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Product Description
The Polar RS400 is designed for the analytical runner who demands more information. The ability to plan, monitor and analyze training data including speed and distance at your fingertips.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Color Name:Black
Like many (at least based upon the countless reports I found in several forums), I experienced problems in transferring the data from the watch through IR to my computer (I've spend hours on it to the point I was ready to return the watch). To make a long story short and not to end up in endless technical reasons why the connection can/cannot work, for everyone having IR connection problems make sure you place the watch next (and I really mean next, just a couple mm, not inches or cm's) to your IR port on your computer. Also, the IR transmitter on your watch is NOT the red bottum but are the 2 very small holes above the letters O and A of POLAR.
Once you do this, it will very likely solve your problem. I had problems connecting with both my laptops, one with a build in IR port, the other with an external (USB) IR transmitter. The watch seems to have a very short IR transmitting range.
Other than that, the watch does what it is supposed to do. I still find it pretty expensive for what it is but there are not a lot of options if you want to have a HR monitor with all these features. I use the watch for swimming, bicycling and running. So far, so good. I have used it for about 50 hours now.
Good luck
Once you do this, it will very likely solve your problem. I had problems connecting with both my laptops, one with a build in IR port, the other with an external (USB) IR transmitter. The watch seems to have a very short IR transmitting range.
Other than that, the watch does what it is supposed to do. I still find it pretty expensive for what it is but there are not a lot of options if you want to have a HR monitor with all these features. I use the watch for swimming, bicycling and running. So far, so good. I have used it for about 50 hours now.
Good luck
25 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Color Name:Black
I'll start by saying this is a great gadget all-around. It's not something you can just strap on and run out the door with though, you need to read the manual carefully and completely to truly appreciate what this computer can do for you. Also, read all of the HELP file in the Pro Trainer sfotware that comes in the box.
There are so many things this computer can do for your training from beginner to advance that I couldn't possibly comment on them all, so I'll just go over my personal favorites. But first, and extremely brief introduction of myself so you may know if you are receiving usable information for yourself. I am 35 years old, about 50 lbs overweight, having gradually gaining weight over the last 10 years or so from a very healthy frame. I'm no stranger to exercise, except maybe the last several years. I have a gym membership I never use(d) and a perfect 10 mile running trail right outside my office door I never use(d). I am fairly tech-savvy and I lie to play with electronics, but I have no degree in the stuff. I have been trying to get on a running/jogging routine for almost a year now with no success at persistence. Until now...
This watch changed everything. The first thing it when I got it was hook myself up to it and head out the door, turn it on, then stood at the end of my driveway for 30 minutes trying to figure out how to use it. I went back inside with a heart beat of about 150 BPM nopt from exercise, but from frustration. What did I just get myself into? I just want to exercise I don't want a mess of electronics to fight... back inside to read the manual.
I spent an hour reading up on the basics, enough to go back out and get a workout in. I figured I could keep schooling myself with the long but well written manuals for the watch and software while I workout for a couple of days. Then later when I figured it all out I could find/create a workout and load it onto the software and the watch, and follow the workout. And that is exactly what I did, and I recommend it to you to do so as well.
The first thing I realized, on my very first walk after getting a training plan onto the watch, was that I have no need whatsoever to run; at least not now, and probably not for a while. The watch tells you to keep your heart rate within certain predetermined zones for a given amount of time. Going over would be over training and over time a major cause of de-motivation. Going under would be, well, not working out at all.
So the watch starts beeping at me and I see it wants me to get my heart rate (HR) up to zone 3, which for me is around between 121 and 135 beats per minute (BPM). I start to jog lightly, just like I always had when starting a routing in the past. After less than a minute the watch starts beeping at me and I see that I have exceeded 150 BPM which is zone 4, an anaerobic zone for serious athletes, NOT fat guys on Dec 26th with a belly full of leftovers bouncing along a sidewalk in his neighborhood and a $250 fancy watch. Geez no wonder I never stuck to my program!
