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Home > Polar FT80 Heart Rate Monitor Watch (Black)
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Polar FT80 Heart Rate Monitor Watch (Black)
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Show more by Polar
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- Black heart rate monitor watch with several innovative training features
- Intelligent training computer helps you achieve maximum workout efficiency
- Displays heart rate as percentage of maximum, bpm, and within target zone indicator
- Polar Star personalized training program delivers feedback and weekly training targets
- Offers ZonePointer and Polar OwnZone modes; water-resistant to 30 meters; 2-year warranty
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Product Description:
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Optimizes strength training by providing guidance on how to long to rest between sets, delivering the information in an easy-to-read graphical display (see image above)
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If there's one word to describe people who train seriously for athletics, it's dedication. And if there's one heart rate monitor that's dedicated to helping you achieve maximum workout efficiency, it's the Polar FT80. The FT80 starts by checking your daily condition, and then guiding you to the ideal training intensity for your age and fitness level. Knowing your heart rate not only helps you reach your personal fitness goal, but also improves your physical condition in general, as it's vitally important to train at the appropriate intensity level. If you exercise too hard, you may quit before you reach the real benefit, but if you work out too leisurely, you'll struggle to lose weight at all. The FT80 helps overcome these problems by encouraging you to map out a complete fitness routine. The FT80's intelligent training computer also helps you work toward achieving your exercise goals in other ways. For example, the watch offers a Polar Star personalized training program that adapts to your workout habits. By giving you weekly training targets and providing constant feedback, the watch guides you without being too strict, helping you reach your goals more efficiently. The watch also displays heart rate info in several ways, including as a percentage of your maximum heart rate, as beats per minute, and within a graphical target zone indicator. And should your heart rate exceed or dip below your target zone, the FT80 will sound an alarm that helps you return to form. Users will also love the variety of proprietary Polar functions, including ZonePointer, Polar Strength Training, and Polar OwnCal modes. The ZonePointer is an audible and visual feature on the display of your FT80 that shows you where your current heart rate sits within your target heart rate zone. The Polar Strength Training mode, meanwhile, helps you optimize your strength training by reading your heart rate and informing you when your body is ready for the next set--an ideal way to optimize your weight training. Finally, the Polar OwnCal mode shows your energy expenditure during one exercise session, as well as your accumulated kilocalories during several exercise sessions. You can also set daily and weekly exercise goals in terms of calorie expenditure, helping you achieve both short-term and long-term goals. Other watch features include a built-in fitness test that measures your aerobic fitness at rest in just five minutes; a ZoneLock mode that lets you activate a target zone in the midst of training with the press of a button; a Polar OwnZone mode that provides a customized target zone for individual exercise sessions; an OwnCode mode that prevents crosstalk from other heart rate monitors nearby; a recording mode that tracks your average and maximum heart rate, calorie expenditure, distance, and total exercise time, and then puts it in an exercise file (with 100 total files); water resistance to 50 meters; a 12/24-hour clock with a day/week indicator; a built-in backlight; an alarm with a snooze; a low battery indicator; and a Polar FlowLink connection for transferring data between the FT80 and a computer. Sporting an attractive black housing, the watch carries a two-year warranty. Manufacturer's 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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Customer Reviews:
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 Nice looking, plagued with funcitonal problems..., December 25, 2008
By Christofer Hoff (Boxborough, MA)
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Sadly I must report quite a bit of disappointment with this product:
1) The screen is so poorly contrasted it's nearly impossible to read except in the best of light and the backlight only makes it tolerable -- and only for 5 seconds in a row.
2) I've unfortunately fallen victim to a problem that has affected hundreds of people as represented on the Polar forums -- the inability (over time, randomly) to synch to the web service. This bug is a software/synch. issue between the watch, windows software and the web service. It prevents the upload of your training results and if you're using the STAR program means you don't get the adaptive training routine downloaded to your watch. Further, it means you don't have access to the snazzy zone/interval graphs.
3) The feature set is misleading as it comes to being able to use certain functions; the realtime graph and rest interval display is really only available in the strength training routines and not for general aerobic activity as defined by the training program you choose on the web service.
4) There's no basic interval timer.
5) The buttons are difficult to operate and the bottom button requires more force than the top to push.
If you're a runner or cyclist, this is probably a fine watch, but the FT60 looks like a much better unit that you can actually *see*
Some of these might seem like minor issues, but I am basically left with a watch that does less than my $80 Mio Drive watch that doesn't require a chest strap for the pulse reading.
I'm very disappointed with this purchase.
Be very, very sure what sort of activity you wish to monitor for this price...and the screen absolutely sucks.
I can't see how this would be released as a saleable product. That picture to the right is NOT an accurate representation of the display...
99 of 103 people found the above review helpful.
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 Avoid the FT80 until the technical issues are solved, January 15, 2009
By Dave Cowling (Santa Monica, CA USA)
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I purchased an FT-80 just prior to Christmas. Whilst I was fairly happy with it for the first couple of weeks (the dim back-light and anemic audio tones notwithstanding), I came across a significant bug in the workout data tracking that renders it useless. There is clearly an issue with the firmware or the memory - after my Monday workout the stats for the week switched to 255 sessions, 65535 calories burned and 99:59:59 hours of exercise. Anyone familiar with computers will realize the significance of these numbers - it looks like the entire data slot got corrupted.
I thought this might be an isolated incident until I checked the Polar forums for the FT80. The posts are full of people complaining about this same issue, along with a host of other issues. There has been no official response from Polar, which is extremely poor. I contacted Polar technical support and have not heard back yet.
