Customer Reviews

Polar RS200 Heart Rate Monitor Watch (Black)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

If you're a recreational runner who runs to stay in shape like me. If you're a new runner, this works great too. If you're a super pro, I think this would work but you might want one of the Polar higher end watches - maybe the RS200sd with the foot module, or some of their really fancy (and expensive) stuff.

WHY?
- Easy Easy Easy to set up and use. I took it out of the box. The screen was blank and I panicked...but there was the protective plastic that had a finger pointing to where I should press (the big red button)...the watch woke up and went through a little set up sequence, enter time, day, date, birthdate, weight, age. After I was done, I wet the electrodes on the strap, put the strap on - pretty easy and comfortable. I pushed the Red button and it said, <start>....so, I stepped outside (I was in shorts), walked outside my door, and took off on a several mile run - out of the box and through the run I understood what the watch was telling me, time, heartbeat, the basics. So very usable out of the box with little configuration.
- Lots of Features. After my jog, I dug into the features - Tons of Running Features, present cardio zones so the watch tells you where you're operating at based on your age. I know mine by heart and I knew that at 176average bpm, I was in the 90% to 100% of my heart rate so didn't need to know.
- You can really tell that the people who put this watch together a) know, care, and pay attention to runners and their needs and b)that they are very technically saavy and make the technology easy.
- Could be worn as a watch.
- Priced Right. I used to be the guy who would always buy the best of the best of the best but in this market where there are so many choices, that I'm buying what is right for me. I'm not a super runner and don't aspire to be one, I'm more than a beginner (been running for 20+ years) so this watch was perfect at the right price point with the right features. The polar website has a nice comparison on their products btw.

HARD TO FIND THINGS ABOUT THIS WATCH:
- It has a Sleep Mode so you can turn it off
- The band has a replaceable battery with instructions on the manual on how to change them (I'm not saying you should change your own or not, follow the enclosed instructions, I will probably change mine when needed)
- The band is water resistant to 30 meters, and the watch to 50 meters - so you can swim with this but not dive (silly point, I'm a diver and that's a whole different ballgame) but if you're a lap swimmer you can use this...but its primarily a running watch.
- It can tell your heart rate in Beats Per Minute or in Target Percent (%) based on weight, age - or from your Ownzone calculations. The watch has a feature where it can learn (you put it on and can make it go through a learning phase about you so it can calculate how hard you should work out)
- To me, this is basically the RS200sd without the foot module - (sold separately for about $129 or as a a bundle with the RS200sd). I don't know if I need that, maybe at some point when I get in shape.
- The watch has a history of your workouts so you can go back and see what you were doing and you an even upload to your computer and track there (I'm going to play with that next when I'm done with the review).
- Should you wear it as a watch? Some people wouldn't notice that its a running computer, it might be a conversation starter for some, others might consider you too arrogant advertising that you're a runner. Me personally, if its the first watch I find as I'm walking out the door as its not too big,tells time,date -- I would wear it with shorts and T but definitely not in a suit and very definitely not to white tie state dinners. Up to you.
- This watch has enough features that marathon runners could train with (and is designed from the literature for the runner who is more than a novice but not quite an athlete - Polar makes all kind of watches and am glad they made this one for me, not the top of the line, not the most basic...I wanted a changeable battery on the strap...just right for me).

MY FIT EXPERIENCE (a Con in here):
- The watch component is very adjustable from very small wrists to very large wrists would work
- The strap component, It is stretchy but I found myself openning it up to its maximum and although I'd like to say that I have a 48" Arnold chest for the ladies - I'm more of a 40Regular kinda guy so just FYI if you're a big big guy, you might need a bigger strap (I think Polar sells them but not sure and it has to be a special Polar strap that connects to the module)...just FYI to your big guys out there or if you're 42 - 44chest, would fit but would probably be a bit tighter than my personal fit.

