Polar F11 Heart Rate Monitor Watch

Price: $179.95

When you consider the many options on the market, there is no denying that choosing a heart rate monitor watch can be a tricky decision. Even if you know you want to buy a polar heart rate watch, the decision is far from clear cut as Polar offer a ton of different heart rate watches. For those who seek a simple-to-use monitor that is up to the task of measuring their advanced fitness requirements, one might consider the award winning Polar F11 heart rate monitor watch.

The Polar “F” series heart rate monitor watches are designed to be a fitness workout guidance and tracking tool with models ranging from the entry level F4 Polar heart rate watches to the higher end Polar F55 heart watches. The Polar F11 watch improves on the Polar F6 watch adding more flexibility than the cheaper model with it’s “Keep U Fit” exercise feature.

The Polar F6 offers (as does the Polar Watch F11) all the features required for”in-the-zone” training including target heart rate zone alarms which can be either based on percetage of maximum heart rate (% max HR) or beats per minute (BPM). The watch alarm will beep when you fall outside of the boundaries of your target zone. The Polar OwnCal feature is offered which reports on your calorie expenditure including % of fat burned within a training session as well as Polar OwnZone – the automatic calculation of training zone intensities. The F6 watch unlike the F5 offers Polar OwnCode, a coded heart rate transmission that is resistant to crosstalk and interference with other equipment.

Polar watches do an outstanding job of summarising your workout results over a period of weeks with a training diary feature that presents your total exercise time and average heart rate. They also offer software, the polar personal trainer and the ability to download your data to computer for analysis of your performances and to link up to an online community portal.

On top of those features offered by the Polar F6, the F11 Polar heart rate watch provides you with OwnIndex that takes your resting heart rate and approximates your VO2 Max – a widely regarded aerobic fitness metric. The watch also displays your fitness trends graphically. The Polar Heart Rate Monitor F11 also offers a Polar Wearlink chest strap with self-charge batteries and three exercise sets, that allow you to save your favorite exercise settings.

But perhaps the most standout feature of the Polar F11 monitor, however is the Keep U Fit automated training program. Keep U Fit basically allows you to input your statistics, then undertake a fitness test – basically a timed measurement of your resting heart rate. The watch will assess your current fitness level, after which you can instruct it if you would like to maintain your current fitness level, or maximize it. The F-11 watch then creates a tailored fitness plan that will guide you in the direction of your desired fitness outcome.

While this watch is reportedly quite easy to use in your day-to-day routine, to push this timepiece to its maximum potential you might want to spend some quality time going over the Polar F11 Heart Monitor Manual. The Polar F11 instructions are printed quite clearly and precisely in the manual, but as with any sophisticated piece of equipment there is a learning curve.

Reading the Polar F11 reviews on Amazon can give you some insight into how the advanced fitness program operates in practice. The information contained in a Polar F11 review offers people’s personal insights into the product and often contains useful information that you won’t find in the sale description. Amazon is also one of the best places to search for a cheap Polar F11 that is new. For used models Ebay is the place where you might find a Polar F11 price lower than on Amazon, although Amazon do generally offer the cheapest deals on Polar F11 HRM watches when you buy online. You might also find Polar F11 sale items that can be picked up at a heavy discount whenever Amazon runs a sale.

Polar F11 female and male options are available. The Polar F11 Grey Pepper color is very attractive in the Polar mens watch department. Pink Fizz, Orange Flash and the Polar F11 Blue Glow are hot looking numbers in the ladies versions.

You should note that, while still very popular, the Polar F11 is slowly being phased out by the new Polar FT60 that features a newer fitness feature called the Polar STAR training program and improved upload system. For a cheaper option that is still a very, very good quality sports fitness watch , the Polar F11 Heart Rate Monitor watch is a winner.

Polar Fs2 Heart Rate Monitor Watch

Price: $79.95

Highlights

The Polar Fs2 Heart Rate Monitor Watch is a step up from the entry-level Polar Fs1 that delivers continuous heart rate monitoring with Polar’s OwnCode feature that ensures the watch will not interfere with other devices, basic time-of-day and stopwatch, total exercise time, age-based maximum heart rate and automatic heart rate zones as well as a session history with total exercise, maximum and average heart rate over a period.

This watch is as easy to use as it is to view, it’s one large button is simplicity itself. This watch sports a large screen with ultra-large digits with a backlight for night-time runs or rides. You will not be squinting to take in your real-time statistics while you exercise with this Polar Fs2 Heart Monitor time piece.

