Polar Loop unveiled – Polar now has its own Whoop

Tags: Presentation | Polar | Smart

13.12.2025

Polar Loop isn’t just a standard fitness band. It focuses on recovery, sleep, and training load. It’s an ideal companion not only for professional athletes, but also for active enthusiasts who want to understand their bodies better. Instead of a potentially distracting screen, this band leans into discretion and detailed data analysis to help you optimize performance and recovery.

Polar Loop shakes up the playbook the Finnish brand has stuck to for the past two decades. It’s not arriving as yet another sports watch, but as a wellness band. It does much of what a watch does—except it has no display and stays relatively unobtrusive.

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It’s likely a response to other players in this space, including makers of similar bands like Whoop and smart-ring brands such as Oura.

We live in a fast, hectic world with more and more vying for our attention—phones and smartwatches very much included. That’s why I see non-intrusive smart accessories like bands and rings as a great path forward: they don’t distract, yet they still do the job.

Polar Loop stands out because it:

• has no display
• tracks activity 24/7
• automatically detects workouts
• lasts up to 8 days on a single charge
• requires no subscription
• is priced under €200

Simple and discreet

I could overexplain and nitpick every detail, but here’s the gist. Minimalism in practice. A textile band with a small rectangular plastic module clipped in. Credit where due: Polar went with clean, attractive designs that won’t look out of place in everyday wear.

Alongside classic black, there are (for now) two more colorways: brown and gold. Replacement straps should be available, so you’ll be able to color-match the band to your taste. The module, however, keeps its own color.

The band measures 42 x 27 x 9 mm and weighs just 29 grams with the strap. Without the strap it’s 19.5 grams. Water resistance is rated at 30 m, which should be fine for showering and water sports.

There isn’t much to overengineer here: a module with sensors and a battery mounted on a strap. From the photos, Polar Loop looks very nice.

The sensor suite lacks GPS

Polar has always excelled at sensors, and if I had to single one out, it would be their heart rate sensor. The band uses Polar’s Precision Prime optical heart-rate sensor, which reliably monitors heart rate without a chest strap. The sensor suite also includes a pulse oximeter and an accelerometer.

More advanced sensors are absent, which makes sense given the concept. The band also lacks a GPS receiver—implementing it would significantly differentiate Polar from its competitors and would undoubtedly give it wind in its sails. I’m honestly not sure it’s technologically feasible or even practical.

For outdoor activities, you’ll need to use the phone app and pull GPS data from your phone, which then gets paired with the activity. It’s essentially the same approach used by Whoop, Oura, and Amazfit’s Helio Strap.

Focused on training, performance, sleep, and recovery

The band’s purpose is simple: stay discreet and capture everything. Given its minimalist design, the first part is easy—and by all accounts, the second shouldn’t be a problem either.

For training and performance, Polar Loop tracks:

• Training Load Pro – monitors cardiovascular load
• Fitness Test – evaluates fitness level over time
• 24/7 activity tracking – steps, distance, active minutes, and calories burned
• Inactivity alerts – the app notifies you if you’ve been inactive for too long
• Continuous heart rate tracking – day and night heart rate monitoring
• Automatic workout detection – the band detects exercise automatically
• Flexible workout tracking – choose whether the band auto-detects workouts, you start them manually in the app, or you track live data on your phone (ideal for outdoor activities)
• Voice guidance – audio cues for guided workouts (works only with the Polar Flow app)
• Activity goal – personalized daily goals tailored to your lifestyle

Polar Training Load Pro, source: Polar.com

For sleep and recovery, features include:

• Sleep Plus Stages – monitors light, deep, and REM sleep stages
• SleepWise – predicts daytime alertness based on autonomic nervous system status and sleep
• Sleep duration – monitors your total sleep
• Nightly Recharge – measures how restorative your sleep was overnight
• Sleep Gate – recommendations for optimal bedtime and sleep window

Polar Nightly Recharge, source: Polar.com

Could Polar Loop be a real contender?

Polar Loop or Whoop? You notice the naming resemblance too? That’s probably not an accident, but a message aimed squarely at who Polar wants to put the pressure on.

Whoop band, source: Whoop.com

It’s hard to compare the two just yet—we haven’t tested Polar Loop—but if the band borrows the best from Polar’s smartwatches, I see no reason it couldn’t work. Polar has always nailed sensors and arguably has the best sleep tracking on the market. If they combine that with training analysis, recovery recommendations, and the rest, this band could gain real traction.

I am, however, a bit wary about data presentation. In my view, the Polar Flow app is one of the weakest and most confusing to navigate. If the app experience is as lackluster as it is with the watches, it could dampen the overall impression. But let’s not jump to conclusions just yet.

Loop’s price tag seems fairly reasonable—and far more tempting than Whoop’s. Whoop runs on a subscription that starts at roughly €200 per year. And that’s the base. To get the most out of it, you’re looking at around €400 per year. You buy Polar Loop for a one-time price and you’re set.

So yes, on that front Polar Loop certainly looks more palatable. Unless Amazfit Helio Strap throws a wrench in the works.

Amazfit Helio Strap, source: Amazfit.com

It comes in at the lowest price point, around €100. A subscription isn’t required, but if you want to make full use of AI services and in-app analytics, Helio Strap will cost you a bit extra too.

Polar will likely land somewhere between these products. If Polar delivers the sensor quality it has in its watches and backs it with the excellent features it’s known for, it could become a category killer for both of these bands. I’ll reserve that judgment for the full review.

What do you think of Polar Loop?

Image sources:

• official Polar images
• Polar.com
• Whoop.com
• Amazfit.com