Polar Street X review: Design issues mar an accurate urban exploration watch
The Polar Street X excels in GPS accuracy, durability, and accurate heart rate, but its poor user interface implementation and cheap design let it down.
Polar has unveiled its newest sports smartwatch, the Street X, aimed at urban dwellers leading active lifestyles. The watch, priced at $249.99 USD / £219 UK / $429.99 AUS, features a chunky G-Shock-style design that is both tough and lightweight. Despite its military-grade durability (50m water resistance and military-grade MIL-STD-810H testing), the Street X's design lacks finesse and thoughtfulness, making it feel clunky and uncomfortable to wear.
The bright 1.28-inch AMOLED display, protected by Gorilla Glass, provides a clear image, but the poorly implemented user interface fails to make use of the full screen. Although the watch boasts GPS, Galileo, BeiDou, and QZSS, it takes up to a minute for GPS tracking to lock in, which is frustrating given the expectation for instant results. Polar Street X's navigation features, including route guidance, are solid, but they don't keep up with dedicated Garmin offerings.
When compared to alternatives like the Garmin Forerunner 170 or the Amazfit Active 3 Premium, the Polar Street X seems overpriced. The Street X does offer extensive training and health tracking, including Training Load Pro, a Running Program feature, and various health tracking metrics. However, the design, usability, and price point make it less appealing than its competitors.
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