Polar F55 Women's Heart Rate Monitor Watch (Red Velvet) Review

I love the F55.It allows me to schedule resistance exercise along with cardiovascular exercise, can test my fitness level and let me know if I need to ramp up or ease up on my workouts.It is a great HRM.But I absolutely HATE the website to which the data gets downloaded.The software that Polar sells for their very high end HRMs not only is not included with the F55, it cannot be used with the F55.You cannot download the F55 data to use in other programs like Ultra Coach either.

I am ok with the idea of paying extra for the Polar software or even for having to buy a third-party program.In fact, I was able to use Ultra Coach with my old Polar S410 HRM.The S410 had a sonic interface to Ultra Coach and it was hideous.Most of the time the connection would not be made and if, on your fourth or fifth try, you accidentally hit the wrong button, you would lose all of your data.The F55 has an infra red interface that is much better.

You can create a custom resistance exercise workout, like, for example, bench press x 2 sets, curls x 1 set, etc.You create this on the website and upload it to your F55.When you are in the gym, you simply press a button when you begin the set and press it again at the end.When you have finished the number of sets for that exercise, it moves on to the next one.

But the website is cumbersome and slow.The marketing material mentions that you can use their website, but they do not go out of their way to mention that there is no other possibility.For a $200 HRM and a $60 infrared interface, I at least want the ability to download the HRM files as text or csv files and read them in Excel or, as I mentioned, import them to Ultra Coach, PC Coach, or some other software.

I could have spent $360 to get another HRM complete with the Polar software, but that would have been a cycling or running monitor with no resitance training workouts programmed in.The F55 is what I wanted even if I had an unlimited budge.

Oh well, to sum up a long-winded rant: LOVE the HRM and HATE the website.

Product Description
Because cardiovascular exercise, strength training, and relaxation are essential to maximum well being, the Polar F55 heart rate monitor gives you a complete exercise session by adding new features like BodyWorkout and OwnRelax. This powerful wrist monitor provides a highly accurate gauge for getting the most from your exercise sessions. The Polar Keeps U Fit Workout Program gives you personal guidance--how often, how hard, and how long you need to exercise to reach your personal fitness goals.

The Polar Body Workout feature provides basic guidance for muscular strength training, with recommendations for strength training movements, count of sets, repetitions, and weights. It can be edited according to your development. The OwnRelax feature helps to track and improve overall well being with a 5-minute relaxation session based on heart rate and heart rate variability.

The OwnCal feature shows your energy expenditure during one exercise session as well as your accumulated kilocalories during several exercise sessions. It also allows you to set daily and weekly exercise goals in terms of calorie expenditure. The OwnZone feature guides you through an appropriate warm-up routine and automatically determines a safe and effective exercise heart rate. The Fitness Bullets feature shows a bullet on the monitor's display for every 10 minutes spent exercising/training in your target heart rate zone. Other features include:

• Displays heart rate, exercise time and average heart rate
• Manual and automatic heart rate limit settings
• Large easy-to-read display with backlighting and split screen
• Water resistant to 30 meters (100 feet)

Manufacturer Warranty
The original purchaser of this heart rate monitor is backed by a limited warranty that states that this product that the product will be free from defects in material or workmanship for two years from the date of purchase.

About Polar
The first EKG accurate wireless heart rate monitor was invented by Polar back in 1977 as a training tool for the Finnish National Cross Country Ski Team. The concept of "intensity training" by heart rate swept the athletic world in the eighties. By the 1990s, individuals were looking to heart rate monitors not only for performance training needs, but also for achieving everyday fitness goals. Today, the same concept of heart rate training is being used by world-class athletes as well as everyday people trying to lose weight. Polar is the leading brand among consumers, coaches, and personal trainers worldwide and the company is committed to not only producing the best products, but also being the leading educator on the benefits of heart rate based exercise.

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