Customer Reviews

Polar RS800CX Multi Sport Heart Rate Monitor Watch with G3 GPS Sensor W.I.N.D.

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Polar RS800CX Multi Sport Heart Rate Monitor Watch with G3 GPS Sensor W.I.N.D.I have had the Polar 625X for a number of years. The 625X product really has not changed but it works very well. Changing to RS800CX was pretty easy as a result, but of not a Polar user need to read manual and get the many features. Since I like to mountain bike, run, and/or road ride (Triathlons) I needed something that would give me HRM data as well as the other data from the 625x that I like to see. The 625X only had a foot pod for pace and a special bike adapter for biking. So I liked the Altitude, speed, pace, HR data, and HRM zones but so many devices. What I really like about the RS800CX:

- I can use on all bikes and running without special equipment everywhere.
- The look and feel of the watch so I can wear it all the time it fits under work shirt sleeves. I had to take the big and unstylish 625x on and off all the time since it was unsightly and bulky.
- The GPS unit turns on and quickly acquires signal. Also strap built very well.

To exercise you just turn on GPS, start your watch and forget about all of it until you want to check your pace or HR zone. The flashing heart in your custom training zone 1-5 is very helpful in the display. Like most watches exercising and flipping through screens can be be a challenge. As is finding a balance between viewability and the amount of data that can be displayed on the small screen and in big letters. Increase the screen size too much and you have a computer that can't be worn all the time and as a result is likely to be forgotten for many workouts (some Garmins). I am not sure of the balance has been struck on the Polar RS800CX but I was able to see most of what I wanted to see without an issue and was able to flip through screens during the workout to see pace, HR and a few other data.

After exercise I just pointed the watch at the Infrared device and load my exercises into the excellent Polar 5 software. I can then analyze graphically and with data the zones and how my workout fit my goals. Some people have complained about the GPS not integrating with mapping etc. I really don't want that feature so if you do you have to go to Garmin or other device - I think. This watch is about valuable data and not fancy GPS mapping features. And that is coming from a real gadget geek. I really like the software and Polar is a great HRM company from my experience. I would guess but don't know that Garmin with its roots in GPS would provide a more comprehensive GPS feature set. Your choice will depend on your needs and interests.

Well, I will amend later if I come up with anything else useful.

I am a sponsored (not by polar) competitive distance runner and have used this device in training at least once every day for the last 300 days (approx 530 training hrs). Prior to the RS800 I used a s625x for a few years.

Firstly, this is a training computer, not a watch. You can use it as a watch if you like but it is primarily a training computer.

Reading the existing reviews for this product it appears there are a lot of 'user' issues with people failing to operate the device correctly as opposed to actual faults. The majority of my issues are simple wear and tear which perhaps a comment on the longevity of the product if used a lot.

I use the RS800 + GPS + S3 footpod + HRM + Performance Software.

RS800 - 5 star
Works perfectly. You'd have to be an idiot if you found it confusing or difficult to operate. IR link to PC is fine and data transfer works without a hitch. I found replacing the battery myself easy and have done it once in 300 days.
The customizable on-screen reporting data is a great addition.

GPS - 5 star
Accurate.
Using good quality AAA's I get around 10hrs run time. I decided to go with the RS800 over the Garmin 405 as the Garmin gets less then hrs run time before hard powering the entire watch off leaving you with a 'blank wrist band of uselessness'.
The GPS is robust and has survived a few hard knocks and falls on trail.
It is fast to get satellites and has never lost them during a run through town or in dense bush. I race friends to get satellites before training runs and can say the G3 beats their Timex and Garmin units hands down.
The only complaint I have about the GPS unit is the velcro armband hooks all wore out within a few months of use. I now have to use safety pins.

S3 Footpod - 1 star. NOTE: the S1 footpod is NOT included in this RS800CX Multi bundle.
Have to say I preferred the S1. The S3 is smaller and has cadence which is great when the unit works. I lose communication with the device more often then not so I don't bother training with it and only use it when racing. The S1 ate batteries but at least it worked.
The rubber strap that holds the S3 on broke and I now have to tie it to my shoe with string.
I don't know anyone that hasn't had a problem with the footpod.

Performance Software - 5 star
Hard to imagine how you could make this any better. The Google Earth interface is brilliant.
If you like data and know how to use a computer then there is no software comparable.

Chest strap - 5 star
Never had a problem with the Polar chest straps. If you wash it as instructed it will out last any other part of this kit.

Well, I wanted to upgrade from my old Polar unit that I used for swimming as well as trail running. On the Polar website under "Product Search" I ticked the box that said I wanted a training unit for swimming and the RS800CX, among others, was suggested. I shut my eyes about the cost and ordered a unit. However, when I unpacked it and read the manual I was shocked to discover you can't read heart rate in the water. Not that it isn't waterproof, you can wear it to swim, but the signal can't be transmitted, no heart rate values. So no training in the swimming pool then. Why is it recommended for triathletes? I don't know. It would have been nice to know up front about the lack of swimming training capability. Anyhow I've been using it for hikes and runs and am well pleased with the GPS function. I can see how far my routes go, how many vertical feet, how much effort I'm putting into those hills, and see my routes on Google Earth. Pretty cool. But, the AA battery needed for the GPS runs out fast. Today, the stop button stopped working on the main wrist unit. So now I shall find out how good Polar customer service is. Many good points to this watch but too many not so good points for the price tag.

