Customer Reviews

Polar S1 Foot Pod

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

My initial reaction when looking at the S1 Foot Pod was, "No Way". I mean, it looks like some type of fancy pedometer. And I use one, the Omron HJ-112 Digital Premium Pedometer, and I know it's not totally accurate when it comes to distance because it's based on your pre-set stride.

To my surprise, this S1 Foot Pod is very accurate, right out of the box, and without calibration! How do I know? I went for a walk today with the Foot Pod and my Magellan eXplorist 210 Handheld GPS, which has the accurate WAAS system. The discrepancy between the two devices was 0.025 miles. That's very small! And with no calibration? It's even more unbelivable! For me and distance logging, tenths of a mile are all I'm concerned about anyway.

As far as weight, I didn't even notice it. It's very light and I put it on my left foot, which is not my dominant foot. Size-wise, I initially felt a little embarassed because the S1 is just a little bit smaller than a Twinkie, but now it doesn't bother me. It's so light that I don't even notice that it's there.

Battery life is rated at 20 hours.

One word of caution: Just make sure to verify that the unit is off when you're done. Press the red button and hold it down until the green light goes off. And double check it with your Polar watch, just to be sure.

Highly recommended for walkers, joggers, and runners!

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Update: It's one year later and I've got this now calibrated to about 0.015 miles. Just make sure to do your initial calibration on a flat surface with no hills. And it's best to calibrate it every time you switch shoes as well. Overall I'm still very impressed!

I've had the S1 foot pod for about a month and used it for about 120 miles or so of running. I've found it to be very accurate out of the box and easy to use. I am not-sensitive enough to notice the weight differential between my feet and I forget it's there. I've ran in a few rain showers (not downpours, but definitely some rain) and not had any issues with the S1. While the S1 is over $100, it's a great investment in terms of the wealth of data and the flexibility it offers. It's helping me "learn" pace in terms of cadence and effort into actual min/mile numbers and it offers the flexibility of performing a speed workout anywere. I highly recommend the S1 if you are someone who is training for specific time goals in races. If not, then you may not need such a device - but then you probably wouldn't be here reading reviews would you?

This thing keeps me motivated to run since I want to see those miles pile up week after week! While calibrating it on an indoor track, I found that it was very accurate as is. Only complaint is that it is somewhat pricey.

Installed this footpod on my right shoe and have used it on and off for several months.
PRO's
-) very light, you can't easily tell its on
-) accurate when configured correctly. mileage was spot on vs my friend on bike, and two gps.
CON's
-) You MUST go to a well marked gym or track, and then get your estimates to calibrate
-) With the Polar s200 hrm either the reading is too infrequent or something, but it takes 5-6 reading to catch if you change speeds.
-) if you change your running (stride, etc). you have to recalibrate

The battery life is good.

I purchased the S1 Foot Pod to use in tandem with my Polar RS300 watch in order to track distance and pace. I found the battery a little difficult to replace, but now after using it a few times a week for the past year, I have only had to change the battery once...so not that big of a deal.

Getting the pod connected to my shoe has always been tricky for me. It takes some practice to get it off and on in the most comfortable position. Unfortunately, I am unable to use my Pod when using Vibram Five Fingers. I wish there were a more lightweight version, similar to a timing chip or "shoe tag" that interacts with the watch. This is my main reason for giving it 4 stars instead of 5. I feel like it could be made much lighter and easier to use without the hassle of the shoe clip circus.

I am training for my first marathon and find that the use of this Pod helps me more with pace than distance. If I'm using a treadmill or running a route from my favorite run mapping program, I really don't need to know how far I ran...I should already know. However, the ability to track pace along with my heartrate is a big deal and adds a ton to my training. It is the single biggest reason I use the Pod at all.

For the casual runner, I don't see this as a necessary item, but for those serious about fine tuning their pace and/or training for multiple distance activities, this is a great investment.

I've been using this product for over a year now. I have found that once calibrated it is pretty accurate for distance. Pacing is just OK. For me, it seems to bounce around +or- 30 sec per mile. One minute I will look down and read my pace and 20 seconds later I will read it again and it will say I am running 10-30 sec slower or faster when I don't feel like I have changed my pace. Overall I am pretty happy with it. It is much more accurate then the Nike+/ipod system (I received the Nike+ system as a gift and tried it out). Many people question the Foot Pod's bulkiness. You get used to it very quickly and won't really notice it while running. However, if looks are a concern, there is no getting passed the ugly black torpedo on your shoe...

The foot pod works great, it is nice to know what speed and distance I am going. I gave 4 stars only because it is a little expensive.

The foot pod really enhances my work-outs. It's nice to have a reliable indicator of distance travelled without having to keep opening a pedometer or using a home computer to track after the work-out has been completed. It does appear large when you look at it, but truthfully you do not feel the weight of it on your foot. It is pricey, but so far I would say it has been a wise investment.

I purchased the foot pod to work with my FT80 to help with motivation and tracking while training for a 5K. Due to my tardiness in ordering I received it the day before the event but decided to use the event as a trial for the unit. As I crossed the finish line I looked at the mileage it had recorded and saw 3.2 miles. Not bad!

After using it for a month my assessment is pretty favorable as I have found the unit adds to my motivation.
Pros:
Motivation
Works on treadmill and road
Fairly accurate
Can not feel it

Cons:
Accuracy is different on treamill versus the road. (I'm guessing my stride is a little different - New to regular running at 38!)

Overall, I would recommend this to people who are new to running and want a little motivation. Especially if they are going to run both on the treadmill and road. Probably not for the serious veteran runner, but I will let you know when I get there!

I purchased this foot pod to replace my previous one that stopped working on me after 3 years of good heavy use. It works just as good as the previous one, and seamless with my current RS300.