Before settling on the Polar FT7 Heart Rate Monitor, I did a lot of research on the various types of HRM out there. I was looking for a HRM that wouldn''t just give me my heart rate, but I also wanted a bit more features, but I didn''t need a lot of features that the higher numbered FT models offered.When I saw the FT7 model, I was surprised to see so little reviews or mentions of this model. I''m not sure why, maybe this is a newer model or Polar just prefers directing people to the more expensive models because I kept seeing numerous reviews for the F6 or F7, FT40, and FT60 models.
After comparing various Polar HRMs, I settled for the FT7 because it had all the features that I was looking for in a HRM.
Watch/HRM
Monitors heart rates. I found the monitoring to be accurate except underwater. (I''ll go into detail about that a bit later.)
Counts Calories. The Calorie counter seems to be quite accurate. I have used it for walking, spinning classes, swimming, and strength training sessions and the calorie counts are reasonable.
Target heart rate graph. The graph is useful for seeing where you are and if you''re within your minimum and maximum HR "fitness" ranges during a session.
Very user friendly. Even though there aren''t any instructions on setting up the watch, I didn''t think they were needed. I didn''t even bother looking at the manual until I was done configuring the watch, but I''ve never been one to read manuals. However, others may find the lack of a detailed manual a bit frustrating.
Stores Training Files. Which include records of session durations, calories burned, average HR, Maximum HR, and the amount of time your workout HR was spent in the target range.
Weekly Summaries. This basically sums up the total amount of time spent training, the total calories during each session, and how many sessions during the week.
Settings are very easy to change especially if you have any weight changes and want to keep an accurate count of calories being burned.
There is also a backlight, which is quite handy if you''re somewhere with minimal lighting.
I also found out that if you hold the "down arrow" button, you can change the time to a second time zone that you can set by going through the "quick menu" which is accessed by holding down the "backlight button (*)" which also leads to the "button lock" feature. If you hold down the "up arrow" button, you can change the "Watch face" to just display the time and date or the time and date and logo, which is smaller on the face, but it includes seconds and FT7 logo along the bottom.
The women''s watch is black with a gold stripe down the center of the band. I found the design to be all right. It is less flashy and colorful as the other models, which is one reason I like this watch. I can wear it with my work clothes and it does not stand out much.
User changeable batteries. This was something I really wanted out of my HRM. I never liked sending something to the manufacturer for replacements even under warranty. I just don''t like dealing with shipping, waiting, and extra fees.
Water Resistant. I have used this HRM in the pool and the monitoring is relatively accurate when it actually reads the transmitter. I believe the Polar website notes that in some highly chlorinated pools or seawater the transmitter will not be picked up underwater. The pool in my gym is very chlorinated and there were times when the HRM will not pick up my heart rate. But if I just sit still in the water for a minute or so the watch will pick up the signal again. Though this can get annoying if you are trying to swim laps for endurance. The watch still gives me a fair calculation of calories I have burned during my swim sessions. Though the calorie count is most likely lower since I''m not sure how long the watch is not reading my heart rate during times when I am swimming several laps nonstop. I also tried using this in a saltwater treated pool and the moment I went underwater the transmitter does not work at all. So I''m guessing that this HRM will not work if you are swimming in the ocean.
Chest Strap
The Chest strap is very comfortable, and I usually don''t feel it, but then again it might be because I''m used to having something strapped around my chest all day. And I have had no problems of it slipping. It is also recommended to wet the straps a little. I usually just wet my hands a bit and rub against the cloth area, and I''m good to go.
User changeable batteries. The transmitter pops off easily from the strap, and like the watch, I can change my own batteries, but unfortunately the watch and transmitter use different types of batteries.
Another perk is that most of the machines in my gym also pick up the transmitter readings, allowing me not have to keep glancing at my watch while I''m on the elliptical or cycling.
Overall, I really like this watch. For the price I paid, it was worth it and it gives me all the basic things I need to monitor my workout sessions.
If you want a simple watch that gives you fairly accurate heart rates, calorie burns, training records, and user changeable batteries the FT7 is a cheaper option to the FT40 and FT60 models.
According to the product information, you can actually wash the chest strap in the washer haven''t tried it yet.
Fairly easy to use once you get used to which button controls which feature. Advice when you are setting the watch up for the first time, have the manual in front of you. I accidentally deleted my settings the first few times.