I strongly suggest anyone considering this model checks the Polar forums here:
[...]
40 of 42 people found the above review helpful.
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 Great workout companion, December 3, 2008
By Ben (Chicago, Illinois United States)
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I just received this watch and have only worked out with it once, but so far, it is great. I did a bit of research on this watch, and the biggest complaint seemed to be the screen. A lot of people were complaining that theirs was too dim and they couldn't see it inside. I had absolutely no issues with it; perhaps it could have been a little brighter, but at no point during my jog did it require more than a quick glance.
The reason I got this watch was the strength training aspect. The idea of having something monitor your rest period really intrigued me. I have to say, it seemed to work as well as one could hope. You can create workout programs through Polar's website, although the site is still clearly geared toward runners. They have a very limited number of pre-set lifting exercises; however, it is extremely easy to create your own on the site.
The watch works extremely well while using it for cardio. It works with the cardio equipment at my gym. It also breaks your rate into three different zones and makes it very easy to see which zone you are in.
Synching the watch with the computer is very easy. It comes with a USB device that allows you to synch easily.
The watch fits really well, although I have a slight issue getting the watch off due to the clasp. It's not a big deal, but I do feel that could have been designed better. The watch looks good enough to wear in casual situations.
I'll try to update this review as I use it more; I just wanted to get a review up here. I was trying to gather as much information on this watch as I could, and I was struggling to find any reviews on the web. So far, I'd recommend getting this watch if you want to use it for cross training. You may want to see it in person if you are concerned about the screen's brightness.
32 of 37 people found the above review helpful.
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Greg, August 15, 2010
By Greg
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I can't believe how stupid i was to purchase the Polar FT80 without researching any reviews of this product. Now that i've learned my lesson thanks to Amazon, no more purchases without first checking Amazon reviews.
My previous Polar HR monitor was an Accurex. I had this for nearly 20 years and it was flawless, but is not Mac compatible and finally the serial port transmitter stopped working. Time for a new unit! The Polar marketing literature on the FT80 makes it look so cool and functional. But the FT80 is really another story.
The display is extremely difficult to read, and in fact impossible to read in many lighting conditions. It is a low contrast negative display and it does not have a "brightness" adjustment. Can you believe it!?! Who would design such a thing. So you are screwed if you want to brighten up the very dim dingy yellow green graphics (that's right, they are not white as every picture would indicate!!!) Every picture i have seen of the FT80 marketing literature, and from Polars web site, shows this unit as bright white numbers and graphics. Nothing could be further from the truth! The display can't be read UNLESS you are in a very well lit room or sunlight.
AND then in well lit rooms or sunlight, you have to contend with the immense glare from the face of the polished plate glass. Really, you are screwed in either direction.
When I called Polar to ask if there was a way to adjust the brightness, the rep was curt and said the information was on their web site. To her defense, she must be very tired of handling they myriad of calls each day of complaints about this product display.
Then a few calls later, i finally received the instructions to enter into the diagnostic mode. Believe me when i say the keypress sequence is so tricky, that you will literally have to try over and over for an hour to get the "timing" of it just right so that you can even enter into the diagnostic mode...but a little determination you will succeed. I digress!
In the diagnostic mode you can adjust the LCD contrast. All this does is change the BLACK background to less black. This does nothing for the already near impossible to read display and actually makes it more difficult to read. After talking to Polar again, i learn that the factory has optimized the display settings before they send it to you. The moral of this frustrating experience is "don't waste your time trying to adjust the contrast as it will only frustrate you more".
What Polar forgot to design in was a "brightness" control. What really upsets me is Polar's marketing literature which has obviously "tweaked the product photos of the display" to indicate a beautiful bright white graphic display. Anybody ever hear of truth in advertising? BUYER BEWARE. Polar's direct sales are final sales and can not be returned. Although, I will try as the advertising pictures and literature is dishonest!
I rely on Polars superior product performance. Imagine your on a run and trying to stay within various HR limits, and then the HR data goes all screwy and chaotic - loosing transmission, then wrong HR, then settling down back to what you would expect. How could the transmitter be all screwed up in the FT80 - but apparently it is.
The G1 - can't begin to describe how disappointed I am in this performance or difficulty of use to get even a signal. It's not what you would expect in a GPS so please research the features carefully before you purchase the G1. It appears to my shock to only provide average speed and distance...huh? There does not appear to be any mapping, or terrain, or area covered with the details of routes and speed, no way points - nothing!
The "user" manual that comes with the FT80 is hardly "useful" and not worth the paper its printed on. It's very sparse on the exact steps and explanations of features. There are so many features of the FT80 and website interaction that are not documented, that it will leave you researching and making calls for days on end until you get it figured out, and i doubt you will get it all figured out.
I still believe in Polars superior products overall, but the FT80 is a waste of money and time.
Sadly, the unit is near un-useable due to the display alone, not to mention the erratic behavior and poor GPS integration -- anybody want to purchase my "new" FT80G1? Its your for a song!
20 of 21 people found the above review helpful.
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 Polar FT80 Review, November 21, 2010
By Weightdog (CA, USA)
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1. Screen Face
a. Okay, let's get the controversial characteristic addressed first. I will admit I waited to buy the FT80 because the black face had so so much negative reaction to it in reviews and blogs. I never saw the black face product in person, but I do own the white face version now. I see no issues with the contrast and ability to read the display-indoors or out. One may argue the size of some of the characters or symbols, but let's be realistic; there is only so much room to display so much information, and old age is old age. That is not a fault of the watch. I will admit those who commented on the reflection of the highly polished watch face have a valid point. A sexy good look has its drawbacks. It is possible to have reflection obscure viewing the readout, but it is definitely manageable and in no way a deal killer.
