Polar Street X Review Finds Strong Tracking but Clumsy Design

TechRadar’s review of the Polar Street X finds a capable sports smartwatch let down by its design and interface. The publication says the watch delivers accurate GPS and heart-rate tracking, but button-based menu navigation is unintuitive and GPS can take more than a minute to lock on.

The Street X has a 1.28-inch AMOLED display with 416px resolution, Gorilla Glass protection and an always-on option. Its case and bezel use what Polar calls bio-based plastic. The watch has a 50m water-resistance rating and has undergone MIL-STD-810H testing for conditions including temperature extremes, rain, sand, dust and vibration.

For training, it includes route navigation, Training Load Pro and a Running Program with plans for 5K, 10K, half marathon and marathon events. Health features include continuous heart-rate and skin-temperature tracking. Polar says skin-temperature insights can help women understand their menstrual-cycle phase; the review describes the sensor as an early indicator of fever, inflammation or illness.

TechRadar reports up to 43 hours in performance training mode and 10 days in smartwatch mode. It praises the watch’s tracking and durability, while criticizing its chunky styling, awkward buttons, strap catch and interface that fails to use the display well. The review says the Street X is aimed at people who live, work and train in cities, but finds its design less refined than some alternatives.