We waited a very long time for Polar to drop the third iteration of its Vantage multisports smartwatch, and the Polar Vantage V3 didn’t disappoint when it lastly pulled the pin. Good factor, as a result of now we have at all times been followers of the Vantage vary and thought the V2 was a implausible working companion, edging very near the highest spot if you’re a fan of swim/bike/run antics.
That mentioned, Garmin appears to maintain getting issues proper with each model of its Forerunner collection, and the Garmin Forerunner 965 now guidelines the roost because of a super-bright AMOLED display and slimmed-down chassis. It’s nonetheless an enormous watch. However then it crams in an unfathomable quantity of options, so we are able to forgive its measurement.
All in all, they’re a few of the greatest triathlon watches that excel in numerous methods, and to make issues extra difficult, there’s not a lot in it when it comes down to cost. So, which one is worthy of your hard-earned money? Having spent months with each on the wrist, we’ve pitched the 2 in opposition to each other to seek out out…
Garmin Forerunner 965 vs Polar Vantage V3
Garmin Forerunner 965 vs Polar Vantage V3: worth and availability
(Picture credit score: Polar)
Having solely launched in March of 2023 and obtainable now at Garmin UK, Garmin US and Garmin AU, the wonderful Garmin Forerunner 965 hasn’t been topic to any huge reductions as of but, so you’ll have to cough up the RRP of £600/ $600/ AU$ 999.
The selection comes all the way down to a private desire on color, with Garmin providing a Carbon Gray bezel with Black/Powder Gray Silicone Band, a Black Case and Amp Yellow/Black Silicone Band or a Whitestone Case and Whitestone/Powder Gray Silicone Band. All watches have a titanium 47mm bezel that’s solely obtainable in a single measurement.
The Polar Vantage V3 is accessible now at Polar UK, Polar US and Polar AU with an RRP of £519/ $600/ AU$ 899. It is obtainable in a single measurement solely (47mm) and in three colors: Evening Black, Sky Blue and Dawn Apricot. At the moment, there are not any sizeable reductions utilized to this, both.
You may also purchase the Vantage V3 in a Polar bundle that features the H10 coronary heart price monitor for £559/ $650/ AU$ 999. It says loads about Polar’s confidence in its wrist-based coronary heart price sensing expertise, which we are going to get on to later.
Winner: The Polar Vantage V3 is the cheaper watch.
Garmin Forerunner 965 vs Polar Vantage V3: specs
| Header Cell – Column 0 | Garmin Forerunner 965 | Polar Vantage V3 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 52g (w/ strap) | 39g (w/o strap), 57g (w/ strap) |
| Battery life | as much as 23 days (smartwatch mode), as much as 31h (GPS mode) | as much as 16 days (smartwatch mode), as much as 61h (GPS mode) |
| Battery capability | 488 mAh | No data obtainable |
| Water ranking | WR50 | WR50 |
| Show kind | AMOLED | AMOLED |
| Show measurement | 1.4-inch | 1.39-inch |
| Show decision (pixels) | 454 x 454 | 454 x 454 |
| Touchscreen | sure | sure |
| Case materials | titanium | aluminium |
| Lens materials | Gorilla Glass 3 | Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.1, Ant+, Wi-Fi | Bluetooth 5.1 |
| Positioning | multi-band GPS | dual-frequency GPS |
Winner: The Garmin Forerunner affords the extra energy specs on paper
Garmin Forerunner 965 vs Polar Vantage V3: design and construct high quality
(Picture credit score: Matt Kollat/T3)
The Polar Vantage V3 will really feel like a really acquainted beast to anybody with expertise working the V2, or some other Polar wearable for that matter. The button format is virtually similar to its older siblings and it goes for a similar common understated method to design.
A cultured aluminium bezel appears good, and the intense crimson motion button in the course of the basic chronograph format makes it appear like it means enterprise.
Total, it’s a reasonably robust outdated cookie, though waterproofing is now down on its predecessor – the Vantage V2 had a WR100 ranking (100 ATM), whereas the Polar Vantage V2 is ‘solely’ rated to WR50 (50 ATM). This gained’t be a difficulty for pool or open-water swimming, but it surely guidelines out diving.
Having worn each watches, we are able to say the Polar is arguably the extra unisex of the 2, with the face and bezel design wanting barely much less masculine than most of Garmin’s choices.
That is additional aided by some neat strap choices, that are perforated to permit for higher breathability on the wrist.
That mentioned, it’s very tough to bash Garmin’s construct high quality as a result of the marginally elevated asking worth buys a hardy titanium bezel with some neat machined particulars that point out what the varied buttons do. Talking of buttons, there are 5 of these, which means you don’t have to make use of the touchscreen performance for those who don’t wish to.