2. WebSync
a. This is the software and device that transfers data from the watch to the computer. I am not yet completely comfortable with this yet. I had the F55 and the IrDa infrared system before. That just worked- no thinking or tinkering. It just worked. It was consistent and reliable. You could watch the process unfolding. I hope with time I get accustomed to WebSync as well. It does work, but I encountered several times where I got half way through synchronizing and it hung up. Eventually it went through with repeated attempts. If you suffer with this, I did a number of things- including re-installing the software, but what seemed to work was changing a few screens on the watch and it seemed to be happier. I would be happier if it just loaded and went through. I don't want to tinker with it. I just want my hard work and earned data transferred quickly so I can analyze it. This is annoying and I give it a push.
3. Ease of Use
a. Ease of use is relative. If you have owned Polar products before, then you understand how Polar organizes information and how the selection trees work. It took me some time to figure out my F55 initially, but once I did, we became great friends. The FT 80 is much improved for user friendliness. I am also an individual who reads everything before doing anything. I read the manual in advance- so by the time I got my watch, I was already very familiar and prepared to jump right in.
b. Polar, in my opinion, does a very weak job of explaining how to get workouts in to the watch from the computer. I was stymied for a while, but here is your answer- create the workout(s), put them in your favorites, drag them to the calendar to any day in the future, sync the watch, and if you don't want those workouts on the days you dragged them to, just delete them, but the workouts will be in the watch- even after you delete them from the calendar. Quirky, but also not a deal killer and I grade it as a push too.
4. Polar Training Software
a. My F55 did not have enough features or capability to really require much software to give you meaningful feedback. For all intents and purposes the software was just a data repository, but for the FT80 there is much more capability. I will sum it up to say this; there are some really nice features, analysis, and graphs, but they are buried in different levels and screens. Looking at it now, it appears Polar had developers create different features and loosely cobbled them together. My advice is to dig into each section, each screen and look around. There are little nuggets and tid bits scattered throughout the program, but not immediately obvious. With a little work it could be so much better. What would be really cool is if they could get the FT80 added to the list of compatible devices with Training Peaks. Hello Polar, are you listening?
5. Final Comment
a. Working with the Strength Training feature- where the device tells you when to start the next rep is an interesting feature. Admittedly I have not worked with this very much, but I have a theory. The feature does work, but it appeared to stop working for me. I came to the conclusion that on my subsequent reps I wasn't using sufficient intensity to drive my heart rate high enough to create sufficient stress. I then moved from weight training to skipping rope. I found it much easier to drive heart rate to get the feature to work. My suspicions were confirmed when I viewed the graphs. During the weight lifting reps the graphs had sharp peaks and were closer together and not as high as skipping rope. The rope graphs were higher, well formed peaks, but more rounded and very smooth. My speculation is weight training drives the heart rate quickly as opposed to skipping rope where it more rolls on and is slightly more sustained. Expectedly, the recovery time is a function of the same behavior- spiked heart rate= short recovery, and longer more sustained effort = longer recovery allowed. I think I will have to lower my weight, but concentrate on pushing reps later in the set with more intensity so I can drive the heart rate longer and higher. I really wonder how this feature might help those who want to bulk up using high weight and few reps.....
6. Conclusion
a. It's sexy, sleek, powerful and an awesome tool. Like any tool, it has a purpose and requires the user to apply it correctly. I think I learned from this device right from the first use. I had long suspected my weight lifting intensity was too low, and I think this device exposed that immediately. I'm going to put ego aside and what I think I know about perceived exertion and take a more scientific approach to my training and put trust in this product. That which gets measured gets done, and we know the results by the outcome. Putting this product on your wrist won't change anything, but it will tell you how to change your behaviors so you can get the results you desire. Keep in mind diet, rest, and proper attitude are the other ingredients that compliment workouts to be successful. I believe this product will help newbies, but will also help folks like myself who have used HRM for years and closely monitor many aspects of their fitness. I'm looking for an edge and more efficiency, and I need a device to give me important feedback on aspects I cannot determine or know myself. I recommend the product. Buy it if you know what you want from it.
17 of 18 people found the above review helpful.
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Polar FT80 Review, November 21, 2010
By Weightdog (CA, USA)
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1. Screen Face
a. Okay, let's get the controversial characteristic addressed first. I will admit I waited to buy the FT80 because the black face had so so much negative reaction to it in reviews and blogs. I never saw the black face product in person, but I do own the white face version now. I see no issues with the contrast and ability to read the display-indoors or out. One may argue the size of some of the characters or symbols, but let's be realistic; there is only so much room to display so much information, and old age is old age. That is not a fault of the watch. I will admit those who commented on the reflection of the highly polished watch face have a valid point. A sexy good look has its drawbacks. It is possible to have reflection obscure viewing the readout, but it is definitely manageable and in no way a deal killer.
2. WebSync
a. This is the software and device that transfers data from the watch to the computer. I am not yet completely comfortable with this yet. I had the F55 and the IrDa infrared system before. That just worked- no thinking or tinkering. It just worked. It was consistent and reliable. You could watch the process unfolding. I hope with time I get accustomed to WebSync as well. It does work, but I encountered several times where I got half way through synchronizing and it hung up. Eventually it went through with repeated attempts. If you suffer with this, I did a number of things- including re-installing the software, but what seemed to work was changing a few screens on the watch and it seemed to be happier. I would be happier if it just loaded and went through. I don't want to tinker with it. I just want my hard work and earned data transferred quickly so I can analyze it. This is annoying and I give it a push.
