Customer Video Review Length:: 5:31 Mins

*Updates Included!*
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ORIGINAL REVIEW:
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Thoughts:
First off, all that i was looking for in a heart monitor was the ability to see my heart rate, see if i’m in the zone, and see how many calories i have burned. This watch does all of those functions flawlessly! My family has a history of heart related problems so when i workout, i need to make sure that i am not putting too much stress on my heart while still maintaining a high level of work. I use this primarily during cardio routines of P90X but i will use this more for running once it gets warm outside.

Functionality/Use:
The watch is incredibly easy to use. When you first open the box, you go through a setup wizard on the watch asking you to input information such a weight, gender, and units preferences to better tailor the results to the individual. After that, you are literally all set to workout. While many people have had trouble getting the watch to pick up the signal from the strap, i have found that licking or wetting the strap works wonders!
Something else that i would like to point out is that the watch have the ability to **beep** when you’re out of your zone (either not working hard enough or working way harder than you should be) that is priceless! I have found sometimes during my workouts that i’m pushing myself really hard and i end up getting my heart rate above 185 BPM which is not really the best thing to do. This **beep** is great for some workouts but terrible for others. Luckily, you can turn the **beep** off very easily. I prefer to turn the beep off if i’m going to do interval training like sprints or something where my BPM is not always in the zone.

Other:
Just a few quick things i would like to point out. I’ve read online that detaching the heart rate pod from the strap will make the battery last longer. I am not sure this actually does anything, but it gives me ease of mind thinking that i am actually making it last longer.

Pros:
Lightweight
Comfortable
Easy to use
**Beep** while outside of the “zone” is a great feature that can be turned on/off
Cons:
None

Overall:
Overall, i can’t think of a better watch to spend my money on. No, this doesn’t give graphs on how you’re doing over time but that is not what I was looking for. This is a great buy and i have used it for a good period of time and have had no issues at all with it.
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UPDATE #1: AFTER 2 MONTHS
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After two months, this watch is still working perfectly! I have had no issues and i love that i have the ability to look at combined totals of my workouts! As of today, i have burned over 35,000 calories!!! This feature is something that keeps you motivated to keep working hard. Before this watch, i never was that into working out. Now when i run, instead of going a certain distance, i like to aim for a caloric goal (about 1,000) before i end my workout.

I still highly recommend this watch to anyone looking for a great heart monitor!

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UPDATE #2: April 4th, 2013
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I just started the Insanity workout series today and this watch comes in handy! I am able to see if I am over/underworking so that i can obtain my goals. Something i wanted to throw out there was cleaning this unit. I know that sweating all over something causes bacteria to grow and i also noticed after a while, salt (from my sweat) would build up on the chest strap.

I clean it like so;

CLEANING:
-Watch
~Wipe down with a Clorox Bleach Wipe
~Soak in some hot water for a few seconds
~Dry
~Strap
~Wipe down with a Clorox Bleach Wipe
~Place in the washing machine on A VERY GENTLE SETTINGS
~Allow to air-dry
~HRM Pod
~Wipe down with a Clorox Bleach Wipe
~Soak in some hot water for a few seconds
~Dry

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!

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 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.