Polar FT4 Heart Rate Monitor

This monitor is great. Being able to track my heart rate has enabled me to finally have enjoyable and effective outdoor and at-home workouts. Before, I always either questioned my efficiency and often pushed myself way too hard, leading to injury and loss of motivation to continue, or avoided home workouts because I thought I wouldn't be working hard enough with them. Now, I know exactly how intense I need to be going because of the heart rate tracking. Ever since I was 12 (I'm 21 now), between half and all of my workouts took place at the gym because I always thought that was the only setting in which I could have a good workout. I can definitely say that was just a psychological thing! Even though this monitor is somewhat of an investment, it's definitely going to save me money because I don't feel like I will need to join a gym in order to get fit. In addition to the heart rate tracking, the calorie counting function is really motivating. This is a really simple, no-frills kind of device, which I really like. I once had the bodybugg device and it really irritated my skin and was quite ugly to wear. It also did not track my heart rate, just calories, making it a poor device for improving athletic performance. It (like the Fitbit and many other devices) had an online tracking software that in theory was cool, but for me, was just too meticulous and annoying. To my knowledge, there is no complicated online tracking app for the FT4; instead I just retrieve my data straight from the watch. I also had the Fitbit and it just measured way too many senseless parameters that I did not need to know about during my workout (i.e., flights of stairs per day, a vine of leaves that showed my "activity level"(duh, I'm working out, I know I am being active)). I also prefer that I just have a device to measure my workout and not something like the FitBit that I need to remember to take with me everywhere I go. I think it would be nice to have a distance tracking function on the polar FT4, but other than that, it really is the perfectly simple device to help motivate you during your workouts!

I purchased the Polar FT4 Heart Rate Monitor Watch about a year ago after doing a lot of research on the countless fitness trackers out there on the market, and I rely heavily on Amazon reviews. I typically do not write reviews myself, but I have been so happy with this purchase I was compelled to share my support for this as well. The ratings and reviews on this monitor are spot on. When I was looking for a fitness tracker I was taking a few things into consideration: truly reliable heart rate monitoring (running & lifting weights), calorie tracker, workout timer, and price. I was not concerned about a step counter, sleep tracker, and or a fancy app tracker to go along with it. Don't get me wrong, those Fitbit watches are slick, but I personally didn't really need all of that. Plus, I didn't want a fitness watch to wear all day; I prefer to wear my other daily watches. Last thing about Fitbit, while they do have a good track record of accurate heart rate monitoring while walking/running, I've read that their watches do not track heart rate as well when doing strength training/lifting, which was personally a deal breaker for me. My goal was to monitor my daily calorie intake to lose weight, so I paired this watch which tracks calories burned during workouts and the free Under Armour calorie counter app which tells you exactly how many calories are in the food/meals you eat. They worked amazing together. To date, I'm down 23 lbs. and I seriously don't think I could have done it without this watch. It is so simple to use, and it provides instant gratification at the end of the workout to know exactly how many calories you've burned. One thing I've always struggled with while running/working out was the guessing game of how many calories I burned, did I really push myself as hard as I could, and constantly looking at the clock on the wall to figure out my rest time. This watch takes care of all of that. The workout timer is also amazing because I like to do a lot of circuit training, so whenever I am done with a lift, I know exactly how much time I have to rest until the next set. Such a simple concept for a fitness watch, but Polar just makes it so easy, it’s amazing. No issues with batteries, malfunctioning, or anything like that either. I could go on, but in all, I couldn't be happier with this purchase. If you are looking for an easy to use, reliable, and functional heart rate monitor, then I can tell you this is it. Awesome job Polar, I think you've made a lifelong customer because of it. Good luck everyone!

