For context, Polar is best known for its affordable and high-quality fitness trackers and sports watches. In my view, the heart of Polar’s portfolio has always been heart rate monitors (HRMs), the kind you can pair with an Apple Watch to boost accuracy. That said, Polar remains a niche brand and, unlike Whoop, it has not invested heavily in marketing, although the hardware is often on par.

That might be about to change. After seeing Amazfit gain traction with the launch of its Helio Strap, Polar seems ready to ride a similar wave. The company has already teased a September 3 release, even hinting that the device is not a smartwatch by striking through the word “watch” on its website. The device has been making headlines under the name Polar Strap.

Now, with this latest image, we can clearly see a wrist-based sensor design similar to the Whoop 5.0, the MG (review), and Amazfit’s Helio Strap.

What Can We Expect?

In December last year, Polar released a B2B wearable called the Polar 360 that never made it to the consumer market. It was designed as a screenless wearable targeted at businesses. The focus was on accurate biometrics such as heart rate, HRV, and sleep tracking, with integration options for partner apps and services.

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The Polar 360 is a fitness tracker capable of monitoring everything from heart rate to daily activity and sleep, similar to what devices like the Whoop and Helio Strap offer. It runs quietly in the background without a display, funneling all metrics into the companion app, in this case, Polar Flow. This makes me think we might see some shared features across devices.

Polar has been fine-tuning its health metrics for years, with a solid set of algorithms and a reputation for reliable tracking. A good example is the Polar Verity Sense, which reviews describe as an affordable yet capable tracker, particularly strong in sleep monitoring.

That said, although Amazfit did a good job with its budget-friendly Helio Strap, it still falls short in terms of research, and its app user interface (UI) borrows too many elements from competitors. This could be where Polar has the edge, thanks to more research-driven development and a more original approach—although users still complain about the Flow app’s interface.

Most importantly, Polar has already confirmed it will not charge a subscription fee. As a Whoop MG user myself, I believe Polar could be the toughest competition Whoop has faced yet. What do you think?

More to come on September 3!