Using the watch while jogging and walking is very easy the screen is much easier to read than other products I have tried. I was most interested in tracking heart rate, calories burned, and some basics of how I was working out in the fat burning and fitness zones. This watch does a great job with that afetr you complete a workout it produces a simple summary of total cals burned, how many minutes you spent in far burn vs fitness, and your average heart rate.
I am sure hard core runners want something more than tracks mileage, but I tried a watch like that and found it too cumbersome. Since I am merely using this for fitness, it works perfectly.
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I''ve had the ft7 for maybe two weeks now, using it many times, since it is my first heart rate monitor. Overall, i think it is a good deal. It feels and looks like a high-quality instrument solid, if not "flashy". It fits my wrists just fine and seems to have plenty of adjustment for larger wrists (I have fairly small wrists for a guy, at a "healthy" weight of 157 at 5''8", at age 40). I believe the watch band is anti-microbial (and anyway, has a cool yet subtle almost snakeskin kind of look to it). The band''s connection to the watch seems quite integrated and sturdy, with the vertical thickness of the band being the same as the watch where the two meet. The watch''s main body, while plenty large, does not dwarf my wrist or anything.I understand that it is a fairly recent development for Polar that the chest strap and the watch will both take regular batteries, rather than having to order replacements from Polar. Certainly that is more convenient. Also as I reviewed potentially replacing my ft7 (see reason below), I found that it is also a treat to have a fabric strap for the heart signal transmitter, as a lot of manufacturers use plastic or rubber (?). I find the fabric strap to be no discomfort at all.
The "heart touch" (i think that''s the name) feature, is at least a cool novelty bring your watch close to your heart strap and the watch will beep then flash to show the time, then go back to the previous display after a few seconds.
You can manually rotate through several displays as you are training. I would prefer a display that shows the heart rate and the training time at once, but that combination doesn''t exist. The heart rate is a part of one of the combo displays, but oddly, it is paired with the time of day rather than the training time.
Also, the timing functions are rudimentary. As far as i can tell (and i''ve read the manual too), there isn''t a timer or stopwatch function separate from the heart rate training to use any kind of timer you must "start training" which then looks for a heart signal. If you continue without the strap, it will warn you there''s no heart signal, but once you acknowledge that, that warning disappears and you''ll see the timer again. There is no interval or lap timing or countdown function, which seems odd to me as a newbie, for a $110 watch, even if lesser timer/stopwatch functions might be usual for this heart rate monitor watch industry. The watch just keeps track of your training duration, but you can pause and continue your work as many times as you want.
The recording of your training sessions is exceptional the manual said up to 99 training files will be saved. I know i''ve already got over 20 that are definitely in the watch.
It also automatically keeps track of how much time you spend in "fat burning" or "fitness" zones during your workout. The calculation for that is automatic based on the input you gave when you set up the watch. (age, height, weight, maximum heart rate).
I''ll emphasize that this watch will allow you to change your maximum heart rate setting, which presumably will change the watch''s calculations for your different training zones (I''m not sure how big the effect is, having just learned enough about my probable true maximum heart rate to change it today). I''ve read that for similarly trained people of the same age in the same athletic endeavors, max HR can differ by as much as 60 bpm (!), so this feature seems very important. I seem to have a much higher max HR than what the usual formulas calculate. (That, or the watch doesn''t detect HR well, which I don''t think is the case, as I''ve noticed this tendency for a long time on gym equipment with pulse detectors).
Besides being able to set your own maximum heart rate, the ft7 has a zone alarm, that will beep when your heart rate has exceeded the limit (which you can set). UNFORTUNATELY (and this is why despite liking the watch overall, i will be taking it back), the sound the watch makes is very very low in volume. If I''m biking against the wind I''ll hardly hear it if at all. If I''m running on a quiet trail, I''ll probably hear it if i''m listening for it. If i''m running on the sidewalk along a main road, I''ll probably not hear it above the vehicle noise. As is, kind of defeats the purpose of having an audible alarm if despite having it I''m always having to steady my hand while running, or let go of the handlebars while riding to see what my heart rate is. I can find no volume adjustment, looking through the watch settings or reading the manual.
