What our score tells you
A watch can be excellent for running, hiking and everyday life. Here we look at what it offers specifically to someone walking with poles. Even an excellent device can receive fewer points when its maker focuses on other sports. A higher number means more documented support for Nordic Walking, independently of overall product quality.
Want to follow your heart rate, route and training when walking with poles? This index compares documented support for Nordic Walking and opportunities to develop useful tools. Choose a device category first, then compare the configurations within it.
| Rank and brand | Points / 100 | Nordic Walking · practical use · development | Representative model and configuration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Polar | 66 / 100 | 31/60 · 25/25 · 10/15 | Polar Vantage M3 Polar Vantage M3 + Flow with the Nordic Walking profile added; optional Polar H9/H10 for electrical heart rate. |
| 2. Suunto | 57.5 / 100 | 27/60 · 24/25 · 6.5/15 | Suunto Race S Suunto Race S + Suunto app with the Nordic Walking profile. The credited ZoneSense function also requires a compatible Smart Belt / Smart Belt 2. |
| 3. Garmin | 30.5 / 100 | 0/60 · 22/25 · 8.5/15 | Garmin Forerunner 970 Garmin Forerunner 970 + Garmin Connect using documented Walking; optional compatible HRM strap. A native model-specific Nordic Walking profile did not receive points. |
| 4. Apple | 28 / 100 | 0/60 · 21/25 · 7/15 | Apple Watch Series 12 Apple Watch Series 12 + iPhone/Workout using Outdoor Walk; optional compatible Bluetooth strap. A custom Nordic Walking app is assessed as a separate configuration. |
| 5. Amazfit | 27.5 / 100 | 0/60 · 21/25 · 6.5/15 | Amazfit T-Rex 3 T-Rex 3 + Zepp using Walking; a BLE strap depends on model-specific compatibility. |
| 6. COROS | 19 / 100 | 0/60 · 18/25 · 1/15 | COROS PACE Pro PACE Pro + COROS app using Walk; optional compatible BLE strap. |
| 7. Huawei | 18 / 100 | 0/60 · 18/25 · 0/15 | HUAWEI WATCH FIT 4 WATCH FIT 4 + HUAWEI Health; for electrical heart rate, use the Heart rate strap accessory setting on the watch. |
| 8. Samsung | 17.5 / 100 | 0/60 · 9/25 · 8.5/15 | Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Galaxy Watch8 + a compatible Android phone and Samsung Health for walking. Raw SDK data requires a custom application. |
| 9. Google Pixel | 15.5 / 100 | 0/60 · 10/25 · 5.5/15 | Google Pixel Watch 4 Pixel Watch 4 + a compatible Android phone and the native walking activity; additional sport inputs require a specific app. |
| 10. Withings | 11 / 100 | 4/60 · 6/25 · 1/15 | Withings ScanWatch 2 ScanWatch 2 + Withings app using Walking on the watch, with any Nordic Walking entry in the app journal. The route uses the phone. |
| Rank and brand | Points / 100 | Nordic Walking · practical use · development | Representative model and configuration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Movesense | 70 / 100 | 0/15 · 26/35 · 44/50 | Movesense HR+ Custom sensor application; ECG, nine axes of movement and calculations on the sensor. |
| 2. Polar | 60 / 100 | 2/15 · 33/35 · 25/50 | Polar H10 Electrical heart rate and RR; ECG and accelerometer access through the SDK. |
| 3. Suunto | 41 / 100 | 2/15 · 34/35 · 5/50 | Suunto Smart Heart Rate Belt 2 Smart Belt 2 + Suunto Race S or Vertical 2 with the Nordic Walking profile. ZoneSense uses electrical RR data and needs an initial recording period. |
| 4. Garmin | 38 / 100 | 0/15 · 33/35 · 5/50 | Garmin HRM 600 HRM 600 + supported watches or Garmin Connect, depending on the function. For memory and session completion, follow the model-specific compatibility list. |
| 5. 4iiii | 35 / 100 | 0/15 · 30/35 · 5/50 | 4iiii Viiiiva (původní, 160 h) Original Viiiiva based on the 160-hour specification and 2017 manual; the exact generation is a condition of this score. |