I've been at it for about a few weeks now, and I can tell that I was over training in the past, just by how I feel before, during, and after I work out. I have a great source of knowledge and motivation in my corner; I work with several marathon runners at my office. They agree unanimously that my routine is spot-on. Except for the rare heavy workout every few weeks coming up in my exercise plan, I should feel an energizing from my workouts; before, during, and after. I've begun to feel this great state of euphoria when I near the end of my workout, which is also normal (as long as you don't see a tunnel and a light, and if you do, you probably pushed it a little to hard and the watch will no longer be of use to you).
So there's the exercise routing part of the watch. If you don't even plan on going that far, and you just want to know what your heart rate is, there are cheaper computers out there. Get one of those. The exercise plan is just the beginning of what this watch can do for you.
When you exercise regularly, your body adapts by strengthening your body (and mind) in so many ways. If you keep doing the same thing over and over, your body will adapt completely. You'll no longer be doing anything more than getting fresh air. Its kind of like if you went out and had a slow walk for 5 minutes on your sidewalk. You've already adapted to that and probably won't get much other than reversing the sag you have going on in your vital signs. To the inverse, if you try to get results by exercising too hard, you'll over train. Some over training every few weeks is good. Being in a STATE of over training is BAD. Very bad.
It's my belief that over training is what gets inactive people like myself to quit an exercise plan. It hurts all over, however, you think its working because it hurts, and the short-term feeling of self accomplishment keeps you going but for only a short while.
The RS400 has a test within itself called "OwnOptimiser" which is a simple test involving lying down for 3 minutes then standing up and holding still for another 3 minutes. All the while the watch is checking your pulse BPM and variations, which it compares to your previous tests (you do this a few times a week) to determine how hard you've been at it and whether or not you should push harder, back off a bit, back off a lot, or keep doing what your doing. This keeps you improving at the most efficient level of activity possible.
The "OwnOptimiser" feature, along with the ability to transfer exercise data to and from the watch and software, including a training plan, make this watch worth every penny in my opinion.
It is my first heart rate monitor (HRM) so I can't compare it to others. But now I will do the best I can do be critical of the device...
#1 The buttons get pushed accidentally very easily, particularly when not exercising. That problem, combined with it's giant ugly red button make it unusable for anything other than exercise, so the $250 watch sits in my gym bag when I'm not exercising. I would like to use my $250 all day long as my casual watch if I were given the realistic option.
#2 There's a bunch of push within the owner's manual for the watch and software to use the online version of the software. It's a great site, with great info and great training plans that are INCOMPATIBLE with the RS400!!! Polar, why are you suggesting I use training programs I cannot load onto my watch? That is very foolish on your part. You should have a compatible version of every training program you have on that website for every data transferring HRM you have in your portfolio, and I shouldn't have to suggest that.
In the end, I am very happy with the watch and the software it came with. I am more energetic, even after a few short weeks, and more excited about exercising than I have been in years. The watch is becoming second-nature to use. I'm not really analyzing my workouts yet.. I'm just walking on the sidewalk for cryin' out loud. But I will step it up, as my HRM tells me its time to, and it'll get more useful. With the level of knowledge this HRM provides me, I plan to stay on track with exercise longer than I ever have in the past. And the twiggy marathon runners I'm surrounded by agree 100%.
fin.
There are so many things this computer can do for your training from beginner to advance that I couldn't possibly comment on them all, so I'll just go over my personal favorites. But first, and extremely brief introduction of myself so you may know if you are receiving usable information for yourself. I am 35 years old, about 50 lbs overweight, having gradually gaining weight over the last 10 years or so from a very healthy frame. I'm no stranger to exercise, except maybe the last several years. I have a gym membership I never use(d) and a perfect 10 mile running trail right outside my office door I never use(d). I am fairly tech-savvy and I lie to play with electronics, but I have no degree in the stuff. I have been trying to get on a running/jogging routine for almost a year now with no success at persistence. Until now...