3. Ease of Use
a. Ease of use is relative. If you have owned Polar products before, then you understand how Polar organizes information and how the selection trees work. It took me some time to figure out my F55 initially, but once I did, we became great friends. The FT 80 is much improved for user friendliness. I am also an individual who reads everything before doing anything. I read the manual in advance- so by the time I got my watch, I was already very familiar and prepared to jump right in.
b. Polar, in my opinion, does a very weak job of explaining how to get workouts in to the watch from the computer. I was stymied for a while, but here is your answer- create the workout(s), put them in your favorites, drag them to the calendar to any day in the future, sync the watch, and if you don't want those workouts on the days you dragged them to, just delete them, but the workouts will be in the watch- even after you delete them from the calendar. Quirky, but also not a deal killer and I grade it as a push too.
4. Polar Training Software
a. My F55 did not have enough features or capability to really require much software to give you meaningful feedback. For all intents and purposes the software was just a data repository, but for the FT80 there is much more capability. I will sum it up to say this; there are some really nice features, analysis, and graphs, but they are buried in different levels and screens. Looking at it now, it appears Polar had developers create different features and loosely cobbled them together. My advice is to dig into each section, each screen and look around. There are little nuggets and tid bits scattered throughout the program, but not immediately obvious. With a little work it could be so much better. What would be really cool is if they could get the FT80 added to the list of compatible devices with Training Peaks. Hello Polar, are you listening?
5. Final Comment
a. Working with the Strength Training feature- where the device tells you when to start the next rep is an interesting feature. Admittedly I have not worked with this very much, but I have a theory. The feature does work, but it appeared to stop working for me. I came to the conclusion that on my subsequent reps I wasn't using sufficient intensity to drive my heart rate high enough to create sufficient stress. I then moved from weight training to skipping rope. I found it much easier to drive heart rate to get the feature to work. My suspicions were confirmed when I viewed the graphs. During the weight lifting reps the graphs had sharp peaks and were closer together and not as high as skipping rope. The rope graphs were higher, well formed peaks, but more rounded and very smooth. My speculation is weight training drives the heart rate quickly as opposed to skipping rope where it more rolls on and is slightly more sustained. Expectedly, the recovery time is a function of the same behavior- spiked heart rate= short recovery, and longer more sustained effort = longer recovery allowed. I think I will have to lower my weight, but concentrate on pushing reps later in the set with more intensity so I can drive the heart rate longer and higher. I really wonder how this feature might help those who want to bulk up using high weight and few reps.....
6. Conclusion
a. It's sexy, sleek, powerful and an awesome tool. Like any tool, it has a purpose and requires the user to apply it correctly. I think I learned from this device right from the first use. I had long suspected my weight lifting intensity was too low, and I think this device exposed that immediately. I'm going to put ego aside and what I think I know about perceived exertion and take a more scientific approach to my training and put trust in this product. That which gets measured gets done, and we know the results by the outcome. Putting this product on your wrist won't change anything, but it will tell you how to change your behaviors so you can get the results you desire. Keep in mind diet, rest, and proper attitude are the other ingredients that compliment workouts to be successful. I believe this product will help newbies, but will also help folks like myself who have used HRM for years and closely monitor many aspects of their fitness. I'm looking for an edge and more efficiency, and I need a device to give me important feedback on aspects I cannot determine or know myself. I recommend the product. Buy it if you know what you want from it.
14 of 15 people found the above review helpful.
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Worth it.. Updated review after a year of use., November 12, 2008
By V. Pardo
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Figured I would expand on my review now that I have used the product now for quite some time.
Overall I think the FT80 is worth the price, and is a fantastic tool that has completely transformed my life and motivated me to workout more. I will outline the the pros/cons below and hopefully I can shed some light on some other reviews as well from having the product for so long now.
What I love : The star training program and fitness test have worked as my complete motivator and those two features combined have helped me get back in shape after a longish layoff. The star program helped me not overtrain and burn myself out in the begining which was very important and the improvements shown in ownindex kept me motivated along with the trophies.
The design is great and I get complimented on it all the time. I have never had an issue with the display, yes it is reverse black/white but once I got use to it I actually prefer this now.
It was dimmer, but now the contrast is even brighter.(more on this later)
The transmitter is very comfortable. VERY. I have used every transmitter on the market, this is the most comfortable. I also have a Numetrex Tshirt with the strap built in I wear all the time. This GETS RID OF THE STRAP COMPLETELY for you users who are new to HR transmitters and feel you won't like it.
Polar's customer service here in the states is phenomenal. Unfortunately I had to talk to them though:(. I was one of the first people in the US to buy the Ft80, I worked in electronics for a long time, and I knew the risks of buying a 1st release. Software always has issues, in fact every OS I have had since the inception of computers have had problems that updates have fixed -- this computer was no different. After 6 weeks of using the star program the software in the watch froze up and gave me some crazy numbers and wouldn't let me download. Next morning I called Polar and got right through , spoke to a guy who was super nice and confirmed the problem to be a bug in the software that required a firmware update - no problem that is what I figured. But wait - I can't just update it from my computer? They have to do it?? Ugh..
So the nice cs guy walked me through a repair ticket thingy on their website and off it went back to Polar.. I was slightly annoyed I had to send it back because I have grown so fond of using it every day. So I went to the post office, sent it back(polar gave me a free label) and off it went this was a Monday. I get an auto email next day from Polar telling me they got the package, great.. That night I got home to find another email- this time a funny one telling me its on its way back and I don't have an excuse for not exercising now..lol. I laugh because they were right, I wouldn't workout without it hehe. I got the package back Thursday afternoon with everything fixed. DISPLAY brighter and a hand written thank you and I'm sorry card with little Polar hearts on it..
