Polar FT4 Heart Rate Monitor - A Review.

I recently got a Polar FT4 HRM, and was requested to write a review once I had used it for a bit. So here it is. It's long, but I figured it'd be better to write an in-depth review.

This is what it looks like:


If you're not into pink (or purple/pink, as they call it. *snicker* Where's the purple?!), the watch comes in orange/black, silver/black and bronze/silver as well.
Before the actual review, here's a few points I thought you should know beforehand.


What You Get In The Box:
-The watch
-The chest strap
-The Wear-Link (the device that records your heart rate)
-A Get Started guide.

Here's the major thing I dislike - the Get Started guide is exactly what it says it is. It's ONLY a Get Started-guide. Where's the full manual, you ask? On the Polar website. Kind of annoying. If anyone is interested, the manual can be found here:
http://www.polarusa.com/us-en/support/User_manual_for_Polar_FT4_in_English?product_id=22999&category=manuals


Features & Specs:
Copied from the Polar website, because I'm a lazy bum.
Measurement features:
Automatic age-based target zone – bpm / %
Average and maximum heart rate of training
Heart rate – bpm / %
HR-based target zones with visual and audible alarm
HRmax (user set)
Manual target zone – bpm / %
Polar OwnCal® – calorie expenditure
Polar OwnCode® (5kHz) – coded transmission

Recording features
Totals
Training files (with summaries) – 10

Training features
Graphical target zone indicator
HeartTouch – button-free operation of wrist unit

[/u]Watch features[/u]
Backlight
Date and weekday indicator
Display text in English and a metric poop-ton of other languages
Dual time zone
KeyLock
Low battery indicator
Time of day (12/24h) with alarm and snooze
User replaceable battery
Water resistant – 30m

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THE REVIEW:
I'll review the parts one by one.

The Watch
From what I can gather, the watch is excellent for the price. It doesn't have the features that high-end watches have, like GPS and online tracking, and it can "only" hold a maximum of 10 work-out files (so I write my sessions down in a note-book). It does however keep count of the total amount of minutes, sessions and calories burned since the watch was activated (or since the date you reset the totals, if you choose to do so), which is kind of nice.

It's also INCREDIBLY easy to navigate. The minute you activate the watch, it guides you through the main settings (like time/date, user information, etc.), and in the future, you can change the settings and view files just by pressing the down-button on the right side of the watch.

To record your work-out session, you just press the middle right-side OK/start button, and the second it registers your heart rate, you press start again, and voila! It's doing its thing. While you're working out, it shows your heart rate by default, but you can also choose to view the number of calories burned, the zone bar (the bar that shows if you are within the heart rate zone that you've specified, for example from 60 to 150 bpm), or the duration of the session/the time of day. Should you choose to set the watch to show anything but the duration/time of day, you can check what time it is with the HeartTouch function, i.e. holding the watch close to the WearLink (which should be clipped onto the chest strap when you're working out), which makes the watch show the time.

Also, the watch isn't atrocious, so you can wear it as a regular watch during the day (but don't wear the WearLink! It's only meant to be used when working out, or the battery will die pretty quickly).


The WearLink & Chest Strap
There's not much to say - they work, and compared to a lot of chest straps, the FT4's is amazingly comfortable - it's made in a soft material, and rather than being stiff, it's adjustable and flexible. I don't even notice that I'm wearing it, and have forgotten about it for a few minutes a few times! You don't have to wait 'till you get all sweaty and icky to get the electrodes to record your heart rate either - you just wet the electrode pads with water before putting on the strap, and it registers your HR from the start. It's also machine-washable - just remember to unclip the WearLink first, haha.

I haven't had any problems with the WearLink either - the signal has always been fine, and the readings seem accurate. It's easy to use - just clip it onto the strap, and off you go! Just make sure you unclip it after your session, or the batteries will drain (the manual even says to store the WearLink and the strap separately, as the WearLink will use battery power if the metals touch).

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So that's that. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to write here or send a message!
Have a great weekend, lovely people!