Polar HRM, question about how it works

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LastingChanges
LastingChanges Posts: 390 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I need a HRM that I can wear while doing classes like kickboxing. Because I am wearing gloves it is really hard to get a wrist watch in there.
With a polar watch can I wear the chest band and leave my watch in my bag. Does it still calculate calories this way or is it necessary to wear the watch on your wrist while wearing the chest band?
I am looking at the polar ft7.
Thanks for your help :)

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  • RoseTheWarrior
    RoseTheWarrior Posts: 2,035 Member
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    I have a Polar HRM and I think it would just have to be close enough to get the reading. I'm not sure how far away that might be, but maybe the Polar website/manual might help you there.
  • ScubaSteve1962
    ScubaSteve1962 Posts: 612 Member
    edited November 2015
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    It should to be within 3 feet of the sensor for gymlink, not sure for bluetooth, but if it's like most bluetooth devices they usually work around the 10 to 20 feet range. The FT7 will use gymlink. An option would be and H7 sensor and polar beat or other app for your phone or tablet. It would use bluetooth
  • cschu544
    cschu544 Posts: 320 Member
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    You need the watch on your person, but I do kickboxing and high intensity classes too and I just put it around the strap on of my bra. I have had two Polar monitors and I swear by them. They sync to most gym equipment and I find them to be extremely accurate. It never gets in my way and the chest strap stays in place (for reference I sweat a lot during workouts). Sometimes it slips over your bra, but as long as you keep it tight it's fine.
  • BurnWithBarn2015
    BurnWithBarn2015 Posts: 1,026 Member
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    I have a Polar FT7
    And love it.

    And yes you have to wear it. But it is not made to wear the whole day and monitor the whole day your calorie burn It is for exercises.
    I do however have it sometimes on my belt too and that works fine too.

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  • LastingChanges
    LastingChanges Posts: 390 Member
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    I think it would be hard to strap the watch somewhere on my clothes. The class includes some work outs other than boxing and they involve doing exercises on the mat.. some require to lay on back, stomach, and side. I cant imagine that being comfortable with a bulky watch attached.

    @scubasteve1962 sorry I am a little confused, do you mind clarfying. The h7 uses bluetooth that i can connect to my phone? So I can leave my phone somewhere around the gym and the strap will still record info to my phone ?
    Also is the watch required for the h7 or can I just use the h7 with my phone and thats it? Thanks :)
  • MaggotPig
    MaggotPig Posts: 89 Member
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    I wonder if it'd work on your ankle?
  • Dory_42
    Dory_42 Posts: 3,587 Member
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    If you stay close enough to the watch, it will pick it up. I strap my watch to my water bottle for BJJ and as long as I don't move too far away it works. I am not aware of the exact distance, but you could play around with it to figure out. I do MMA fitness classes as well, but I keep my watch on then. I just make the strap looser so it moves up my arm above my gloves. I like it close to change intensity if I want to work in a specific HR zone, but when I roll I would hurt my opponent with my watch. That is just unfair, choking them out is a different situation, they ask for that!
  • ScubaSteve1962
    ScubaSteve1962 Posts: 612 Member
    edited November 2015
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    LastingChanges wrote: »
    I think it would be hard to strap the watch somewhere on my clothes. The class includes some work outs other than boxing and they involve doing exercises on the mat.. some require to lay on back, stomach, and side. I cant imagine that being comfortable with a bulky watch attached.

    @scubasteve1962 sorry I am a little confused, do you mind clarfying. The h7 uses bluetooth that i can connect to my phone? So I can leave my phone somewhere around the gym and the strap will still record info to my phone ?
    Also is the watch required for the h7 or can I just use the h7 with my phone and thats it? Thanks :)

    Yes, bluetooth will usually work 10 to 20 feet away. No you don't need a watch with the sensor, Polar Beats app or some other compatible third party app on your phone. I think it works best with Apple IOS systems to connect to MFP The Newer polar activity monitors use bluetooth to connect to the watches The H6 sensor uses bluetooth only, the H7 uses bluetooth, and Gymlink to connect to watches, and most cardio equipment.
  • sheermomentum
    sheermomentum Posts: 827 Member
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    you don't need to wear the watch on your wrist. I have a v800, and its huge and clunky on my female arm, and I wear it elsewhere when possible. They even sell special holders to mount it on the handlebars of a bike, so its not even necessarily expected to stay on your wrist.

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