Looking for Polar FT7 Owners!

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Shaigirl79
Shaigirl79 Posts: 52 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm looking for people who own a Polar FT7 heart rate monitor. After a lot of research, I'm pretty certain this is the model for me. (I'm a beginner looking for basic but accurate.) But I'm curious... how long have you owned one? And how well is it holding up? Does it work for all your activities? I'll be using it mostly for walking and running, but also house and yard work. Also, where did you get it? Right now, the best price I've seen is at Bodytronics. Any thoughts???

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  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
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    I've had an FT7 since mid June, and I've used it every time I exercise - 5-6 times per week. I've had an occasional issue where it takes a second to find my HR after hitting start but after a minute it realizes I have a pulse and we carry on.

    I've used it swimming, walking, running, and to the gym. I do not wear it for house or yard work. As far as I understand, it's not particularly accurate unless your HR is elevated beyond what those activities require from me. I also don't consider (for me, I don't care what others do) those activities "exercise" that I want to track but part of my general lifestyle. However, I do have a friend who wore hers shoveling heavy snow and she burned a serious number of calories!

    I got it on Amazon for $83 or something like that.

    Overall, I love my HRM and consider it almost as essential as my shoes for getting a good workout. I don't care as much about the calorie count, but knowing my HR keeps me motivated and pushing myself.
  • SarahMorganP
    SarahMorganP Posts: 922 Member
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    I've had an FT7 since mid June, and I've used it every time I exercise - 5-6 times per week. I've had an occasional issue where it takes a second to find my HR after hitting start but after a minute it realizes I have a pulse and we carry on.

    I've used it swimming, walking, running, and to the gym. I do not wear it for house or yard work. As far as I understand, it's not particularly accurate unless your HR is elevated beyond what those activities require from me. I also don't consider (for me, I don't care what others do) those activities "exercise" that I want to track but part of my general lifestyle. However, I do have a friend who wore hers shoveling heavy snow and she burned a serious number of calories!

    I got it on Amazon for $83 or something like that.

    Overall, I love my HRM and consider it almost as essential as my shoes for getting a good workout. I don't care as much about the calorie count, but knowing my HR keeps me motivated and pushing myself.

    You had no problems with it after wearing it swimming? I have been wanting to try it but was afraid it would cause problems with mine.

    As for the OP, I have only had mine for 5 weeks. Last week it stopped being able to find my heart! It just wouldn't work. I called and they asked me if I had washed it. I hadn't. So I washed it and it was back to normal. I guess you need to wash it once a week if you use it daily. So now I will do that. I love it!
  • runningfromzombies
    runningfromzombies Posts: 386 Member
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    I've had mine for about three months. I absolutely love it, and it's holding up really well. (: I use it mainly for running (anywhere from three to nine miles) and weight training, which comes out to six days a week of use. I got mine at Target so it was a bit pricier than Amazon, but still worth the $100 I spent on it.
  • Shaigirl79
    Shaigirl79 Posts: 52 Member
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    I do not wear it for house or yard work. As far as I understand, it's not particularly accurate unless your HR is elevated beyond what those activities require from me. I also don't consider (for me, I don't care what others do) those activities "exercise" that I want to track but part of my general lifestyle.

    Wow! So far it seems everyone loves theirs. Good to know! I've got less than 10 lbs to go and I plan on rewarding myself with one. Can't wait to get it!

    As far as the house and yard work, I was wondering if it'd even be able to track it. Keep in mind, I started with an extremely sedentary lifestyle. I'm talking like I spent 80% of the time sitting on my *kitten*. In the last three months, I've done wonders to get up and get moving. I don't really plan to count the calories burned (if it can even track it), but I am interested in having a more accurate idea of what certain things add up to - you know? Especially since I've really gotten into gardening and can spend the majority of the day outside walking, squatting, bending and lifting. :-)
  • Summersadiva
    Summersadiva Posts: 110 Member
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    I've had mine almost two months and LOVE IT! Very easy to set up. Mine doesn't take too long to register my HR. I'm pretty slim so it practically rests on my ribcage. The chest strap washes up nice as well. I do let it air dry though.

