Polar FT60 HRM Review

I had previously posted that I was looking for an HRM that met the following critera:

- Is accurate
- Is strapless
- Displays calories
- Looks like a wristwatch
- Tells time
- Is waterproof
- Works underwater (while swimming)
- Can be worn all day
- Can sync / export to my PC
- Doesn't cost an arm and a leg

As you can see from the title, I settled on the Polar FT60 (after weeks of research).



In the end, I satisfied all but two of my requirements. I'm forced to wear a strap, and since it's a Polar, I wound up spending an arm and a leg after all. Here's my (lengthy) observations after one day of use.

Since swimming was a priority with me, I made sure to order a T31C transmitter & strap as Polar states that the Wearlink model will not function in the water. This was one of the primary reasons I decided on Polar, as it's the only manufacturer I've found that even suggests their product may work while swimming. Though, they also state that it may not ...

I also ordered the Flowlink USB interface so I could upload my workouts to my PC.

Upon removing the unit from it's box, I was instantly impressed with the build quality. It feels rugged and I think it looks nice. I haven't worn a watch in years (since I started carrying a cell phone around), but this made me rethink that decision.

That being said, I can't see myself wearing this full time as a watch full time. As a chronograph, it's functions are severely limited. It will tell you the time, and the date, but that's about it. It has a stopwatch of sorts, but activating it begins a new training session, and there are no lap timers or countdown timers, or alarms. A twenty-dollar Timex watch blows this thing away on that front.

Upon activating the FT60 for the first time, I asked me for the current date, the current time, my preferred units of measurement, my sex, birth date, height, weight and age. Entering these values was straightforward and easy. Well, all except for my weight. The default is somewhere around 150lb, and I thought my arm was going to fall off before I managed to scroll all the way up to 299. It gets faster when you hold the button down ... but not that fast. Still though, It was a minor inconvenience.

Since I was at work, I went to the restroom for some privacy, and put on the Wearlink strap and transmitter. I have a 52" chest, and had ordered a larger strap, based on the reviews I had seen online. The larger strap was pretty comfortable, though I did sort of feel like I was wearing a push up bra for my man boobs. The transmitter was surprisingly small, and even though I was wearing a white cotton polo shirt, none of my coworkers could tell that I was wearing the Wearlink strap and transmitter underneath.

When I got home from work, I performed the Fitness Test, which entailed lying down for about eight minutes while the watch analyzed my heart rate and assigned me a value. It gave me a 34 and described that as "fair". Supposedly from this test, the FT60 can determine my V02max. However, it did give me the option to enter that value myself, should I wish.

Next I created a training program. The FT60 asked me what my goal was, weight loss, fitness, etc. I chose weight loss and it created a plan for me. It wants me to train for five hours a week, and during that time, burn 4000 calories. I'm also supposed to achieve the proper ratio of heart rate zones during that five hours. I think I'm supposed to have 80% in zone 2 and 20% in zone1 (and zero percent in zone 3).

After that, I went to the gym.

First, I hopped on the treadmill. I found that my default routine of walking at a 3.5mph pace, swinging two 4lb dumbells, and with a 2% elevation quickly put me in zone 3. I toned it down a bit. I found I could either have the dumbells, or the elevation, but not both. And even then I was at the upper limit of zone 2. It almost felt like I was cheating, by not actively trying to kill myself on the treadmill...

After about 45 minutes, I took a break and went over to the power cage, where I usually do 30 reps of incline bench press at 70lb (resting for a minute or so every 10 reps). I was curious what my heart rate would do during strength training. What I observed was that during each set of 10 reps, my heart rate would climb to about the middle of zone 2. Between sets, it dropped rapidly to below zone 1, at which time the Polar will display "Out of zone".

After my brief weight session, I ran back over to the treadmill and finished out the hour. I hit stop on the FT60 and was told that I had burned 828 calories. MFP usually only credits me for 517 for one hour of "Walking, 3.5 mph, brisk pace", so I came out ahead there.

Next I headed down to the pool. I tossed the Wearlink strap in my locker and put on the T31C. When I asked my wife if she thought the strap looked dorky when combined with swimming trunks, she tried to be kind... Personally, I thought it was kinda hardcore. I've never seen anybody wear a HRM in the pool so I felt special somehow, like I had a purpose. I'll admit though, but the time I got my earplugs in, my goggles on, and the transmitter strap firmly in place, I was starting to feel like James Bond ... all I needed was a harpoon gun!

After reading about all the potential for failure when using an HRM in the water, I was exceedingly pleased to see that it all worked perfectly from the outset. I had zero problems receiving a signal while underwater. I started my training session and proceeded to swim for the next hour. This is when I discovered that it is much harder to achieve Zone 2 while swimming. And in fact, if I just swam leisurely, I was getting the "Out of Zone" message. In the end, the FT60 credited me with 583 calories burned which is a couple hundred less than I would have gotten credit for on MFP.

After returning home, I placed the FT60 face down on the Flowlink USB device, which is connected to my laptop. I had to download and install software from the Polar website to make it work, but the installation process was painless on Windows 7, and I encountered no errors. It took only a few moments to sync that data in the FT60 with the polarpersonaltrainer.com site. I haven't explored the PPT site that deeply, but I was quickly able to review (and even edit) my workouts, and see my training targets for the week.

All in all, I'm very impressed so far. Even though I trained less strenuously on the treadmill, I found myself training even harder in the pool. I found that in either case, having access to that data, and trying to achieve set goals was highly motivational. For now, I'm going to let the FT60 direct my workouts for the next few weeks (at least) and see what kind of results I can achieve. Personally, I'm hoping it will be the key to taking my fitness to the next level. At this point, I'm completely satisfied with my purchase. I'll update this thread should my opinions change with prolonged use.

I hope this helps anybody who is on the fence (as I was) and is trying to decide if the investment is really worthwhile.

:drinker:

A few additional thoughts:

The FT60, and the Wearlink transmitters have user-replaceable batteries, which is somewhat of a new position for Polar. Many of their other units must be sent back to Polar to have the batteries replaced, at some expense to the consumer. The batteries in the T31C unit cannot be replaced at all (from what I understand) and when it dies, it must be completely replaced.

One of my primary reasons for choosing Polar, and the reason their units cost more than other brands, is the supposed accuracy of their calorie counting algorithms. By allowing the user to enter more personal data than other brands (and in particular, the Fitness Test that is available on their higher-end models), they are theoretically able to achieve that higher rate of accuracy.