Afterwards I spoke with a rep at a local marathon - and he confirmed that the first version of FT80 had a bug and he guaranteed everything was fixed entirely and some even brought back from stores for the firmware to be updated.
So in all, I have used it about 5 months since the update and it has become an essential part of my training.
The product would have got 5 stars from me if:::
1)The Firmware at that point and in the future could be updated by me, automatically from my flowlink when I download.
2) The strength training was more versatile. And I could save my own workouts instead of using the preset ones.
3) If the Website could have an upload feature so I can share my workouts of Facebook.
I sincerely hope this helps peoples buying decisions.
13 of 13 people found the above review helpful.
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 Great Concept. Poor implementation, February 17, 2010
By Greg (CO)
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I purchased the FT80 back in December of 2008. The first few months were horrendous.
I like most who were early purchasers ran into the issue with the bad firmware version which caused issues with the Star program. And like most I ended up having to send it back to them for service on my own dime. Initially I'd called customer support and they had given me the wrong info about what was wrong with it, even though there were litterally 100's of people on the forums having the exact same issue. It was incredibly frustrating having spent 350 dollars on a HRM.
This bring to my biggest current gripe about this HRM. There is no way to update the firmware remotely. The only way to update the firmware is to send the unit in. In this age where I can update my stereo receiver firmware from 5 years ago remotely. It is unfathomable that a product that is marketed as a heart rate computer, does not have a method to have its firmware updated remotely.
My next biggest gripe is that there is no way to export the data to a computer readable format so that 3rd party applications can read the data. This is another thing that should be basic to an HRM at this level.
My next gripe, is that they label this a computer, but there is no way to load 3rd party applications to it which would be a godsend. The ability to create an interval app for it would be wonderful. If you are going to label something as a "Computer" it needs to have basic computer functionality.
My next gripe is that the face scratches super easily. This I remedied by buying a Zagg plastic cover ($20). Definitely worth it if you wish to protect your investment. But I don't understand way a $350 model would scratch so easily.
Now that I've had the firmware updated and bought the cover for the face. It's been running as designed for about 5 months now. I could not imagine working out without a HRM. But I still get so frustrated since it was such a good start to a concept but so terribly implemented, and worse so poorly supported after initial release. They make Toyota's Customer Service issues look mild by comparison.
Hopefully some HRM maker will shortly realize the value in creating a true Computer HRM that will allow custom apps to be created for it, and will allow full export of workout data for use in other applications. Polar would be served well to go to fewer models and simply limit the memory for apps and let people upload whatever they want to them. They would sell so many more than this business model of trying to maintain 30+ products that only do things slightly differently.
IMPORTANT NOTE: As of 2/18/2010 many resellers are still shipping watches with a firmware that is over a year old that was fixed with a new firmware update over a year ago. MAKE SURE you call and get a watch with the latest firmware update or you will end up having to send it in for repairs on your own dime to get it fixed. Not to mention if you buy from the seller that Amazon points you to on this product, its not even covered under the Polar Warranty. Amazing that Polar has still not dealt with this issue. My info is based on a couple of posts on the Polar FT80 forum in the last couple of days. BUYER BEWARE!
Hopefully they will learn at some point.
11 of 11 people found the above review helpful.
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Great Idea Poor Product, March 23, 2009
By TRM (Michigan)
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Actually I purchased the FT 80 from my Gym, where they have been selling great numbers of them. I liked everything about this watch except for one MAJOR PROBLEM. Inside while on any Cardio machine (i.e. treadmill, stepmill etc.) you absolutely cannot see the screen. I was very disappointed because I like evry other aspect of the watch including the computer program and the easy way the information is transferred. Unfortunately, this renders the watch TOTALLY USELESS. My wife is a Doctor of Optometry and she had purchased it for me as a gift. After looking at it, she agreed that the contrast was terrible. Now, I am 59 years old and my eyes are not what they were when I was 25, but I workout 5 to 6 times a week with a personal trainer and still teach at the college level, so I am in pretty good shape for an "old guy", but I simply could not see the screen to read it without stopping, lighting the light and straining to try and read. Even then it was nearly impossible to see. My 30 year old daughter has the same watch and says she can see it but agreed that the contrast is very poor. I returned mine and would not recommend this product unless you try it in normal indoor lighting to see if you can read it. I was sorely disappointed in this product and with Polar for releasing something this poor in performance. I will certainly be very careful before I would ever consider purchasing another of their products.
10 of 13 people found the above review helpful.
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Buy Extra Straps (updated), September 3, 2010
By javatricks
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I've had the FT-80 for 3 months, using it an average of 5 days per week and the Wearlink+ strap that came with it has started to fail by intermittently showing heart rate of 0 or 200+ when I'm not even exercising. I believe the problem has occurred because I like the strap tight - otherwise it has a tendency to slip down. Over the course 3 months of continual use something inside has probably started to pull apart from the tension. If you have an hourglass shape (i.e. chest/lats much broader than your waist) this will probably happen to you, so make sure you get an extra strap when buying this product.
