Review Polar FS3
Description Review Polar FS3 Heart Rate Monitor Buyer Guide Compare Price
Polar FS3 heart rate monitor is a basic heart rate monitor. It is designed for general use and fitness training.
The main features of the Polar FS3 heart rate monitor are:
- Continuous Heart Rate Monitoring
- Manual and Automatic Setting of Heart Rate Training Zone with Audio and Visual Alarm
- Duration of Exercise Session (using its Stop Watch)
- Average Heart Rate of Exercise Session
- Maximum Heart Rate of Exercise Session
- Basic Time Keeping - Time, Day of the Week, Date
- Backlight
- Wireless heart rate monitor composed of an analogue chest strap transmitter and a wrist watch receiver
- Water resistant up to 50m
The features in bold are found in FS3 but not in FS2. It is in fact identical to Polar FS2 except for ONE additional feature over FS2:
- The aged-based automatic setting of heart rate training zone
What this means is that Polar FS3 heart rate monitor calculates your heart rate training zone according to a formula based on your age. According to its user manual, it estimates your maximum heart rate according to the formula:
Max HR = 220 - Your Age.
If you are 30 year old, your estimated maximum heart rate is 220 - 30 = 190 beats per minute. It then uses your maximum heart rate to calculate your own heart rate percentage training limits.
If, for any reason, you happen to know your actual maximum heart rate (i.e. one that is measured instead of estimated), then you probably don't need this feature. You would use your actual maximum heart rate to calculate your own training limits and set those limits manually on the heart rate monitor watch.
Summary
The Polar FS1, FS2 and FS3 monitors are all basic heart rate monitors with no frills. The suggested retail price of FS3 is $89.95. My pick out of the 3 would be the Polar FS2. The FS3's age-based automatic calculation of heart rate zones probably does not justify an additional $10 over the price of FS2.
Heart Rate Monitor Buyer Guide
Description Review Polar FS3 Heart Rate Monitor Buyer Guide Compare Price
If you're trying to lose weight and get in shape, a heart rate
monitor (HRM) is a great way to monitor your intensity and make sure
you're working in your target heart rate zone. Many monitors not only
provide a continuous heart rate reading but also tell you if you're
working in your zone and how many calories you're burning.
With the variety of HRMs out there, it's hard to know how to
choose the right one for you. Before you spend your money, check out
the factors you want to consider when buying a heart rate monitor.
The type of HRM you buy will often depend on your fitness level,
needs and goals:
For Basic Model: Look for a basic model and
functionality that offers your heart rate monitoring like the Omron
Heart Rate Monitor HR-100C, Timex
T5G941 Heart Rate Monitor, Polar
FS1
- Omron
Heart Rate Monitor HR-100C is basic heart rate monitor that
is inexpensive, easy to use and doesn't require hours of time spent
reading a manual to figure it out. You get a continuous reading of
your heart rate, an alarm that tells you when you're in your heart
rate zone, time of day display and a daily reminder alarm. At around
$30-$50, this is a great price for what you get and users will be
pleased with how easy this is to use.
- Timex
T5G941 Heart Rate Monitor is basic model that's easy to use,
offers basic heart rate and workout information and is a favorite
among exercisers. The display is large, so you can easily see the
numbers and it includes an activity timer to rack exercise time as
well as information about minimum, average and maximum heart rate
for each workout. Most exercisers like the fact that you can change
the battery yourself (something you can't do with all HRMs) and that
you can figure out how to set it up without spending hours reading
the manual. At around $30-$60, this HRM is perfect for people who
want the basics for a great price.
- Polar
FS1 is the perfect choice for the exerciser who doesn't want
to fool with a lot of buttons during their workouts. The extra large
display and the one-button functionality make this monitor easy to
use and easy to see. The basic features include your heart rate, a
visual and audible alarm that lets you know if you're in your target
heart rate zone, a stop watch and, of course, a clock. At around
$50-$60, this monitor will give you what you need without all the
bells and whistles. There are the higher models of Polar
FS1 which are Polar
FS2 and Polar
FS3.
|
Features of basic model
|
Omron
HR-100C
|
Timex
T5G941
|
Polar
FS1
|
Polar
FS2
|
Polar
FS3
|
|
Continuous Heart Rate Monitoring (see what your current
heart rate is on your wrist watch and how it fluctuates while you
are exercising )
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Heart Rate Training Zone with Alarms (manually set your
heart rate alarm zone, lower and upper heart rate limits in which
you will be doing your exercise)
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Duration of Exercise Session (tells you how long you
have been exercising)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Average Heart Rate of Exercise Session
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Maximum Heart Rate of Exercise Session
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Basic Time Keeping (for example, won't let you set the
date and a wake up alarm)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Backlight
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
The aged-based automatic setting of heart rate training
zone (Max Heart Rate = 220 - Your Age)
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
For Weight Loss: Try a HRM that tracks time spent in
your heart rate zone and calories burned such as the Polar
F6. Polar
F6 does more than just display your heart rate, but isn't so
high-end that you'd have to get an engineering degree to figure it
out, the Polar
F6 is an excellent choice. The F6 has a variety of functions,
from tracking heart rate and workout intensity to calculating
calories burned and time spent in each zone. It also provides a
weekly summary of your workouts that can help you stay motivated and
set new goals. There is the lower model which is Polar
F4. The higher models are Polar
F7, Polar
F11 and Polar
F55.
For General Fitness: Try one that helps you improve
fitness with information about intensity and training zones, like
the Polar
FT60. If you're into fitness and want to improve your workouts
and/or lose weight, the FT 60 offers personalized workouts that
adapt according to your workout habits and goals. The FT 60 gives
you weekly targets (such as to workout a certain number of minutes)
based on your goals and tracks how you did. Aside from your heart
rate, the FT 60 also offers a fitness test, calories burned and it
keeps track of all your workouts. The FT 60 is also compatible with
the Polar GPS Unit (which is Polar
FT60G1) and FlowLink which allows you to transfer data to your
computers. At around $197, this is a pricey heart rate monitor but
offers great motivation for people who have specific goals. The
lower model is Polar
FT40 and the higher model are Polar
FT 80 and Polar
FT 80 w/ G1 GPS.
For Athletes: Consider a HRM, like the Garmin
Forerunner 405 HRM, that offers multi-sport support, workout
feedback and advanced features such as GPS and downloadable data. If
you're a multi-sport athlete, you may want a more serious heart rate
monitor like the Garmin
Forerunner 405 HRM. You get a heart rate monitor, GPS tracking
and the ability to create your own workouts as well as analyze
everything from your pace and distance to calories burned. One
stand-out feature is the courses, which lets you compete against
your previous workout by comparing heart rate and pace - a great way
to see if you're improving from workout to workout. This is also a
good one for triathletes because you can transition between sports
without resetting it. The lower model is Garmin
Forerunner 305 HRM and The higher model is Garmin
Forerunner 405CX HRM.
Description Review Polar FS3 Heart Rate Monitor Buyer Guide Compare Price