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Buy the 2022 Polar Pacer Pro (Pacer base model also available) with Polar's latest heart rate sensor, updated GPS technology & more!
Below we compare the Pacer Pro with Garmin's best GPS running watches, like the Forerunner 245 & 945—plus the fēnix 7/7S/7X!
No doubt Polar is poking COROS with the Pacer & Pacer Pro! Find out how they compare to their price-point counterparts—the PACE 2 & APEX!
What's the difference between the Polar Pacer & Pacer Pro, and how do they hold up compared to say the Vantage V2? Find out below!
The 2022 Pacer Pro is Polar's new essential GPS watch for straight-up runners!
This lightweight watch puts a running lab on your wrist along with many other features regular runners require. In a nutshell, you get:
For only $199.99, the 2022 Polar Pacer is a strictly no-nonsense GPS running watch.
If you've fallen in love with running (or want to), you'll fall harder with this runner's essential wearable on your wrist!
Here's the rundown:
How does the Polar Pacer and Pacer Pro battery life compare to Garmin, COROS, and Polar Vantage V2 running watches? Check it out!
With these Polar running watches, you can grab the base model for $199.99 or pay $100 more for Pacer Pro. Here's what that gets you:
The Pacer Pro let's you make and import routes from Kamoot or other third-party apps. This consists of basic breadcrumb navigation—not a full-color base map with details. But it will keep you headed in the right direction!
The Polar Pacer Pro has a built-in altimeter that can show elevation change over time. This enables HillSplitter, which automatically detects all uphills and downhills.
Get running power data collected from the wrist with no additional sensors required. This data let's you guage your effort level on a run and combines it with your heart rate data for a picture of your performance level.
Lastly, the Polar Pacer Pro offers Strava Live Segments. Through a special data page within your activities, it displays your current position and ranking when you're out on a run and on an active Strava Segment.
These 2022 Polar running watches are pretty much the same size in every way with a 1.2" display, 45 mm case, and 40-41g.
Polar Precision Prime™ sensor fusion technology tracks your heart rate from the wrist. This innovation combines optical heart rate measurement with other sensor technologies to rule out motion noise that might disturb the heart rate signal and produce unreliable readings.
Now the Polar Pacer Pro running watch sports an optimized heart rate sensor! Polar took that algorithm that omits motion from the equation and made it even better.
Furthermore, they made the sensor smaller and removed the famous Polar bumps—finding the sweet spot between size and the best HR measurement with their heart rate monitoring technology. Sweet indeed!
These two running watches clock in at the same price point: $299.99, with the Forerunner 245 Music option costing an additional $50.00. Let's explore what makes each watch stand out.
The Garmin Forerunner 245 is a bit smaller with a 42.3 mm case & 38.5g weight vs the Pacer Pro's 45 mm case and 41g weight. So, if you're a serious runner who likes a light wrist, this could be a factor. However, both watches have a 1.2" display.
If you like to use more than one sensor/compatible device at a time, the Forerunner 245 has ANT+ connectivity. The Pacer Pro does not.
The FR245 offers a bit more health monitoring, including Women's Health, Sleep, Fitness Age, and Body Battery. And while the Pacer Pro does offer advnaced sleep insights, it does not provide much health-monitoring beyond that.
The Forerunner 245 offers safety tracking like Incident Detection and Assistance when you set it up with the Garmin Connect app.
Finally, this Garmin watch for runners has a music model that allows you to store up to 500 songs on watch from your favorite streaming service—meaning you can run phone-free if you want. Keep in mind it's $50 more.
Both the base FR245 and the Polar Pacer Pro can control and play music through you smartphone.
The Polar Pacer Pro outshines the Forerunner 245 in one major area—and it might be a dealbreaker for some!
The Pacer Pro has a barometric altimeter, providing you with uphill and downhill tracking using its HillSplitter feature.
You can't get floors climbed or elevation tracking like this with the FR245 because it does not have an altimeter.
Pound for pound (or shall we say ounce for ounce), the Garmin Forerunner 945 is not only a superior running GPS watch, but it's also, at its core, one of the most popular multisport watches available—second only to the Garmin fēnix 7/7S/7X.
But, that's why it's a full $300 more than the Polar Pacer Pro, which is an ace running watch in its own category.
But here's what upgrading to a Forerunner 945 gets you
The Polar Pacer Pro and the Garmin fēnix 7 are two very different GPS watches for two very different kinds of runners with two very different budgets.
First of all, the fēnix 7 series of 16 watches in 3 different sizes in 3 different models ranges from $700-$1,000.
Also, the fēnix 7 watches have a lot more bulk (because they're stuffed with features and battery power!), so that's something to consider, weighing from 58g at the smallest to 96g at the largest. Display sizes are: 1.2", 1.3" & 1.4". The Pacer Pro weighs in at 41g with a 1.2" display. Its case size is 45 mm, while the fēnix 7S/7/7X cases are 42/47/51 mm. Obviously it is not a watch for a runner who wants something lightweight. This is a watch that is about performance, endurance, and longevity.
The fēnix 7 has recently been called by our partner reviewer and avid ultra runner at Chase the Summit "the best multisport watch Garmin has made to date." And here's why:
And that's not all, so check out the fēnix 7 spec page.
The Polar Pacer and the COROS PACE 2 running GPS watches are the exact same price point: $199.99. Here are the differences you should be aware of:
The PACE 2 is smaller with a 42 mm case & 35-36g weight vs the Pacer & Pacer Pro's 45 mm case and 40g weight. Both watches have a 1.2" display.
The PACE 2 has ANT+ so that you can use more than one sensor. The Pacer and Pacer Pro have Bluetooth only.
PACE 2 battery life in smartwatch mode is 20 days compared to the Pacer/Pacer Pro's 7 days. HOWEVER, the Pacer can offer more hours in GPS, 35-100 hours vs the PACE 2's 30-60 hours.
The COROS PACE 2 has a barometric altimeter for uphill and downhill tracking. The Polar Pacer base model does not, but the Pacer Pro does.
The PACE 2 offers Strava Live Segments as does the Pacer Pro. The Polar Pacer base model does not.
From a price perspective, the Polar Pacer Pro and the COROS APEX (42 mm) fall into the same category as $299.99 running watches.
The COROS APEX (46 mm) is $50.00 more because it adds a bit more size—and along with that comes more battery life.
Here's what you need to know:
As for size, the Pacer Pro comes in between the two APEX smart running watches with a 45 mm case & 41g weight. The APEX is available in 2 sizes 42 mm & 46 mm case and weighs 55.3g & 49g. The Pacer Pro and APEX (46 mm) have a 1.2" display. The APEX (42 mm) has a 1.1" display.
For your multiple sensor indulgence, the Polar Pacer Pro does not have ANT+, while the two APEX watches do.
APEX battery life in smartwatch mode is 24-30 days compared to the Pacer Pro's 7 days. BUT the Pacer Pro can offer more hours in GPS, 35-100 hours, vs the APEX's 25-35 hours.
The APEX 42 & 46 mm are topped off with a durable sapphire lens. The Pacer Pro has a thinner Gorilla Glass lens for a brighter, always-on display!
Like the Garmin Forerunner 945, the Polar Vantage V2 is in its soul a multisport watch, perfect for triathletes and a variety of serious runners.
Here's what the Vantage V2 offers over the Pacer Pro: