Customer Reviews

Polar FT60 Men's Heart Rate Monitor Watch (Black with White Display)

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

It took me a week of reading to decide which HRM watch to try. After a few days I narrowed the brand down to Polar, but then there're about 30 models from them to choose from.

My intended use: I don't run outdoors much so I don't need a GPS. I do cardio and weights in a home gym and have been writing everything down to keep track of progress, weight loss, etc.

I wasn't sure if I would use the extra bells and whistles beyond a Polar F6 but I was intrigued with the higher end models' ability to test your resting fitness, plan a workout régime, monitor your progress, record weight loss, revise the plan and repeat while recording this all to the web.

So, I narrowed it down to the F55, the FT60 and the FT80. Well, the FT80 is getting horrible reviews due to dark screen, unreliable software, and other basic `version 1' problems. The F55 seemed perfect for someone who lifts weights in their workout routine as I do so I researched further in that direction. The problem is that it only has 17 types of lifting sequences (e.g. Curl, Squat, etc.) and I agree with other reviewers that with those few, I probably wouldn't be able to take advantage of that feature (e.g. when I do a bicep workout I do about eight different types of lifting to prevent muscle memory. And, I really didn't like the way the F55 looks. A minor point but if you're spending $200 on something you wear, you at least want it to look good.

Then I started reading about the FT60 but there are very few reviews from actual users, and I always read reviews before I purchase anything these days. But it looked like it would give me what I wanted, and I like the looks much more than the F55. So I got it yesterday and used it for the first time today. I have a 42 inch chest and the band fits fine (some reviewers were saying some of these bands don't fit larger chests). In about 5 minutes I was able to enter my demographics, test my resting fitness, set a goal (maximum fitness) and begin a workout.

The screen is very easy to read, easy to change the readout while working out, and really made a difference in my ability to stay in a good cardio zone. The watch creates three zones for you (60-70%, 70-80%, 80-90% of Max Heart Rate) based on your fitness test, demographics, etc. Then it tells you how many hours per week you need to be in each of those zone to achieve your goal (maximum fitness, improve fitness or weight loss). These are all graphed on the watch so you can see where you stand for that workout or for the week. It's a great idea and really keeps you motivated to achieve your goal.


Also, if you're interested in tracking weight loss, the watch asks you weekly to enter your weight and it tracks that for you graphically as well. It also takes the weight change into account when planning your next week's workout goals.
I haven't synced it up to the web (still waiting for my usb/irda dongle) so I can't comment about the site, but I wonder if it's really needed because the watch is pretty easy to use to review your workout history. That said, I'd still like to have it on the web for historical analysis.

Bottomline, if you're new to HRMs like me and are not sure if you need all these features (the F6 is about $150 cheaper!) I would take a serious look at this watch. And, if you are in the same boat as me (cardio, weights, variable routines that change so I don't get bored) I think this watch is the best way to go.

There is a lot of discussion at [...] about wanting polar software that works natively under Mac OSX. However, I have worked with this fantastic HRM and was able to upload all the data acquired by it to the website blindingly fast on the first try using the Flowlink interface. I am running Windows XP under bootcamp. The polarpersonaltrainer website gives you lots of ways to analyze your workouts and to understand what you need to do to improve. This should not be undervalued when looking at HRMs from the various manufacturers.

I do note that the FT60 does not record your actual heart rate as a function of time for upload but it does record a whole bunch of metrics derived from your heart rate and performance over the course of a workout that are useful for understanding and improving your performance. (Frankly, I don't know why one would want to stare at a graph showing how your heart rate varied as a function of time.) The FT80 does make an actual record of your heart rate together with these other metrics. For me, this did not really matter as the FT60 has everything I need to keep me motivated and to help me to understand my progress. You must be clear on this before deciding between the FT60 and FT80. (The FT80, as of April 15, 2009 has lots of problems and flaws from what I can tell. I wouldn't buy it - it is an extra $100 for a bunch of misery.)

What I was after is a set of metrics or some rubric that I could measure my performance against. I now understand that just looking at your body weight is not going to do it and may be quite detrimental to your progress. The FT60 gives you several great ways to keep tabs on how you are doing and also offers a weight log so you can record that to the website as well.

By the way, the picture give for this product does not do justice to it. It is a fantastic looking watch! I wear business casual most days and frequently a suit out to dinner. This fits my wardrobe perfectly! Very handsome. It would certainly go with bluejeans and a baggy sweatshirt, too.

