Customer Reviews

Polar RS200sd Heart Rate Monitor Watch (Black)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I've had this watch/foot pod combo for 9 months now and have logged over a thousand miles in that time, so I've come to know this system's ups and downs pretty well by now. I'm happy to report it's mostly ups.

In terms of design, the watch (aka "running computer") is exactly what I've been looking for. It's taken Polar a long time to design a watch I truly like, but they've finally done it. What I like most is that its options are almost completely customizable. During exercise, you can set five different screens with three different lines of output (eg, heart rate, pace, total distance, total time, lap time, calories, etc), which is fantastic. In fact, because I can customize each of the five screens, I find that I can put all the relevant info I need on just two and then toggle back and forth between them while I'm running. You can even set the heart-touch function to change screens for you if you wish (whereby, you bring the watch close to the chest strap and it triggers one of three functions - lap conclusion, back light, or screen view).

Aside from output, the watch also has a host of other great features, including fully customizable workout routines (eg, free, basic, interval, and user-created). What I've done is create "Easy", "Long" and "Fast" routines, each with a different heart rate range so that I can easily monitor my effort without having to think.

The watch also has a "sleep" mode, where you can turn off the watch when not in use to conserve battery power, as well as other key features like a fitness test (which measures your resting heart rate (RHR) and VO2max) and even an event countdown calendar. I now know at any moment how many days I have before the San Francisco Marathon (my first). It's a true motivator and really nice touch. Polar really did think of everything with this watch in terms of design. Perfect.

The foot pod is also well-designed. Physically, it's very sturdy and feels like a smooth round rock you might find at the bottom of a stream. It's actually larger and seemingly heavier than I expected it to be, which concerned me at first, but after attaching it to my shoe, I literally could not tell it was there. As a result, it's the best of both worlds: rock-solid sturdy but unnoticeable while running. Another great feature is that the foot pod will automatically turn off after a certain period of inactivity, again conserving battery power. Great.

Not much to say on the chest strap, except that it's infinitely more comfortable than the previous design and seems to work well (I haven't had the problem of having to clean the contacts before every use as one reviewer mentioned; I merely wet it before starting, and then lightly wash it in warm water when finished).

If design were the only issue, this watch/pod combo would earn six stars from me. However, there are a couple of minor concerns of which one should be aware:

1) It took me a LONG time to calibrate the foot pod. Initially, I did as the manual suggested and ran around a track at a medium pace for 1200 meters (three laps). At that time, the calibration read 1.093, meaning that I was covering 1,093 meters for every 1,000 meters the foot pod was detecting. This is quite a margin of error, especially because Polar stated the foot pod should be 97% accurate right out of the box (implying that any calibration should end up somewhere between 0.970 and 1.030). This clearly was not the case for me. Worse still, the resulting mileages were way off when I actually ran known distances. Thinking hills could affect the calibration, I proceeded to recalibrate on a variety of courses and at varying distances (up to as much as 10K/6.1M). Every time, I got a different reading, ranging from 1.004 to 1.027. Finally, through triangulation and a bit of interpolation, I arrived at a manual calibration of 1.010, and it now seems to be accurate within +/- 2 meters per kilometer. Still not perfect, but certainly closer to the 99% that Polar claims you can achieve with individual calibration.

So, what's the moral of the story? If you only need/want approximations of your running distances, the foot pod is great right out of the box. However, if you're competing and need/want more accuracy and precision, expect to make a concerted effort. Incidentally, I recommend calibrating on courses that most reflect what you normally run and at as long of a distance as you can stand while maintaining good form. Doing so should help improve the accuracy. Also acknowledge the fact that changing shoes and/or courses (eg, from asphalt to grass) will affect the mileage output, thus resulting in the need to recalibrate. Fear not, however, because you'll eventually become more efficient at knowing how to find your best calibration.

