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Of the three much-anticipated fitness bands that were rumored to release this year, Polar was the first to confirm theirs, and the last to release it. Today it’s official: the Polar Loop is a $199 wristband with no subscription that can track workouts and more.
Pre-orders open today for the Polar Loop, and it will start shipping on September 10, 2025. It’s a lightweight device, only 29 grams including the strap, 20 grams without it, and it’s available in three colors: black, brown, and “greige” (gray-beige). As for physical size, it’s 42 x 27 x 9 millimeters; that’s similar to the Amazfit Helio device, but larger than the Whoop 5.0.
What’s in the Polar Loop
The device looks similar to the Polar 360, a wristband that Polar developed as a business-to-business offering. I asked a Polar representative if the Loop is indeed based on the 360, and they pointed out that the main differences are the styling, and the extra battery life.
The Polar Loop has an optical heart rate sensor, and (so far?) is only available with a wristband, with no armband option. It connects with your phone over Bluetooth, and that’s about it. No GPS, no other sensors, no display.
The Polar Loop’s battery can last eight days, according to the company. You can start tracking an activity from the Polar Flow app on your phone, or set the device to auto-detect activities.
The device can also track your sleep, and the app will use your HRV data to give you a recovery score—so it covers the same bases as a Whoop or, for that matter, pretty much any basic smartwatch these days.
The features of the Polar Loop are pretty much what I expected, but I have to admit the $199 price tag is disappointing. That’s the same cost as the Polar Unite, an actual watch with a touchscreen display. I’m not clear on why the Loop, as a pared-down device, should have the same price tag. The Amazfit Helio is half that price. Polar was probably aiming to compete with Whoop (which starts at $199/year), but Whoop’s sophisticated app is what subscribers are really paying for. Still, it’s good to have more options when it comes to non-watch fitness trackers—Whoop stood unchallenged in this market for too long.