I have already recommended this fantastic product to co-workers and other gym rats.

I recently purchased the FT60 for cycling training. The first few times I use it, the max hr value recorded during my training sessions was over 214 bpm. However, I never saw a value higher then 184 on the wrist unit and 214 is much higher them my max hr. I contacted support about the erratic HR readings and gave me an faq link with some tips. Unfortunately, after trying several tip, none seemed to help. I also found it odd that they publish a long list of things that cause disturbances between the wrist unit and the hr transmitter (below).

Disturbances may occur near high-voltage power lines, traffic lights, mp3 player, overhead lines of electric railways, electric bus lines or trams, televisions, car motors, bike computers, some motor-driven exercise equipment, cellular phones, or when you walk through electric security gates. Microwave ovens, computers and WLAN base stations may also cause interference. To avoid erratic readings, move away from possible sources of disturbance.

Seem unlikely that you can avoid many of these sources of disturbances while cycling (bike computers, car motors, electric lines, traffic lights, cellular phones). Maybe Polar needs to add an option to change the frequency in such cases.

The other annoying thing I noticed about the FT60 is that you can not select the wrist display to display between hr only and hr and % max hr in the same screen during training. This can only be selected during setup settings and is not easily changed on the fly during training.

My wife wanted a HRM for her birthday and after alot of research I ordered the FT40 for her. She loves it so much that I decided to get one for myself. I opted for the FT60 instead, since it has the option where it simulates a personal trainer telling how long to work out and at which intensity based on what you tell it you want to accomplish (weight loss, fitness improvement or Max fitness level). Set up is very easy and documentation is good. You enter your height, weight, age, etc and then your goals and it creates a profile for you based on that information.

I have only had the FT60 for a week, but I find myself working out longer and at the correct intensity for my goals. Before I had no real logic to my workouts, I would just break a good sweat. With this HRM I target certain levels of intensity to be more productive and accomplish my goals. After entering all the required data and doing the fitness test built into the watch, it gave me my goals for the first week. It included overall time to work out and how much time to spend in each of the 3 zones of intensity. It tracks your progress in data and bar graph form and is real easy to understand and keeps you motivated to accomplish all the goals they give you for the week. I am a person who is competitive and find myself working out more on days where I might not have simply b/c I want to meet the goals for the week.

The watch is a great size and actually can be worn outside of the gym as its quite attractive. The Chest strap is very comfortable being made of cloth instead of plastic,like some competitors versions. A very cool feature that was a suprise to me is that the equipment at my gym picks up your HR from the chest strap wirelessly and displays your HR, which matches the watches display. Much easier to look at that then to keep glancing at your watch. This works all the cardio equip in my gym (Life Fitness treadmills, Precor ellipticals, and the Stair Master).

I also ordered the FlowLink so I can upload the data to polars personal trainer website. It works great so far. You can join competitions on the website to "compete" against others in all kinds of categories (ie. Most calories burned in a month, most miles run in a week, most weight lost, etc. You can also create your own competitions).

All in all a great product and I highly recommend it. If you don't think you will want/use the built in "personal trainer" option, then save yourself $40 and get the FT40.

Let me say right off I like my FT60. This will be my forth Polar sports watch and I am amazed at how the technology is getting better and better. My FT60 is a definite up-grade for me as this watch has many more features then my previous Polar's ( M52 and F11). My only complaint is that when I am at the gym I usually work out first with weights and then finish with my cardio routine. I have noticed that when you are working out at a moderate pace and not sweating profusely that the watch looses contact with the transmitter. i have tried wetting the band/transmitter and still get the same problem. Once I start my cardio it works great. It has a load of features. It is easy to use right out of the box and it not bad looking for a sports watch. I would recommend this product.

I had some Reward points to use from AMX so I settled on this watch. I thought it was too many points and now I realize why - I wound up getting a model with the GPS unit included... Now I have to start running!

It is very easy to set up right out of the box. My main reason for owning it was to get a measure of my fitness level as well as my heart rate. Basically, I put on the chest strap, start the exercise DVD (thank you, Gilad) press the button twice, the stopwatch starts, my heartbeat is picked up and it tells me how fast I am beating by glancing at the watch, and afterwards it tells me my average heart rate, my maximum heart rate, calories burned and how much time I spent in each "zone" I found that when doing cardio with Gilad I am mostly in zone 3, and when doing "sculpting" I am in zone 1 and 2. I do not have the "flowlink" yet, as I do not mind inputting the data manually on the website (its only 5 or 6 numbers to put in for each session- and I think I am more apt to "look" at the numbers if I type them in manually. Plus, it does not work with a mac yet.