WHO AM I? (So you can weigh my review accordingly)
- Recreational Runner (between 9 and 20miles a week depending on my shape...lately less than my minimum argh.)
- Run to Stay in shape (not a marathon runner, although when in good shape, I go up to 12 - 15 miles...not now...at the moment still haven't gotten back from a broken leg, long story - recommend you don't break your leg in tropical jungles of far away 3rd world countries, so long story short still in pretty poor physical shape and using the watch to keep me in a safe training environment as I work my way back up into shape. You can really tell, if you push yourself - you start to feel bad as you run and if you glance at your watch, chances are that your heart has gone up to 100% or 110% of your target heartrate for me about 190bpm but this instrument is really useful for that but more so because if your heartrate gets too slow, you know you're slacking and should pick up the pace and this keeps you training in your zone (don't know what your zone is? no worries, the watch tells you). I averaged 176bpm for 28 minutes on this first workout with a high of 187bpm and stayed in zone 5 for 96% of my workout - not bad for an old guy with a bum leg (getting that from the watch computer log which it saves). I didn't go very far and wouldn't know because I don't have the foot module option ($129 separately, or you can get it with the RS200sd).
- I try to run a few times a week, love to travel allot, love photography, love technology, try to be good to myself - and this watch is helping me get fit again.
- I don't get paid for this in any way, I'm just anonymous, enjoy privacy but do like to share my experiences, and usually I only share my good ones and really hope it helps you make an informed decision. It does seem like running computers are getting much much better these days - I'm glad.

DISCLAIMER
- I'm just a guy sharing my experience with my watch. Undertake physical activity at your own pace and consult a doctor before starting if you have any any doubts. I recommend against getting the watch, strapping it on, and going on a 30 minute run at 96% of your heart capacity on a sunny warm afternoon if you've never run before, aren't a regular runner, or haven't exercised in a while. I'm not a great runner but I have run all my life so I can tell what my body is telling me (lately from this run, that I'm not as young as I used to be). I think that takes me to the Polar motto which is "Listen to your Body"...and stay safe. I have a baby and using this thing to help me, not substitute for safety but as a helper to staying safe. We live in a litigious society and don't want some guy going and getting a heart attack or worse having him get a heart attack and pointing the finger at me (yikes!). Be careful out there.

- I bought this from Amazon, next day delivery, had it in my warm hands 16 hours later, was running 16 hours 5 minutes later, very happy.

I've owned this watch (the black one) for about a year now. I did not purchase the foot pod accessory.

The watch has on 4 occaisions gone 'all black' lighting up every pixel on the face. When this happens you have to do a 'reboot' holding all 4 buttons down simultaneously until the watch resets. Of course all your data needs to be reentered.

THe watch has also mysteriously reset to March 24, 2005 on 4 or 5 occaisions (10am I think). The time and date are all messed up but it keeps your personal info.

The problem appears to be on the RS200 only. Check out the posts on runnersworld for many, many more disatisfied customers before making a decision on this watch.

As with all new polar products, their chest strap for this product gets a 5 star rating, while most other manufacturers get a 3 at best. It's comfortable, lightweight, it actually fits me (smaller chest size), and the coded transmission should work very well in group environments, as they claim.

The watch itself gets a 2-3 star rating at best: The buttons barely work, right out of the box (pressure to actually get a button press is highly variable/unreliable), the LCD is one of the worst I have seen in 10 years given it's the year 2007: it is low contrast, and the upper part is a low resolution black and white LCD matrix instead of fixed. They did this to have full control over what they place there, but given the use (i.e. it's not really necessary), it looks cheap compared to products out there with full LCD matrixes, and visibility is poor (low res ugly icons, tiny 1-pixel wide font for menus).
Almost all cell phones, tiny mp3 players, most devices on the market today have a better LCD matrix - most in full color.
This is a subjective, but the casing on this product is similar to all other polar products: it looks cheap (unattractive plastic), and too big. They make most of their product bulbous in style, making for a watch that, in volume, is unnecessarily big.

Polar holds most of the patents in HR monitors - again for this product, they've made a hard customer choice between a good solid HR connection (Polar), vs. going with other manufacturers who make much better electronics (watch).

As a monitor it was fine. Did what I wanted and all. Then the battery died. To not void the warranty I had to send it to the company, rather than go to any jewelry store like others let you do. How much just to change a battery? $60!!

$60 just for a new battery!!

So after I got over that and the weeks of not having it(!) I went back to using it. Great and fine again until it started fogging up on the second run. Talked to Polar and their response? Well it's cracked: on the back where their people pried it open to replace the battery for no less than $60!! But it's certainly not THEIR fault it cracked. Because there's a good likelihood I cracked the back of it. The BACK of it. Where they were messing with it just the other day! But they'll gladly give me a discount on a new one--a discount that somehow still would cost me more than I paid for the original!

Yeah. That's a brilliant scam to syphon a few hundred more from people, on top of the overinflated $60 battery-swap charge. I've had occasion to deal with companies who send you replacements for damaged goods and show an eagerness to make the customer happy. Polar has not come close to those companies' commitment to customer service. Now I have a new HRM from a company that doesn't have their teeth in me.

