Polar and Coros: Smaller smartwatch manufacturers that offer solid alternatives to the Garmin Fenix

Garmin and Zepp Health (Amazfit) are likely to appeal to a fairly broad user base with their wearables, both in terms of target audience and market share. Coros and Polar are probably better known to ambitious athletes and running enthusiasts in particular than to the average smartwatch user, which is probably also why the two manufacturers have a smaller market share. While wearables from Coros and Polar are often full-fledged smartwatches, a certain focus on sporting activities is clearly visible.

Polar has jumped on the tracker bandwagon

2025 was also the year of trackers without displays, and Polar was no exception. The Polar Loop comes with optical sensors for measuring heart rate, among other things, and can also record sleep quality. The Polar Grit X2, also launched last year, is a full-fledged outdoor smartwatch that is a strong alternative to the Fenix- or T-Rex-smartwatches. The watch supports navigation with maps stored on the device. The Vantage M3 is also a multisport watch with a map function, while the Ignite 3 is likely to appeal to more average users. Polar also released new software features and, more generally, updates for older devices in 2025, including a revamped Cardio Load feature.