The watch is not gorgeous. The display is very large. Looks fine but is a lot thicker than my dress watch, which is not surprising.

The FT60 is Excellent product with great features. My primary uses for it are: tennis, gym workouts, and daily walks.

I upgraded from a Polar F11 and am glad I did...more features and useful options. For example, its both MAC & pc compatible. I also like the ability to be able toggle to the time/watch feature during a workout and its Polar STAR Training Program capabilities.

Additionally, I highly recommend the FlowLink & S1 Foot Pod accessories. The FlowLink is far superior and more dependable (compared to the F11's sonic transmission) for uploading data. The S1 Footpod allows the user to view his/her pace during a walk/run and, when the data is uploaded to Polar's Personal Trainer program, it automatically includes the distance traveled, average speed, and maximum speed. All nice features/accessories.

The things that could improve this product (and S1 Foot Pod accessory), and results in my rating of a 4 instead of 5, would be: 1) integrated pedometer feature (via S1 Foot Pod?), 2) Polar ProTrainer 5 compatibility, and 3) lower, "bundled price" when buying the FT60 with the FlowLink and/or S1 Foot Pod. Paying over $325 for all three is hard to justify (although I admittedly did).

A winner at last. I like it and recommend it. My F11 was a confusing, hard-to-read, and somewhat inflexible Polar monitor. This FT60 makes up for those past frustrations. The display uses bold characters and is easier to read. No longer do I have to deal with those awful timed training sessions such as Normal 1, Short 1, etc., ad nauseum. Now I can exercise as long or little as I like in a week and if I'm being a little too carefree the watch will suggest what I should be doing differently to stay on track to my goals. This monitor is, as you have seen, rather expensive but if you are really serious about wanting to pursue a healthy or more healthy lifestyle I think this is a worthwhile purchase. My only minor complaints are that I dislike Polar's wrist bands as a matter of personal preference. I like a watch to be able to lie flat and face up but you can't do that with the fairly stiff, curved Polar band. A washable woven nylon band would be nice perhaps with a Velcro closure. I wish the monitor's beeps were louder (even when set on Very Loud) as I really can't hear it well but my ears are old so that's just me. I like the accessories available that may be useful to me should I purchase them in the future. I am happy with this purchase and recommend it. I'm not convinced that the photo Amazon uses is of the watch I bought, at least for the men's style. Go to Polar's site and see what the watch actually looks like if that is important to you.

I got two of these, one for my Dad and the other one for myself, I started looking for a HR monitor about two months ago, when I realized that the training I had been doing and the way it was done was not the "correct" way for me, with this HR, set up takes about 10min the first time, it ask for your age, weight and height then you NEED to calibrate the clock so that it knows your rested HR and it can calculate what your training zones are. Once I did this and set up a training program its been working perfectly for the past 2 months, We train together everyday and never had any interference issues.

The HR will tell you exactly in which zone are you and how many minutes you need to exercise in the zones depending on what program you choose (weight loss, improve performance etc...), it does this by day and week total, it also keeps tracks of the previous training results so you can monitor it as well, This is my doctor favorite feature since he can take the watch and check all the trainings I have done and what was my HR.

Our model is the one with White display and Blue lights. The white display works great is light and low light situations, When you use the blue light its perfect, just the right amount of glow and makes everything readable in no light situations.

I've been using my FT60 for about 4 months now, and I LOVE IT!! Never gives me any problems. Only time it doesn't track my workouts, is when I forget to activate it (doh! user error). Seems to be very accurate. And it really shows me that the caloric burn estimates on the machines at the gym are way off, almost all the time. Chest strap took a little getting used to, but it was a new thing strapped to my chest. Now that I'm used to it, it's VERY comfortable. I'm VERY tough on my watches.... I can kill a Timex in 10 days or less (takes a licking.... NOT). I workout 5-6 days a week, doing cardio + weights for 2+ hrs per session. This HRM/watch has held up wonderfully. I'm also not gentle when I take it off, I just throw it into the gym bag, and it normally falls to the bottom where it gets knocked around a bit. Again never a problem from it. I'd buy it again without hesitation.