Why the Polar Vantage M3 multi-sport watch is the ultimate companion for your active lifestyle

The concept of well-being is constantly evolving, with more people embracing a more holistic view of health – as noted by experts. This shift is also reflected in fitness, with more sports enthusiasts embracing diverse athletic pursuits and adopting a dynamic, well-rounded approach to an active lifestyle.

And as the wellness industry develops, so does the technology designed to aid in achieving the best version of oneself.

At the forefront of sports technology and fitness tracking is Finnish company Polar, which, for nearly 50 years, has honed the art of personalised guidance, delivering cutting-edge products – including sports watches and heart rate monitors – powered by science-based data. These devices offer precise, in-depth fitness and recovery insights, helping athletes better understand their bodies.

One such sports enthusiast who has greatly benefited from Polar products is 31-year-old Irish personal trainer, content creator and radio host Nathalie Lennon. She discovered the brand in 2016 after spotting its smartwatches on Instagram, where, as she recalls, “like-minded individuals were posting them”. Lennon, who earned her personal trainer certification after graduating from university and unearthing her passion for fitness, was instantly hooked.

“When I got into fitness, I was like ‘I want to track my calorie burn and heart rate data,’” she explains. “And the more I learned about the importance of heart rate data for running – because running was always my favourite sport – I decided to invest in a Polar watch and fell in love with them. I’ve hardly ever had it off my wrist since.” Now, Lennon has been a Polar ambassador since 2019, and its watches have become an invaluable part of her wellness journey as “a recreational athlete” who incorporates various workout methods into her training.

“We [recreational athletes] do train really hard and it’s just being in competition with ourselves, really – it’s not like we’re going to the Olympics – but you do need that extra support and I think Polar technology really gives you that,” Lennon says. A self-described “nerd” when it comes to numbers and training insights, Lennon recalls how, after getting her first Polar watch, her passion for wellness expanded even further: “It really grew for every other pillar of fitness that Polar focuses on and can bring to you – like your sleep, the status of your nervous system for training, your calorie burn, your elevation while you’re running, your hiking map… it was like all of the jigsaw pieces came together.”

Currently, adorning her wrist is the Polar Vantage M3 smart multi-sport watch, where sleek, Nordic minimalist design meets trailblazing technology.

Launched in October 2024, the Polar Vantage M3 is the latest evolution of the brand’s sought-after Vantage M models. While it enhances and fine-tunes the beloved features of its predecessors, it also introduces new advancements for the Vantage M line-up – such as offline maps and state-of-the-art biosensing technology boasting wrist-ECG readings, nightly skin temperature, and blood oxygen saturation measurements – bringing the capabilities of Polar’s flagship products to a more compact, affordable watch. With the rising multi-sport training trend, Polar designed the Vantage M3 to meet the growing demand, equipping it with support for over 170 sport profiles, complemented by a comprehensive suite of training and recovery tools.

“Having been a personal trainer and worked with people at the gym before, I’ve seen how people can think they are progressing and they can think that they’re pushing hard, but sometimes you’re not,” Lennon says. For Lennon, using a Polar watch – particularly its heart rate tracking – has provided her with deeper knowledge of her endurance progress. “A Polar watch gives you all of that. It can only help you improve your wellbeing while educating you on all these different aspects of fitness.”

While some smartwatches can feel bulky or heavy, the Vantage M3 stands out with its stylish, streamlined look that meshes with any outfit, whether at the gym or the office. Arriving in refined colour options of Greige Sand and Night Black, the lightweight piece comprises a vibrant 1.28-inch AMOLED display housed in a stainless steel bezel and paired with a stylish band made for sports. “It’s very durable as well – like if you’re outdoors for hours,” Lennon says.

As someone currently training for a marathon, Lennon relies on the Vantage M3’s advanced tools that help her navigate this challenging journey. The watch has everything a runner could need, even in the most demanding conditions – from its precise GPS tracking, which Lennon always keeps on while running, to the FuelWise™ fuelling assistant, running performance tests, and built-in maps for exploring new routes. The Vantage M3 also indicates the weather, sunrise and sunset time, making planning for outdoor activities a breeze.

Among Lennon’s other favourite features are the piece’s SleepWise™, Nightly Recharge™ and Sleep Plus Stages™ tools, which provide vital information on your sleep behaviour, sleep quality and your body’s recovery overnight.

“Rest is where the magic happens,” she says. “I love waking up in the morning and checking what my heart rate and heart rate variability were during the night.” Speaking of resting, Polar watches also alert wearers about training at the right intensity, making sure they're not overdoing it. “I think one of my favourite aspects of Polar watches since the beginning was that they’ll tell you if you’re overreaching and when you shouldn’t train,” Lennon adds. For moments of mindfulness, the Vantage M3 even entails a breathwork tool, Serene™, to boost relaxation and manage stress.

“People can think that smartwatches disconnect you from your body and that you listen to a watch before you listen to how you feel,” Lennon says. “But I actually think that Polar really helps you build a strong intuition with your body – it’s helped me build a better connection with my body than ever before.”