2) Another niggle is that the watch freezes up or blanks out from time to time (half dozen times over the past 9 months). This is especially annoying during an important training session because you not only lose that day's data, but also because you have to stop what you're doing to reset it. Unfortunately, you cannot simply remove and replace the power source like you can on other electronic devices (eg, pulling the plug on a computer and then replugging it in to reboot); you have to do a "global reset", which involves pushing all four buttons side buttons simultaneously (not an easy trick for the less dextrous among us). In any event, I have since learned to do a preemptive global reset if I have a race or an important training session ahead of me that day, especially if I haven't had an "episode" in many weeks. The good news is, you don't lose any of the data stored previously thank goodness, just that day's.

3) One final (small) annoyance is with the footpod. It doesn't have a (sufficient?) low battery indicator, so you never know when you'll have to replace it's 2 AAA batteries. If it dies mid-run, you're out of luck. Like with the watch freezing, I change batteries if they've been in more than 20 hours of use and I have a big run ahead of me that day.

In sum, I think this is a fantastically-designed watch with a couple of functionality issues, but none enough to dissuade me from buying it. I absolutely love it and wonder what I did for so long without it. Way to go, Polar!

I've had this watch/foot pod combo for about two months now and have logged about 240 miles in that time, so I feel like I can finally write an informed review about this product.

In terms of design, the watch (aka "running computer") is exactly what I've been looking for. It's taken Polar a long time to design a watch I truly like, but they've finally done it. What I like most is that its options are almost completely customizable. During exercise, you can set five different screens with three different lines of output (eg, heart rate, pace, total distance, total time, lap time, calories, etc), which is fantastic. In fact, because I can customize each of the five screens, I find that I can put all the relevant info I need on just two and then toggle back and forth between them while I'm running. You can even set the heart-touch function to change screens for you if you wish (whereby, you bring the watch close to the chest strap and it triggers one of three functions - lap conclusion, back light, or screen view).

Aside from output, the watch also has a host of other great features, including fully customizable workout routines (eg, free, basic, interval, and user-created). What I've done is create "Easy", "Long" and "Fast" routines, each with a different heart rate range so that I can easily monitor my effort without having to think.

The watch also has a "sleep" mode, where you can turn off the watch when not in use to conserve battery power, as well as other key features like a fitness test (which measures your resting heart rate (RHR) and VO2max) and even an event countdown calendar. I now know at any moment how many days I have before the San Francisco Marathon (my first). It's a true motivator and really nice touch. Polar really did think of everything with this watch in terms of design. Perfect.

The foot pod is also well-designed. Physically, it's very sturdy and feels like a smooth round rock you might find at the bottom of a stream. It's actually larger and heavier than I expected it to be, which concerned me at first, but after attaching it to my shoe, I literally could not tell it was there. As a result, it's the best of both worlds: rock-solid sturdy but unnoticeable. Another great feature is that the foot pod will automatically turn off after a certain period of inactivity, again conserving battery power. Great.

Not much to say on the chest strap, except that it's infinitely more comfortable than the previous design and seems to work well (I haven't had the problem of having to clean the contacts before every use as one reviewer mentioned; I merely wet it before starting, and then lightly wash it in warm water when finished).

If design were the only issue, this watch/pod combo would earn six stars from me. However, there are a couple of minor concerns of which one should be aware:

1) It took me a LONG time to calibrate the foot pod to a point that I felt comfortable with its measuring accuracy. Initially, I did as the manual suggested and ran around a track at a medium pace for 1200 meters (three laps). At that time, the calibration read 1.093, meaning that I was covering 1,093 meters for every 1,000 meters the foot pod was detecting. This is quite a margin of error, especially because Polar stated the foot pod should be 97% accurate right out of the box (implying that any calibration should end up somewhere between 0.970 and 1.030). This clearly was not the case for me. Worse still, the resulting mileages were way off when I actually ran known distances. Thinking hills could affect the calibration, I proceeded to recalibrate on a variety of courses and at varying distances (up to as much as 10K/6.1M). Every time, I got a different reading, ranging from 1.004 to 1.027. Finally, through triangulation and a bit of interpolation, I have arrived at a manual calibration of 1.010, and it seems to be accurate within +/- 2 meters per kilometer. Still not perfect, but certainly closer to the 99% that Polar claims you can achieve with individual calibration.