I wasn't sure about this, because I've never used a "heart rate monitor" before and I pictured something they'd hook you up to in a hospital. However, the good reviews here on Amazon sold me, and it wasn't that expensive. Well, I couldn't be happier. The strap isn't bulky at ALL--I really do forget it's there! I thought it was weird that you have to wet the "electrodes" before use, but I just literally rinse them for a second and then put it on. When I'm done working out, I immediately take the strap off, rinse it off thoroughly, and hang it to dry (after taking off the little monitor thing, of course). I've washed it a few times with gentle soap, as per the instructions. This is exactly what I wanted for my fitness goals. I'm not a huge fitness nut, but I wanted to get healthier and lose some weight, and I hated estimating how many calories I was burning. Proof--on MyFitnessPal, which I use to track my activity and eating, it wanted to give me around 150 calories for a 51-minute I took with my dog today. However, this HRM said 350--because it picked up on the fact that most of it was uphill and I was going at a fast pace, hence burning more calories. I also like seeing my heart rate fluctuate because it motivates me to keep moving--not to let my dog sniff too much! I've always hated going up hills, and now I know why--my heart rate jumps at least 15 BPM when I'm going up a hard hill! But that's how I burn so many calories (that and the brisk pace). So, I'm more motivated to go up hills because there's an explicit pay off. It's also very encouraging to look down and see how many calories you're burning! And to know that it's realistic and not something a computer comes up with. I will say that the elliptical at the gym is pretty darn close to this thing, but it says I'm burning about 20 more calories than I really am at any given time. So I've burned, say, 250, but the elliptical says 270. Not a huge deal, but I like knowing it's really 250 because I don't want those 20 calories to make me go over my "budget" for the day. Again, I was pretty skeptical with this, because I pictured it being really bulky and not accurate. But I find it's very accurate, and very motivating! I also like that you can set up the heart rate goal so you know if you're getting too low or high. This thing really encourages me to keep moving and to keep my heart rate up--which is just what I wanted! Very easy to use, too. A great purchase! BONUS - I plan to try to start a family in the near future, and this will be great for monitoring my heartrate while walking, etc. so I don't go over the safe limit. It's just good to see where your heart rate is.

