Polar FT80 Heart Rate Monitor Watch (Black)

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Description  Review  Compare Polar FT Series  Heart Rate Monitor Buyer Guide  Compare Price

Pros :

• Impressive list of features
• Looks great
• Polar OwnCode prevents interference

Cons :

• Screen is difficult to read
• Can only upload data to Polar’s online service
• GPS capability is limited with the Polar G1 GPS sensor

The Bottom Line : The Polar FT80 comes is 2 versions, one with the Polar G1 GPS sensor and one without. At around a $100 price difference, the limited functionality of the Polars G1 GPS sensor is really not worth the xtra cost. The poor screen also makes it almost impossible to use for fast paced activities. With this being said, the Polar FT80 is a good watch for gym users and cross training. I highly recommend the Polar FT80 if this is your intended use for the heart rate monitor. Those looking for better GPS and multisport capabilities should rather consider looking at the Garmin Forerunner 405.

The Polar FT80 is a heart rate monitor geared towards the serious athlete looking for the ultimate tool to reach their fitness goals. Its provides a variety of features specifically for cardio and strength training, while also a being able to link to other Polar Pods for multi-sport capabilities.

Product Features

• Graphical Guidance (shows you exactly when your body is ready to do your next exercise set/interval)
• Polar STAR feature (creates training targets based on previous workouts)
• Polar Strength Training (shows when body is ready to do next weights set)
• Polar OwnZone, ZoneLock and ZonePointer (helps to remain in specific heart rate zone)
• Polar OwnCode Transmission (prevents interference)
• Polar Fitness Test (determines you fitness level)
• Polar OwnCal (displays calorie expenditure)
• Heart rate displayed as a percentage, bpm or graph
• Upload data to polarpersonaltrainer.com

Multi-Sport Features
The Polar FT80 heart rate monitor can be linked to:

• Polar G1 GPS Sensor (Speed/distance for any outdoor sport*)
• Polar Foot Pod (Running speed/distance)

Performance Polar FT80 heart rate monitor represents a major leap forward for Polar. At Heart Rate Monitor Fitness, we were getting tired of the old style Polar look, especially compared to the latest exciting offerings from Garmin. Fortunately, the Polar FT80 has been designed with a stylish, modern exterior. The watch feels very robust and solid, combined with a very precise fit on the wrist.

This style blends well with the long list of features associated with the heart rate monitor, as you can from its impressive feature list. Luckily, the Polar FT80 is reasonably easy to use and navigate around. However, the screen is a major problem. The white characters on the black background are very difficult to read and the lack of a screen contrast setting does not help this. It’s fine for normal gym use, but makes getting readings while running or cycling almost impossible.

The Polar FT80 heart rate monitor, contains a wide variety of other well know Polar tools for improving your work outs. The watch can display your current heart rate as a percentage, beasts per minute or as an actual graph. In fact the most innovative feature is know as ‘graphical guidance‘. It shows a line of optimal recovery on a graph, so when the line hits it you know you are ready for your next set. This is an essential tool when your workout can be drastically affected by having too little or too much recovery time.

Another interesting feature is the Polar STAR feature. This provides weekly training targets based on your previous workouts, with the ability to download new exercises over Polar’s website. However, at the time of writing, there have been complaints about the reliability of the web service and hopefully Polar can look into this.

The transmission quality is very good. ANT transmission is becoming standard amongst top quality heart rate, and the Polar FT80 is no exception. With ‘Polar OwnCode‘, the watch experiences no interference in the busy gym environment, which is important since this seems to be what the watch is best suited for. The Polar WearLink heart rate strap is also extremely comfortable and reliable while exercising.

The heart rate monitor can also be linked to two pods for speed and distance measurement. The Polar S1 Foot Pod attaches to your shoe and provides running speed and distance, while the new Polar G1 GPS sensor provides speed and distance measurement for any other outdoor activity such as cycling or skiing. The sensors work well and are easy to install. Please note that the Polar G1 GPS sensor only provides speed and distance, and not full GPS mapping capability. If you want this feature rather look at the Garmin Forerunner 405.

The Polar FT80 is also compatible with the the polarpersonaltrainer.com website, which allows the upload of your heart rate data. Unfortunately, the requires a FlowLink connection cradle (which costs extra) and your data can only be stored on the Internet. Despite this, in a short amount of time we could look at our uploaded graphs, calenders and other training data. However, we really would have liked to see integration with the proper Polar ProTrainer computer software.

Description  Review  Compare Polar FT Series  Heart Rate Monitor Buyer Guide  Compare Price

Description  Review  Compare Polar FT Series  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.

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