Polar, the leading heart rate monitor watch-making company are noted as the inventors of the first EKG accurate wireless heart rate device. A tool designed for the Finnish National Cross Country Ski Team and a concept that has become widely popular in the athletic world.

In the fitness world where an athlete might be working out in the gym one day and running the trails the next, the Polar Heart Rate Monitor Watch Fs2 suits both roles, serving as a basic running watch with heart rate monitor as well as providing compatibility with most popular makes of CV gym equipment.

The watch will display your current heart rate in beats per minute. With heart rate zones you can manually set an optimal intensity level – the watch will alert you when you are stepping outside your ideal zone limit with an audible alarm. The recall fields displayed by this fitness timepiece include average heart rate, maximum heart rate, date of last exercise session and exercise time.

As with all Polar watches, a comprehensive manual is provided with the Fs2 watch that includes some great tips on how to use the watch to great effect. While, not a swimmers watch, the Fs2 can also survive use in the water and is rated to 50 meters. Just to be clear, the Polar Fs2 watch is not designed to be laden with an abundance of features. It is a basic watch for simple workouts. If you are looking for something more extensive than consider a more advanced Polar sports watch.

The Polar Fs2 watch is the perfect entry-level heart rate watch for anyone seeking basic continuous heart rate information and stopwatch features. Whether you want a tool that will assist you in the gym or a stopwatch for your aerobic motion sports, the Polar Fs2 Heart Rate Monitor Watch is an incredibly affordable and reliable entry-level watch

BUY POLAR F4 MEN’S HEART RATE MONITOR WATCH

Slimline heart rate monitoring watch features a sleek, trim design that is ideal for tracking your heart rate during an exercise session

The Polar Zone Pointer feature lets you visualize exactly where your current heart rate fits within your target zone

The Polar OwnCal feature displays the number of calories you have burned over multiple sessions

Fitness Bullets present to you a unique display for every 10 minutes spent in your target zone allowing you to determine the effectiveness of your exercise session.

Includes 24-hour clock with day/week pointer and stopwatch, 30 meter water resistance and backed by a 2 year warranty

Note: If you’re looking for a women’s version of this watch, then you might want to read our other article located here: Polar F4 Heart Rate Monitor Watch.

The Polar F4 heart rate monitor watch hails from Polar, the most recognized heart rate monitor company in existance when it comes to running and fitness watches.

Polar designed the first wireless EKG accurate heart monitoring watch back in the year 1977. It would be used as a training and fitness tool for the Finnish Cross Country Ski crew. The 80′s saw the recognition of the benefits of heart rate intentensity measuring by the athletic community and the rise of Polar as the go-to heart rate monitor manufacturers, a reputation the heart rate monitor specialist continues to hold today, due to the superior quality of their heart rate monitor watches and devices.

Polar’s sports watches, fall into three main categories: Running & Multisport, Cycling and Fitness & Cross Training. The Polar F4 is a member of Polar’s Fitness/Cross Training line and is an affordable digital calorie heart rate monitor watch. The F4 polar heart rate watch is ideal for tracking the calories you burn over an exercise session and maintain a careful watch on your zone level to thus ensure you are training hard enough to achieve a positive fitness benefit or that you don’t overdo it. Polar watches also feature Digitaly coded wireless transmission from heart rate strap to wristwatch, for reduced interference and crosstalk around other HRM users. This f4 polar men’s heart rate monitor is also compatible with the most poular makes of CV gym equipment.

The features of the Polar F 4 heart rate monitor are summarized as follows:

General Features

Target heart rate zone and Max HR are automatically calculated based on your age.
Backlight – w/o backlight in the North and South America
A graphical display of your target zone
Heart rate can be expressed as a percentage of beats per minute (bpm) of your Max HR or in actual bpm
HeartTouch™, Polar technology that enabled button-free operation of the watch
KeyLockManual target zone (% / bpm) – %/bpm
Audio/Visual target heart zone alarms
Water resistance to 50 meters
Date/weekday display
Low battery display
Time of day (12/24h) with alarm

Computer Connectivity Features

Edit wrist unit settings with Polar UpLink Tool and transfer them to your Polar product (UpLink)
UpLink (PC with a sound card and headphones/dynamic loudspeakers required)
Bike mount – opt.

