Polar Ignite 3 Titanium review

When Polar released the Ignite 3, anticipation ran high. The previous Polar Ignite 2 turned out to be a success for the Finnish wearable brand — it was compact, stylish and reliable, earning it a lot of positive reception from health tech reviewers and users alike. The newer Polar Ignite 3 promised to outshine this model with double the processing speed and new features. However, it did not land with the users nearly as well as the Ignite 2 with a common complaint being that it favored style over substance. The Polar Ignite 3 Titanium could be something else entirely, though. This premium offshoot has a more durable titanium bezel and software patches for improved performance.

Priced at $379.95, the Polar Ignite 3 Titanium is not particularly budget-friendly, but it could be worth investing in. Polar makes some of the best fitness trackers around — especially when it comes to heart rate tracking. The Polar Ignite 3 Titanium uses the Polar Precision Prime technology that boosts the accuracy of optical heart rate measurements. The innovation combines the light sensors with sensors designed to rule out the effect of motion on heart rate signals. This means that the Polar Ignite 3 Titanium is more likely to detect the heartbeat and disregard changes to the blood volume that were caused by hand movements, for example. For those who are serious about elevating their exercise performance, this could be a winning feature.

Polar Ignite 3 Titanium review

Polar Ignite 3 Titanium: Design

• Sleek and elegant detachable straps
• Light and comfortable to wear
• Flimsy magnetic charging cable

The Polar Ignite 3 Titanium looks great and feels comfortable on the wrist, and it can take some beating without getting chipped or scratched.

It comes with two detachable straps that complement each other well. A brown leather strap goes well with a work or evening outfit, while the black silicone wristband is a more gym-friendly choice. Both are pleasantly soft and comfortable on the skin, and in our experience, both do a good job during sweat-heavy exercises. The straps do not slide, scratch or aggravate our skin. They did not appear to fray over time, either.

The design of the watch itself also scored highly in our books. The titanium bezel gives it some durability and character, with just enough ‘ruggedness’ to appeal both to men and women. At the same time, it does not weigh the wrist down. The Polar Ignite 3 Titanium is surprisingly light and compact. It was easy for us to forget we were even wearing it.

During our five weeks of testing the Ignite 3 Titamiun took its fair share of bumps and knocks, both accidental and intentional to test for durability. It stayed intact though and sustained no scratches or scuffs throughout the testing process. That is not to say this fitness tracker can survive challenging outdoor ventures and the like. However, we are willing to bet that the Polar Ignite 3 Titanium can withstand the occasional drop or even a tap from a kettlebell.

Unfortunately, the Ignite 3 Titanium was let down by its flimsy magnetic charging cable. We found it rather tricky to attach to the watch face and even trickier to keep it there during charging. The two magnetic pins at the back of the watch are tiny and awkwardly located, making it easy for the cable to disconnect if the watch is not in the right position. We got used to it eventually, but we still think this charging cable could have been designed better.

Polar Ignite 3 Titanium: Display

• Bright, colorful and responsive AMOLED display
• Gorilla Glass 3.0 touchscreen for added durability
• Navigation takes some getting used to

The Polar Ignite 3 Titanium has a pleasantly bright and colorful AMOLED touchscreen covered with Gorilla Glass 3.0 for added durability. Measuring 1.28 inches it has slightly curved edges and felt somewhat small but we found it easy to read. The display was responsive to the touch with no lags or freezing.

The display can be customized with several pre-loaded watch faces and widgets that range from a 24-hour weather forecast to daily workout suggestions. That said, we found the displays of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 or the Apple Watch Series 8 more versatile than the Ignite 3.

Moreover, its navigation can take some getting used to. Many features can only be accessed via the Polar Flow app, while others are buried deep within the confusing widget layout. For example, watch system settings can be found in two separate locations — most of them are in the 'Settings' section, but a few others can only be accessed by swiping down on the main screen. We would like the Polar Ignite 3 Titanium to be a bit more intuitive and user-friendly in that regard, but it gets easier once you get to know where everything is.

Polar Ignite 3 Titanium: Features

• Plenty of workout tracking features and personalized fitness advice
• Detailed sleep-tracking features
• No smartwatch capabilities

The Polar Ignite 3 Titanium is not a smartwatch, but a fitness tracker in the full sense of the word. You cannot use it to pay for your groceries, relay calls from your smartphone or have loads of apps. Instead, it offers heaps of data on sleep and exercise, plenty of workout tracking tools and detailed personalized advice on balancing training and post-exercise recovery. There is a caveat, though. The Polar Ignite 3 Titanium has quite basic GPS features, without an altimeter, compass or pre-installed maps. Feature-wise, it is best suited for those who prefer to workout in the gym, rather than the great outdoors.

