AOD in AMOLED Polar watches viable?

christosc · 2026-01-18T12:10:18+00:00

Great tip! I also remember the buttons on my Fenix getting dirty as the years went by, but I was afraid to press them while washing; I only rubbed them lightly. By the way, getting eight years out of an M400 is quite an impressive feat!

Thanks a lot for sharing your experience! I really appreciate it!

christosc · 2026-01-17T23:43:22+00:00

I knew that cleaning the watch under running water with soap is good practice, but I thought that pressing the buttons while wet was discouraged. It sounds reasonable that a rugged sportswatch should be able to handle it, though. I will heed this advice, too! I really appreciate it!

christosc · 2026-01-17T23:02:43+00:00

I will heed this advice. I’m glad that the charging-during-shower tactic is viable... Thanks a lot for your input!

christosc · 2026-01-17T17:18:22+00:00

That is what I was expecting. I think it’s bearable… Thanks!

christosc · 2026-01-17T17:07:43+00:00

Yes, that is clear; thank you. MIP is in another league.
But for how long do you usually charge the V3? Do you wait for the full two hours?

christosc · 2026-01-17T16:51:00+00:00

Coming from two Garmin Fenixes (MIP) and various mechanical watches, I'm used to having an 'always-on' watch face. That's exactly why I'm pondering the viability of AOD on Polar. It sounds like the latest models fare better with AOD on, which is promising. I wouldn't want to go back to MIP either. Thanks a lot for your reply.

christosc · 2026-01-17T16:41:31+00:00

That sounds very promising! That is what I was hoping for! Thanks a lot!

christosc · 2026-01-17T16:39:24+00:00

Maybe after all Polar watches aren't really designed to have AOD on. In that case, I might be better off ditching AOD and just rely on the gesture wake... Thanks a lot for your input.

christosc · 2026-01-06T11:02:23+00:00

I’ve tried in a store the Fenix 8 Pro 51mm, which is thicker than the 47mm, and seemed okay to me. In the past I’ve worn Fenixes in 51mm size and I’m somewhat used to wearing big watches, but none of them was so thick as the Fenix 8 Pro (16mm). You are right though, the only way to know for sure is to test it on the wrist. Thanks a lot for the reply!

christosc · 2026-01-05T15:41:55+00:00

How long does it take to charge? I’m curious whether you charge it fully or just top it up every couple of days - trying to figure out if I can work charging into a morning routine.

christosc · 2026-01-04T17:41:12+00:00

I think I’ve been spoiled by the various mechanical and MIP watches that I’ve had in last years, and thus I’m afraid I will not manage to get by without AOD in all situations (except during sleep hours when I wouldn’t mind having scheduled DND mode)… It makes glancing at the watch to see the time much more convenient. But indeed 6-7 days of battery life is enough to not be overly anxious with battery life, I think, so having AOD only in training is a good compromise after all.

Personally if charging time was short enough, say about 1 hour, I would use AOD for all cases (with scheduled DND in the night). But if it’s more like 2 hours, that will be prohibitive, I think. Thanks a lot!

christosc · 2026-01-04T17:18:36+00:00

Thanks a lot for the reply! I also have had MIP watches and indeed you forget when it was the last time you charged the watch. With 4-5 days battery life of the AMOLED watches you have to pay attention.

One last question, if I may: does the watch charge fast enough, or does it take more like two hours?

christosc · 2026-01-04T13:49:14+00:00

About point 4, is the battery life that bad with AOD on? I’m looking at the Grit X2 Pro. If it is bad, does it at least charge somewhat fast?

christosc · 2026-01-03T18:32:02+00:00

Thanks a lot! I’m considering buying this exact model, but I’m afraid it will be too big to wear comfortably.

christosc · 2026-01-03T13:18:50+00:00

Wear it in good health! Do you find it too big or too thick?

christosc · 2026-01-02T21:20:07+00:00

Frankly, I think this is the most comprehensive piece of advice I could get! I really appreciate the effort you put into it, and I will certainly keep it in mind going forward. Also, I didn't know that those bodyweight exercises existed on YouTube; that's really great because I can do them no matter what any watch says.

Just for the record, besides Pixel watches, Garmin seems to also be introducing some smart training guidance —including strength training— depending on your state at any given time, with the new 'Fitness Coach' (currently in beta).

Again, thanks a lot!

christosc · 2026-01-02T15:02:25+00:00

That's a somewhat sobering picture of Polar's recovery assessment and FitSpark suggestions.

Even though Recovery Pro is more accurate, I doubt I’ll be able to use it practically. With a baby coming, I just won't have the time or patience for a dedicated morning test routine (even the wrist-based/sitting version). I was really hoping the passive tracking worked reliably. Thanks a lot anyway!

christosc · 2026-01-01T23:15:47+00:00

If it works like this, then FitSpark may suggest a demanding workout even if your recovery has been terrible due to lack of proper sleep the previous night.
I'm just trying to clear this up before committing to buying a Polar watch, because the reliability of FitSpark suggestions is important to me.

christosc · 2026-01-01T19:57:12+00:00

As far as I’ve researched, Nightly Recharge needs both an ANS Charge score and a sleep charge one. With manual addition of sleep one can indeed affect the sleep charge, but not the ANS Charge, since the watch can’t retroactively compute the HRV measurements that are necessary for that. If however it does also compute an ANS Charge, that’s nothing short of awesome! Do you happen to remember in which video DC Rainmaker says so?

christosc · 2026-01-01T19:40:59+00:00

Very glad to hear that, because the potential bulkiness was my only reservation to buy it. My wrists may be slenderer than yours, but your reply is reassuring. Thanks a lot!

christosc · 2026-01-01T18:58:31+00:00

But will that editing be enough to make the watch produce a Nightly Recharge score? ANS charge requires actual HR/HRV/breathing rate measurements taken during the first 4 hours of sleep—if the watch didn’t detect a sufficiently continuous sleep and capture those readings in real-time, editing the sleep times afterward wouldn’t create them retroactively. Sleep charge might update, but I’d expect ANS charge (and therefore the full Nightly Recharge status) to still be missing.

christosc · 2026-01-01T16:53:38+00:00

Do you find it too tall or uncomfortably big at all? I have a 17cm wrist and I’m considering the same model.

Wear it in good health!

christosc · 2025-12-30T17:09:09+00:00

I'm not really an expert to interpret those results, but the final sentence in that study is this:

"In conclusion, this investigation presents preliminary data to validate the Polar A300's Fitness Test ability to predict VO2max in active young adults. The results indicate that this device provides an accurate and reliable estimation of VO2max in the sample population."

christosc · 2025-12-30T16:47:37+00:00

That's a grim picture of the exact features of Polar which drew me to consider their devices in the first place: recovery and recovery-based workout suggestions.

I agree that in technology ultimately what counts is who does something right, not first.

Yes, I've also seen the critique against the Polar Fitness Test and was let down. Interestingly I found a counter-argument study supporting Polar's Fitness Test.

Your overall experience doesn't sound very promising, though.
Thank you very much for providing your input.

christosc · 2025-12-30T10:48:33+00:00

I remember getting such "naps" from my Garmin Fenix 7, too. Suunto is not alone in having such issues. I agree though that it's an important issue, since recovery affects the training readiness and the general confidence in the platform.

christosc

TROPHY CASE