I have been using my new Polar FT4 heart rate monitor literally non-stop for the past four days. I had several goals in mind with this purchase: 1) track my actual daily calorie expenditure (with and without working out); 2) track the intensity of my workouts and measure total calories burned for the workout; 3) use it to plan my meal/calorie distribution throughout the day. Recognizing that my demands on this simple device are ambitious, I can say that overall I am very pleased with it's performance in each area. Design of the watch: The watch itself is a "pinkish/neutral/bronze" color that is hard to describe exactly. The good news is that somehow it manages to match basically any color attire you might wear. The band is made out of a disappointingly cheap plastic material that feels like "kid's watch" and pinches your skin easily. Also a nuisance is the fact that the face of the watch has a sort of "fixed hinge" with the sides of the band. In other words, the watch will not lie flat, it's always shaped in a rounded formation. This may be seriously problematic for individuals with very small or very large width wrists. The face of the watch is also a rubbery plastic which seems moderately scratch resistant, though I anticipate that it may get beat up in the weight room at the gym. The display on the face is large and easy to read at a glance, which is nice. Overall, I would rate the design of the watchband only 2 out of 5 stars. The material is very cheap and causes my skin to itch and sweat where it is strapped on. Design of the chest strap: I'm a rather petite female who is relatively lean (< 10% body fat) so the chest strap is conspicuous when I wear it with my sports bra and fitted tank top at the gym. You can see the imprint of the transmitter in the center of my chest, although it doesn't look overly out of place given the fact that I am at the gym. However, I have also been wearing the chest strap with my normal attire outside of the gym and it becomes rather uncomfortable with prolonged use (5+ hours). The strap material is elastic and polyester and easily collects sweat and moisture, so it will need to be cleaned frequently. The front part of the strap (housing the conductive electrodes) is made of a "pleather" type material that is mostly inelastic. If you work out very frequently and for prolonged periods of time, you might consider purchasing the Polar sports bra with built-in chest strap. This particular chest strap appears as though it were designed for a man and is a little cumbersome in my personal opinion. Overall, I would rate the design of the chest strap 2 out of 5 stars. Features of watch: The features of the watch/monitor are what make this such an awesome training tool. The watch has three basic features: view your heart rate, view your calories burned, and view your heart rate relative to your "target range." The heart rate reading is constant, real-time and easily read in large print digits. You can also see a reading of your calories burned as you progress through your workout. I chose to track an entire day, wake to sleep--so I tracked 15+ hours at a time in order to view my calories for the day. You cannot collect multiple workouts at one time. For example: you cannot track the day and then simultaneously track your workout on a separate file. You must press "Stop" and start over with a whole new file if you want your actual workout to be separate from your entire day. Also, there is no way to run a stopwatch, which was somewhat disappointing. However, you can view a timer for your workout on one screen that also displays the time of day. Overall, I would rate the features of the watch 4 out of 5 stars. It has great functionality, but could use a few tweaks to make it much more optimal. Ease of use: The watch is generally easy to set up and use. It may take a little bit of time to familiarize yourself with the buttons. I also found the backlight button to be mildly irritating. Unlike other watches, if you press the "backlight" button you permanently activate the backlight to come on any time you press any button on the watch. To de-activate it, you need to press and hold the backlight button and wait for a beep. These instructions are not in the manual. I also found that the chest sensor strap was susceptible to giving out when it became especially wet. At one point I had to rinse it with tap water and let it thoroughly dry for a few hours before attempting to use it again. Overall, I would rate the total product with 4 out of 5 stars for ease of use. Overall Product: I have definitely been showing off my new heart rate monitor to my gym friends and co-workers, and I highly recommend it. Though it has a few shortcomings (mostly in the design of the physical watch) its an outstanding tool and invaluable for individuals who are getting serious about their diet and/or training regimen. I hardly feel justified giving it 3 stars, given that I have been happily using it non-stop for days. But, its shortcomings cannot be overlooked entirely: Overall 4/5 stars. A solid product! 6 Months Post-Purchase Update: I have now been using the Polar FT4 daily for about 6 months. Overall, I continue to be pleased with its features and functionality but I have already considered replacing or "upgrading" into something that addresses a few design flaws which have begun to bug me more and more each workout. First, the watch band is just flat out uncomfortable. There's no other way to describe it. It pinches your skin, refuses to lay flat and generally bruises my wrist when I wear it doing certain weight exercises (like squats and lat pull downs). I actually take it off completely and put it on the bench or in my pocket during some exercises. Second, the fact that you have to scroll through 3-4 screens mid-workout to see your workout timer, heart rate, and calories burned is a bit annoying. It would be nice to be able to see your heart rate on EVERY screen (perhaps in small print along the top of the screen) at a bare minimum. Instead, I fumble between the three screens every few minutes while doing cardio especially. This has gotten a bit aggravating. In terms of the performance of the heart rate sensor, I have begun to notice that if I don't moisten the chest strap prior to putting it on, the watch will completely fail to register a signal until I either start sweating really heavy or wet the strap with tap water. Lately, I have also noticed that the watch "loses its connection" with the chest strap when my arms are fully extended above my head (such as during pull ups) and then when my heart rate reading comes back its either half or double it's actual value. Hmmmm.... I'm not sure what to make of these quirks. Perhaps I need to replace the strap, the batteries or both. Keep in mind I do use these devices at LEAST once per day, and usually twice per day. I would imagine that the amount of wear and tear I put on my heart rate monitor is a bit more than the average user, but not withstanding, I am starting to consider looking in to a different set up.

I have tried so many heart monitors, and none of them suited me. They either didn't work well, weren't comfortable, didn't have a continuous reading of my heart rate, which is important, or the chest strap was too big for my rib cage. I had heard good things about Polar, so I decided to try the FT4, and it works really well. The chest strap is really easy to put on, and I am able to get it tight around my chest. It does start slipping a little sometimes when I sweat a lot or move fast, but it does not seem to interfere with transmitting my heart rate. I either put electrode gel or water on it, and both seem to work well. The wrist monitor shows a continuous heart rate, and you can cycle through different screens to see calories burned, how long you've been working out, etc. I would have liked to have been able to set a maximum and minimum heart rate, so it could alert me if I went over or under either, but this model does not seem to have that. It is not a big deal, though, since I can just easily look at the screen if I'm worried my heart rate is getting too high. After your workout, it gives you a summary of the calories you burned, what your average heart rate was, what your maximum heart rate was, how long you were "in the zone," and so on. It is very, very helpful. I was not aware that I was burning so many calories at the gym because MyFitnessPal apparently thought I wasn't working out very hard and would estimate my calories at 200. I was actually burning way over that. This is very useful because I base my caloric intake on how much I burn. The only minor problem I have had with it is that in some yoga positions, it loses its signal. I don't really care, though. It's understandable that it loses its signal because I'm twisting myself into a pretzel. It also makes faint beeping noises sometimes. I have no idea why, but I figured out how to turn them off. If I am remembering correctly, if you press pause while it's in workout mode and press down (I think), you can go to the screen that lets you turn off the sounds. I'm very happy with my heart monitor, and it has proven incredibly useful. My husband bought the black one and has been very happy with his, as well.

