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490 of 496 people found the following review helpful
Great workout device, January 24, 2009
It took me a week of reading to decide which HRM watch to try. After a few days I narrowed the brand down to Polar, but then there’re about 30 models from them to choose from.
My intended use: I don’t run outdoors much so I don’t need a GPS. I do cardio and weights in a home gym and have been writing everything down to keep track of progress, weight loss, etc.
I wasn’t sure if I would use the extra bells and whistles beyond a Polar F6 but I was intrigued with the higher end models’ ability to test your resting fitness, plan a workout régime, monitor your progress, record weight loss, revise the plan and repeat while recording this all to the web.
So, I narrowed it down to the F55, the FT60 and the FT80. Well, the FT80 is getting horrible reviews due to dark screen, unreliable software, and other basic `version 1′ problems. The F55 seemed perfect for someone who lifts weights in their workout routine as I do so I researched further in that direction. The problem is that it only has 17 types of lifting sequences (e.g. Curl, Squat, etc.) and I agree with other reviewers that with those few, I probably wouldn’t be able to take advantage of that feature (e.g. when I do a bicep workout I do about eight different types of lifting to prevent muscle memory. And, I really didn’t like the way the F55 looks. A minor point but if you’re spending 0 on something you wear, you at least want it to look good.
Then I started reading about the FT60 but there are very few reviews from actual users, and I always read reviews before I purchase anything these days. But it looked like it would give me what I wanted, and I like the looks much more than the F55. So I got it yesterday and used it for the first time today. I have a 42 inch chest and the band fits fine (some reviewers were saying some of these bands don’t fit larger chests). In about 5 minutes I was able to enter my demographics, test my resting fitness, set a goal (maximum fitness) and begin a workout.
The screen is very easy to read, easy to change the readout while working out, and really made a difference in my ability to stay in a good cardio zone. The watch creates three zones for you (60-70%, 70-80%, 80-90% of Max Heart Rate) based on your fitness test, demographics, etc. Then it tells you how many hours per week you need to be in each of those zone to achieve your goal (maximum fitness, improve fitness or weight loss). These are all graphed on the watch so you can see where you stand for that workout or for the week. It’s a great idea and really keeps you motivated to achieve your goal.
Also, if you’re interested in tracking weight loss, the watch asks you weekly to enter your weight and it tracks that for you graphically as well. It also takes the weight change into account when planning your next week’s workout goals.
I haven’t synced it up to the web (still waiting for my usb/irda dongle) so I can’t comment about the site, but I wonder if it’s really needed because the watch is pretty easy to use to review your workout history. That said, I’d still like to have it on the web for historical analysis.
Bottomline, if you’re new to HRMs like me and are not sure if you need all these features (the F6 is about 0 cheaper!) I would take a serious look at this watch. And, if you are in the same boat as me (cardio, weights, variable routines that change so I don’t get bored) I think this watch is the best way to go. 0
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379 of 388 people found the following review helpful
Exquisitely Efficient & Easy to Use Fitness Tracker, January 19, 2009
Since there are now only two brief comments, these details underlying my conclusion may assist potential FT60 buyers …
— What Prompted the Purchase —
A winter surprise: my Garmin Forerunner 305 yields only heart rate data when exercising indoors. Further, user comments reveal that its associated Foot Pod does nadda unless your feet are moving forward on a treadmill or the like.
Initially, it seemed the Polar F11 would be just fine for indoor tracking. While it performs well, trying to get to the data proved profoundly frustrating. As for pushing the F11’s data to the Polar website (free), lotsa luck. The watch needs to chirp/talk to a microphone on your PC. Short version: the thing was a complete pain to actually use, in virtually all respects. I quickly returned it to Amazon, did more research, then grabbed this FT60. Lightyears in blissful difference!
— Operational Details / The Watch (& Polar’s Customer Service) —
1) Setting up the watch was very intuitive. But the printed manual is indeed useful, if needed.
2) Customer service is marvelous! I encountered one setup snafu — it seemed the setup routine died midway through. I called Polar (number at the website); quickly encountered a human; he gave me step-by-step “hard reset” instructions, which immediately cured the watch’s apparent headache. No questions other than “How may I help you, M’am?” From dial-up to completion took just about five minutes, if that long.
3a) It’s incredibly easy to review the data on the watch both during and after a training/exercise session. During the session, just tap the larger middle button on the right to signal you’re ready to start. Tap again to get it going. To change screens, tap the up and down buttons on the right. To pause, hit the lower left button. To stop completely/end the session, tap the lower left button again. To turn on the backlight, tap the upper left button. May sound complicated, but it all feels quite natural in terms of actual usage, so it’s really *NOT* about struggling to memorize anything.
3b) Reviewing data on the watch: During session, a few taps on the right buttons yield heart rate avg/max, calories burned, % of fat burned, & session duration. Ditto when the session is over; there’s even a blurb teling you how you’re progressing in overall fitness.
4) Once you input your particulars, the FT60 provides an accurate tailored-for-your-specs calorie count for everything, whether a Wii Boxing/ Running/ etc session (academic studies yield calorie counts per minute; Google/ as a doublecheck), spinning on an indoor bike, using a step machine, etc.
5) The heart rate strap (in the box) is so comfortable that I forget I have it on (something I can’t say about the Garmin strap). Just moisten the (obvious) sensors and you’re good to go.
6) Unlike the F11, the battery in BOTH the watch AND the strap are user replaceable. There’s even an obvious indentation on the back of each, for the screwdriver.
7) Nice touch: you can easily remove/unclip the “power” part of the strap, saving battery life.
