Customer Reviews

Polar FT4 Women's Heart Rate Monitor Watch (Bronze)

5 star:		(130)
4 star:		(47)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

Hey folks, I just wanted to add a bit of information based on some comments I've read on other Polar devices: The FT4, based on my tests, IS water-resistant and should work great to help you track your stats as you swim laps. I'll update this once I've used it for a few more lap swims, but both the heart monitor you wear on your chest and the watch itself are sealed and won't immediately flood and ruin if you take it into the pool. Only thing is, you probably don't want to be pressing the buttons on the watch while you're under water, which may mean you have to stop and dry off if you want to take a break in the middle of your lap swim.

Update: I have now used my FT4 several times to track my lap swimming. It works great! Don't press the buttons while you're actually underwater, but I have had no trouble at all with the 'pause' or 'continue' functions at the end of the lap, even with wet fingers. Oh, and - you don't have to wet the chest band before you put it on if you're going to swim in it ;)

I have the same beef as others about the FT4 - you can't see all your workout stats at once while you work out - you have to press the bottom right-hand button to change the display to heart rate vs. calories vs. workout time or what have you, and you can't see your time while you're working out (you can once you're finished and you click STOP to end the workout session...at this point you also get your upper and average heart rates and your time in the zone. You can also hit 'Pause' to see your workout time.) Basically, this little gizmo does what it's designed to do. It does make a unique double-beep when you're in your heart rate zone, which I find helpful.

A couple other details: the FT4 has a user-serviceable battery (some other Polar models don't, which means you have to pay $$ and ship the device to Polar to change the battery.) The chest band is fabric, as opposed to the stiff plastic of other Polar models, also. You can buy software to download the information off your Polar, but the software is $80 and you need an infrared reader for your computer. I haven't really explored this, as I use the [...] website to track my info and I just copy it straight off the Polar without downloading.

My one complaint is the difference in calorie burn between the FT4, my Garmin Forerunner and my GoWearFit...who knows how many I'm actually burning...but I do have a little bit of a formula I can use to convert from one to the next...

Overall, I'd say this device is well worth the money, especially if you're just doing casual exercise without the need for a GPS or an all-day calorie tracker. I'll probably buy another one should the one I bought break or wear out.

I'm new to heart rate monitors, so I had a lot of searching to do to figure out what I needed from one before I placed my order. I soon found that the Polar brand was the one to get, but they have hundreds of models, ranging from affordable to incredible. I know some will say this model doesn't have it all, but if you're looking for something to keep you informed of your progress in your exercise routine, this is really all you need. Tracking up to 10 sessions worth of data, but also keeping a running total, the watch can tell you how long you worked out, your average heart rate, maximum reached, and time in the zone, and from that, how many calories you burned. It beeps softly at you every 5 seconds or so when you're under the zone, and also tells you when you've exceeded your maximum. The display is really easy to read, even in the middle of vigorous training session. The watch in comfortable and easy to clean, as is the chest strap, which is fully adjustable. I have no complaints at all, and for the price, I'm extremely pleased. I only wish there was a way to download the training files from the watch to my computer, but a spreadsheet also works just fine.

I have spent months looking for a heart rate monitor that would fit me comfortably, but still be pretty. This is it! I've decided to finally get off my big butt and start doing something healthy - walking or biking every day - but I wanted to be able to keep track of the time AND make sure I was working at the right heart rate. As someone who is really out of shape, I find that I might feel like I am really working hard, but my heart rate ends up being at the very low end, so I needed something that I could use to be sure my workouts are actually worth it.

This watch is very accurate and stylish. I also like that it tracks my calories burned and my previous workouts so I can see if I am getting healthier. I was worried that it wouldn't fit my wrist because it is a women's watch and they tend to run small, but this fits my 7 3/4" wrist with a little room to spare. The chest strap also fits and is super comfy! I am almost 300lbs (at the time of purchase) and the M/XXL strap that comes with this fit me just fine - again with room to spare. I don't even feel it once I get it on and start moving.

So, for you bigger girls out there who are looking for a rate monitor that will fit, be accurate and comfortable AND is pretty - get this one!

So my trainer suggested I get a heart rate monitor watch, but for one, they were still pretty expensive at the time and truthfully, not all that attractive. I didn't want some huge thing on my wrist, nor did I necessarily want to advertise to the world what I was doing! I just wanted something small enough to blend in yet hopefully cute enough to do the job. Then lo and behold, this watch was introduced, and what a great deal! One thing is, I actually thought for some reason that the strap was kind of a metal...it doesn't make sense that it wouldn't be rubber or plastic, but the photos--at least to me--make it appear like metal. On to the review!

I actually bought this watch in March but only started using it last week. It does all the basic functions. I don't know about you guys, but my primary goal was to see if what I was doing at the gym was negating all the crap I consume during the day at work (although, I eat fairly healthy. It's the desk that kills you). I find it slightly interesting to see how my heart rate fluctuated when I wasn't working out. It literally jumped back and forth between sitting at the computer to walking briskly up the hill to my car, then it shot up 15 beats while sitting in rush-hour LA traffic (ha-ha).

You get used to the strap very quickly (although it would be nice to not have one at all...I don't like struggling with it in the locker room before a workout but whatever.) It's not like it bulges out underneath your clothing, which is great.