This watch changed everything. The first thing it when I got it was hook myself up to it and head out the door, turn it on, then stood at the end of my driveway for 30 minutes trying to figure out how to use it. I went back inside with a heart beat of about 150 BPM nopt from exercise, but from frustration. What did I just get myself into? I just want to exercise I don't want a mess of electronics to fight... back inside to read the manual.
I spent an hour reading up on the basics, enough to go back out and get a workout in. I figured I could keep schooling myself with the long but well written manuals for the watch and software while I workout for a couple of days. Then later when I figured it all out I could find/create a workout and load it onto the software and the watch, and follow the workout. And that is exactly what I did, and I recommend it to you to do so as well.
The first thing I realized, on my very first walk after getting a training plan onto the watch, was that I have no need whatsoever to run; at least not now, and probably not for a while. The watch tells you to keep your heart rate within certain predetermined zones for a given amount of time. Going over would be over training and over time a major cause of de-motivation. Going under would be, well, not working out at all.
So the watch starts beeping at me and I see it wants me to get my heart rate (HR) up to zone 3, which for me is around between 121 and 135 beats per minute (BPM). I start to jog lightly, just like I always had when starting a routing in the past. After less than a minute the watch starts beeping at me and I see that I have exceeded 150 BPM which is zone 4, an anaerobic zone for serious athletes, NOT fat guys on Dec 26th with a belly full of leftovers bouncing along a sidewalk in his neighborhood and a $250 fancy watch. Geez no wonder I never stuck to my program!
I've been at it for about a few weeks now, and I can tell that I was over training in the past, just by how I feel before, during, and after I work out. I have a great source of knowledge and motivation in my corner; I work with several marathon runners at my office. They agree unanimously that my routine is spot-on. Except for the rare heavy workout every few weeks coming up in my exercise plan, I should feel an energizing from my workouts; before, during, and after. I've begun to feel this great state of euphoria when I near the end of my workout, which is also normal (as long as you don't see a tunnel and a light, and if you do, you probably pushed it a little to hard and the watch will no longer be of use to you).
So there's the exercise routing part of the watch. If you don't even plan on going that far, and you just want to know what your heart rate is, there are cheaper computers out there. Get one of those. The exercise plan is just the beginning of what this watch can do for you.
When you exercise regularly, your body adapts by strengthening your body (and mind) in so many ways. If you keep doing the same thing over and over, your body will adapt completely. You'll no longer be doing anything more than getting fresh air. Its kind of like if you went out and had a slow walk for 5 minutes on your sidewalk. You've already adapted to that and probably won't get much other than reversing the sag you have going on in your vital signs. To the inverse, if you try to get results by exercising too hard, you'll over train. Some over training every few weeks is good. Being in a STATE of over training is BAD. Very bad.
It's my belief that over training is what gets inactive people like myself to quit an exercise plan. It hurts all over, however, you think its working because it hurts, and the short-term feeling of self accomplishment keeps you going but for only a short while.
The RS400 has a test within itself called "OwnOptimiser" which is a simple test involving lying down for 3 minutes then standing up and holding still for another 3 minutes. All the while the watch is checking your pulse BPM and variations, which it compares to your previous tests (you do this a few times a week) to determine how hard you've been at it and whether or not you should push harder, back off a bit, back off a lot, or keep doing what your doing. This keeps you improving at the most efficient level of activity possible.
The "OwnOptimiser" feature, along with the ability to transfer exercise data to and from the watch and software, including a training plan, make this watch worth every penny in my opinion.
It is my first heart rate monitor (HRM) so I can't compare it to others. But now I will do the best I can do be critical of the device...
#1 The buttons get pushed accidentally very easily, particularly when not exercising. That problem, combined with it's giant ugly red button make it unusable for anything other than exercise, so the $250 watch sits in my gym bag when I'm not exercising. I would like to use my $250 all day long as my casual watch if I were given the realistic option.
