How accurate is the Polar FT4??

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toabetterlifestyle
toabetterlifestyle Posts: 230
in Fitness and Exercise
I am finally taking the plunge and investing in a HRM. Many people have great things to say about the Polar ft4. How accurate is it, though? Many people also wonder if theirs is accurate and I need one that is as close to exact as possible!

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  • thatgirl125
    thatgirl125 Posts: 294 Member
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    bump
  • CMmrsfloyd
    CMmrsfloyd Posts: 2,383 Member
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    I use a Polar FT4, I eat back all of my exercise calories, and I have consistently continued to lose weight at *at least* the rate I have set in my profile (currently set at 1/2 lb per week, I tend to lose 1/2-1 lb per week at the moment). I feel it's been very accurate for me personally, given my experiences/results.
  • pa_jorg
    pa_jorg Posts: 4,404 Member
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    I've been using mine for 6 months now and love it. It is very consistent, and I'm sure accurate. I hate to workout without it now.
  • paulamarsden
    paulamarsden Posts: 483 Member
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    okay, idiot question, im looking at one of these.

    do i need to wear a chest strap with it and if so where on my chest does it go? im thinking the girls might be an issue?
  • vypeters
    vypeters Posts: 475 Member
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    okay, idiot question, im looking at one of these.

    do i need to wear a chest strap with it and if so where on my chest does it go? im thinking the girls might be an issue?

    Yep, you need a chest strap. It goes underneath the girls, not across them. It'll be fine. After a surprisingly short time you don't notice it any more.
  • paulamarsden
    paulamarsden Posts: 483 Member
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    will it definately fit me?

    i know that sounds stupid doesnt it!
  • toabetterlifestyle
    toabetterlifestyle Posts: 230
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    I looked at reviews for it, and one woman said that she is currently 300 pounds, and the watch and chest strap fit her with room to spare. She recommended it for big girls.
  • CMmrsfloyd
    CMmrsfloyd Posts: 2,383 Member
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    Yes you have to wear the strap, I wear it right underneath the bottom of my sports bra (I actually cover it over with my sports bra so I don't worry about it going over the top of the material and losing signal). It is stretchy and adjustable, it should work well for a variety of different sizes. I am 5'4" 129 lbs and I can wear it fine adjusted to the smallest setting. My measurement under my boobs where I wear the strap is currently 29" if that helps you for comparison. :-) But it adjusts significantly bigger than that and has some stretch to it so it's really great for a wide range of sizes. The strap itself claims it is sized to fit 'M-XXL' but you know, that doesn't really mean much. LOL I just measured the strap laid out flat on the floor - at the tightest setting it measures 26.5" and at the largest setting it measures 36", but half of the strap is stretchy material and it can easily stretch to at least 44" on that biggest setting. Hope that helps. :-)
  • Evanstl
    Evanstl Posts: 44 Member
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    I hope its accurate because I just ordered this exact one a few minutes ago. I cant wait to get it.
  • speedyf
    speedyf Posts: 1,571 Member
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    I bought a Polar a bit more than a year ago, and totally loved it! I since then upgraded to another one, but this is for sure an investment you won't regret! My Polar is the reason why I am still running every morning.
  • InvidiaXII
    InvidiaXII Posts: 315 Member
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    I just got mine in the mail today and wore it to the gym tonight! I'm wondering how accurate it is too, because the # of calories the FT4 said I burned (~400 cals) was twice what the machine said for a 30 min. elliptical workout. That said, I have a very fast heart rate (Average 185 bpm for 30 mins workout is normal for me). I checked out some online calculators and based on the bpm and length of the workout, my age, weight, all that good stuff, it's coming back with ~400 calories too.

    That just seems too good to be true, especially when I've been working out on the machines assuming I've only been burning 200 cals/ 30 min.
    Any thoughts on this? Thanks!
  • Titus11
    Titus11 Posts: 1
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    I've noticed polar not agreeing with the elliptical as well. The elliptical I use doesn't have any personal info entered, so I stick to the polar info. The polar does agree with the treadmill though.
  • pa_jorg
    pa_jorg Posts: 4,404 Member
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    will it definately fit me?

    i know that sounds stupid doesnt it!

    Not stupid, but yes it will definitely fit you because it's elastic. Polar also makes specialty sports bras that you hook the monitor into. I wouldn't bother with this until you've tried the strap first though. You hardly even notice it's on once you wear it a few times.
    http://www.amazon.com/Polar-Cardio-Sports-Bra/dp/B001RIIITE
  • shockedsoshocked
    shockedsoshocked Posts: 21
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    With HRMs, we (Uni Physiology department) use a +/- 15% rule. They're never dead on, so we've always over-estimated the number to be safe.
  • Koalaboo
    Koalaboo Posts: 64 Member
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    I usually wear mine not under "the girls" but above, dead-center. I figured the readings would be more accurate because I have less fat in this region version underneath. Should I place it beneath "the girls" like everyone else for the most accurate readings?

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