After testing this Garmin rival, I won't use a smartwatch without a built-in flashlight again

1 hour ago 5
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pros and cons

Pros

  • Integrated LED flashlight with a vibrant AMOLED touchscreen display.
  • Support for the extended Polar Flow ecosystem.
  • 50m h2o absorption and MIL-STD-810H rating.

Cons

  • Plastic lawsuit and bezel.
  • Single frequence GPS.
  • No enactment for ECG oregon humor oxygen.

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It's that clip of twelvemonth erstwhile radical commencement noticing I person tan lines connected some my wrists from wearing 2 watches. One has an integrated LED flashlight for regular use, and the different is simply a smartwatch. Thanks to Polar's caller Street X smartwatch, picking up a almighty sports ticker with a dual-color LED flashlight is overmuch easier astatine the debased $250 terms point, which beats existing LED-equipped watches by astatine slightest $150. 

Also: I tested the champion sports watches successful 2026: Here are the latest and top watches, nary substance your budget

Once you usage a sports ticker with an LED flashlight, you won't usage different ticker without one. I usage the instrumentality astatine slightest erstwhile regular to find things successful the dark, work edifice menus, marque a bath travel successful the mediate of the nighttime with red-light mode, and airy up my mode done acheronian areas. 

If Apple, Google, oregon Samsung adhd an integrated LED flashlight to a smartwatch, I mightiness beryllium capable to deterioration 1 watch, but we haven't heard immoderate specified rumors yet.

Design

I spent the archetypal mates of weeks with the Polar Street X without knowing the terms constituent and conscionable assuming it was astir $400. There are immoderate trade-offs successful the plan compared to other Polar watches, but I was shocked by however affordable the instrumentality was erstwhile I started drafting this reappraisal aft investigating it out. 

The ticker is mostly made of a lightweight, bio-based polymer and features a Gorilla Glass display. The 22mm silicone set is flexible and comfortable. While the casing and bezel are plastic, the ticker inactive looks and feels good constructed and durable.

Five buttons and a touchscreen show  marque   it casual  to use
Matthew Miller/ZDNET

The Polar Street X is water-resistant to 50 meters and certified to the MIL-STD-810H shock-resistant criteria, truthful it's rugged and built to last. At conscionable 1.7 ounces (48 grams), this is 1 of the lightest watches I've ever tested. With a diameter of 45mm, it tin besides enactment good for those with smaller wrists.

LED flashlight

Garmin was the archetypal institution to motorboat a smartwatch with an integrated LED flashlight, and the steadfast continues to pb the mode with flashlight controls disposable wrong circumstantial workouts truthful you tin person reddish and achromatic lights shining astatine intervals that lucifer your running. Amazfit and past Suunto followed with integrated LED lights, and present it's up to Coros to articulation the lighting party.

Once you person  a LED flashlight connected  a ticker  you won't spell  back
Matthew Miller/ZDNET

Polar's LED airy is good integrated, requiring a azygous property of the top-left button. There are 5 carnal buttons connected the watch, including 1 for turning the airy connected and off. The right-side up and down buttons power 4 levels of achromatic brightness and 1 reddish light. It's large to spot Polar motorboat with this lighting scheme. I usage the reddish airy astatine nighttime to support my nighttime imaginativeness intact and not aftermath up my woman portion she sleeps, and I rotation the house.

Using Polar Flow

One crushed I didn't deliberation the Street X was priced this debased is that the information it captures precise efficaciously supports the Polar Flow ecosystem. Cardio Load status, moving power, the work/rest guide, FitSpark grooming guidance, nightly recharge, regular readiness, and truthful galore much features are supported connected the ticker and done your smartphone transportation into the Polar Flow app.

Also: I replaced my Whoop with a rival fittingness set that has nary monthly fees - and it's astir arsenic good

Thankfully, the Polar Flow smartphone app has been redesigned and improved arsenic well. The main Diary surface appears erstwhile you motorboat the app, with a big of metric summaries providing glanceable information. You tin besides easy toggle assorted metrics connected and disconnected successful the settings. 

Other displays see training/testing with mapping truthful you tin usage your telephone connected to the ticker for a large surface tracking experience, an enactment tab with each of your regular movements, a nightly recharge tab with exhaustive details of your sleep, and a much tab that has 15 antithetic options for afloat customizing the Polar experience.

The Polar Flow smartphone app is overmuch  amended  and provides elaborate  insights
Matthew Miller/ZDNET

As I've shared successful the past, Polar provides utmost customization of your workout grooming views with enactment for much than 170 activities, truthful determination is virtually nary enactment that cannot beryllium tracked by the Street X. Dashboard views and customized ticker faces are besides portion of the acquisition truthful nary different Street X volition look conscionable similar yours aft you walk a spot of clip customizing the ticker for your lifestyle.

Daily usage

With Polar, I person travel to expect premium pricing for its wearables and a alternatively frustrating smartphone application. The Polar Street X changes that cognition with a susceptible sports watch, with an LED flashlight, and an updated Polar Flow smartphone exertion that propels Polar backmost to 1 of my favourite brands. 

The escaped grooming programs and customization options marque the Street X a highly recommended sports ticker for anyone looking to usage a ticker to way regular beingness and amended their performance.

An older procreation  bosom  complaint   show   and GPS spot   impacts the performance
Matthew Miller/ZDNET

GPS and bosom complaint tracking weren't arsenic close arsenic those of watches astatine a comparable terms point, specified arsenic the Coros Pace 4. The defining diagnostic of this ticker is its LED flashlight, but the customization options successful Polar Flow are besides compelling. The ticker has a rugged plan that whitethorn not entreaty to those seeking a sleeker, lighter model.

Also: There's a close mode to deterioration your Apple Watch - and it affects your data

The Polar Street X lasted a week betwixt charges, with a fewer sessions of running, rowing, and biking. Enabling always-on mode reduces the artillery life, but you don't request it connected erstwhile a twist of the wrist turns connected the display

ZDNET's buying advice

The Polar Street X is simply a spot of a departure for Polar with non-premium materials, a previous-generation GPS receiver and bosom complaint sensor, and immoderate compromises connected functionality. The instrumentality has the archetypal integrated LED flashlight for Polar and supports astir of what Polar Flow offers, with a immense array of customization options. 

The Street X is simply a large archetypal sports ticker if you privation 1 with a dedicated LED light, but conscionable beryllium alert of the compromises successful positioning and bosom complaint accuracy. 

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