Customer Reviews

Polar S720i Heart Rate Monitor Watch

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've had my polar HRM for over a year, and use it primarily for long-distance cycling and, to a lesser degree, running. The primary reasons I chose this model over the S510/520i were the altitude recording feature, connectivity with my laptop, and software.

The software has improved, with functional and bug updates issued approximately once a quarter. Polar's support is knowledgeable and responsive.

The cadence module is moderately useful, however after an extremely rainy ride (Tour de Blast), mine becames water logged and failed.

I have not tried the power module -- it's cost prohibitive -- though it does not appear it would work well on my bike because of my execessively wide gear range. If this were a feature I was genuinely concerned with, I would look at a hub-based alternative like PowerTap.

The good:
___Altitude recording
___Can record slope of hills (with "lap" feature)
___Built in IR port
___Multiple bikes, zones and exercises
___Variable polling intervals
___You can add cadence or power recording

The bad:
___Not much precision in raw data.
___In earlier versions, if you're away from the receiver for more than 10 minutes, it loses track of the session and you'll end up with two exercise sessions. The software does not join these automatically, though it is possible to do it manually.

Got this heart rate monitor not too long ago and love it. For cycling it has everything I wanted. With the optional cadence sensor (which I recommend getting) you'll be able to track everything you need for personal training. Note that the Speed sensor comes with this monitor, so don't buy it seperately.

The only downfalls of this HRM for me is that the battery on the transmitter strap is not replaceable. It will last awhile, but at some point know that you'll need to replace the strap. The battery on the watch itself is suggested to be changed at an authorized Polar service store (of which none are very close to me). I believe you can change it yourself, they just don't suggest it. There are no instructions for doing so in the manual however.

The software that comes with the HRM is very easy to use. The infrared interface on the watch is nice for transmitting data to your laptop or IrDA port on your PC. (Note that per Polar support, there is an issue with SigmaTel chipset type IrDA interfaces working with the Polar HRMs) The data display on the S720i is very easy to read, the options are very easy to setup, the available data that you can display on the watch during exercise is also very nice. Being able to record data as granular as every 5 seconds is also nice. I chose this HRM based on recommendations from many others (even over the 725 which doesn't seem to have anything over this HRM besides the 'carbon fiber look' to warrant the extra cost) and would readily recommend it to anyone else.

This Heart Rate Monitor is aimed at a cyclist, but you don't need to be a cyclist to benefit from some of it's great features, I use it for several outdoor activities.

The feature that attracted me to this unit is the infrared computer interface and software it comes with. If your computer has built in infrared that's all you need to communicate with the device, otherwise you'll need to buy the optional Polar IR unit.

I have used the unit for the following activities, Walking, Running, Cycling and Backpacking.

For walking or running this HRM is overkill IMHO, a cheaper unit would probably suffice. Initially this is all I used the HRM for.

For Cycling I found it very convenient to use, it can be setup to start and stop recoding your HRM data when the bike is stationary. This auto start/stop while handy tended to kick in too early for just a brief stop to look bothways crossing a busy intersection. The built in thermometer and altimeter work well when attached to the handlebars, the HRM comes with a custom bike mount. The altimeter needs calibrating each time you use it, it works using atmospheric presssure, so on a long bike ride or on a stormy day the readings are less reliable than one would like. But on a clear day I was suprised to see it measures in 20 feet increments with reasonable accuracy. The HRM records bike speed, altitude, heart rate constantly and automatically, however temprature is only recorded each 'lap'. On a long bike ride you need to remember to press a button to ensure the temprature is recorded. Not sure why it can't automatically take temprature readings every 5 minutes or so.

Download to a PC via infrared is simple enough and the data is automatically enetered into the right days on the calander. If you have multiple sessions with different exercise activities, it takes a little effort to identify each sesion acuratley. You have to manually mark the beggining and end of warm-up and cool down in order to get data anlysis that makes sense. Shame it can't automatically divy this up for you. The standard reports are fine for analyzing a single session or several months of data.

For backpacking I found the altimeter and themometer of great value, you must be sure not to wear the wrist reciever on your wrist otherwise temprature and altitude readings are wrong. Attaching to a loop on a shoulder strap is a good place, you can still read the watch there. Once again it requires daily calibration, simple if you have a topo map.

