Polar Electro

Last updated
Polar
Company type Private – Oy
Industry Sports instruments
Founded1977;48 years ago (1977) in Kempele, Finland
Founder Seppo Säynäjäkangas
Headquarters
Kempele
,
Finland
Area served
Worldwide
Products Heart rate monitors
Number of employees
1,200
Website www.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]

Contents

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 August 2025

ModelCategoryAnnouncement date
Polar Grit X Prowatch2021-10-06 [14]
Polar Grit X2watch2025-06-04 [15]
Polar Grit X2 Prowatch2024-03-20 [16]
Polar H9heart rate sensor2020-01-29 [17]
Polar H10heart rate sensor2017-03-15 [18]
Polar Ignitewatch2019-06-26 [19]
Polar Ignite 2watch2021-03-24 [20]
Polar Ignite 3watch2022-11-09 [21]
Polar Ignite 3 Titaniumwatch2023-06-14 [22]
Polar OH1+heart rate sensor2019-04-09 [23]
Polar Pacerwatch2022-04-13 [24]
Polar Pacer Prowatch2022-04-13 [25]
Polar Unitewatch2020-06-30 [26]
Polar Vantage V3watch2023-10-11 [27]
Polar Vantage M3watch2024-10-23
Polar Verity Senseheart rate sensor2021-02-10 [28]

Discontinued products

As of August 2025

ModelCategoryAnnouncement date
Polar Vantage Mwatch2018-09-13 [29]
Polar Vantage M2watch2021-03-24 [30]
Polar Vantage Vwatch2018-09-13 [29]
Polar Vantage V2watch2020-10-07 [31]
Polar M460bike computer2017-04-12 [32]

Financial Performance and Market Position

In recent years, Polar Electro has faced substantial financial challenges amid a shifting global market for wearable technology. According to official business filings, the company's revenue for the fiscal year ending in late 2023 was approximately €110 million, marking a decline of about 1.8% from the previous year and a significant reduction from earlier peaks above €170 million in 2020. Despite maintaining substantial turnover, Polar reported a net loss of about €15 million for 2023, with an operating margin remaining negative at around -14.1%. The company experienced similar pressures in previous years, including an operating loss of €31 million and revenue of €112 million in 2022. [33] [34]

The contraction in revenue and profitability has been attributed to multiple factors, including high inventory levels among retailers, increased global competition, particularly from market leaders such as Garmin and other wearable brands, and overall weak consumer sentiment impacting the traditional heart rate monitor and sports watch segment. [33] [35]

While Polar Electro remains one of the few internationally recognized Finnish consumer electronics brands, its market position has become increasingly challenged. [35] Compared to global competitors, the company has seen a notable loss of market share, particularly in North America, and has struggled to regain momentum despite investments in product development and a shift towards licensing its proprietary technology to partners. [36] Nevertheless, the company has continued efforts to maintain market relevance, with management expressing the intention to leverage licensing revenues and further R&D investments to support future growth. [35] [37]

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 Grit X2 | Smart Outdoor GPS Watch | Polar Global". www.polar.com. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  16. ↑ "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.
  17. ↑ "Polar Expands Their Gold-Standard Heart Rate Portfolio with Their Newest Sensor: Polar H9". Polar Electro. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  18. ↑ "The new Polar H10 heart rate sensor is now available". Polar Electro. 15 March 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
  19. ↑ "Spark Your Fitness Potential with Polar's Latest Watch: Polar Ignite". Polar Electro. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
  20. ↑ "Polar releases two new watches to inspire people to come back stronger". Polar Electro. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  21. ↑ "Find Your Rhythm With The New Polar Ignite 3". Polar Electro. 9 November 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  22. ↑ "Polar releases new Ignite 3 Titanium fitness smartwatch with enhanced workout and wellbeing guidance". Polar Electro. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  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 unveils the all-new Vantage V3, powered by breakthrough biosensing technologies". Polar Electro. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  28. ↑ "Polar launches next generation sensor: Verity Sense". Polar Electro. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  29. 1 2 "Polar Vantage – the Next-generation Multisport Watches". Polar Blog. 2018-09-13. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  30. ↑ "Polar releases two new watches to inspire people to come back stronger". Polar Electro. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  31. ↑ "Polar Vantage V2 – For Athletes Who Seek Progress in Sports". Polar Blog. 2020-10-07. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
  32. ↑ "Announcing the new Polar M460 GPS bike computer". Polar Electro. 12 April 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
  33. 1 2 Jurvelin, Kyösti (2023-10-13). "Sykemittarivalmistaja Polar Electron synkkä syöksykierre: Näin luvut ovat romahtaneet" (in Finnish). Talouselämä. Retrieved 2025-07-10.
  34. ↑ "Polar Electro Oy - Yritys- ja taloustiedot". kauppalehti.fi (in Finnish). Kauppalehti. Retrieved 2025-07-10.
  35. 1 2 3 Jurvelin, Kyösti (2024-10-18). "Polar Electro on yksi harvoja suomalaisia kuluttajabrändejä, mutta sen tilanne ei näytä valoisalta" (in Finnish). Talouselämä. Retrieved 2025-07-10.
  36. ↑ Lyytinen, Jaakko (2019-01-13). "Polarin salaisuus" (in Finnish). Helsingin Sanomat . Retrieved 2025-07-10.
  37. ↑ Tervola, Janne (2023-02-28). "Suomalainen Polar aloittaa tekniikkansa lisensoinnin". Kauppalehti . Retrieved 2025-07-10.

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