Polar F11 Heart Rate Monitor with Custom Exercise Program Review

The F11 is full of features, but it's hard to say how useful they all are.This is my second Polar product, and I am very pleased with it overall, however it is a bit more complicated than it should be at times.My first time using it, I was able to get my heart rate reading, but it didn't save the data.Now, I think I have the hang of it, and have figured out how to use the heart rate monitor, and have it save my data at the end of a session.It's great because it tells me how many calories I've burned based on my heart rate and my weight (I think that's how they get their number, but I'm not positive).I'm not sold on the fitness programs that are included in the watch though, as none of them include programs for more than 5 hours of training per week.

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Product Description:
Polar F11 is an exerciser's dream come true. It's the world's only heart rate monitor that creates a workout program to tell how much, how hard and how long to exercise to reach specific goals. The new, revolutionary Keeps U Fit Workout Program guides you to personal goals. OwnIndex will determine fitness level, track improvements, and provide motivation. The OwnCal feature counts the calories and fats that burn and the OwnZone feature will automatically determine each day's target zone. The F11 also features the WearLink Coded transmitter made from a soft, fabric material. The electrodes, which pick up the heart signals, are integrated right into the strap for added flexibility and comfort. The Coded feature eliminates interference from other heart rate monitors.Polar OwnCode Polar Keeps U Fit - Own Workout Program Target zones with visual alarm Target zones with audible alarm Fitness Bullets (for every ten minutes in target zone) Maximum heart rate of total exercise Average heart rate of total exercise Exercise Date Polar OwnCal SonicLink, exercise data download from wrist unit to Polar web service or SW UpLink, settings upload from Polar web site or software to wrist unit SonicLink, transfer of OwnIndex results and Keeps U Fit - Own Workout Program to Polar web service 12 exercise files (with summaries) Exercise file info page with date and time Time in target zone Target zone limits Average heart rate of total exercise Last OwnIndex Fitness Exercise Diary & with personal targets Heart rate (displayed as bpm & as percent of maximum heart rate) Visual and audible alarm in target zones 30m Water Resistant Backlight Heart touch, button-free operation of wrist unit 3 Heart rate sets -pre-program favorite exercise settings Time of day (12/24h) with alarm Dual time zone Date and weekday indicator Stopwatch Exercise reminder (visual/alarm) Display text in E

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Polar FT60 Women's Heart Rate Monitor Review

Since there are now only two brief comments, these details underlying my conclusion may assist potential FT60 buyers ...--- What Prompted the Purchase ---
A winter surprise: my Garmin Forerunner 305 yields only heart rate data when exercising indoors. Further, user comments reveal that its associated Foot Pod does nadda unless your feetare moving forward on a treadmill or the like.

Initially, it seemed the Polar F11 would be just fine for indoor tracking. While it performs well, trying to get to the data proved profoundly frustrating. As for pushing the F11's data to the Polar website (free), lotsa luck. The watch needs to chirp/talk to a microphone on your PC. Short version: the thing was a complete pain to actually use, in virtually all respects. I quickly returned it to Amazon, did more research, then grabbed this FT60. Lightyears in blissful difference!--- Operational Details / The Watch (& Polar's Customer Service) ---
1) Setting up the watch was very intuitive. But the printed manual is indeed useful, if needed.
2) Customer service is marvelous! I encountered one setup snafu -- it seemed the setup routine died midway through. I called Polar (number at the website); quickly encountered a human; he gave me step-by-step "hard reset" instructions, which immediately cured the watch's apparent headache. No questions other than "How may I help you, M'am?" From dial-up to completion took just about five minutes, if that long.
3a) It's incredibly easy to review the data on the watch both during and after a training/exercise session. During the session, just tap the larger middle button on the right to signal you're ready to start. Tap again to get it going. To change screens, tap the up and down buttons on the right. To pause, hit the lower left button. To stop completely/end the session, tap the lower left button again. To turn on the backlight, tap the upper left button. May sound complicated, but it all feels quitenatural in terms of actual usage, so it's really *NOT* about struggling to memorize anything.
3b) Reviewing data on the watch: During session, a few taps on the right buttons yield heart rate avg/max, calories burned, % of fat burned, & session duration. Ditto when the session is over; there's even a blurb teling you how you're progressing in overall fitness.
4) Once you input your particulars, the FT60 provides an accurate tailored-for-your-specs calorie count for everything, whether a Wii Boxing/ Running/ etc session (academic studies yield calorie counts per minute; Google/ as a doublecheck), spinning on an indoor bike, using a step machine, etc.
5) The heart rate strap (in the box) is so comfortable that I forget I have it on (something I can't say about the Garmin strap). Just moisten the (obvious) sensors and you're good to go.
6) Unlike the F11, the battery in BOTH the watch AND the strap are user replaceable. There's even an obvious indentation on the back of each, for the screwdriver.
7) Nice touch: you can easily remove/unclip the "power" part of the strap, saving battery life.
8) Great extras, in terms of setting up tailored programs in the watch itself. The manual explains it all.--- The Free PolarPersonalTrainer.com Website (PPT) ---
Finally, there's the matter of pushing the data to the freebie PPT website (you can set up your account while awaiting FT60 delivery). The bad news: you'll need a $55 add-on, Flow Link, which I ordered from Pa.-based Heart Rate Monitors (freeshipping) via Amazon Marketplace. Ordered on a Thursday night; USPS delivery in NC the following Monday; comes in a bubble wrapped 8.5x11 inch envelope, fitting in mailbox -- track via your Open Orders page at Amazon.

The good news: the Flow Link cradle personifies no-fuss. Download the free "WebLink" software from Polar and install. Reboot (a must, trust me.) Attach the Flow Link's USB cradle. Set your FT60 face down onto the curcular center of the Flow Link device. Polar's software springs into action, pushing the data to your PPT account as expected. (Vista Ultimate / 32-bit laptop.)

At the website, you can change the string of default-named "Training Session"s to Spinning, Wii:Boxing, Stepping, HHA (HipHopAbs), Yoga, whatever at your "My Sports" tab. If your indoor bike gives you speed and distance, that can be added to the corresponding PPT session as well.--- Tip ---
Google SPORTTRACKS for a free and incredibly useful Win app, wherein you can (manually) log all your Polar data. Extra work, but it's so inherently motivating. Who wants to see empty days when ya sluffed off your fitness routines?! Allows you to keep track of ALL your fitness activities, whether indoors or outside.--- Bottom-Line ---
All in all, a best-bang-4-da-bucks purchase. The premium price over the F11 has paid for itself in saved time/tears via eliminated data-retrieval woes. Watch is comfortable, and looks decent enough to wear sans exercising. For all of these reasons, I highly recommend the FT60, without any reservations whatsoever.

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Product Description:
Now you can train as you want and reach your fitness targets with the FT60's personalized training program. It sets new targets by adapting to your personal training habits.

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