a collision with a bike at night at high speed and no phone to call an ambulance, that would have probably saved him, I never leave without my phone in a waist bag. It also feels good to have it for emergencies at home. I get why it's more relaxing not to have it, but there's many pros for being reachable, even during a long run in the wild
Thanks for the review. Between the Polar Ignite or Polar United, which watch would you recommend for gym and fitness, I am very undecided. Thanks.
The main difference between the two is that the Unite does not have a GPS chip inside. So if you're only using it at the gym and rarely running/cycling I think the Unite would be a better fit. The Ignite will do the job too, but with the added benefit of being able to track GPS activities without your phone. Thanks for watching!
Fantastic review! When you’re in an activity, swipe down and turn backlight to always on. 👍
I did notice that! However, In previous experience with the older Polar Ignite and other OLED watches leaving them "always on" tends to crush the battery life. Thanks for watching!
Chase the Summit - And 3 hours runs with always on display might be a bit much. 🏃🙌
Hi, that you for the review, maybe you can suggest some watch for runners, which has the minimalistic design, that show HR all the time, so the screen doesnt go black?
Check out the Garmin Venu 2
great review, will it track your data (sleep , or swimming etc) if it is not connected via Bluetooth to a phone?if it on airplane mode? and then when connected to save all the information to the app? more or less like garmin watches can do?
Thanks! Yes, the only thing it won't track is GPS data.
Still recommend this watch? I'm looking for a fitness watch for my hiking & indoor cycling (Keiser M3i bike) activities?
For hiking I'd probably suggest something like the Polar Grit X or equivalent but for indoor cycling this would be fine.
This seems perfect for someone that wants HR, calorie, and other basic metric data while being an avid gym goer right? Wifeys birthday soon and she been asking for a Fitbit and I'm not a fan, but this seems to have all those functions in a much nicer form factor. Thanks for the great review!
Yup! That's basically who it's designed for.
Crazy they would make a watch without GPS! I guess great for those who run with their phones all the time I don't since phones are so big nowadays. DId they allow the screen on time to be customized. I felt with the ignite the display on time was just too short. Definitely a good watch for non-distance athletes. Great review Chase.
I should have mentioned in the review that you can enable "Always On" for the display in the running profile. However, this will take a huge hit in your battery life. Yeah, not having GPS is something a lot of people might have an issue with but in reality there's a HUGE segment of the market that only runs or bikes once or twice a week and when they do they always have their phone on them. I think for that segement, this might be a good option and possibly a better alternative to something like FitBit. Thanks for watching!
@@ChaseTheSummit yeah always on for workouts are good. Just wished it had a longer timeout for when not in a workout. Trying to shoot B-roll of it before I found out about the always on workout mode was a irritating. 😂
@@ChaseTheSummit Thank you so much for the great video and the information. Quick question - is it an option for polar vantage v or m to have the display off during workouts? like "theatre mode" on Apple Watch? thanks in advance
@@mariapilavaki4394 I'm not sure why you'd need this but I don't think the Polar watches do this. I can't find a setting for it on my Grit X and it's basically the same software as the Vantage. Hope that helps!
Just curious to know if the Bluetooth connection can be completely turned off? Or is there any 'stealth' mode to conserve the battery? Thanks for nice review!
You can put it into "airplane mode" that turns off all connections. I would assume that it also conserves a bit of battery.
I have a Polar Unite. The "wrist flip" display control does not work at all. Never. I contacted Polar a week ago, and they have not gotten back to me. I also have a Polar M450 bike computer with a chest strap heart rate sensor. I find the heart rate sensor in the Unite to be wildly inaccurate as compared with my Polar chest strap heart rate sensor. I love the sleep analysis feature on the Unite, but the inaccurate training heart rate sensor, and being forced to push the button for the display are disappointing flaws.
Hi Dave. Have you a chance to check is it possible to connect Polar Unite for both Polar H10 strap for precise heart rate and iPhone for GPS at the same time?
Yes, this is possible.
@@ChaseTheSummit Thanks!
Thanks for the helpful review. I need to replace my Polar A360, 4 yr old watch which just crapped out today. This looks like it'll do the trick
Glad you found it helpful!
Great review! We just brought Unite in💪
Hope you enjoy it!
Great review! A question: what is your impression of the daily calorie count on this device? This has been a much discussed issue with regard to the Ignite an Vantage series. Are the algorithms the same as the other watches or have they been modified on the Unite? Thanks! 👍
I haven't had enough time with the Unite to really put it through its paces. So far the Active Calorie numbers look pretty similar to what I've seen from my Grit X so I think the software is probably still the same. But time will tell.
I have a question for you, if you use the watch not connected to your phone, does it track the distance correctly? because I connect my phone to my airpods, so I wouldnt be able to connect the watch at the same time
The distance won't be perfect if its not paired to your phone since it will rely entirely on step counting. You also won't get a track of your path. Hope that helps!
