Test of the Polar Loop: The Power of Data to Optimize Recovery and Sleep

The Polar Loop marks the return of the connected bracelet from Polar with a very different positioning from the previous model, namely a bracelet without a screen and without buttons. The aim of the test is mainly to compare the Polar Loop with “classic” GPS watches. Is it a complement to these watches or is it capable of replacing them? It offers an interesting alternative to GPS watches and activity trackers, especially in the “health & well-being” area. I tested the bracelet on many activities (walking, running, cycling, gravel, swimming) and it stayed on my wrist almost 24/7 during these weeks of testing.

Design and Comfort

On the design side, the Polar Loop stands out with a stainless steel sensor and a textile bracelet (two sizes available S/M and M/L sold with the sensor). All weighing 29g that you clearly forget on your wrist day and night.

As for the textile bracelet, this one called “SoftWeave Polar Loop” bracelet is available in sizes S/M or M/L, weighing 10g. Its material is very pleasant with no rubbing at all. Ideal for forgetting the sensor, a plus at night for those who cannot sleep with a watch. Note that the bracelet is very easy to clean simply with water and soap. The only downside for me is that the bracelet is really made for the wrist and cannot be placed on the arm like the sensors of some competitors. Polar also offers a multitude of bracelet colors, which you can change very easily according to your desires.

Battery Life and Charging

To ensure uninterrupted tracking, energy management is a key point addressed during this test.

Regarding the battery, the brand recommends up to 8 days of autonomy with 24/7 use. During this test, the sensor “survived” several times up to 10 days of use, even if its capabilities become limited below 5% battery. For charging, a Polar/USB-C Charge 2.0 cable is provided and recharges the sensor to 100% in 1h30.

Health Tracking and Application

Its positioning allows for complete health tracking, including heart rate, daily step count, hours of sleep, daily activities, calories burned, and necessary recovery times, all without any screen distraction during the day.

All information is collected via the Polar Flow app through simple Bluetooth connection. Regarding the data collected by the Polar Loop, you can find the full report on the Polar Flow app, namely:

• Heart Rate
• Built-in “Precision Prime” optical sensor (the same as on Polar watches)
• Continuous recording throughout the day
• Time and number of daily activities
• Number of steps + distance traveled
• Calories burned
• Inactivity mention
• Sleep (time + sleep score)
• Recovery

All information goes through the app, where you find reports with graphs representing your day with all collected data. Polar Flow is really designed to give you a clearer view of your activities or lack thereof during the day. Note that if it is connected to your phone and you choose to activate alerts, you can receive inactivity alerts. A good way to take a short break during workdays.

Sport Use

Despite the lack of a screen, the bracelet offers features dedicated to physical practice.

The algorithm reliability is found daily, notably with automatic detection when starting a common activity (walking) but also during sports sessions (running, cycling, swimming) with however a certain drawback on the distorted distance covered, especially in cycling and swimming, since wrist movement is not natural during these activities.

Its sports functionality remains minimalistic since the absence of a screen does not allow real-time tracking during activity and no GPS sensor is integrated in the watch. You must use the app to start a GPS activity, so it is clearly not designed for precise sports tracking, but it can satisfy amateur athletes seeking their first activity trackings.

Focus on Sleep and Recovery

One of the major strengths of this device lies in its nocturnal and global body analysis.

There is an important focus on sleep and recovery tracking. This is the part I find most interesting in Polar Flow. I was looking for a device capable of tracking my data without having to wear my sports watch all the time (not to mention that I don’t necessarily wear it on the bike since I already have a GPS computer). Polar Flow is therefore the guarantor of all my sports activities and enables reliable tracking because I wear it almost 24/7.

For me, that is one of the true strong points of the product. No watches that tend to be annoying at night, and a really very complete sleep and recovery tracking. Many parameters are represented there:

• Sleep score
• Interruptions
• Different types of sleep
• Average compared to other nights
• Regeneration score

With these data, I could understand some factors that make me have a bad night (interval training in the evening, alcohol, dehydration, too heavy meals, etc.) VS factors that make me have a good night. It also helps realize certain habits that are more or less good or bad for our body.

The Nightly Recharge is also an easy way to understand how our body calms down after the day. During rather intense days (such as 200k of cycling), you notice that the score is bad because our body is tired, dehydrated, and our nervous system under tension. Knowing all these data has led me to pay more attention to how my body will react after such or such day, especially during sports preparation or recovery phases.

Tracking over days is also important and truly shows us real trends on our body whether in terms of sleep quality and recovery/regeneration time. If one criticism could be made, it would be that we would have liked a built-in vibrator, ideal for waking up in the morning or after a short nap and also to warn us during prolonged inactivity periods (instead of receiving a notification on your phone).

Conclusion and Summary

In summary, here is what I think of this Polar Flow which will continue to follow me daily alongside my other sports devices (GPS watch and bike GPS).