The Polar Ignite 3 Titanium tracks over 150 sports and fitness activities, giving us a detailed overview of heart rate, energy used and other useful metrics collected during each workout. It also comes with fitness tests, personalized exercise suggestions and even real-time guidance during certain strength-based workouts. All the fitness data collected by the watch can then be stored and viewed in the Polar Flow app — a digital equivalent of a paper workout journal, but with graphs, tables and other useful bits. The Polar Flow app could also sync our training data with other fitness apps, such as Strava and Komoot.

The Polar Ignite 3 Titanium tracks a range of metrics — including heart rate variability, skin temperature and breathing rate — to assess various aspects of our sleep and post-exercise recovery. Each morning the watch would send us an assessment of our readiness to exercise and personalized advice on how to balance training with rest to get the best results for the day. This fitness tracker also comes with guided breathing exercises, basic dietary recommendations, timers and reminders to drink water.

All in all, the Polar Ignite 3 Titanium is a useful fitness watch. However, we would argue that it is a touch too expensive for what it has to offer. Plenty of wearables in this price range come with additional smartwatch features, navigation tools and other frills.

On the other hand, it does redeem itself by providing the Polar Flow app for free. Most fitness trackers hide their features behind a paywall and these monthly or annual subscription costs can add up over time.

Polar Ignite 3 Titanium: Performance

• Up to five days on a single charge
• Good heart rate accuracy
• Syncing data with the app can be slow

The Polar Ignite 3 Titanium promises up to five days of battery life in watch mode and up to 30 hours of training time with continuous GPS and heart rate tracking — and this tracks with our experience. Our Polar watch did not require frequent charging and it has not surprised us with sudden drops in battery life like other models have.

Its heart rate sensor was pretty reliable, too. During one workout, we wore both our testing unit and a chest-strap heart rate monitor to compare the measurements. We found that the Polar Ignite 3 Titanium did a good job at detecting spikes and drops in our heart rate, but its accuracy seemed to tail off during high-intensity exercise. That said, this is something we have also seen in far more premium fitness trackers.

We also liked its day-to-day performance. Seemingly in tune with our body, the device consistently offered accurate depictions of our physical state. Even though its sleep-tracking features were not always precise they were accurate enough to reflect our energy levels and post-exercise recovery. It was also genuinely helpful with its workout recommendations. However, fitness beginners may find its data-heavy approach and frequent use of complex performance metrics to be quite confusing, or even downright off-putting. This fitness watch was clearly made with seasoned exercisers and fitness data junkies in mind.

Patchy connectivity is perhaps the biggest downside to the Polar Ignite 3 Titanium. It took us several attempts to connect our watch to the Polar Flow app. After we paired the devices, there were a few times when they disconnected for no reason. The syncing of data between the app and the watch can be annoyingly slow, too.

Polar Ignite 3 Titanium: User reviews

The Polar Ignite 3 Titanium is a relatively new release, so the online reviews are sparse. At the time of writing this review, this fitness tracker scored 4 out of 5 stars at Amazon based on just 20 global ratings. There were no user reviews at Walmart or other major retailers.

Should you buy the Polar Ignite 3 Titanium?

✅ Buy it if:

You are an advanced gym-goer who want to maximize their exercise performance without compromising on rest and general well-being. This fitness watch is light, compact and durable, and it offers plenty of workout-tracking tools and data-heavy insights into sleep and recovery. It looks great on the wrist, too.

❌ Don't buy it if:

You are a fitness beginner or an avid outdoor adventurer. This fitness watch is heavy on complex stats and detailed performance assessments and does not offer much more than that. It also lacks features that could come in handy when exercising outside, such as an altimeter or pre-loaded maps.

If this product isn't for you

If you are serious about stepping up your exercise performance, the Garmin Fenix 7 could be a great alternative to the Polar Ignite 3 Titanium — as long as you do not mind splashing some cash. This premium smartwatch costs around $800, but it offers plenty of in-depth workout tracking features, precise navigation tools, good heart rate tracking accuracy and a durable design. However, it is quite chunky and heavy.

If you are looking for something more affordable, take a look at the Amazfit Balance. This exceptionally light and compact smartwatch is packed with easy-to-understand sleep and stress tracking features — but it is nearly $150 cheaper than the Polar Ignite 3 Titanium.

But if you are all about the classy looks, check out the Withings ScanWatch. It is an exceptionally stylish fitness tracker that delivers loads of intuitive fitness features, and it tends to cost less than $350. However, it has no touchscreen.

Polar Ignite 3 Titanium: How we tested

We spent over a month trying and testing the Polar Ignite 3 Titanium, looking at its design, features, battery life, connectivity with third-party devices and ease of use. We wore it during the day, while sleeping and when doing different gym-based workouts, such as HIIT-style classes and weightlifting. Finally, we checked the accuracy of our Polar Ignite 3 Titanium by comparing its heart rate measurements with the data we obtained using a Polar H9 chest-strap heart rate monitor.