Polar Electro

Polar
Company typePrivate – Oy
IndustrySports instruments
Founded1977; 48 years ago (1977) in Kempele, Finland
FounderSeppo Säynäjäkangas
Headquarters
Kempele
,
Finland
Area served
Worldwide
ProductsHeart rate monitors
Number of employees
1,200
Websitewww.polar.com

Polar Electro Oy (commonly known as Polar) is a Finnish manufacturer of sports training computers, particularly known for developing the world's first wireless heart rate monitor.[1]

The company is based in Kempele, Finland and was founded in 1977. Polar has approximately 1,200 employees worldwide, it has 26 subsidiaries that supply over 35,000 retail outlets in more than 80 countries. Polar manufactures a range of heart rate monitoring devices, and accessories for athletic training and fitness and also to measure heart rate variability.

History

In 1975, there was no accurate way to measure heart rate during training, and the idea of a wireless, portable heart rate monitor was conceived on a cross-country skiing track in Finland.[2] Polar was founded in 1977, and the company filed its first patent for wireless heart rate measurement three years later. Its founder Seppo Säynäjäkangas (1942–2018) was the inventor of the first wireless EKG heart rate monitor.[3] In 1978, the company launched its first commercial product, the Tunturi Pulser. In 1982, Polar launched the world's first wearable wire-free heart rate monitor, the Sport Tester PE 2000.[4][5][6]

Today, Polar has products ranging from basic models for beginners to fitness enthusiasts and training systems designed for elite athletes. Polar has also developed heart rate monitoring and training systems for equestrian sports. Polar technology and devices are widely used in various scientific studies,[7][8] as well as being adopted by many university research departments. In part due to its own history, and the affiliation with universities and the scientific community, Polar offers a research co-operation programme focused on supporting studies in exercise science.[9][10]

In November 2015, Polar released its first optical wrist-reading heart rate monitor, the A360.[11][12]

In July 2018, Dutch newspaper De Correspondent revealed that Polar's fitness app shows users on the map, making it possible to find out their real names, profession and home addresses.[13] In a reaction, Polar ended some of the online functionality of sharing routes on the map.

Current products

As of March 2024

Model Category Announcement date
Polar Grit X Pro watch 2021-10-06[14]
Polar Grit X2 Pro watch 2024-03-20[15]
Polar H9 heart rate sensor 2020-01-29[16]
Polar H10 heart rate sensor 2017-03-15[17]
Polar Ignite watch 2019-06-26[18]
Polar Ignite 2 watch 2021-03-24[19]
Polar Ignite 3 watch 2022-11-09[20]
Polar Ignite 3 Titanium watch 2023-06-14[21]
Polar M460 bike computer 2017-04-12[22]
Polar OH1+ heart rate sensor 2019-04-09[23]
Polar Pacer watch 2022-04-13[24]
Polar Pacer Pro watch 2022-04-13[25]
Polar Unite watch 2020-06-30[26]
Polar Vantage M2 watch 2021-03-24[27]
Polar Vantage V3 watch 2023-10-11[28]
Polar Vantage M3 watch 2024-10-23
Polar Verity Sense heart rate sensor 2021-02-10[29]

