9/19/2010

Polar RS800sd Heart Rate Monitor Watch with Free IRDA - USB 2.0 Interface Review

Polar RS800sd Heart Rate Monitor Watch with Free IRDA - USB 2.0 InterfaceIt took me about 6 months of reviewing, reading and researching a whole bunch of running watches before I landed up with this one. I've been using this watch for about a year now, so hopefully this review will be helpful to those who want to know about its durability, performance over time, battery life etc.

1. Build - This watch is not as solidly built as I had expected. If i did triathlons, I would certainly not want to swim with it on, or risk having it break apart if I fell off the bike. The face will scratch if it strikes asphalt.The strap is also pretty cheap. My first thought as I took it out of the box was "This looks like a cheap toy".

But... I didnt buy it for its looks...

2. Battery Life - Excellent. I ran 2 half marathons in 2007 and trained quite a bit with this watch, and extracted about 1 years worth of battery life. Good thing they are user replaceable CR 2032s.

3. Watch Features - It is a mammoth! It does everything but tell you you're sexy every morning. It records pretty much every single detail about your run. The cadence feature is my favorite, because it helps you with leg turnover. It records your weight, height, VO2 levels etc... really good stuff. The UI is pretty slick for a watch, and the fact that the controls are pretty limited, but im happy with it.

4. Footpod - 30 hours of running or so and my batteries died out. Thats about 15 half marathons... so not too shabby. I would recommend you calibrate it before running. Its pretty decent right out of the box, but it doesnt hurt to calibrate it. Run on a flat running track for about a mile and that should do the trick.

5. Heart Rate Strap/Monitor - Great. Pretty accurate I think, and washable.

6. Look and Feel - Its a large unit but it doesnt stick out like the Garmin Forerunners. You could wear it everyday, but its large and I dont really like wearing it with formal outfits to work. I do hope Polar provides some other color options... the gray is a lot lighter than it appears.

Overall:
Pros - Great functionality, good battery life, user friendly and not too large
Customizable display (including the icon on the home screen).
Pro Trainer 5 is a decent tool, but nothing to write home about.

Cons - For its price point, poor build.

There you go. I've had mine over a year, and I love it, because its helped me analyze my running better. I like training with goals in mind, and this watch has tools to help with that. It is a monster running lab!

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Product Description:
The RS800sd adds in running speed and distance, and our newest feature, running cadence, with the new S3 Stride Sensor W.I.N.D. The RS800sd can be fully integrated into the adidas adistar running tops and shoes, to create the Worlds First Integrated Training System.

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