Aside from the strap issues I've found the FT-80 to be pretty good at helping me to stay in the heart rate zone than I'm targeting. It's great for cardio workouts, HIIT, or any workout where you really need to make sure you are pushing yourself. I initially purchased this one over the FT-60 because it has a weight training program, but frankly I'm not sure it's worth the extra $$. Unless your heart rate varies significantly between reps and rest it will not always detect the end of a set. This can sometimes happen if you are working a small muscle like triceps. You can always increase your intensity, but this does not always help. Also, I've noticed that the weight training program does not differentiate between heavy weight sets and light weight sets and will tell you to start a new set too early sometimes. So, say you are doing a heavy weight set. Obviously you will need a longer rest than if you just did a low weight set. But the FT-80 will tell you to start again based on your heart rate - not your muscles actual readiness, so be mindful of your muscle's actual state of readiness otherwise you could seriously hurt yourself (drop a bar on yourself) if you try to start another heavy set before you are ready.
I give the 3 stars because of the lack of durability of the strap and because I don't think it delivers enough extra value (weight program) to justify the higher price than the FT-60.
*****UPDATE: downgraded to 1 star because the watch is dead 9 months after purchase. It froze and nothing I did would get it unfrozen, so I had to remove the battery. Upon putting it back in it never restarted (blank screen with faint glow). Resetting does nothing. It's a paperweight now and I'm pretty sure it's past any kind of warranty. Do not buy.
9 of 9 people found the above review helpful.
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The triumph of form over function, January 29, 2009
By Jim Chou (Austin, TX USA)
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Great watch... except for the display, its fatal flaw. Outside during the day it looks great, with almost as much contrast as you see in the product picture. However, indoors it definitely is less legible than normal black on white watches. Furthermore, the crystal is very reflective - not a problem outside with only the sun, but in the gym the display is made harder to read by the multitude of reflections from the various lights. It's not illegible, but you have to work to make it out. Also, the largest time display (which is very large and easy to read) leaves out the seconds ; there is a display mode that shows the seconds but this one wastes half the screen space with an FT80 logo.
On the bright side, the battery is user replaceable, as in all the new FT watches, so you don't have to send it away for replacement as recommended with the older Polar watches. Furthermore, it's actually a very thin watch, almost 50% thinner than my old Polar F55 and a Timex Ironman watch I had, so it's comfortable to wear as a normal watch.
If it weren't for the display and crystal, this would be a great watch. If they come out with a firmware update that lets it display the normal black on white I'd recommend it without reservations. As it is, the FT60 might be a better buy - it's legible, and is missing only the stopwatch, OwnRelax, and strength training functions from the FT80 (according to Polar's comparison site).
Update after two weeks:
It's grown on me. I still wish it had a normal display mode, but the lack of contrast makes it more decorative. I wear this as a normal watch, which I didn't with my FT55 due to its appearance and thickness.
I've discovered one annoying additional quirk - if you don't set it to autolock you actually have to press two buttons to make it lock.
I also started using the Flowlink attachment - it's super cool. Basically you can just set your watch down upside down on it when you get on your computer and it'll upload your training sessions automatically - a very convenient feature, it's no longer a big production to do this.
There used to be many more reviews for this watch in the 3-4 range, the all disappeared along with mine so I'm rewriting it.
9 of 9 people found the above review helpful.
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Great tool for work outs, August 13, 2010
By Klass7 (Windsor, CA United States)
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My Polar FT80 arrived about a week ago. Since then, I have used it daily to track my workouts. It is fairly easy to begin to use with just a few buttons to learn their function. Within 10 minutes of looking over the monitor, I was out running with it. My training is for playing ice hockey. I have used the watch while playing hockey with great success. Initially I didn't see why I would need the G1 GPS device. However, almost as soon as the watch arrived I realized that I needed to order the G1. The G1 tells me not only the distance that I have run, but it gives me the speed too. All of my workout data is automatically imported into the Polar Personal Trainer website. My heart rate is shown on a graph and I can see what zones my training took place in. Having my information for each workout gives me great incentive to keep working. Using the Flow Link is very easy. Plug the Flow Link into a USB port, set your watch on the pad and it downloads all your training data in seconds. To use the GPS G1 device, you set your watch/monitor to receive the G1 signal, push a button on the G1 and you are ready to run. I am looking forward to trying this system for monitoring my workout while kayaking, rock climbing, skiing and mountaineering.
I have read that the watch screen is too dark. Indeed it is. It would be better if the watch screen was the inverse color scheme. However, with a little eye strain the watch/monitor is viewable. It's not a fatal flaw. The device is both easy to start using and more complicated to really know. I find that a good thing because I was able to get started easily yet over the next few weeks, there are many new things I can learn about training and how to use this device. It's a shame that one can't use a GPS indoors. Isn't there a way Polar can design a way to get distance information indoors? I would like to know the distance I skate in a hockey game. Probably my most serious problem with these devices is that there are a number of things to keep up with. Suddenly jogging requires a somewhat clunky arm band (gps), the watch/monitor and the chest strap. Then to download I need the Flow Link. To me, it is worth dealing with all the technology, especially when I can view my workouts in detail. You might even find yourself wearing the monitor on a hot date...just to see your hearts response!
The FT80 was chosen by me because I wanted to upload my training data so that I could track and motivate myself. The FT60 was considered, but I would have to add the Flow Link anyway. In the end, the price difference was small. If possible, get the G1 GPS device, it will really add to the information that you get from your monitor. I found mine afterwards for $119. If you like technology and want it to help you with your workouts, you will love this heart monitor. Even if you are not so wild about electronic gadgets, this one is simple to use and provides incredible data. It has become as important to me as my skates, stick and running shoes.
9 of 10 people found the above review helpful.
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Excellent product, highly recommend it, November 20, 2009
By Igal Sapir (Raanana, Israel)
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Let's start with bottom line. I love and enjoy my new Polar FT80.
Got it about a month ago after training for a couple of years with an older version of a Polar heart rate monitor. The FT80 is a big step forward and upward.
