Polar FT4 Heart Rate Monitor

I wasn't sure about this, because I've never used a "heart rate monitor" before and I pictured something they'd hook you up to in a hospital. However, the good reviews here on Amazon sold me, and it wasn't that expensive. Well, I couldn't be happier. The strap isn't bulky at ALL--I really do forget it's there! I thought it was weird that you have to wet the "electrodes" before use, but I just literally rinse them for a second and then put it on. When I'm done working out, I immediately take the strap off, rinse it off thoroughly, and hang it to dry (after taking off the little monitor thing, of course). I've washed it a few times with gentle soap, as per the instructions. This is exactly what I wanted for my fitness goals. I'm not a huge fitness nut, but I wanted to get healthier and lose some weight, and I hated estimating how many calories I was burning. Proof--on MyFitnessPal, which I use to track my activity and eating, it wanted to give me around 150 calories for a 51-minute I took with my dog today. However, this HRM said 350--because it picked up on the fact that most of it was uphill and I was going at a fast pace, hence burning more calories. I also like seeing my heart rate fluctuate because it motivates me to keep moving--not to let my dog sniff too much! I've always hated going up hills, and now I know why--my heart rate jumps at least 15 BPM when I'm going up a hard hill! But that's how I burn so many calories (that and the brisk pace). So, I'm more motivated to go up hills because there's an explicit pay off. It's also very encouraging to look down and see how many calories you're burning! And to know that it's realistic and not something a computer comes up with. I will say that the elliptical at the gym is pretty darn close to this thing, but it says I'm burning about 20 more calories than I really am at any given time. So I've burned, say, 250, but the elliptical says 270. Not a huge deal, but I like knowing it's really 250 because I don't want those 20 calories to make me go over my "budget" for the day. Again, I was pretty skeptical with this, because I pictured it being really bulky and not accurate. But I find it's very accurate, and very motivating! I also like that you can set up the heart rate goal so you know if you're getting too low or high. This thing really encourages me to keep moving and to keep my heart rate up--which is just what I wanted! Very easy to use, too. A great purchase! BONUS - I plan to try to start a family in the near future, and this will be great for monitoring my heartrate while walking, etc. so I don't go over the safe limit. It's just good to see where your heart rate is.

I have tried so many heart monitors, and none of them suited me. They either didn't work well, weren't comfortable, didn't have a continuous reading of my heart rate, which is important, or the chest strap was too big for my rib cage. I had heard good things about Polar, so I decided to try the FT4, and it works really well. The chest strap is really easy to put on, and I am able to get it tight around my chest. It does start slipping a little sometimes when I sweat a lot or move fast, but it does not seem to interfere with transmitting my heart rate. I either put electrode gel or water on it, and both seem to work well. The wrist monitor shows a continuous heart rate, and you can cycle through different screens to see calories burned, how long you've been working out, etc. I would have liked to have been able to set a maximum and minimum heart rate, so it could alert me if I went over or under either, but this model does not seem to have that. It is not a big deal, though, since I can just easily look at the screen if I'm worried my heart rate is getting too high. After your workout, it gives you a summary of the calories you burned, what your average heart rate was, what your maximum heart rate was, how long you were "in the zone," and so on. It is very, very helpful. I was not aware that I was burning so many calories at the gym because MyFitnessPal apparently thought I wasn't working out very hard and would estimate my calories at 200. I was actually burning way over that. This is very useful because I base my caloric intake on how much I burn. The only minor problem I have had with it is that in some yoga positions, it loses its signal. I don't really care, though. It's understandable that it loses its signal because I'm twisting myself into a pretzel. It also makes faint beeping noises sometimes. I have no idea why, but I figured out how to turn them off. If I am remembering correctly, if you press pause while it's in workout mode and press down (I think), you can go to the screen that lets you turn off the sounds. I'm very happy with my heart monitor, and it has proven incredibly useful. My husband bought the black one and has been very happy with his, as well.

Awesome watch! Worth every penny!

階級別の格闘技をやっており、だいたい大会の2、3ヶ月くらい前から減量を行います。 去年までは、ただがむしゃらに走り込みをしたり食事制限を行っていましたが、 そんな元気も気力もなくなってきたので、より効率的に減量を行うため、機能から判断し、このFT4を購入しました。 物の本によれば、 最大心拍数の60%〜70%で運動を行った場合、消費カロリーの約85%が脂肪から供給されるとのことで、 この心拍数の範囲での運動が一番減量に効果的です。 FT4は目標心拍数の上限と下限を表示(ターゲットゾーン設定)できるので、 脂肪燃焼のためのペース調整に非常に役立ちました。 実際、FT4を装着して脂肪燃焼に効果的な心拍数でランニングしてみましたが、 非常に楽なペースで、今まで辛い思いをして走り込みをしたのは何だったのだろうと思う程でした。(全く無駄ではなかったが) さらにFT4には消費カロリー表示機能があり、この機能は減量へのモチベーションを上げてくれますし、 計画的な減量には欠かせないと思いました。(ベーシックモデルのF1〜F3にはカロリー表示機能はなかったと思います。) 必要最低限の機能がついて比較的安価なこのFT4、非常におすすめです!

I bought this heart monitor to use in the gym as it appeared to do everything I required. Nothing too difficult - record results for 4 exercises, each showing average and maximum heart rates, duration, and calories. Also, heart rate to appear on the dial during exercises and even better if it also transfers this figure to the exercise machine (where possible). When it arrived I was somewhat disappointed as it looked rather flimsy and plasticy - my previous Oregon monitor was larger and more sturdy (however, it failed to work properly after 3 years). Well, my concerns were unfounded. The Polar monitor does everything I required (and more). It does not need to be large and heavy-duty - the simple design is strong enough and not of inferior Chinese quality. The heart rate does show on the exercise machines. Another excellent feature is the detachment of the monitor itself from the chest strap, so that the battery then stops working. In my Orogon the battery had to be removed to stop it and it was the monitor part that eventually failed.) Learning how to use it was very quick - it is not unnecessarily complex. It is also very easy to use. Finally, changing the battery in both the watch and monitor is quick and easy. (On my Orogon, it was extremely difficult to change the battery in the watch.) No complaints other than the fact that it looks like I am wearing a plastic digital watch rather than a sporty accessory !

これは最高だよ！ 色もかわいいし、どのぐらいのカロリーを消費してるかをすぐわかるしし、ランニングのとき心拍数のコントロールもできるし とりあえず、this is the best purchase ever! Girls who try to get fit must have this!

Das Produkt wurde in einem kleinen Karton verschickt. Der erste Eindruck der hervorragenden Verarbeitung täuscht nicht. Nach der Eingabe einiger persönlicher Daten ist die Pulsuhr sofort Einsatzbereit. Mir war wichtig, dass man die Batterie selber wechseln kann, das ist bei günstigeren Produkten z.B. vom Discounter, oft nicht der Fall. Laut Herstellerangaben soll die Batterie ein Jahr halten. Ich benutze den Pulsmesser immer wenn ich jogge. Das Training ist dadurch effektiver. Durch die Anzeige der persönlichen Puls-Trainings-Zone kann man stets darauf achten, dass man sich nicht überanstrengt. Sehr nützlich ist außerdem die Anzeige der letzten Trainingsdaten und des Kalorienverbrauchs. Die Uhr ist nicht zu groß und durch das Kunststoffband sehr leicht und angenehm zu tragen, so dass ich sie mittlerweile auch im Alltag als normale Armbanduhr trage.