Anyway it's not going to compile your grocery list or babysit your children, but it's a handy little device that does just what it needs to do. Oh and setup is a breeze too...you don't even need the guide, really.

I needed a simple heart rate monitor to use in Spinning classes. This is a solid performer for basic heart rate or % max readouts. Nice big numbers for easy reading even in the dim light of a morning spin class. I comes with the fabric chest strap that is a little more comfortable than the standard hard plastic.

The product works fine, but there is a glaring omission in its features: you cannot check to see how many minutes you have been in your target heart range DURING your workout. In order to access the data on one's minutes in the heart range, you have to stop the function altogether before it gives you the data. The company needs to have a feature where you can check your cumulative time in your target heart range while your workout is in progress.

I had to replace my old Polar HRM, as the battery died and I didn't want to return it to have it replaced. Also, I wanted to upgrade to a user replaceable battery model because of ease of use/no down time. I ordered the Polar FT4M, silver w/black strip even though I'm female. Turns out, I can program the user info, within the watch, to "female".

Straight out of the box, the set up was super easy. Just a few quick steps and I was ready for my first workout. The chest strap is adjustable from m-xxl so I was able to make it work for me-I'm average build. My previous Polar was geared towards women and came with a medium chest strap, just to give you a comparison. If you're petite, the included m-xxl chest strap *may be* to big for you. Regardless, the chest strap is all fabric/stretch band and totally unnoticable when you're wearing it.

During my workout, I was easily able to scroll through the different screens to see my "in zone" heart rate/range, calories burned, and duration of the workout. When I was finished working out, I was easily able to navigate to my workout totals for review.

I definitely recommend this watch for males or females, the price is right!

Pros:
Ability to back-light the watch
Adjustable chest strap
Color (I prefer the mens color silver/black over the avaiable womens colors)
Watch Size (not too big, not to small)
Ease of scrolling through the screens during workout.

Cons:
None

I've lost about 15 lbs since I bought this. It's kind of fun to experiment and see how many calories various exercises burn. I love seeing how quickly my fitness level increases. That keeps me motivated!

The only problem that I've had involved the chest strap being too loose. It still felt tight enough, so I went through Polar's trouble shooting guide to try to figure out why the transmitter was only working intermittently. Nothing they suggested worked and I was about to give up, but one day I decided to make it an inch or two tighter and it has worked perfectly since then. Polar should consider mentioning that in the trouble shooting list.

***UPDATE***

The NEXT day after posting the above, it returned to its sporadic functionality. It is tight enough to cut me in half. I have stored and cleaned all parts according to Polar's recommendations. I spend more time trying to get this thing to work than I do working out. I wish I could give it 00 stars since that is my current heart rate reading. I understand this is an older entry-level product designed to be barely sufficient in order to encourage upgrading to the more expensive models ($90 isn't enough to get something that WORKS?!). However, as soon as I'm able to replace this piece of garbage, I will NOT buy another Polar product. This is ridiculous. I am furious and also, according to my monitor, in cardiac arrest.

This watch has the a great set of features that I use and very few that I don't. I especially appreciate the 10 file storage and the replaceable battery. I use this for rowing, so I didn't need any of the other "motivational" features of the higher end watches. The only draw back I find is the size of the heart rate number. It the most important thing and yet it occupies maybe 10% of the overall display. What's aggravating is that there are plenty of pixels available to use. A HR display similar to the FT1 would work much better. Even with this limitation, it's the best HRM for my use.

Edit: I accidentally found that pressing the up/down buttons when in HRM mode will display a large heart rate. This isn't in the printed manual that came with the watch. It is in the online version.

I got this heart rate monitor because of the great reviews, and because I liked the size. I have very small wrists/hands and didn't want anything overly bulky to wear to the gym. I also like the color.

I was hesitant at first to get a heart rate monitor with the chest strap, because I thought it was going to be uncomfortable and annoying during my workout. I can't even tell it's on! In fact, there have been a couple days when I come home from the gym and just relax, and come to find out that I still have the strap on a couple hours later. Whoops! The strap is a nice flexible material that also breathes well, so it's not like you get a whole bunch of sweat underneath it. The transmitter comes off so you can easily clean the strap.

I've tested it quite a few times during workouts to see how accurate it is, and I would say it's very accurate! I use this mostly during my spin classes, so my heart rate is all over the place throughout the workout. I've counted my own heart rate several times during a workout, and most of the time my count is spot on with the watch. Can't get much more accurate than that!

I still don't know how accurate the calorie counter is, but I'm not sure that anyone would ever really be able to tell. The numbers do seem a bit high, but I haven't got the slightest idea of how many calories I'm actually burning so I don't know if maybe it's just because I'm working really hard. I do see a significant difference between the calorie numbers when I'm not working as hard as I have during other workouts, so at least it's accurate in that regard.

I think my favorite feature of the watch is that you can go back and look at previous workouts and see where you stand. It stores up to five (I think?) days, and I keep a log sheet on my computer as well. It's nice that you don't have to hurry and write it down before it goes away like you do on the machines in the gym.

Overall, very accurate heart rate monitor with a very comfortable chest strap and very easy set up. You can't really ask for much more, can you? :p