    Love it so much I've recommended to many friends.
  • tageekly
    tageekly Posts: 3,755 Member
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    I've had mine for about 6 months and use it 5-6 days a week for about 2 hours a day. I've already had to replace the battery but I think that's because I use it more than the average person. What I've learned:

    1. Keep your user settings updated (as you lose weight) to keep the calories burned as accurate as possible.
    2. Wash the strap in a lingerie bag in the washing machine about once a week and let it air dry.
    3. You really cannot get those sensors too wet - whenever I get weird reading it's usually because the sensors aren't wet enough.
    4. Wet the sensors with warm water - cold water is a shocker when you put it on!
    5. I cannot workout, and once left the gym after changing to go home to get it, without it on!!
  • fitnhealthykaren
    fitnhealthykaren Posts: 117
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    I just ordered one and it's arriving today! I'm glad to see the positive responses!
  • IRun4Me_12
    IRun4Me_12 Posts: 240 Member
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    I have had mine for a few weeks now, and I love it! I think it seems accurate - I learned that I am burning a lot more calories during my workouts than I thought I was burning!
  • Shaigirl79
    Shaigirl79 Posts: 52 Member
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    I have had mine for a few weeks now, and I love it! I think it seems accurate - I learned that I am burning a lot more calories during my workouts than I thought I was burning!

    This is exactly why I want one! When I first started MFP, I felt like the calories burned estimate was rather high. Then I finally figured out how to program my treadmill with my weight. I'm guessing it's a lot more accurate than MFP, but I know a HRM would be about spot on.
  • naprestsleep
    naprestsleep Posts: 55 Member
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    I had one since last June. Works good, occasional I manage to stop it while working out. I had weird issues with reading and such recently, so I ordered a new battery for the sensor(only a $1 or $2) and it seems to have fixed the issue. I am not a hge fan of the screens on the watch but it gets the job done.
  • scottc561
    scottc561 Posts: 329 Member
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    I have been wanting to get the ft7 also, but am wandering are you able to leave it on all day to try and get your daily calorie burn kinda like your tdee? I know the fitbit purports to be able to show whole day calories but am not sure I like it's other features so wana go with polar.
  • bjfrezell
    bjfrezell Posts: 241
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    I've had mine since May 2011. Love it. Make sure your sensors are WET. I've never had to replace the batteries and I've only had one glitch on it when it lost my heartrate, but that's once in almost a year so I'm not worried about it. I make sure to update the settings when I lose weight.
  • scottc561
    scottc561 Posts: 329 Member
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    I'll ask this again, since people didnt see it.

    "I am wandering are you able to leave it on all day to try and get your daily calorie burn kinda like your tdee?" I know the fitbit purports to be able to show whole day calories but am not sure I like it's other features so wana go with polar.
  • adhillman01
    adhillman01 Posts: 206
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    I'll ask this again, since people didnt see it.

    "I am wandering are you able to leave it on all day to try and get your daily calorie burn kinda like your tdee?" I know the fitbit purports to be able to show whole day calories but am not sure I like it's other features so wana go with polar.

    No, the equations that the monitor uses to estimate calories burned from your heart rate are only accurate when your heart rate is elevated, and work best with steady state cardio.
  • Shaigirl79
    Shaigirl79 Posts: 52 Member
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    I'm super excited! I'm finally ordering my Polar FT7 today! Hope I love it just as much as everyone has raved about it! :-)
  • raven56706
    raven56706 Posts: 918 Member
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    I used it while shoveling snow. for 90 minutes, i burned 980 calories... it was marvelous.
  • rly123
    rly123 Posts: 63 Member
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    I LOOOVEEEE my Polar Ft 7!! I've had it for about a month now and I'm so glad I got it because now my calories are more accurate. I didn't realize that my zumba workout calories could vary so much in calories and I'm glad I have this as an indicator so I can see how much I should/ shouldn't eat. lol You won't regret it. Best gift to myself. lol

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