#2 There's a bunch of push within the owner's manual for the watch and software to use the online version of the software. It's a great site, with great info and great training plans that are INCOMPATIBLE with the RS400!!! Polar, why are you suggesting I use training programs I cannot load onto my watch? That is very foolish on your part. You should have a compatible version of every training program you have on that website for every data transferring HRM you have in your portfolio, and I shouldn't have to suggest that.
In the end, I am very happy with the watch and the software it came with. I am more energetic, even after a few short weeks, and more excited about exercising than I have been in years. The watch is becoming second-nature to use. I'm not really analyzing my workouts yet.. I'm just walking on the sidewalk for cryin' out loud. But I will step it up, as my HRM tells me its time to, and it'll get more useful. With the level of knowledge this HRM provides me, I plan to stay on track with exercise longer than I ever have in the past. And the twiggy marathon runners I'm surrounded by agree 100%.
fin.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Color Name:Black|Amazon Verified Purchase
I have no problems with the IR transfer others have mentioned, although this has been problematic on my two previous models (one i broke and one I gave to a friend as an excuse to buy this cool new one). My S610 worked well for the first couple of years but then struggled to connect via IR. One thing I will say is steer very clear of that Polar after marker IR device (see my other review on that specifically). It is an absolute overpriced piece of garbage (I usually don't speak out that strongly against something but after spending $120 on two of them I want to help others not flush good money down the drain). For $20 you can get a Startech model that works flawlessly. I use this monitor 5 days a week and the Polar Precision Performance software that comes with it is solid. I do recommend upgrading to a model that includes this software as their weblink tool is pretty worthless (my wife uses it because her F55 is not supported by the Polar Precision Performance software). Overall though the Polar watches and chest bands are the best.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
It doesn't last - It doesn't work
This is my second polar (I had a M32 years ago) and my second, and last, deception too - Let me start saying that polar really uses cheap materials to build their monitors. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Marcelo Fartura
Good electronics, poor design and craftsmanship, glass scratches...
The RS400 is my fourth Polar monitor. The electronic part, software and ease of use are very well designed and implemented. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Shay365
Avoid
I got this watch in April. In May, it began to have troubles-- switched screen even when buttons were locked, zoomed in on screens and the manual gave no clue how to fix, deleted... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Mike
Poor design
I bought the heart rate monitor for some of the additional features. It works, but the menu to operate the heart rate monitor seems to require a lot of button pushing. Read more
Published 11 months ago by 1234
Issues with Starting Exercise (Red button)
Pros:
1. Good design, watches do not look cheap (compared with less expensive Polar HRM like Polar RS 100)
2. Read more
1. Good design, watches do not look cheap (compared with less expensive Polar HRM like Polar RS 100)
2. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Oleksandr Semenyuk
Really Beneficial for my cardio workouts
I have owned my Polar RS400 for four years. The watch does a lot. So, configuring it was a little involved, but once you know how to set things up, it becomes fairly straight... Read more
Published 13 months ago by J. W. Eisel
I didn't receive the polar!!!!!!!!!!
Although the status of my order is delivery, I never receive my polar!!!!!! I claimed at UPS but it doesn't work! I want my polar or my money back!
Published 16 months ago by Carla alves
Polar Junk
I have had 3 Polar watches and bought another as a present. Although the RS200 and this RS400 record data they are cheaply made and the buttons don't work first without pressing... Read more
Published 18 months ago by PRDIGM
Disappointing product
I've actually owned two of these. I wanted to upgrade from the RS200, and initially was very satisfied. Read more
Published 23 months ago by William F Trousdale
RS400
Great buy... use it daily. had to buy a usb infra-red since product doesnt work with the bluetooth connectivity available in laptop.
Published on May 10, 2010 by Rufus Mwaura
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