Battery

Your watch has an internal, rechargeable battery. Rechargeable batteries have a limited lifespan, which depends on several factors, including battery technology, operating temperatures, charging habits, and how the watch is used and cared for. You can maximize the battery lifespan by keeping your watch in good condition and charging and storing it according to the instructions below.

  • Keep the charging contacts of your watch clean to effectively protect your watch from oxidation and other possible damage caused by dirt and salt water (e.g. sweat or sea water). The best way to keep the charging contacts clean is to rinse the watch after each training session with lukewarm tap water. The watch is water resistant and you can rinse it under running water without damaging the electronic components.

  • Before charging, make sure there’s no moisture, dust or dirt on the charging contacts of your watch and cable. Gently wipe off any dirt or moisture.

  • Do not charge the watch in temperatures under 0 °C/ +32 °F or over +40 °C/ +104 °F.

  • Do not charge the watch near flammable materials or on flammable surfaces.

  • Do not charge the watch when it’s wet.

  • Do not leave the watch in extreme cold (below –10 °C/14 °F) and heat (above 50 °C/120 °F) or under direct sunlight.

  • Avoid discharging the battery completely before recharging and charging the battery full every time. Keeping the battery charge between 10-90% puts less strain on the battery, helps the battery maintain optimal performance, and extends the battery's life.

  • Do not leave the battery fully discharged for a long period of time or keep it fully charged all the time.

  • Store the watch partially charged in a cool and dry place. If you won't be using your watch for a while, charge it to around 50 percent before storing it. Also, turn off the watch from Settings > General settings > About your watch. The battery slowly loses its charge when it is stored. If you are going to store the watch for several months, it is recommended to recharge it after a few months.

Over time, rechargeable batteries gradually wear out, and their capacity decreases. The average lifespan of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used in phones and sports watches, including Polar watches, is about 2-3 years. The battery will have approximately 80% of its original capacity left at this stage, and the percentage continues to decrease with time and use. The actual battery lifespan varies depending on use and operating conditions.

At the end of the working life of the product Polar encourages you to minimize possible effects of waste on the environment and human health by following local waste disposal regulations and, where possible, utilizing separate collection of electronic devices. Do not dispose of this product as unsorted municipal waste.

Charging the battery

Use the USB cable included in the product set to charge the battery via the USB port on your computer.

You can charge the battery via a wall outlet. When charging via a wall outlet, use a USB power adapter (not included in the product set). If you use a USB power adapter, make sure that the adapter is marked with "output 5Vdc" and that it provides a minimum of 500mA. Only use an adequately safety approved USB power adapter (marked with "LPS", "Limited Power Supply", "UL listed" or “CE”).

To charge with your computer, just plug your watch to your computer, and at the same time, you can have it synced it with FlowSync.

  1. To charge your watch, plug it into a powered USB port or a USB charger with the custom cable that came in the box. The cable magnetically snaps into place, just make sure to align the ledge on the cable with the slot on your watch (marked with red).

  2. Charging appears on the display.

    Please note that if the battery is completely empty, it may take several minutes for the charging animation to appear on the display.

  3. When the battery icon is full, the watch is fully charged.

Charging during training

Do not attempt to charge your watch during a training session with a portable charger such as a power bank. If you plug your watch into a power source during a training session the battery is not charged. When connected to the charging cable during training sweat and moisture can cause corrosion and damage the charging cable and watch. Also, if you start a training session while charging the watch, charging is stopped.

Battery status and notifications

Battery status symbol

The battery status symbol is shown when you turn your wrist to look at the watch, press the LIGHT button in time view, or return to time view from the menu.

Battery notifications

  • When the battery charge is low, Battery low. Charge is show in time mode. It is recommended to charge watch.
  • Charge before training is shown if the charge is too low for recording a training session.

Low battery notifications during training:

  • Battery low is shown when the battery charge is getting low. The notification is repeated if the charge gets too low for measuring heart rate and GPS data and the heart rate measurement and GPS are switched off.
  • When the battery is critically low, Recording ended is shown. Your watch stops the training recording and saves the training data.
  • When the display is blank, the battery is empty and your watch has gone to sleep mode. Charge your watch. If the battery is totally drained, it may take a while for the charging animation to appear on the display.

When the display is blank, the battery is empty and your watch has gone to sleep mode. Charge your watch. If the battery is totally drained, it may take a while for the charging animation to appear on the display.

The operating time depends on many factors, such as the temperature of the environment in which you use your watch, the features and sensors you use, and battery aging. Frequent syncing with Flow app will also decrease the battery life. The operating time is significantly reduced in temperatures well below freezing. Wearing the watch under your overcoat helps to keep it warmer and to increase the operating time.