This is my 5th Polar product in 10 years and it is the worst. I'm replacing a S720i which got into flakey modes that started and stopped lap times constantly, overflowing the memory. For some reason, I decided to stay with Polar over the other brands and figured I'd go high-end with the speed and GPS sensors. First, deciphering the complexities of the RS800 licensing caused me to have to order and reorder units making it about 3-4 weeks turnaround to get what I thought I ordered the first time. The Polar Software, the watch interface and loading sensors is a cryptic mess. I'm not bad with technology, but getting the watch to recognize a bike speed sensor so far is impossible. You will go back and forth syncing your watch to your desktop and clicking hard to press buttons and listening to incessant beeping instead of training. I seriously have spend more time trying to make this thing work than setting up a new computer. This thing is really NOT worth the very high price. You are not getting a higher quality product, you're just getting more of the same complicated 90's technology for a lot more money.

The RS800CX Multisport arrived in a compact box and contained all the equipment I ordered. The chest strap and its ability to monitor my pulse rate is excellent. TheG3 GPS is easy to operate and once you figure out how to transition to Google Earth is excellent and easy to use. The G3 GPS unit acquires GPS satellites easily. The IR dongle establishes a link about one out of 8 times to sync the RS8800CX to my computer. It is junk and not worth the money as others have written. The Protrainer 5 software is unstable and could use a rewrite. The software is not user friendly and crashes frequently on my Dell computer running Windows 7. The Merge function, used when you have two exercises in one day you want to combine to get the total for the day is convoluted and does not allow you to combine GPS coordinates. For example, you run and then bike and to you want to review your route on Google Earth. This brings me to the interface with the Protrainer 5 software and Google maps. After many attempts to get this working with the Protrainer 5, I found the way to do get the route to display by searching the web for an answer. You launch Google maps from the protrainer5 software. Once the error occurs you do a file open in Google maps and open a shortcut I had to create to link to the subdirectory where the GPS data is stored. This is not the way this software should work with such a well thought out Polar product. Protrainer 5's array of meaningless graphs and the color schemes, red on red for the heart rate which is nearly invisible when printed on my HP printer. Protrainer 5 needs a major revision to make it useful. Because of the flexibility and functionally of the RS800CX I would by again because no other product comes close, but I give it three stars because of the Protrainer5 software and the IR dongle which is nearly useless.

As the top model of Polar's product range, I am somewhat disheartened by what I consider serious downsides:

- the external GPS sensor is very bulky and comparably heavy - bigger and heavier than the whole unit of the Garmin Forerunner 405. It's also slower to get a fix on satellites than the Garmin.
- the low battery warning gets on far too late, often when you are in the middle of the run - too late to change batteries then.
- even though I follow religiously Polar's cleaning instructions, the chest belts lose their conductivity after a few months' time, which is frustrating
- while the Polar software allows you to export the GPS data into Google Earth or as a GPX file into a GPX viewer, there should be an option to save directly into a GPX file. The Google Earth export does not work well on my system and the GPX export mixes up the time of the day
- the Polar ProTrainer 5 training software is still not available for Mac, which I think is unacceptable. It is also incompatible with Windows 7 (64bit) (the syncing doesn't work), and if history is anything to go by, it will be months if not longer before Polar manages to make a fix available.

For the occasional runner, I think the Forerunner 405 is by far the better option, with much cleverer software (also available for Mac), easier syncing (Win 7 compatible of course), coming in a smaller package at a much better price.

Polar need to get their act together if they want to continue charging these sort of prices for their "top" products.

I had quite a range of Polar products and I would still think they are probably the best for heartrate monitor, however, with RS800CX (top range product) they did strike below the expected quality.
What's good:
- I find the software (WindowsXP admitedly) to work very well. Actually better than my old S725X and delivering a IrDA adaptor improves this over the older product (as somebody noted, IR is probably dated technology so not a lot of computers have it).
- GPS is a cool feature, and if it work it's very useful as well. Although living in Hong Kong with a lot of high rise buildings, it does take a fair amount of time to locate the satellites. But then we are normally not using them for 5mins runs, do we?
- Battery can be changed manually (no need to send it!)
- memory has improved markedly over the older versions - something one would expect but even in rather fine recording mode it's easy to record 10-15hrs of sport. I never run out but don't do too much ultra running.
- It looks a bit more sleek rather than the old brick which was clearly identifiable as a heart rate monitor!

