Polar Ft40F Women's HRM .. Do I want it?

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tinytoyjess
tinytoyjess Posts: 139 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am thinking of buying this HRM in white. The reviews are good and the price seems reasonable. I appreciate any feedback from any ladies who own one of these. thanks

Oh, and I am looking to use it to record hr for activities such as spinning and various Jillian Michaels videos. Maybe some occasional running, but I don't need GPS.

thx

Replies

  • Brittany3914
    Brittany3914 Posts: 258 Member
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    I have the Polar FT4 HRM, is that what you meant? I'm not too familiar with other models, but YES YOU WANT IT!

    I bought one on amazon for $75 to accurately calculate my workouts. I mainly do group fitness classes (BODYPUMP, Sh'Bam, spinning, kickboxing, etc). The chest strap is comfortable. There's not too many bells and whistles. Easy to use.

    I find my workouts have been more varied now that I know how to properly calculate the burned calories. It sounds lame. I didn't try certain activities before because I didn't know what I was burning :/

    GET ONE! You will not regret it. I promise.
  • tryinghard71
    tryinghard71 Posts: 593
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    I have the FT40. Love it. It's great and I have had zero problems with it. Just remember to the strap really well before using. Also I rinse it under running water after every use. One of the best fitness investments I made. I was either over calculating calorie burn or Under calculating before I got my FT 40.
  • tinytoyjess
    tinytoyjess Posts: 139 Member
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    Thanks!

    The one website I am looking to order it from actually requires that I select a strap size, small/medium/large, but according to the instructions the strap is adjustable. When I measure I am a bit under 30" which lands me in a size xs/s but just barely. I suppose I order this size unless it would be too tight? I don't want to order too big and have a whole bunch of extra strap hanging off the thing either though.

    Funny thing is that the same HRM on Amazon says nothing about strap size; there is no option to choose. I wonder if Amazon just sends everyone a Medium?
  • VitaBailey
    VitaBailey Posts: 271 Member
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    I have it and love it.

    About the strap... Mine came with the M-XXXL strap. I am 29" under the ribcage. When I got to my smallest size, I don't know my measurement, I thought I was going to run out of space, but I never did. The way it lays, you will not notice the extra strapping on the larger size.

    ETA: You have to detach the little black thingie when you are not using it to keep the battery from dying too fast. You will know what I mean when you get it. Also, as the above poster said, rinse it after every workout. I also throw it in with my delicates every few weeks. Let it air dry
  • jbrookeh
    jbrookeh Posts: 38 Member
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    My Polar FT4 came with an adjustable strap size that starts at M and goes to XXL. I'm about 34 around and it fits great. There's quite a bit of room to adjust down as I shrink too.
  • riverabeth
    riverabeth Posts: 45 Member
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    I ordered my polar f4 from Amazon & LOVE IT! It didn't have the option to select strap size, but it is an adjustable loop so when I tightened it there was none left "hanging off". Very easy to use. I was actually burning a LOT MORE calories for running & Jillian Michaels 30DS than what MFP set for me.
  • Josie_lifting_cats
    Josie_lifting_cats Posts: 949 Member
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    I only had the choice of medium strap..... it's adjustable to XXL I believe. So I wasn't aware that there was a difference.

    I have the FT40 in white. I L.O.V.E. the thing. My husband has the FT7 and is jealous of my FT40 because of the VOMax. My calorie burns are pretty accurate I think, and I haven't had a single problem with it. I've used it with Jillian videos and use it regularly when biking. And some days I just wear the watch, because it actually looks pretty cute!

    I set the VOmax roughly - they recommend doing it before you even get out of bed in the morning, and I just did it when relaxing. But I think it's actually pretty accurate. I can be biking along and feel like my heart is about to explode, look down and see (or hear the alarm) that I'm at my maximum heart rate. So I think that is pretty accurate, too.

    I bought mine via soap.com. There's a code on the main page for 15% off your first order from them. So I got it for like $85? I don't remember for sure. It was fast shipping and great service overall.

    I hope that helps! If you have a question feel free to message me. But I really do love it, and my husband really wishes he would have researched further before buying the FT7.
  • KCMinn
    KCMinn Posts: 20
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    I have the FT40 and love it. Works great! Nice to have an accurate tracker for exercise! LIke others have said, just be sure to rinse out the strap after use.

    I'm at 30" and was able to order the strap in the S size (I think it's actually labeled xs/sm). I was concerned about the sizing as well, and a CS rep assured me I could probably order either the S or M. I didn't want it to be too big. The S fits great! With extra wiggle room if I need it!

    I ordered thru http://www.heartratemonitorsusa.com , mostly because it one of the better deals at the time and took Paypal (I sold some stuff on eBay to help pay for it!)... Plus, they were the most helpful in trying to figure out which one i wanted.

    Polar is great, and there are a few cheaper models even. But I wanted something midlevel with enough helpful features, and I didn't want to feel the need to upgrade too soon...
  • tinytoyjess
    tinytoyjess Posts: 139 Member
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    Thanks everyone!! You've all been *very* helpful. I am going to order it. :)

    ~Jessica
  • tinytoyjess
    tinytoyjess Posts: 139 Member
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    I ordered thru http://www.heartratemonitorsusa.com

    This is where i ordered from, in size xs/s. I could use the Soap new customer discount because I've already shopped there 8 million times but I did find a smaller discount on retail me not which I applied. Can't wait for it to arrive!

    Jess
  • VitaBailey
    VitaBailey Posts: 271 Member
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    Excellent! This will take your workouts to a whole new level! One other thing to be aware of, if you ever get a reading of a really high number that doesn't seem right, or it doesn't pick up your heart rate at all in a reasonable time, you probably have to replace the battery in the little black console on the strap. I order them online right from the polar website.
  • tinytoyjess
    tinytoyjess Posts: 139 Member
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    Excellent! This will take your workouts to a whole new level! One other thing to be aware of, if you ever get a reading of a really high number that doesn't seem right, or it doesn't pick up your heart rate at all in a reasonable time, you probably have to replace the battery in the little black console on the strap. I order them online right from the polar website.

    Good to know - thanks!

    And I meant to say I *couldn't* get a discount from Soap, because I am not a new customer. Anyhow, doesn't matter, my new HRM is on the way to my house. Good times. <happy dance>
  • JennSuchniak
    JennSuchniak Posts: 3 Member
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    i have that exact one and loooove it! i got it in february and use it every day. once i got it set up initially, it's been super easy.
  • Metal_Viking
    Metal_Viking Posts: 42
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    I don't recommend the newer model Polars...the faces crack too easy. I got an older model off ebay the f11 womens..mush more durable
  • dixieangeln
    dixieangeln Posts: 26 Member
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    I bought my Polar FT4 in grey at D Sporting Goods yesterday for $89.99 and wore it all day today-- I really like it! Easy to use!

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