References

  1. ^ Matt Fitzgerald (18 June 2005). Runner's World The Cutting-Edge Runner: How to Use the Latest Science and Technology to Run Longer, Stronger, and Faster. Rodale. pp. 63–. ISBN 978-1-59486-091-1. The Finnish company Polar Electro, founded in 1977, was the first to sell wireless heart rate monitors for athletes and still dominates this market.
  2. ^ Michael Czinkota; Ilkka Ronkainen (18 August 2006). International Marketing. Cengage Learning. pp. 310–. ISBN 0-324-31702-6. The origins of the Finnish sports instruments producer Polar Electro can be traced back to the need of cross-country skiing ... By the year 1982, the technology had advanced to the point that the first wireless heart rate monitor was ready.
  3. ^ Heart rate monitor
  4. ^ Joe Friel (1 June 2009). Total Heart Rate Training: Customize and Maximize Your Workout Using a Heart Rate Monitor. Ulysses Press. pp. 13–. ISBN 978-1-56975-389-7. Polar introduced the first wireless heart rate monitor using electric field data transfer—the Sport Tester PE 2000. The next year, the company came out with a device containing a computer interface—the Sport Tester ...
  5. ^ Sally Edwards (1 January 1993). The Heart Rate Monitor Book. Polar CIC. pp. 127–. ISBN 978-0-9634633-0-2. In 1982 Polar Electro Oy introduced the world to the first wireless heart rate monitors. These first generation heart rate monitors (the "PE 2000s") were released onto the market and readily accepted by athletes, particularly at the elite and ...
  6. ^ Jeroen Scheerder (2009). Vlaanderen loopt! Sociaal-wetenschappelijk onderzoek naar de loopsportmarkt (in Dutch). Academia Press. pp. 75–. ISBN 978-90-382-1484-9. 1982 Polar lanceert de Sport Tester PE2000, de eerste draadloze hartslagmeter
  7. ^ Individual differences in the responses to endurance and resistance training http://hur.creamailer.fi/assets/uploads/4386b9ed941a611d10cbe3626047fab11214a71d/shared/files/individualdifferences.pdf
  8. ^ Occupational medicine:Metabolic Rate Prediction in Young and Old Men by Heart Rate, Ambient Temperature, Weight and Body Fat Percentage https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/joh/56/6/56_14-0063-BR/_html Device RS800CX
  9. ^ Polar's research co-operation guidelines: http://www.polar.com/en/about_polar/who_we_are/research/research_guidelines
  10. ^ Summary page of Polar research http://www.polar.com/en/about_polar/who_we_are/research
  11. ^ "Polar A360 Waterproof Fitness Tracker watch".
  12. ^ "- Polar Global".
  13. ^ Maurits Martijn (2018-07-09). "This fitness app lets anyone find names and addresses for thousands of soldiers and secret agents". De Correspondent.
  14. ^ "Polar Grit X Pro | Premium Outdoor Multisport Watch". Polar Electro. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  15. ^ "Polar unveils the Polar Grit X2 Pro watch, offering unrivalled durability and designed to empower anyone to explore more". Polar Electro. 2024-03-20. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
  16. ^ "Polar Expands Their Gold-Standard Heart Rate Portfolio with Their Newest Sensor: Polar H9". Polar Electro. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  17. ^ "The new Polar H10 heart rate sensor is now available". Polar Electro. 15 March 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
  18. ^ "Spark Your Fitness Potential with Polar's Latest Watch: Polar Ignite". Polar Electro. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
  19. ^ "Polar releases two new watches to inspire people to come back stronger". Polar Electro. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  20. ^ "Find Your Rhythm With The New Polar Ignite 3". Polar Electro. 9 November 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  21. ^ "Polar releases new Ignite 3 Titanium fitness smartwatch with enhanced workout and wellbeing guidance". Polar Electro. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  22. ^ "Announcing the new Polar M460 GPS bike computer". Polar Electro. 12 April 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
  23. ^ Russey, Cathy (2019-04-09). "Polar OH1+ Heart Rate Sensor Features Ant+". Wearable Technologies. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
  24. ^ "Meet The Next Generation of Running Watches: All-New Polar Pacer Series". Polar Electro. 13 April 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  25. ^ "Meet The Next Generation of Running Watches: All-New Polar Pacer Series". Polar Electro. 13 April 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  26. ^ "Discover Your Potential with Polar Unite, Your Assistant to Better Fitness". Polar Electro. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  27. ^ "Polar releases two new watches to inspire people to come back stronger". Polar Electro. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  28. ^ "Polar unveils the all-new Vantage V3, powered by breakthrough biosensing technologies". Polar Electro. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  29. ^ "Polar launches next generation sensor: Verity Sense". Polar Electro. Retrieved 12 February 2021.

Further reading