Exercise Features

Average heart rate of total exercise
Exercise DateFitness Bullets (after 10 minutes in target zone)
HR-based target zones with audible alarm
HR-based target zones with visual alarm
Polar OwnCal®
ZonePointer

Measurement Features

Average heart rate
Calorie expenditure – exe.total
Exercise Time (total) – total
Maximum heart rate
Number of exercise files (with summaries) – 1
Target zone limits
Time in target zone

Polar Heart Rate Monitor Strap

T31 coded™ transmitter – incl. in product set in other countries
T31 transmitter – incl. in product set in the North and South America
WearLink® 31 coded transmitter (changeable battery) – compatible
Polar OwnCode® (5kHz) – non-coded in the North and South America
Wireless ECG accurate heart rate

The polar F4 monitors are cheap heart rate devices that are suitable for those seeking to keep track of their real time heart rate and approximate burned calorie over the duration of a session. If you seek a way of reviewing historical data over a large number of sessions, or monitoring your activity level you might consider one of these more advanced polar heart rate fitness watches:

Polar FA20 Activity Computer	Price: $119.95
The Polar F7 Heart Rate Monitor Watch	Price: $129.95
The Polar FT40 Heart Rate Monitor Watch	Price: $149.99
Polar FT60 HRM Watch	Price: $239.95
Polar FT80 HRM Watch (with GPS)	Price: $459.95

If these are not required, then the Polar F4 heart rate monitor is exceptionally good value. It is backed up by a two year limited warranty, guaranteeing your watch is free from defects in material and workmanship.

Buy

Price: $239.95

When it comes to watches that are capable of maintaining a complex personalized training schedule and history, Polar watches have a lot to offer and are leading the digital sports watch field on several fronts. The Polar F55 exemplifies this strength. If you need help and guidance on how hard you should be training and how often, a Polar watch like the F55 is worth considering.

To put things in context, the F55 Polar watch is the first of Polar’s Fitness and Cross-Training watches. Others include the FT80, FT60, FT40 and FA20. More information on these watches can be found here. Polar Fitness Watches.

A Great Watch And Also A Fitness Coach

The standout features of the Polar F55 watch are the Keep U Fit function (also found on the Polar F11) and the Body Workout feature. Keep U Fit is a feature that sets up a customized fitness program at varying intensity and durations based on the wearers personal details. The watch obtains your details from periodic fitness tests that are designed to test your aerobic fitness level. The cycle is ongoing and a great way to stay motivated.

The Body Workout feature devises a workout program that is designed to tone various muscle groups. An automatically generated workout consists of ten exercise movements, but can be as many as fourteen. Specific exercises can be added or removed by the user at their discretion. The watch selects weights based on sex, age and the current weight of the user.

Sports Watch Features For Any Activity

Other features offered by the Polar F55 include several of the things Polar is recognized for including automatically customized heart rate zones (Polar OwnZone), Calorie measurement with percentage of fat burn (Polar OwnCal), real-time display of fitness statistics, a coded transmission heart rate belt (WearLink), an exercise training diary with 26 exercise files, stopwatch feature and even a relaxation test to measure your recovery (OwnRelax).

Overall, the Polar F55 reviews on Amazon are very positive. This is indeed one of the most popular fitness heart rate monitors that Polar offers The watch is compatible with an optional IrDA adaptor that allows you to transfer your personal exercise data to personal computer and from there to the Polar online website portal, a community of like-minded fitness-inclined members.

An All-Round Activity Computer Watch

If you require a fitness heart rate monitor that will:

• Lay out a solid plan for achieving your exercise targets
• Provide feedback on your progress over a period of time with the ability to make adjustments to your current condition based on periodic fitness tests
• Provide a muscle toning program; and
• Tell you how relaxed your body is (useful for determining if you are over-doing your training)

Then the Polar F55 Heart Rate Monitor is a powerful and innovative training tool that will keep you on track and provide you with nearly every basic tool for maximizing your aerobic and weight training potential.

Polar are about to release a new product, the RS300X G1 which supports the Polar G1 GPS device and RS300X sd, a foot pod compatible version.

The RS300X is designed for recreational athletes, but with all the features packed into it, it could easily be useful to those who are pushing for a little extra performance. The RS300X watch is compatible with the Polar S1 foot pod and G1 GPS sensor. If purchased without these devices it can be upgraded in future.