First the physical aspect. The chest belt is wider and much more flexible and comfortable. Wetting it before the training to make sure the heart monitor connects well to the body is much easier and more reliable.
It stores 100 training sessions in its memory, so my whole training regiment for the last month can be reviewed. It also accumulates summaries so I can review the results on a weekly basis. This makes it much easier following my calories intake/spending on a daily or weekly basis.
During aerobic training there is a display that shows both the calories and the time spent from the start of the session. The previous version required jumping between two different displays to see these.
I set a weekly goal for training calories spending. I did not get the GPS Sensor or Foot Pod since all of my training is in the gym. I do not know how well they work, but if it is as well as the components I have, it should be very enlightening to get all the extra information like distance and speed statistics. It is also possible to set weekly distance goals.
The concept of heart rate based training zones is implemented very well. The time spent in each zone is recorded separately for each training session and accumulated through the week. The target time to be spent in each zone is also set on a weekly basis.
There is a special strength-training mode that shows the heart rate on a graph. On the same display I also see both the heart rate and the time from the start of the session, so I can time the rest between the exercise sets based either on time or my heart rate. It also suggests when to start the next set, although it currently gives me only about 30 seconds for rest and I feel I need more - or maybe I need to challenge myself more :-)
When my gym visit includes several sections like warm-up, strength training and aerobic training, I record them separately in the appropriate modes. Then when I come home I synchronize the watch very easily through the FlowLink with the [...] site and it stores all my training history. It also shows my target status, training-zone statistics and graphical curves of the heart-beat during all the training sessions.
I just skimmed through the training program feature, so I cannot comment on it. I did see that I can define a detailed training program with pre-defined exercises or add new ones I define myself. I'll probably do it further down the line.
It is even much better as a watch. It has a Stopwatch application with a nice multiple-laps recording feature and the wrist-band is very comfortable.
Finally, it even looks very nice - rounded, hi-tech shape. It looks different.
...Told you I love it :-)
8 of 9 people found the above review helpful.
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Disappointed, July 16, 2009
By critic 1 (Memphis TN)
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I am extremely disappointed with this unit. The display is barely visible under the best of illumination and invisible in many cases. The real problem is in the communication between between the watch and the computer. In spite of the sleek and stylish looking "Polar Flowlink" the transmission of data from the watch to the computer fails more often than not. In my case, I got to communicate the first time I linked it, after that I always got an error message. After five days I decided to return the unit to Amazon. I am not the only one that has had this problem, Polar knows about this failure, but... continues to sell the unit. Shame on Polar!
8 of 10 people found the above review helpful.
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Great Product! Worth it weight in gold. 5 star product...purchase is lower due to getting a bad reciever., March 13, 2009
By M. Jalali (Houston, TX United States)
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This is an exceptional product. Works great. I owned the F55 for about 4 months before upgrading. It is also excellent. I can't say enough good things about these products. I am not a runner...I am an avid fitness person that needed to lose weight after my wife's 1st baby. So let me share a little:
I am 34, 6'3" and 255 pounds with body fat percentage of around 34%. I bought these watches and began working out. I had started just doing cardio for an hour a day. I used the watch to monitor my intensity. Now I am 205 pounds and 17 percent bodyfat. I have added lifting to my workout but haven't bothered with doing anything online by added exercises ect. I just set it on and work out. EVERYONE is amazed by my progress. And I am pleased with my results. I have kept a strict diet but the secret is being able to monitor my burn and intensity to ensure I don't waste time in the gym. I am going to continue this program till I hit 175 pounds and 10 percent bodyfat.
I have heard that ppl think the watch is a bit dark... it is, however you get use to it very quickly and it is just fine. The watch looks sharp and the program built in is great. I am working out now with goals in excess of 7000 calories per week and training over 7 hours. I admit I drag myself to the gym sometimes but the monitoring makes me hit my targets...
I love it. You will love it if you are a serious fitness person. You can't go wrong with this watch. KUDOS to polar.
As a side note, I also started getting annoyed with the lack of a really nifty program and online solution for the watch but now that I am using it everyday...I could care less. I prefer to use use my bodyfat scale and tape measure to see my progress. Again, I'm not a running so you may have issues with that, however with a resting heart rate of 50 and doing cardio machines at a level of 15 for 60 mins I assure you I am not to disregarded fully. As a point of reference, I started with a resting heart rate of 81 and barely able to workout for more than 20 mins before looking like a run down boar.
ONLY BAD thing...when I got this watch the heart receiver was running out of battery within the week and the battery that came with it was dead. I need to send it in for replacement. I am using my old receiver. I did buy from Amazon. So I will update this when I contact them to get it replaced. I honestly haven't because I'm lazy. I have yet to see how they replacement works.
Hope that helps...
Cheers,
Majed
7 of 8 people found the above review helpful.
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No Support for Apple Mac OSX, December 18, 2008
By Randy J. Parker
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Polar's site says there is no Mac support, not even if you run Windows in a VM, thanks to their non-standard USB IR reader.
I have an older Polar S720, which I can download to iSMARTtrain on my Mac using an ancient Polar Serial port IR reader with a Keyspan USB -> Serial port converter. The problem is that it is very hard to find an ancient Polar serial port IR reader - Polar stopped making them years ago, and they're drying up on eBay. I'm glad I found one, because I like Polar hardware.
For me, and several friends who've switched to Macs, this is a showstopper. I've tried a variety of other workarounds, but they all end up turning a 1 or 2-minute download into a 10 or 15 minute daily chore, rebooting Boot Camp (twice), or firing up an old Windows box and copying files. iSMARTtrain with the USB -> IR claptrap is the only realistic way to download Polar data onto a Mac - and only if you're lucky enough to find the required serial port IR device.