| 6. Wahoo | 34 / 100 | 0/15 · 29/35 · 5/50 | Wahoo TRACKR HEART RATE TRACKR HR + BLE/ANT+ watch or app. Connect the charger to wake it for the first time. RR requires a compatible receiver. |
| 7. Coospo | 33 / 100 | 0/15 · 28/35 · 5/50 | Coospo H808S Coospo H808S + BLE/ANT+ receiver. HRV uses a compatible app; the regular training summary and HRV have different application paths. |
| 7. Magene | 33 / 100 | 0/15 · 28/35 · 5/50 | Magene H603 H603 + BLE/ANT+ receiver; the manufacturer names Elite HRV and Selfloops HRV for HRV use. |
| 9. COROS | 27 / 100 | 0/15 · 22/35 · 5/50 | COROS Heart Rate Monitor COROS HR Monitor on the arm + compatible BLE receiver for heart rate during walks. |
A brand is represented by the listed model with the highest score in this edition. Equal scores share a position. A score applies to the documented configuration; check the required phone, app and sensor compatibility.
Choosing a setup that works for you
For a dedicated Nordic Walking profile, the documented Polar and Suunto configurations are the first place to look in this edition. Your choice also depends on controls, navigation and the measurements you want. A compatible chest strap provides electrical heart-rate and RR data; optical arm sensors have a different role. Movesense HR+ offers signals and on-sensor processing for application development, while Polar H10 is also a strong candidate for electrical heart-rate input.
All models in this edition
Watches
Fitness bands
| Model | Points / 100 | Scoring record |
|---|---|---|
| WHOOP 5.0 | 27 / 100 | Documentation and scoring (Czech) |
| Fitbit Charge 6 | 13 / 100 | Documentation and scoring (Czech) |
| Xiaomi Smart Band 10 | 12 / 100 | Documentation and scoring (Czech) |
| Samsung Galaxy Fit3 | 7 / 100 | Documentation and scoring (Czech) |
| Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro | 6 / 100 | Documentation and scoring (Czech) |
Smart rings
| Model | Points / 100 | Scoring record |
|---|---|---|
| Oura Ring 4 | 33 / 100 | Documentation and scoring (Czech) |
| Ultrahuman Ring AIR | 7 / 100 | Documentation and scoring (Czech) |
| RingConn Gen 2 Air | 5 / 100 | Documentation and scoring (Czech) |
| Samsung Galaxy Ring | 4 / 100 | Documentation and scoring (Czech) |
Straps and sensors
How to read the scores
For watches, bands and rings, direct Nordic Walking support carries 60 points, practical use 25 and development 15. For straps and sensors the weights are 15, 35 and 50: available signals and the scope for building applications have more weight here. Each scale has 50 criteria. The weights are our published editorial choices.
Points reflect documented support under these rules. They are not a percentage of measurement accuracy or the result of a physical device test. A dedicated profile, using the sport in a calculation, a Nordic Walking algorithm and validation of that algorithm are assessed separately. Compare watches with watches and sensors with sensors.
Questions when choosing a device
Does a walking activity measure Nordic Walking specifically?
Time, route and heart rate are useful. For a sport-specific energy estimate, look for documentation showing that Nordic Walking is part of the calculation. Renaming an activity alone does not establish this; manufacturer estimates and validated accuracy are assessed separately.
Why does the top device score below 100?
The full score requires all criteria to be documented, including sport-specific algorithms and validation. We keep the published scale rather than rescaling the winner to 100.
Can I compare a sensor score with a watch score?
The scales have different weights because the devices serve different purposes. Compare within the same category, then read the conditions for the complete setup.
Full scoring rules (Czech) · Documentation and research sources (Czech)