The watch guides you to the right intensity with personal training zones, displays how many calories you’ve burned, tracks your training and can store up to 16 training sessions and is compatible with polarpersonaltrainer.com with optional Polar FlowLink.

We have written about the Polar RS100 heart rate monitor watches before.

The RS300X supercedes the RS200 watches and is a step up from the RS100 Polar watch.

This watch will be released on March 30th, 2009 and is available for pre-order on Amazon.

For more information browse to the following links on Amazon:

• Polar RS300X G1 Heart Rate Monitor Watch with G1 GPS Sensor
• Polar RS300X SD Heart Rate Monitor Watch with S1 Foot Pod

The differences between the RS100 and RS300X are illustrated below:

How RS100 and RS300X Watches Differ

	RS100	RS300X
User configurable display	top line	two lines
Event Countdown Timer	not supported	supported
Display Zoom	not supported	supported
Two Lines	not supported	supported
Transfer logos from Polar web site to wrist unit (UpLink)	not supported	supported
Edit wrist unit settings with Polar UpLink Tool and transfer them to your Polar product (UpLink)	not supported	supported
Number of Exercise Files	1	16
Maximum heart rate	not supported	supported
Last OwnIndex	not supported	supported
Calorie expenditure	exercise total fat%	exercise total
Dual Time Zone	not supported	supported
Display text in English, German, French and Spanish	not supported	supported
T31 coded™ transmitter	not supported	supported
WearLink® 31 coded transmitter (changeable battery)	not compatible	compatible
WearLink® 31 coded transmitter (changeable battery)	not compatible	compatible
Speed and Distance	not supported	supported
Shock resistant	not supported	supported
Full power mode	not supported	avg. 10 hours
Low power battery mode	avg. 15 hours	supported
SIRF-III chipset	not supported	supported
Speed/Pace and Distance	not supported	supported
Speed displayed in pace, or kmph/mph	not supported	supported
Target pace	not supported	supported
Target pace alarms	not supported	supported
Trip Odometer	not supported	supported
Run Distance	not supported	supported
Totals mileage, kilocalories, time training	supported
Distance summaries	not supported	supported
Speed/Pace summaries	not supported	supported
Speed/Pace target zones	not supported	supported
S1 foot pod™	not supported	supported
Wireless ECG accurate heart rate	not supported	supported
Polar sport zones	not supported	supported
Polar OwnZone®	not supported	supported
Polar OwnCal®	not supported	supported
Polar Fitness Test™ with OwnIndex®	not supported	supported
Polar OwnCode® (5kHz)	not supported	supported
HR-based target zones with visual alarm	1	3
HR-based target zones with audible alarm	1	3
Exercise Set (extended exercise profiles)	not supported	supported
HRmax (Polar Fitness test-based)	not supported	supported
Number of laps	not supported	99
Automatic lap recording	not supported	supported
Maximum heart rate of each lap	not supported	supported
Interval trainer (HR, pace, distance) guided workouts	not supported	supported
ZonePointer	not supported	supported
Speed-based target zones with visual and audible alarm	not supported	supported
ZonePointer	not supported	supported

The Polar RS100 Heart Rate Monitor watch is a basic inexpensive and reliable heart rate monitor watch designed for running and multi-sports. It features an easy press lap/split button on the front of the watch in an easy-to-access are allowing athletes to take splits without fear or pressing a wrong button.

Polar invented the world’s first heart rate monitor back in 1977, when they created a training tool for the Finnish National Cross Country Ski Team. Today Polar manufactures a variety of heart rate monitor watches for athletic training, fitness and rehabilitation.

With extra large digits and an over-sized display, the RS100 Polar watch offers 3, clear lines of data – one line that is user-configurable allowing you to view the data fields you need. Heart rate display is expressed in beats per minute or as a percentage of maximum heart rate. The watch also features Target Zones to ensure you exercise within your ideal parameters. Zones can be be setup manually or by letting Polar’s OwnZone feature calculate your zones automatically for you based on your personal details.

With an impressive 99 laps of session data, all the vital statistics of your session are tracked including “Time in Target Zone” and “Total Exercise Time”. The summary can be quite useful in determine how effectively you’re exercising. Also tracked is maximum heart rate, average heart rate, average heart rate of each lap and energy expenditure with Polar’s OwnCal feature that records your calories consumed over a single exercise session (measured in calories burnt or % of fat calories) or accumulated over several sessions. You can also set daily and weekly exercise goals to keep yourself on track.