I got this watch to help me quantify the workload for my roadwork. It was replacing the Polar F-11, which I was very happy with. The functionality of this watch is even better than the F-11. It retains the interesting though not particularly useful "test" feature for estimating your VO2max, and retains the OwnZone calculation, both of which simplify use somewhat. It then adds the ability to define your own multiple heart rate zones to your own specification, and then define your own exercise protocols based on those zones. I find this invaluable for keeping my workouts on track. It provides just enough flexibility for me to define recovery walks, interval sessions, and so on, without having to do a lot of planning and configuration for each session.

The weaknesses of this product are quirks of the interface. First of all, the buttons have a very cheap feel to them. This is not really a problem since htey haven't broken yet, but it is disconcerting everytime you go to push a button. Second, I found the interface difficult to use for some things. I often forget the sequence I should use to start a particular kind of session, or get a particular kind of display during the workout. I think the more commonly used functions could be made easier to use, and the less commonly used ones more complex instead. Things like starting a particular kind of workout should be much easier to do and require less experience and practice. That aspect is distracting.

Overall, this is the best training monitor I've had so far (it is my fourth HR monitor from Polar). I tend to buy new ones every couple of years rather than going through the hassle of shipping it back to have the batteries replaced. For my purposes, I would much rather the batteries be replaceable locally, but that's a complaint about Polar, not about the product.

I recommend this product for anyone who wants to be able to quantify their workout intensity more effectively. I also recommend using Friel's heart rate zone recommendations from "Total Heart Rate Training" rather tha using the default zones that come with the monitor. Total Heart Rate Training: Customize and Maximize Your Workout Using a Heart Rate Monitor

My running store only carried the Polar brand so I went with this model. It does work, though it came with a battery that only had 5% left and I had to replace it. I design user interfaces for a living and a lot of watches are bad, but it has one of the worst user interfaces I have ever seen. The states and modes are confusing and the usage of the "screen" pixels is incredibly wasteful and confusing. The feel of the watch itself feels cheap and the buttons are flimsy. It does what it says, but using the feature set is complicated beyond the basic start running function. As with most products, the manual is just as confusing and poorly laid out. It IS accurate though and does what it says. I am much happier with my hiking watch from Highgear though.

THe watch is easy to use and the chest strap is much improved over a Polar strap that I had with a prior model (more than 10 years ago). Polar's wide acceptance in the market is great because the monitor connects with some treadmills I use so that I can use it to drive the treadmill to leave my heart rate in target zones. My trainer has a Polar watch and she can monitor my heart rate when we're working. Finally, the watch's download capability is easy to use so I can keep a log of workouts on Polar's dedicated website. Nothing to complain about here.

I have used a polar heart rate monitor for my running/fitness walking in the past (Accurex), and I really appreciate the new straps (sooo much more comfortable!) and some of the features that are provided. The user-changeable battery is definitely a plus, and the weblink feature is kind of fun, although I can't seem to get my personal goals to stay programmed as a comparison for my actual sessions. That's not why I purchased this watch, so it's not a big deal, but I wish Polar would make it more consistent/reliable.

I have been using my monitor on an almost daily basis in the gym and on the street, and haven't had ANY difficulties (yet?) but I do wish Polar would make a watch that wasn't quite so bulky or cheap-looking that still has all of the features (for women anyway) - the face of this one alone practically fits across my entire wrist. It really is time to bring these little babies into the 21st century!

All in all, I am very happy with my purchase, and had no problems setting the features and settings to fit my needs (go to the Polar website to see a series of video clips that will actually walk you through the whole process...) I viewed the clips while waiting for Amazon to ship (by the way - VERY slow shipping!) and by the time I received my unit, I was able to walk right through the steps and get out the door to try this little baby out, and was very happy indeed.

Have always been a fan of Polar products untill I bought the RS.
I have used for more than a year now the RS 200 and it has been a "nightmare" so far, with 3 times to warranty repair centers with out any solution and a lot of patience and time.
Apart from sync problems, the main issue is that the monitor freezes sudenly in the middle of your workout. And all previous and current data and workout information is lost. You have to start from day zero.
I wish the customer care service was better and did solve the problems, but they keep saying that they do not know what is happening. It is a shame for Polar company. I am looking for another brand right now.
Best Regards
AFAP

Purchased the Polar Rs 200 and love it. I am new to running and it greatly assists my workouts. The chest strap is compatible with my gym's cardio equipment so it makes it easy to monitor my training sessions. Highly recommend this Polar product. I plan to add the foot pod shortly to better my 5k/10k training for events later this year.