The altimeter fuction records cumulative uphill and downhill so you can later analyze the total amount you climbed, not just the net difference in altitude. This you can only analyze on a computer afterwards.

The HRM has the usual audible alerts if you stray outside of your preset activity limits. I use all 5 presets to cater for my different outdoor activities. Most features including the watch and alarm functions can be programmed most easily on a computer, so you need to plan ahead and preprogram the unit to avoid a lot of button pressing when you should be exercising.

I found the unit works fine when using polar compatible equipment, this avoids interference interrupting the wireless communication, which is common on exercise bikes.

I had the wrist reciever battery replaced at a Batteries plus store. I did this to avoid the incovenience and expense of sending back to Polar. It still works fine. I don't use it when swimming (the chest strap slides down constantly) so I can't comment if the water resistance is compromised by replacing the battery at a non authorized store.

It is still is going strong after years of use, the chest strap battery is still good. If this runs down, there is NO WAY to replace yourself, you have to exchange for a new one with Polar.

Update May, 2010:

I continue to use this for gym workouts and spin classes. The unit has held up well, I've had batteries replaced in the local watch store for both the chest strap and the watch, and that went fine. Cheaper and quicker than sending it to Polar. I now use "buh bump" gel for electrical contact under the chest strap. Something like that is essential or I don't get a reliable signal for 10-15 minutes when I've worked up a reasonable sweat (Na ions conduct!).

There is a weak spot in the chest strap, which is the fabric strap that snaps to a small sensor that is directly over your heart. The fabric strap is much more comfortable than the all-in-one plasticy design that it replaced, but over time, there is corrosion on the snaps. At first I put "buh bump" on them, but what works much better is to lightly hit those snaps with sandpaper.

Other than that, still a great HRM, although I don't think you can purchase it anymore.

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Polar knows heart rate monitoring. They don't really know software design and if you have a Mac, be prepared for some work arounds.

The heart rate monitoring is rock solid. This unit records your heart rate and you can download this to your PC (or Mac, see below) and it keeps the files in a training log that you can annotate, and best of all, email to a coach. These HR graphs are invaluable and the dffierence between flying blind and suddenly seeing what your workout really was. So far I'm just using this in spin classes, but look forward to correlating this with altitude information on real rides this spring.

The Windows-based software is fair. The interface is weird, but I'm used to Macs, so figure in that bias. It works, you get used to it. There is a useful option to set watch parameters from the computer using the IR link and this is MUCH easier than using the buttons on the watch.

IR communication on many computers (my Mac) requires the IR/USB adapter which is another $60. This, and the "sonic" link are a truly strange way to do this, USB or even better, Bluetooth, would make a lot more sense. It does work although the connection drops easily, especially if the watch moves even a little bit during a data file transfer.

And, yes, this will work with a Mac. You need (1) the HRM, (2) IR/USB adapter, (3) Parallels virtual Machine, (4) WinXP running under parallels, (5) install the Polar Precision software just as you would on a real PC. Tell Parallels to share the IR/USB device (which is labeled STIR, don't confuse this with the built in IR on a Mac book Pro). I haven't found an absolutely reliable sequence of (1) plugging in the IR/USB adapter, (2) starting Parallels (3) sharing the IR adapter,(4) starting the Polar software....sometimes I have to fiddle with this sequence, but worst case, I have my workout files transferred in 5 minutes or less.

This unti works better and picks up my heart rate much more readily if you use the Axiom (or other) conductivity ehancer gel.

So, does the job, but would benefit from (1) better software, (2) USB or Bluetooth interface instead of IR/sonic, (3) real Mac support, but I doubt we'll see that anytime soon.

I've used this watch since 2002. The chest strap is comfortable, the indicators are very accurate, and the features are great. After dropping the watch, I broke a button. I called Polar and they sent me a new button within 2 days for free. They have great customer service and really back their products! I have used the watch on my mountain bike in rain, mud, and dust and it's held up great.

11/24/2008 Update:
Amazingly, this watch is still working perfectly. I have had to send it to an authorized Polar repair shop for new batteries an I recently needed to replace the chest strap. But overall, six years of solid performance was unexpected, especially considering that I use it under water, in snow, heavy rain, mud, dust, etc. I have crashed several times on my mountain bike with this thing and besides a few broken buttons, it keep working. Simply amazing. I hope the current monitors are made just as well.