So I bought this in September and have not been to the gym without it ever since. It is truly my companion and I will not workout with it on. So the pros of this are that it does exactly what it says it does, it tracks your heart rate, calories burned, gym time, and even stores this information as training files on the watch itself. The heart rate monitor itself is tiny and easy to put on. It is very comfortable, as in you do not notice you are even wearing it (if i run errands after the gym I usually forget to take it off until I get home to shower). It is a very reliable device and I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to keep track of calories burned and how much time they spend in the gym (or outside running). CONS: When you receive the watch it comes with the soft strap in a generic size of M-XXL. I am a very petite girl and so I had a lot of trouble with keeping the band up on my chest. It would often slide onto my stomach and so there's me at the gym, doing cardio, trying to get this heart rate monitor back in the correct position (I wear it directly under my sports bra). It was tightened as far as it would go and it still fell down. It really started interfering with my workouts and so I contacted Polar and they replaced the soft strap with an XS at no charge to me. Now it fits perfect!:) Also, for some odd reason this watch DOES NOT have a stopwatch. I mistakenly thought that because it was a sports watch it would have a stop watch, nope. Just keep in mind when buying this if your a tinier person like I am the soft strap will give you grief. However, I still gave this 5 stars because it is an EXCELLENT watch, does what it is supposed to do, and Polar customer service was super nice and completely understood my situation. When this watch poops out on me (which I hope isn't for a long time) I will definitely be buying this brand again!

I loved it initially; I could track my progress and I enjoyed its features: simple and easy to use. It worked for about three months without any issue. Then it started to have error messages in the middle of workouts: check heart rate signal. It wasn't that often so I could deal with it, but then it couldn't find a heart rate at all after a while. I was even cleaning it after each use and changed the battery in both the watch and strap. I sent it to the manufacturer since it was still under a year old. I explained I didn't need a battery and that I was receiving an error message every time I used the monitor. They provided me with an invoice for $40 which included $20 for a new strap and $20 for a battery replacement I didn't need. I called to understand being charged for items I didn’t need and that I thought it was under warranty for the first year. They said the strap wasn't under warranty but I don't know how I was supposed to know this. So even though they say their product is covered under warranty for the first year, the main component that breaks isn't. They said the heart rate sensor transmitted failed so they replaced that at no cost. They said the strap was oxidized and damaged but not covered. I told the customer service representative I would buy the new strap and I asked if I would be charged for shipping and the woman said no. I repeated to make sure it was clear I wouldn’t be charged for shipping and she said no. I then checked my credit card and found out I was charged $7.50 for shipping. When I called they wouldn’t stand by their statement of not being charged and would not refund me the shipping and handling and just apologized for the misunderstanding. They asked if I wanted someone to contact me after listening to the recorded conversation. I said yes. No one contacted me. I received an email survey for customer satisfaction. I stated my story again and received a reply that I would be refunded the shipping and handling, which I appreciated. The worst part is: shortly after receiving the product back I started receiving the error message again. Even after cleaning it after each use. So in the end I paid $20 for something that still doesn’t work. So not only did I receive poor customer service but the product is practically worthless because it doesn’t perform its main function.

