If you’re in the market for a mid-range watch to track your swims, runs and workouts, the Polar Pacer is a good shout. There are modes for pool and open water swimming, it can automatically identify your chosen stroke and provides you with that all-important ‘SWOLF’ score to help you keep track of your progress.
You can see your stats mid-swim via the easy-to-read screen and after your session, there’s a handy training summary which covers everything from distance, stroke rate and rest time to heart rate, cardio load and fat burn.
The Pacer lacks a touchscreen, but the control buttons were simple enough to use. Our testers particularly liked that you can clearly see what HR zone you’re in while on the move (a handy tool for more focused training) and found the post-workout data available via the Polar Flow app extremely insightful. It provides suggested workouts and recovery based on your training, tracks your sleep quality and evens break down what energy sources (carbs, fats or proteins) you used during a workout.
Other plusses include fuel reminders, guided meditation and three fitness tests which are useful markers to see how your training is going. For under £170, you get a lot of bang for your buck.