The poorer parts and why I think Polar has really dropped the guard a lot, is the general quality and various really annoying features which demonstrate that Polar compromised on testing for quick product cycle. This is a point everybody should be aware of as I would not expect to be a watch to pass on to the grand children (maybe 2-3year life and then replace with a hopefully improved version):
- I had to change my battery after only 3month or so (out of fabric) not the promoted 2 years. Since then, the battery needs changing every 2-3months (could be fault of batteries in the later case but then I probably got an old one in the first instance?) Hello Polar, this is poor service!
- the hearthbeat strap: goodness, how many bad reviews you get on that- it seems a "one battery" product despite allowing to change it. I don't know anybody who didn't have problems with that (I am in a triathlon team so quite a few people have this watch and we can build statistics)
- the build quality: I lost one of the silver buttons after 1 month - they replaced it and now it's fine. The guy from the shop (triathlete himself) claimed it happened twice and my brother had the red button fall of twice so far as well (all within a year). They replace it but you don't have the watch for 2 weeks.
- GPS battery: last about 4-5 hours. Could be fault of my batteries, though (although I hear that from other people as well)
- GPS unit: like their old footpad (S1, I think), having a brick at your arm doesn't feel good. Mine moves a bit around and is just extremely heavy. Maybe they merge with GArmin at some stage and learn how to do this smaller.
- heart belt: different to what people claim, heart belts can work under water. My old S725X did, this one didn't and it can be really idiotic because of it (showing that Polar probably didn't really test their product before releasing it): you do a triathlon (it's sold as a multi sport watch, i.e. especially for triathlon), you go into the water and it nicely tells you that it can't find the wearlink. No problem so far, but if you accept it, it won't switch on your heartrate monitoring for the rest of your run - can it be more stupid?

My verdict is: if you don't mind the money it's ok. It has a lot of faults and one would hope that Polar goes back to solid, good quality with well tested (in race and training situations) units instead of "innovating" too rapidly. Probably still the best (or better) monitor on the market, though.

This is the most recommended product for triathletes so far. While the training features are great, you must be very careful because HR data can't be transmitted under water (though there's a workaround...)

Good points:
- GPS unit works perfectly, very precise altimeter to have your correct ascend/descend measures, you can get your map on Google Earth, speed, distance and pace measures 100% precise. Prepare to get a couple of high quality rechargeable batteries.
- S3 unit has worked just fine, provides precise cadence and stride measures, training is simple. No problems using it along with G3. Lost connection a couple of times in two months, no more than that.
- Training features are great, you get a lot of interesting functionality, very much configuration options, etc.
- Polar Pro Trainer application is amazing, you can design your specific workouts and upload them to the watch, then you just need to follow up the phases and check back your results on PC. This is my favorite feature.
- Cycling cadence sensor works just fine, no big deal here, you just need rpm.

Bad point:
- The HR band do not transmit under water. This is a MAJOR fail, how can they recommend this to a triathlete? I really don't understand... BUT, there's an ugly workaround that had worked fine for me on the last months: As the problem is that signal gets lost under water, just place the watch next to your band transmitter. If you don't mind having the clock on your chest, go ahead, it really works. Now I've swimming workouts with HR :)

If you can get over this, then go ahead and buy it, you won't regret.

I owned a Suunto T6 and wanted to upgrade to a newer unit that had native suport for Windows 7 without upddating drivers and blue screening my computer. So it was either upgrade to a new Suunto T6C (or D) or go with the RS800cx. I went with Polar because it seemed that there was more 3rd party software support. It arrived last week and have to say I am VERY disappointed. Here are the negitives:

- WIND HR device arrived DOA. Tech support doesnt answer and deosnt get back to me. Documentation says that it is recommended to send to a service center to deal with DOAs or replacing batteries in their units. Apparently can be done by the customer, but is tricky and voids the warranty. Why would i want to void the warranty on a newly arrived device or wait 3 weeks to get it dealt with?
- The display on it is horrible, even with the backlight. It looks like a Timex from the 1980's. I do not expect this from a $500 watch. Get with it Polar!!!
- The display has a slow lag when changing menu screens. I just dont have patience when i am working out to deal with this. Once again, get with it Polar.
- Annoying beeping at many menu's. Can turn off audible feedback, but sort of need that, just not as annoying.

I hav decided to go back to Suunto, never had a problem with their devices. Recently, I had a question about their software support, their tech support picked up on the 3rd ring, and answered all of my questions. They even emailed me the next day with follow up questions as committed.

If you do not need EPOC data, then there are plenty of other options out there, particularly Garmin (and Suunto). Garmin seems to be a safe bet for 3rd party software support. This is important if you want all of your data later on and want or need to migrate to another program. Then again, if you need EPOC data (I find it very useful and can FEEL the difference by using it), then there are only two watches that do this - T6C(or D), and RS800cx. Being that the Suunto displays Training Effect of EPOC in real time, and the disappointments of the RS800cx, I am going back to Suunto. For $500 Polar seems to give you what feels like a $50 watch made in China. Normally would not care if it seemed like it was of the latest technology standards. Suprised it isn't running DOS.

The watch and components have been robust and useful. The software is only compatible with Windows computers, and seems to have not been updated significantly as compared with other software that I use. The infrared data transfer is also a bit slow. Given these limitations I still find the product to be an essential part of my fitness strategy, and I use it daily.