This post is part of the 2023 LITPro GPS Device Shootout series. To learn more about the details of this shootout, including format, devices we tested, and how we determine a winner, go here: 2023 GPS Shootout Intro.
Matchup #1 - Polar Vantage M vs. Polar Pacer Pro
Testing was conducted at Barona Oaks MX in Lakeside, CA. This is a Southern california track in a great location for GPS device testing. There isn’t a lot of tree cover, or mountainous landscape to obscure satellites on the horizon.
Polar Pacer Pro vs. Polar Vantage M (on the wrist)
| 9:53AM - GPS Watches Mounted on Wrist | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lap | Reference GPS | Polar Vantage M | Polar Pacer Pro | Polar Vantage M vs. Reference | Polar Pacer Pro vs. Reference |
| 1 | 01:43.4 | 01:44.1 | 01:43.4 | 00:00.7 | 00:00.0 |
| 2 | 01:44.1 | 01:44.0 | 01:44.8 | 00:00.1 | 00:00.7 |
| 3 | 01:42.6 | 01:42.7 | 01:42.1 | 00:00.1 | 00:00.5 |
| 4 | 01:43.8 | 01:43.6 | 01:43.5 | 00:00.1 | 00:00.2 |
| 5 | 01:42.9 | 01:42.6 | 01:42.7 | 00:00.2 | 00:00.2 |
| 6 | 01:44.6 | 01:44.4 | 01:44.7 | 00:00.2 | 00:00.1 |
| 7 | 01:46.6 | 01:47.3 | 01:46.5 | 00:00.7 | 00:00.2 |
| 8 | 01:49.2 | 01:48.5 | 01:49.5 | 00:00.8 | 00:00.3 |
| Average | 01:44.6 | 01:44.6 | 01:50.6 | ||
| Largest Delta | 00:00.8 | 00:00.7 | |||
| Total | 13:57.1 | 13:57.1 | 13:57.1 | ||
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| Reference GPS on fender | Vantage M on wrist (green) vs. reference GPS on fender (red) | Pacer Pro on wrist (green) vs. reference GPS on fender (red) |
Polar Pacer Pro vs. Polar Vantage M (on the handlebars)
| 11:00AM - GPS Watches Mounted on Handlebars | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lap | Reference GPS | Polar Vantage M | Polar Pacer Pro | Polar Vantage M vs. Reference | Polar Pacer Pro vs. Reference |
| 1 | 01:45.3 | 01:44.7 | 01:45.3 | 00:00.7 | 00:00.1 |
| 2 | 01:45.3 | 01:45.6 | 01:45.1 | 00:00.3 | 00:00.3 |
| 3 | 01:44.5 | 01:44.8 | 01:45.0 | 00:00.2 | 00:00.5 |
| 4 | 01:44.9 | 01:44.9 | 01:44.8 | 00:00.0 | 00:00.1 |
| 5 | 01:45.5 | 01:45.5 | 01:45.3 | 00:00.0 | 00:00.2 |
| 6 | 01:52.1 | 01:52.2 | 01:52.3 | 00:00.1 | 00:00.2 |
| 7 | 02:02.7 | 02:02.6 | 02:02.6 | 00:00.1 | 00:00.1 |
| Average | 01:48.6 | 01:48.6 | 01:48.6 | ||
| Largest Delta | 00:00.7 | 00:00.5 | |||
| Total | 12:40.4 | 12:40.3 | 12:40.3 | ||
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| Reference GPS on handlebar |
Vantage M on handlebar (green) vs. reference GPS on fender (red) |
Pacer Pro on handlebar (green) vs. reference GPS on fender (red) |
Head to Head Results:
On the wrist:
#1 Top-down visual ranking Pacer Pro vs. Vantage M on the wrist (subjective):
The winner in this category is the Vantage M. We ranked this the highest because it had the fewest significant errors. None of the data was great, meaning you couldn’t trust the data enough to determine line choice, but you did stay on track at all times.
#2 Timing accuracy Pacer Pro vs. Vantage M on the wrist (non-subjective ):
The winner of lap time accuracy is the Pacer Pro. It had the smallest peak delta from the reference lap time. All of the laps were within 0.4 seconds of the reference lap time, and for comparing to a friend’s lap time or appearing on a leaderboard, this is the most critical. However, neither watch was ever off by more than 0.7 seconds.
On the handlebars:
#1 Top-down visual ranking Pacer Pro vs. Vantage M on the handlebars (subjective):
The winner in this category is the Pacer Pro. We ranked this the highest because it had the fewest significant errors. None of the data was great, meaning you couldn’t trust the data enough to determine line choice, but you did stay on track at all times.
#2 Timing accuracy Pacer Pro vs. Vantage M on the handlebars (non-subjective ):
The winner of lap time accuracy is the Pacer Pro. It had the smallest peak delta from the reference lap time. All of the laps were within 0.5 seconds of the reference lap time, and for comparing to a friend’s lap time or appearing on a leaderboard, this is the most critical.
Wrap Up Summary:
Both watches performed okay on the peak delta off the lap time metric. The Polar Pacer Pro consistently had the smallest peak delta (in both tests, it was 0.7 seconds off the reference lap at its worst). In comparison, the Vantage M had the more significant peak delta (in both tests, it was 0.8 seconds off the reference lap at its worst). If we had to judge it purely off this metric alone the Pacer Pro would be the winner.
Taking into account the top-down subjective rating. The Pacer Pro also comes out in the lead, both on the wrist and handlebar mounting location. Neither watch had great looking data, but the Pacer Pro always put the route lines on the track in roughly the correct place. It's not good enough to determine line choice (inside versus outside), but it is consistently better than the Vantage M.
The winner of this round is the Polar Pacer Pro!