@@ChaseTheSummit Yeah, helps a lot actually, thanks!!
Greetings, I currently have the Galaxy Watch Active 2 but, I feel that the calories burned during exercise are a standard number and not taking into account the heart rate. Perhaps this Polar Unite is more accurate in terms of counting calories burned? I am looking for precision in a fitness watch. Thank you very much!
I haven't had a chance to test the Active 2 but I have heard that the HR sensor isn't perfect. The Unite does a great job at calculating calories burned and is on par with some of Polar's more expensive options. Hope that helps!
@@ChaseTheSummit Sure, it has helped me. Thank you very much!
Awesome review being I'm not worried about GPS built would you grade this over the fitbit charge 4?
If you don't care about GPS... Yeah I think it has more to offer than the Charge 4. Thanks for watching!
@@ChaseTheSummit as far as HRM function do you think it unite is more accurate than charge 4? Handle hr spikes and fluctuations better when it comes to interval training?
Does it count calories during all-day accurately? (At least nearly )
Yes
Having a hard time to choose which to buy. The garmin fr245 or the polar unite. This would be my first fitness smart watch. Can you advise which is the one suitable for me? I cycle daily prob for an hour or more and always track my ride (would be nice to look at some data). I am not a hardcore guy. I dont run, mainly road cycling during night time, mtb trail riding once a month day time and definitely don’t listen to music during exercising and always carries my phone with me. I am looking for a good fitness watch with reliable/ accurate data, mainly the hr monitoring, activity tracking, gps, sleep quality, etc. I don’t mind spending the extra bucks to invest on the garmin fr245 if it’s is a better choice. Would love to hear your opinion. Many thanks.
Hey Henry. That's a tough call. I guess you need to decide what's more important. GPS tracking, or sleep/HR tracking. I think the Unite has a better Heart Rate sensor, and Polar's sleep tracking is top of the line. That said, Garmin FR245 has GPS built in and still has a ton of great features like FirstBeat analytics for tracking your fitness. You'll get longer battery life out of your phone because you wouldn't need to use it for GPS tracking. If it were me... and I primarily tracked runs/rides outside I'd go for the 245. BUT, if you find a lot of value in recording sleep/wellness data the Unite is better for that. Hope that helps!
Chase the Summit awesome man. I am leaning more towards the hr and sleep monitoring. Without the gps built in is fine for me since I always bring my phone with me during exercise. Again thanks a lot for your advice.
Great review. Thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
So between this and the Charge 4 would the charge 4 have the upper hand with it's GPS built in?
That really depends what you do. If youre primarily a runner or cyclist the GPS is nice to have. But if you mainly workout indoors, or you always have your phone when you run the Polar Unite is a compelling option. It has a much nicer screen, better sleep tracking, fitspark, and it actually looks like a watch which I prefer. Its all about picking the right tool foe the job!
@@ChaseTheSummit I am interested in a good sleep tracker so that is good to know! TY
Compatible with the Polar H10 Heart Rate Sensor?
Yes it's compatible with H10.
does it have SpO2 measuring? o2 level in blood
Unfortunately the Unite doesn't have an SP02 sensor. Generally Polar products haven't had that added yet. Thanks for watching.
What phone you rocking to produce such great gps tracks? Great vid and great channel. More content please👍
Appreciate the kind words! More content is certainly coming! I use a Samsung Galaxy S20+ but I think most phones perform better if they have a clear view of the sky.
Looks like they left off training load pro on this. That's disappointing as I wanted that feature.
Interestingly enough you can still view your training load in the Polar Flow app from activities that were recorded on the Polar Unite. So it appears they only left off the "training load" widget but still left the functionality there.
@@ChaseTheSummit If you look on the Polar website that box is checked for the Ignite but curiously not for the Unite.
Does the Polar Unite beep or vibrate when you change heart rate zones?
You can set HR alerts for zones and the watch will vibe/beep. Hope that helps!
Tks very good ! Hello From France
Thanks for watching! Hello from the USA.
Good job. Thanks.
Thanks for watching!
Cyclist that has GPS unit but wants something to track activity during the week, sleep, etc? And doesn't want/need to spend the extra cash on a watch with built-in GPS? Another target group?
I think the Unite could certainly work for that use case. Interestingly it does support pairing with external sensors so you might even be able to pair a power meter to it? I haven't tried but that would be a nice set up for a bike. Thanks for watching.
No gps! Not so fitness!!!
You can get plenty fit without recording GPS activities ;-)
Chase the Summit
I can get plenty fit without watch, too! 🙅🏻♂️
No GPS = garbage.
It really depends what you want to do with it. It's clearly not designed for hardcore runners or cyclists. However, if you're someone who mainly trains indoors at the gym or at home while occasionally running outdoors with your phone... Then it's definitely a decent option. Thanks for watching.