We think the Polar RS100 Heart Rate Monitor Watch is a great watch for serious runners who seek nothing more than a basic, solid heart rate monitor watch that is capable of tracking workouts and intensity levels. If you want to improve your fitness level, then the Polar watch’s heart rate zone will keep you at your desired intensity for maximum fitness benefits.

Some of the best deals on Polar Watches can be found online at the Amazon website. Amazon also features special discounts from time to time that include Polar RS100 sale items. Amazon also features customer reviews that can be quite informative when buying fitness equipment. A Polar RS100 review will reveal customers actual experiences in the real world making Amazon a valuable a source of information as well as a great place to buy online.

The most obvious change between these and the older Polar models is that the new ones look fantastic as normal, stylish watches. The FT60 and FT80 models also feature the new Polar STAR training program that gives you weekly training targets, adapts to your training habits to guide you without being too strict and allows you flexibility during the week.

Polar’s trademark features have not forgotten either, such as Polar OwnCal® which shows you the calories burned in a session, the ability to sync up with www.polarpersonaltrainer.com – an online exercise journal and community that provides guidance, tracks progress and goals, and lets users challenge their friends and Polar OwnCode® mode that prevents crosstalk from other heart rate monitors nearby.

FA20
$109.95

Designed for walkers, joggers and individuals who want to be more physically active. The FA20 is packed with innovative training features to help you toward your exercise goals. The 24/7 Activity Measurement mode registers all the effective active motion you perform on a daily basis and converts it into digital data.

• Polar OwnCal® Shows you the calories burned in a session
• Can sync your watch with www.polarpersonaltrainer.com – an online exercise journal and community that provides guidance, tracks progress and goals, and lets users challenge their friends
• 24/7 Activity Measurement mode registers all the effective active motion you perform on a daily basis and converts it into digital data
• Recording modes for calculating total distance and calories burned by workout or week

FT40
$159.95

For the health-conscious enthusiast. The FT40 is a training computer that helps you achieve your goals by giving you a better understanding of your body. It determines the right training intensity for you and calculates the point where the main effect of training turns fat burning into fitness improvement. With the FT40, you’ll get clear training guidance that will help you achieve your fitness goals.

• Fitness test measures your aerobic fitness at rest in just five minutes
• Polar OwnCal® Shows you the calories burned in a session
• Can sync your watch with www.polarpersonaltrainer.com – an online exercise journal and community that provides guidance, tracks progress and goals, and lets users challenge their friends
• OwnCode® mode that prevents crosstalk from other heart rate monitors nearby
• EnergyPointer calculates the point where the main effect of training is turning fat burning into fitness improvement
• ZonePointer – an audible and visual feature on the display that shows where your current heart rate sits in your zone

FT60
$219.95

For serious fitness participants or athletes, the new Polar STAR training program gives you weekly training targets, helping you to stay motivated and improve your conditioning. The FT60 works by first checking your daily condition, and then guiding you to the ideal training intensity for your age and fitness level.

• New Polar STAR training program gives you weekly training targets, adapts to your training habits to guide you without being too strict and allows you flexibility during the week
• Fitness test measures your aerobic fitness at rest in just five minutes
• Polar OwnCal® Shows you the calories burned in a session
• Can sync your watch with www.polarpersonaltrainer.com – an online exercise journal and community that provides guidance, tracks progress and goals, and lets users challenge their friends
• Polar OwnCode® mode that prevents crosstalk from other heart rate monitors nearby
• Support for the G1 GPS sensor (sold separately)

FT80
$329.95

For the wholly dedicated athlete. FT80 is the most dedicated training partner for the most devoted fitness enthusiasts. This intelligent training computer helps you achieve maximum efficiency and reach your workout targets for both cardio and strength training, plus its stylish design is comfortable during a hot workout or in everyday use.

• Innovative Strength training guidance feature helps you have a fitter body
• New Polar STAR training program gives you weekly training targets, adapts to your training habits to guide you without being too strict and allows you flexibility during the week
• Fitness test measures your aerobic fitness at rest in just five minutes
• Polar OwnCal® Shows you the calories burned in a session
• Can sync your watch with www.polarpersonaltrainer.com – an online exercise journal and community that provides guidance, tracks progress and goals, and lets users challenge their friends
• Polar OwnCode® mode that prevents crosstalk from other heart rate monitors nearby
• Support for the G1 GPS sensor (sold separately)