This HRM has become such an asset to my workouts that I feel lost without it on the rare occasions when I'm not wearing it. I purchased this watch about 9 months ago and for as often as I've used it, it still works perfectly. The chest band is comfortable and I never even feel it while working out plus it stays in place very nicely. The main reason I purchased this was to motivate me to continue on my fitness journey and I can honestly say that it has helped tremendously. After a good workout, it's always a nice "surprise" to see how many calories I burned and I compete against myself each time to see if I can do a little better. It's probably not a completely accurate reading but that's okay with me. Seeing results whether that be on the screen of your HRM or the transformation of your body is one of the most motivating and uplifting things. The second reason for getting it is obviously to check my heart rate. I do a lot of HIIT training which really elevates your heart rate. Most of the time, even when I'm "Out of zone"(169-171, etc.) I'm fine. It just means I'm putting in some serious work but just this past week, I was towards the end of a HIIT workout when this wave of nausea passed over me like a cloud. I felt as if I were about to pass out and I quickly pulled my headphones out of my ears and looked down at my HRM which was beeping a "174 out of zone" I immediately slowed to get it back down and was thankful that I had it. I would definitely recommend the Polar FT4 to anyone that exercises consistently, to those wanting to begin to exercise regularly or for those who do it periodically. No matter what way or how you work out, it's still a work out and you're still moving.Good luck and don't give up! ***UPDATE*** For two years, this little guy worked like a charm. Every now and again, it would lose signal but it was very rare. Now? I can't ever get it to catch my heart rate. I've changed the battery in the watch and when that didn't help, I also changed it in the chest band and it still wouldn't catch a signal. I made sure to wet it, re-position the band, everything. I became so frustrated that I don't waste my time with it anymore. I don't regret buying it because I really liked having it when it was reliable but just keep in mind it's life span may be a bit short.

Awesome watch! Worth every penny!

階級別の格闘技をやっており、だいたい大会の2、3ヶ月くらい前から減量を行います。 去年までは、ただがむしゃらに走り込みをしたり食事制限を行っていましたが、 そんな元気も気力もなくなってきたので、より効率的に減量を行うため、機能から判断し、このFT4を購入しました。 物の本によれば、 最大心拍数の60%〜70%で運動を行った場合、消費カロリーの約85%が脂肪から供給されるとのことで、 この心拍数の範囲での運動が一番減量に効果的です。 FT4は目標心拍数の上限と下限を表示(ターゲットゾーン設定)できるので、 脂肪燃焼のためのペース調整に非常に役立ちました。 実際、FT4を装着して脂肪燃焼に効果的な心拍数でランニングしてみましたが、 非常に楽なペースで、今まで辛い思いをして走り込みをしたのは何だったのだろうと思う程でした。(全く無駄ではなかったが) さらにFT4には消費カロリー表示機能があり、この機能は減量へのモチベーションを上げてくれますし、 計画的な減量には欠かせないと思いました。(ベーシックモデルのF1〜F3にはカロリー表示機能はなかったと思います。) 必要最低限の機能がついて比較的安価なこのFT4、非常におすすめです!

I bought this heart monitor to use in the gym as it appeared to do everything I required. Nothing too difficult - record results for 4 exercises, each showing average and maximum heart rates, duration, and calories. Also, heart rate to appear on the dial during exercises and even better if it also transfers this figure to the exercise machine (where possible). When it arrived I was somewhat disappointed as it looked rather flimsy and plasticy - my previous Oregon monitor was larger and more sturdy (however, it failed to work properly after 3 years). Well, my concerns were unfounded. The Polar monitor does everything I required (and more). It does not need to be large and heavy-duty - the simple design is strong enough and not of inferior Chinese quality. The heart rate does show on the exercise machines. Another excellent feature is the detachment of the monitor itself from the chest strap, so that the battery then stops working. In my Orogon the battery had to be removed to stop it and it was the monitor part that eventually failed.) Learning how to use it was very quick - it is not unnecessarily complex. It is also very easy to use. Finally, changing the battery in both the watch and monitor is quick and easy. (On my Orogon, it was extremely difficult to change the battery in the watch.) No complaints other than the fact that it looks like I am wearing a plastic digital watch rather than a sporty accessory !

I have had the Polar FT4 for a month now! I am so satisfied with this purchase! Here are a couple reasons why: 1) It came with batteries. 2) When you wear the band, its like it isn't even there. 3) The band connects with cardio machines at my gym. 4) The watch is super cute! (I'm not a watch person so I only wear it at the gym.) 5) It's easy to use. 5) It keeps me motivated to work out because it's motivating seeing that your body is working hard (your heart rate) and that you are making progress (burning calories). 6) I got it at a sale price! (Having the product now, I see that it is worth the original price so I am really really really glad about getting it for $59.99.) These are the top reasons for why I love the Polar FT4. Anyone thinking about buying it should do so! It's worth the original cost!

これは最高だよ！ 色もかわいいし、どのぐらいのカロリーを消費してるかをすぐわかるしし、ランニングのとき心拍数のコントロールもできるし とりあえず、this is the best purchase ever! Girls who try to get fit must have this!