Which Polar to buy?

I just did my First 1/2 marathon on the 19th:bigsmile: I have the PolarFT7....I love it!!!! I use it in weight class, spin, running and hiking. I can tell when I'm not giving it my all in class or the intructor isn't pushing us enough by my burn. It pushes me to work harder and you can also take it in the pool....my next form of exercise is playing underwater hockey....sounds goofy but I've been told it's a good workout!!! I want to lose a few more pounds before jumping in that bathing suit

Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The one I am using right now is the polar RS400, as suggested by my personal trainer. It can tell you which zone you are at if you are in zone training, that way you know if you are burning fat, calories or sugar. This watch also keeps your records or progress in file so you can check how much calories you burn in a week though I am not sure if the other watches have this feature.

I believe that with the FT7 you can change the battery but with the FT4 you have to send to the manufacturer.

If your a runner and want the ability to use GPS on your HRM you will need to get one of the upper Polar models.. I believe mine the FT60 is the first of the model above the FT4 and FT7 that can be purchased with or added later the foot pod for GPS tracking. I got mine off here: http://www.heartratemonitorsusa.com/ft60.html and have no complaints about mine.... I am going to add the foot pod this spring when i start walking and biking outside.....

I believe that with the FT7 you can change the battery but with the FT4 you have to send to the manufacturer.

This information is wrong. You change the FT7 and the FT4 battery by yourself.

To OP:
I started with an FT7 that I loved. I then wanted to be able to input my Vo2max, so I went with an FT60.. and I like it a lot too.

I have the FT4 and I love it! And, I can change the battery myself if needed.

The chest strap is very comfortable and I've never had problems with is slipping no matter what type of activity I'm doing (yoga, spinning, Insanity, etc).

They have some great reviews on Amazon and great prices on the FT4 too.

Good luck!

If you're serious about a HRM, then don't fanny about with the FT range... I'd go for something a little more advanced and compatible across many sports (multi sport) such as the Polar RS300X a good mid range HRM, accurate, comfortable, easy to use. Store data, upload to polarpersonaltrainer.com if you want and look if you;re over or under training... more accurate than most calorie read outs as has built in fit test.

I have Polar RS300X and it is FANTASTIC! Also you can add on a footpod or GPS sensor at a later point if you want to take up running or cycling with it too.

My first was a Polar FT4 which gave good feedback to up my intensity to hit the burn I was looking for. (Still working 1 1/2 years later just gave it to DSIL for her journey). Upgraded to the Polar RS300X with footpod once I wanted to start improving my running pace and know my distance. I opted for the foot pod over GPS so that I could use it on the treadmill as well. Yes, my treadmill tells me my speed and distance, but for training consistency, I still use my foot pod.

You can't go wrong with Polar, just a matter of what features matter to you. You DO want to get a model that uses the chest strap to ensure you are getting an accurate account of your heart rate (IMO).

:drinker:

I have the FT80 because I wanted the strength training features, but found that I don't use that part anymore. However, I love it for cardio and one of the best features is that it comes with a dock to sync it to my computer so that I can see my workouts and track progress. I also have the foot pod, which works pretty well. If you get a Polar, make sure that you get one that has user replaceable batteries on the HRM itself and on the chest strap.

I've just bought an FT80 (black edition) and I love it. I'm still getting used to it but it's got lots of cool features. So far, I'm pleased with my purchase.