So, what's the moral of the story? If you only need/want approximations of your running distances, the foot pod is great right out of the box. However, if you're competing and need/want more accuracy and precision, expect to make a concerted effort. Incidentally, I recommend calibrating on courses that most reflect what you normally run and at as long of a distance as you can stand while maintaining good form. Doing so should help improve the accuracy. Also acknowledge the fact that changing shoes and/or courses (eg, from asphalt to grass) will affect the mileage output.

2) The only other concern I have was the result of my display freezing up once. I was actually weight-training at the time, and the display froze for no apparent reason. Because you cannot simply remove and replace the power source like you can on other electronic devices (eg, pulling the plug on a computer and then replugging it in to reboot), I was rendered helpless. Finally, after some time, I decided to push all four buttons on the sides simultaneously, and it did the trick. I had to reprogram some of the information, but it has worked fine since. Not a big deal, but we'll see if it happens again (knock on wood).

I haven't had the watch long enough to know whether I can expect any of the similar problems that one other reviewer had (eg, cracked wrist strap, etc), but the quality seems quite good, so I certainly won't fret waiting for a problem that may not occur.

In sum, I think this is a fantastically-designed watch with a couple of functionality issues, but none enough to dissuade me from buying it. I absolutely love it and wonder what I did for so long without it. Way to go, Polar!

This is my third heart rate monitor I've used for running and first that had a distance and pace function. My first HRM was a bottom of the line Polar and second was a mid-range Timex. I've used this one for around 50 workouts so far and am very pleased. It was easy to learn to use; navigating through the menus and using the various features are pretty intuitive. The footpod took two or three workouts to calibrate, but since then it's been surprisingly accurate. I've found it to be within .05 miles per actual mile traveled, regardless of pace, terrain, or if I'm walking or running. The weblink feature works well, I've been able to upload all my workouts easily. I use a pair of Ipod ear buds plugged into the microphone jack on my computer and pressed to the back of the wrist unit because I don't have a real microphone. Polar's customer service has been excellent. They've responded to my e-mail questions within a day and have been able to provide solutions to problems I've had with the unit.
I've had a couple minor problems with the unit. The footpod only came with one mounting clip, which was a pain to move from one pair of shoes to the other. I was able to get more mounting clips from Polar, over the phone, for about $4 each (I couldn't find them on the Internet). Recently, the wrist unit went blank and stopped recording my workout. After consulting Polar I was able to do a global reset by pressing all the buttons at the same time until it came back on (a procedure that wasn't in the manual). It lost the workout I was on but still had all my previous workouts and settings intact including the footpod calibration. I guess like any other computer it needs to be reset after it's been used for a while.

After researching several Polar and Timex watches, I decided to get this one because it presented the optimum set of features: Speed, Distance, Calories and Heart Rate. I don't need an Altimeter, Barometer, Thermometer, etc., and this one seemed a perfect choice.
I was plesantly surprised with the accuracy of information this watch provides. After using a couple other devices that show distance and speed, I was expecting a four mile run to read between 3.8 and 4.2. But this watch was dead-on accurate: 4.0.
So I tried it on a treadmill, with the treadmill providing its own readings, and it never missed the mark! It has this cool calibration feature with a choice between auto and manual calibration, which is cool.
The heart rate readings were also accurate, as compared with heart rate readings from the treadmill.
BTW, I tried three different makes of treadmills in the gym and the watch consistently provided accurate readings.
Another very cool feature is Night Mode, which automatically turns the backlight on for five seconds if the watch is raised to near the wearlink coded heart-rate transmitter.

I have not tried zones and many other advanced features available, and already like this watch a lot.
This is a great tool to measure and monitor performance for exercisers, and I highly recommend it.

I bought the rs200sd to assist in my training efforts for the NYC Marathon. It certainly has a lot more interesting and useful features than the other timing equipment I have used in the past. I have to say that it definitely helped with my training.