I''d like to say I know more about whether this might simply be a problem with my particular watch, or a design defect. I started a forum question at Polar''s site, but got little response. One other person said they had the same problem there, last i checked. The watch''s alarm-clock function also has a very low volume when it goes off, so perhaps that is an indication that is the particular watch and not a design defect.
The problem has turned what was an acceptable impulse purchase into a situation where I''ve investigated models much more thoroughly, and I think I''ll try a Timex, mostly because they do tend to have much better timer/interval/stopwatch functions, and I''d like to see if they''re cheaper prices, on the average, are worth it.
That being said, otherwise I am overall fond of this watch, and likely would have stayed with it.
Read Best Reviews of Polar FT7 Heart Rate Monitor Here
Great Product ! Have used it for a couple of weeks now and don''t regret the purchase.. works just like it should.Picks up your heart beat immediately once your ''strapped'' in. Set up was easy with the manual in hand. Once you get the idea of how the menu works its a breeze ! Easy enough to be used by the ''technically challenged''.
Wearlink strap is comfortable and one forgets its really there once you begin your physcial activity.
Watch stores statistical data ( calories burned, avg./max heart rate per workout, length of workout, workout time in fat or fitness zone ) which is a great way to monitor progress. Stores data for weeks if one so wishes.
I use the watch to gather data and then trsf it to a spreadsheet for graphical representation. Great way to stay motivated !
Thus far I''m sold on the FT7 !
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I have owned my FT7 for approximately 18 months. It worked great for about 13 months then started to become erratic. I had the same problems as some of the early reviewers in terms of high readings and constant Check Transmitter messages. I changed the batteries in both the watch and the transmitter. Seemed to work for a month or so then once again reverted to erratic readings. Now it just won''t read at all. I use an elliptical machine in the gym that has a Polar monitor in it. It can''t decipher the transmissions from the transmitter either. It was able to give readings when the watch couldn''t until recently.I always rinsed the belt after use, washed it at least every two weeks. I would classify this as a watch that provides more features at the expense of quality to target a price point. I also don''t like the customer service. Having to mail it back, authorize a $75 charge upfront, pay for shipping etc. is enough to turn me away from Polar. If you are looking for a product that will probably only work until the warranty is up, this is the one you want.
Update: This might be a bit premature but I was reading a lot of reviews on HR monitors (trying to find a replacement for the FT7) and the lack of reliability over time was a common complaint when using chest strap models. One reviewer mentioned a call to customer service that informed him that the contacts on the transmitters can corrode causing erratic readings. I took my Wearlink transmitter and with some fine sandpaper cleaned the round connectors on the transmitter and also rolled up a tiny piece and cleaned inside the connectors on the strap. I couldn''t see any corrosion on either part before or after sanding them. However, I hooked up the transmitter and tested it. It worked right away, no erratic readings and it locked in like it did when it was new. I had also put the original battery back in it.
It makes sense. The current going through these things is miniscule so any loss could be catastrophic to operation.
It is still reading flawlessly. I can''t say it will last but anyone having this problem might want to give it a try. I''m going to the gym tonight so it will get a good test. I''ll keep you posted.
2/4/2012 Another update. My FT7 worked flawlessly through my workout , a spinning session and for five more hours until I finally took it off. I just put it on to prepare for another spinning session and it locked right in.
There must be something to the corrosion theory.
I want to caution people that I used a very fine 240 grit sandpaper and just lightly sanded the metal contacts. I would not recommend this as a procedure to be repeated indefinitely as it could eventually be detrimental, especially if you use a more abrasive sandpaper.. I bought some Deoxit contact cleaner today to use as a less abrasive cleaner should the need arise again.
4/10/12 Update. The FT7 worked flawlessly until about two weeks ago. I was in the gym and I got the check transmitter message again. It wouldn''t clear. I took the transmitter off the strap and rubbed both contacts with my fingers then put it back in the strap. It worked fine. When I got home I put some Deoxit on it rather than sanding it again. So far so good. No glitches.
One comment regarding the response I got from the Polar guy. The response was boilerplate and useless. I then realized that Polar can make a lot of money by not telling people about the possibility of oxidation causing problems. I have to wonder how many people send their HRMs back and are charged to merely deox the transmitter. I can only speculate on this matter and would not be so cynical were it not for the absence of any reference to oxidation in their documentation.
If any one has seen this mentioned anywhere please respond to this post.
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