Apart from that, there’s the identical stage of waterproofing, and each watches use a Gorilla Glass display for added sturdiness.
Winner: It’s a draw, as each are constructed to go the gap and look good doing so.
Garmin Forerunner 965 vs Polar Vantage V3: options
(Picture credit score: Matt Kollat/T3)
We might spend all day working by means of the variety of options that each of those watches supply, as they supply a complete record of coaching, restoration, sleep and common well being knowledge that helps the wearer make knowledgeable selections in regards to the day’s actions.
For instance, the Garmin Forerunner 965 consists of (however is just not restricted to) all-day coronary heart price, stress, steps and respiration monitoring, coronary heart price variability and VO2 max estimations, dual-band multi-GNSS system entry, offline maps, and sleep monitoring.
Equally, the Polar V3 now affords a brand new Elixir sensing platform, which incorporates ECG, SpO2 and pores and skin temperature sensors, in addition to wrist-based optical coronary heart price monitoring. What’s extra, it’s packing CPU enhancements that make it quicker and slicker to function than something that has come earlier than it. The UI nonetheless isn’t excellent, but it surely’s significantly better.
If it’s a pure health smartwatch you’re after, each supply a plethora of wonderful options and exercise monitoring, though it’s price noting that we discovered the Garmin Forerunner 965 to be typically extra correct throughout any given exercise.
(Picture credit score: Matt Kollat/T3)
Polar’s coronary heart price monitoring is a bit of wild and may simply overestimate what number of energy have been burned throughout a exercise. Garmin additionally affords a seemingly endless array of built-in exercise and exercise profiles that Polar can’t fairly match.
However once more, the pendulum swings the opposite method in a lot as we love Polar’s built-in assessments, with issues just like the Leg Restoration Check, Health Check, Efficiency Check, Orthostatic Check, Working Efficiency Check, Biking Efficiency Check, and Strolling Check all obtainable from the wrist.
Lastly, it’s price noting that Garmin goes the additional mile and affords issues like Garmin Pay, permitting contactless funds with out the necessity on your telephone, in addition to music out of your favorite suppliers.
Polar has upped the ante with its built-in storage and now supplies offline maps for extra exact navigation, permitting it to rival Garmin for the primary time on this respect.
Nonetheless, Garmin’s smartphone app and ecosystem are typically extra insightful and simpler to make use of, with the watch mechanically synching by way of Bluetooth at any time when the watch is shut. Polar nonetheless hasn’t fairly received this proper, and the extent of granular element you’ll be able to go into is by no means as nerdy as what Garmin affords.
Winner: Garmin merely affords extra, and its app is healthier.
Garmin Forerunner 965 vs Polar Vantage V3: battery life
(Picture credit score: Matt Kollat/T3)
Each watches supply actually stable battery life that makes rival smartwatches from Apple, Google and extra look decidedly lame. Should you use the Garmin Forerunner 965 as a easy smartwatch, it can final a staggering 23 days. The Polar Vantage V3 can handle 16, by comparability.
That mentioned, Polar’s barely thinner GPS satellite tv for pc providing means it may final nearly double the 31 hours of Garmin’s Forerunner 965 when utilizing GPS monitoring features.
In regular use, the place we wore each watches for a variety of months, understanding just a few occasions per week indoors and throwing in a smattering of out of doors actions, each fortunately lasted per week earlier than requiring a cost.
Clearly, if you’re extra into your hardcore endurance endeavours, we’d say go for the Polar, as it can last more with GPS working within the background. However we’ve managed to get huge battery life out of most Garmin watches just by fettling just a few choices within the energy menus.
Winner: Polar Vantage V3 on pure battery life, but it surely’s a really shut race.
Garmin Forerunner 965 vs Polar Vantage V3: verdict
(Picture credit score: Matt Kollat/T3)
It is extremely tough to separate the 2, as they’re each genuinely glorious multi-sports smartwatches. If you’re on a very tight funds, then the Polar Vantage V3 most likely nearly nicks it, however we really feel the extra options of Garmin’s nearly faultless Forerunner 965 make it effectively price these further pennies.
Garmin has coronary heart price, GPS location, and calorie monitoring locked down, whereas its ecosystem and app are very simple to make use of, however supply a daft stage of element for those who actually go looking for it. The person expertise can be slicker than Polar’s and Garmin’s graphics are simply sharper and extra premium feeling – even when they’re a bit of garish at occasions.
What’s extra, the addition of a crisp AMOLED display now brings the Forerunner 965 to life prefer it by no means has earlier than, which solely elevates it above its predecessors… and many of the competitors.