Being able to switch the screen back and forth from elapsed time to heart rate, etc. and being able to easily record lap times is a plus. I used several features while training and running the marathon. The display is big enough that I could read it without difficulty even while running.

Other reviewers mentioned difficulties with synching the heart rate monitor watch with their computers; I too experienced this and admit that I gave up even trying.

Most annoying to me was that after many attempts, the footpod would not calibrate accurately (including track calibration efforts, hill and flats calibration efforts, etc.) Although there was a lack of precision in footpod calibration, in a "zen" kind of way, I could look at my pace while running and get a feel for my approximate speed and distance. However, in terms of accuracy, my rs200sd recorded that I ran 27.36 miles for the NYC Marathon!

I realize that some people have reported they had little difficulty with footpod calibration. It is possible that some of us have very inconsistent strides which may make it challenging for the footpod to calibrate. Thus, perhaps a GPS-based unit would work better. One last issue with the footpod: after 26.2 miles (or was it 27.36 miles?), it really became a nuisance on my foot. I felt it each step for the last several miles, something that I had not noticed on previous, shorter runs.

I have about 400 miles on my RS200SD. I have found this thing to be very accurate at measuring distance. Shortly after I got it, I took it to a local track and ran 4 miles to get a feeling for the accuracy. The RS200SD reported that I had run 4.02 miles. That works for me. I do lots of trail runs among 200" Redwood trees and unlike a GPS based device, it never lets you down. I have found that the heart rate reading seems to lag a bit, but it's no big deal. The reason I give this heart rate monitor only 4 stars is because I find that I have to clean the contacts on the chest strap before every run, or it give inaccurate or sporadic heart rate information. When it is working, it is the best heart rate /pace/distance tool I have ever used.

I got the watch as a gift in December. I use it 3 to 4 times a week and run approx. 15 miles a week. I have used it in very cold outdoor weather, rain, and in the hot summer with no problems. I use the heartrate monitor when I'm swimming laps in the pool. Free website is excellent. Transfer all your runs to the website and see progress on graphs. Very accurate footpod and heart rate monitor. Watch also looks good on your wrist(not big and bulky).

I've had the Polar RS200sd for about 9 months now. I really like having both heart rate monitor and distance/pace in the same device, and I am more than happy with the accuracy of the system. The heart rate strap is comfortable and the footpod is completely unnoticable. And since I run both outdoors and indoor on a treadmill it is very handy to not rely on GPS.

Unfortunately, the actual design and construction is quite poor. The watch strap started splitting after only a couple of months, and since the strap is integrated into the watch housing, there is no way to simply replace the strap without sending it to Polar.

Secondly, at least once every two weeks the watch will just reset itself in the middle of a run, with no apparent cause. The settings will still be there, but all data from the current run is gone - incredibly irritating in the middle of a long run.

I find it rather annoying to have to push so many buttons just to start and stop the timer - at the end of a long, hard run the last thing you want to do is have to push three different buttons in a special sequence to turn it off. A has been noted in other reviews, the software is quite slow in changing screens and functions, often taking up to ten seconds; not a problem if you are sitting in a chair, but practically useless in the context of sport activities.

Anyway, I would really like to like this watch/monitor - great specs and accuracy; but I can't recommend it due to the poor reliability and execution of the design.

I upgraded from a beginner's model to the RS200sd and am glad that I did. I love the ability to track my pace and distance while running. The countdown event alarm allowed me to stay focused for a marathon while I trained. The only drawback of the design is that the watch and the wrist band are molded together. My guess is that if the band breaks you have to buy a new model. I've had it for a year now and the wristband is still in good condition. I gave it four stars for the wristband. If the wristband were replaceable I would have given this review five stars.

I haven't used all the features yet, such as the foot POD, but it has been very dependable so far. I found that I don't have to bother wetting the electrodes prior to my workout. It seems to pick up a signal just fine. I really like the "heart rate target zone lock" feature so I don't have to constantly watch my heart rate. It simple beeps at me when I'm above or below my target. The coded transmitter works with the "Polar ready" equipment in the gym. The calorie counter is far more accurate than any cardio machines.