8) Great extras, in terms of setting up tailored programs in the watch itself. The manual explains it all.
— The Free PolarPersonalTrainer.com Website (PPT) —
Finally, there’s the matter of pushing the data to the freebie PPT website (you can set up your account while awaiting FT60 delivery). The bad news: you’ll need a add-on, Flow Link, which I ordered from Pa.-based Heart Rate Monitors (free shipping) via Amazon Marketplace. Ordered on a Thursday night; USPS delivery in NC the following Monday; comes in a bubble wrapped 8.5×11 inch envelope, fitting in mailbox — track via your Open Orders page at Amazon.
The good news: the Flow Link cradle personifies no-fuss. Download the free “WebLink” software from Polar and install. Reboot (a must, trust me.) Attach the Flow Link’s USB cradle. Set your FT60 face down onto the curcular center of the Flow Link device. Polar’s software springs into action, pushing the data to your PPT account as expected. (Vista Ultimate / 32-bit laptop.)
At the website, you can change the string of default-named “Training Session”s to Spinning, Wii:Boxing, Stepping, HHA (HipHopAbs), Yoga, whatever at your “My Sports” tab. If your indoor bike gives you speed and distance, that can be added to the corresponding PPT session as well.
— Tip —
Google SPORTTRACKS for a free and incredibly useful Win app, wherein you can (manually) log all your Polar data. Extra work, but it’s so inherently motivating. Who wants to see empty days when ya sluffed off your fitness routines?! Allows you to keep track of ALL your fitness activities, whether indoors or outside.
— Bottom-Line —
All in all, a best-bang-4-da-bucks purchase. The premium price over the F11 has paid for itself in saved time/tears via eliminated data-retrieval woes…
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135 of 138 people found the following review helpful
Awesome!, January 21, 2011
I absolutely love my Polar FT60! This is actually my first and only HRM (Heart Rate Monitor), so I can only give you my opinions from this one item. I do love it though!
I am a 22 year old female whom is slightly overweight and got this to help me maximize my workouts and help motivate me! I can say it has done its job!! It really helps motivate me because I am one of those people who like to keep track of everything. If you have tried calorie counting and deficits, it is super hard on your own, but by using sites like it makes it much easier! I’m not advertising caloriecount, but it is the same thing with this HRM and Polar’s website […]you can easily input all your data from your watch into the website and keep track with so much ease! It makes me not want to miss a workout day at all otherwise I have a big blank spot on my page 😛
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PROS:
-Easy to use!
No complicated sequences of buttons to push to get to the next menu or to set the clock. When I was looking into which HRM to buy many people were aggravated by having to hold down two buttons then press another to set something or go through menus. That’s just ridiculous!
-Chest Strap
While some people would prefer not to have a chest strap while working out the strap is comfortable enough to forget about it. It helps accurately track your HR and calorie rather than those which you have to hold your thumb to or similar ones where you have to stop what your doing to get your HR.
-Backlight
I like the backlight, and is quite helpful in dark situations 😛 (doesn’t stay on for too long… maybe like 2-3 secs at a time)
-HeartTouch
HeartTouch is a function that is when you bring the watch close to the chest strap it will beep once and show you the time briefly so you can easily see the time without going through menus.
-Zone Lock
Zones are basically different levels of your heart rate which are categorized in pretty much an (easy) causal walking HR, a (medium) light jogging HR, or (hard) running HR. Now zone lock is where you can hold on the center button on the right to lock whichever zone you want to be in and the watch will beep telling you that you are not in your zone.
-Weekly Goals
Depending on what weekly goal you put into the HRM for example, if you want to lose weight, gain fitness, or perhaps exceed in fitness it will tell you to spend more time in certain zones rather than others. If you want to lose weight it will tell you to stay in a particular low or med. zone longer for the week rather than high. You are able to change what your goal is whenever you decide.
-Weekly Tracking
I’m not too sure how many weeks it will hold up to or how much memory it has, but after the whole month I’ve been using it I can see all of my information that has been stored on it. It will let you know to work harder or train less in a particular HR zone based on your goal.
-Waterproof (30m)
The watch, strap, and monitor are all waterproof, and does not seem to be damaged(30m it claims). In the handbook I believe it said not to use the buttons so much in the water to prevent water getting into the machine. I took it into the ocean and toyed around with it. It does not particularly work well as it cannot read the signals through the water medium, so the watch will constantly say it is disconnected (ONLY tried in ocean salt water, NOT tried in chlorine pool). MORE INFO IN CONS
-Compatiable Attachments
You can buy the pedometer, cycling attachment, or GPS attachment to go with the HRM for more distance or more accurate readings. There may or may not be more attachments that I don’t know of.
-Comfortable
As I said before the chest strap is comfortable enough to forget about having it on, but the watch itself is also very comfortable and adjustable. There are also different straps you can buy if it is not comfortable for you specifically. There are also different sizes you can get if it doesn’t fit you.
-Washable
The strap is easily washable, just remove the attachment of the strap and rinse/wash in the sink.
-Compatiable
Works with […] You can buy the transmitter, but I don’t think it is worth the extra and hastle (I’ve read it is not that great). Anyone can easily input the data into the website and it only takes a minute.
-MY FAVORITE!!!! PRO!!!
It works with the gym equipment at 24 Hour Fitness (not sure what brands they are), but NEVER will I ever have to hold my hand on those semi-inaccurate and bacteria filled HR handle bars again!
It makes working out at the gym soooooo easy. I can always see my heart rate posted on the machines and I don’t have to look at my watch unless I want to check out something other than my HR!
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CONS:
-NO…
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