Wearables in Review: Polar Vantage V2
Although Polar is a device maker focused primarily on fitness, many of the company’s devices have been used in both academic research and clinical trial settings. We recommend this device due to its comprehensive package of sensors that rival other major players in the market and the publicly available API and SDK that allows researchers to examine live heart rate data.
Our Favorite Features
At its core, the Polar Vantage V2 is a robust wearable device with both real-world and clinical applications that are bolstered by a publicly available API. Beyond this functionality, we also appreciate the device’s clean lines and simple interface, which is a refreshing change from some of competitors’ data-crammed watch faces and clunkier UI.
In our second volume of the Device Census Report we give Polar a transparency score of high, since the company discloses the algorithms behind numerous calculated metrics such as sleep stages, calories burned, and optical heart rate via white papers published by the Polar Research Center. We hope to see this transparency increase in the future.
What’s Missing
While Polar’s API is publicly available, along with an SDK that allows researchers to examine live heart rate data, this feature is only available for its benchmark heart rate monitors, the H10, H9, and 0H1. We hope to see this feature implemented in future wearables to expand access to raw data for a variety of use cases and clinical applications.
The Polar Vantage V2 is also more expensive than some of the competitors in the same category with a similar set of sensors and metrics, including the Apple Watch. In addition, unlike the Apple Watch, the Polar Vantage V2 does not have as robust of an ecosystem of companion products, which may be an important consideration for remote studies that require users to supply their own devices.
Clinical Trial Presence
One of the company’s most notable achievements is developing the first wireless heart rate monitor, and its heart rate monitors are still regularly utilized in a variety of studies. A quick review of PubMed reveals hundreds of different studies mentioning Polar devices, with a specific focus on the company’s heart rate monitoring capabilities.
What This Means for the Future
With an expected increase in the number of remote clinical trials in the months and years ahead, price point and accessibility will become an even more important factor for pharmaceutical companies seeking the best device for a diverse range of users. The Polar Vantage V2 offers a comprehensive suite of sensors and metrics for many applications, and we’re looking forward to seeing how data access and transparency in calculations for their API and SDK evolve over the coming years.
Sensors: Accelerometer, ambient light, barometer, GPS, heart rate
Activity/Measurement Data: Calories burned, floors climbed, heart rate, sleep, steps
Metrics: Activity, sleep quality, posture
Connectivity: Bluetooth, USB
MSRP: $499.95+
Battery Life: Up to a week
Waterproof Rating: Water resistant up to 100 meters
To learn more about Litmus, as well as download a copy of the Device Census Report, Volume Two, please visit www.litmushealth.com.