[...]
7 of 16 people found the above review helpful.
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POLAR FT80, September 24, 2009
By Rich (Mountainside, NJ)
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In late April 2009 I purchased a Polar FT80G1 (FT80 with the GPS sensor). At first I loved the unit and it worked fine (great looks, cool features). After about a month of use the monitor became inconsistent, e.g. halfway into a run the HRM just stopped showing HR only 00, other times the GPS would stop providing distance information, sometimes the GPS would work but the HR would stick at 00. The manuals state that the wrist unit and transmitter batteries should last 1yr+. I had the batteries changed on each unit yet the problem persists. Other times I would be running indoor on a treadmill (using a fat burn or heart rate program) and at times the treadmill would stop because my HR was too low - treadmills at my gym thought I was dead so they turnoff(my gym is less than six months old - LIFETIME FITNESS so the equipment is new and well maintained.
Prior to purchasing the FT80 I read reviews complaining about the display. I agree that the display is hard to read in low light, but super at the gym or in full sun. The face of the FT80 is easy to scratch and impossible to remove the scratches, which in a low level light situation makes reading the display a workout in and of its self. The FT80 looks great; the first month of use was wonderful. Thereafter it has been one big disappointment after another. I have been a Polar customer for about 10 years, and have always been impressed with the Polar products I have owned. I moved up to the FT80 from the F6 that I used for about four years and never had a problem with at all. This afternoon I FedEx'ed my F6 back to Polar to have the battery replaced. I emailed Polar to learn of the return policy for FT80 - having paid over $400 less than five months ago I hope they will do something.
I would absolutely not recommend this product to anyone.
Richard Miskewitz, Mountainside NJ
6 of 7 people found the above review helpful.
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Love it, July 15, 2009
By Lars Johannes (Washington, DC)
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I do not have much to say on the features, which are abundant and as far as I can tell described correctly on the web site.
When I bought the watch I was somewhat afraid that it would have the data transfer issues and so far everything works great. The other two scares, that the display was too dark and the watch was too big to be worn comfortably turned out to be unfounded as well - for my taste at least.
Given that I needed a watch and a heart rate monitor at the same time (and most heart rate monitors are too ugly to wear as a watch) I figured that the FT80 would be a good deal - I would have spent roughly the same money anyway. Colleagues and friends have commented on my nice new watch, so I guess that this strategy worked out.
5 of 6 people found the above review helpful.
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Absolutely Loving Every minute with it!, December 18, 2008
By M. K. Quraishi (New York City)
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I've recently been introduced to the wonderful world of heart monitors and this by far is the most advanced amazing piece of technology.
Fit: Fit is extremely extremely comfortable. The belt strap is fabric and doesnt even feel like I have something on. Comparing the belt strap to a Polar F6 (Excellent watch as well) is like comparing a top of the line camry to a Lexus LS ! It also looks cool enough to wear it everyday.
Functionality: I can keep going on and on about the functionality but let me just say that the cardio and strenght training is out of this world. You practically do not need a personal trainer to tell you how hard you need to work out and how much break you need between sets. After each work out the watch compares your workout from the pervious day and tells you what you are improving on. The weekly stats are awesome too. It comes with a really cool USB upload tool to work with the protrainer app you download from polar site.
Its amazing!
5 of 7 people found the above review helpful.
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Surprised by negative reviews, November 1, 2011
By P. Smith
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I have been using the Polar FT80 for several weeks now. I almost did not buy it due to the negative reviews, but I have been pleased with the unit. It was not difficult to program and heart rate reading is +/- 1 or 2 beats from that of the treadmill reading. One particular feature I like is the weekly message, either congratulating me for meeting my goal or telling me I had an "incomplete" week. I also like the 3 zone heart rate display. My trainer has been impressed with the unit and is considering purchasing one for himself. It has more features than I will probably ever use, and a simpler and less expensive unit would have been adequate for my needs. Still, I like it.
5 of 5 people found the above review helpful.
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Impossible to read display FT80, August 15, 2010
By Greg
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I can't believe how stupid i was to purchase the Polar FT80 without researching any reviews of this product. Now that i've learned my lesson thanks to Amazon, no more purchases without first checking Amazon reviews.
My previous Polar HR monitor was an Accurex. I had this for nearly 20 years and it was flawless, but is not Mac compatible and finally the serial port transmitter stopped working. Time for a new unit! The Polar marketing literature on the FT80 makes it look so cool and functional. But the FT80 is really another story.
The display is extremely difficult to read, and in fact impossible to read in many lighting conditions. It is a low contrast negative display and it does not have a "brightness" adjustment. Can you believe it!?! Who would design such a thing. So you are screwed if you want to brighten up the very dim dingy yellow green graphics (that's right, they are not white as every picture would indicate!!!) Every picture i have seen of the FT80 marketing literature, and from Polars web site, shows this unit as bright white numbers and graphics. Nothing could be further from the truth! The display can't be read UNLESS you are in a very well lit room or sunlight.
AND then in well lit rooms or sunlight, you have to contend with the immense glare from the face of the polished plate glass. Really, you are screwed in either direction.
When I called Polar to ask if there was a way to adjust the brightness, the rep was curt and said the information was on their web site. To her defense, she must be very tired of handling they myriad of calls each day of complaints about this product display.
Then a few calls later, i finally received the instructions to enter into the diagnostic mode. Believe me when i say the keypress sequence is so tricky, that you will literally have to try over and over for an hour to get the "timing" of it just right so that you can even enter into the diagnostic mode...but a little determination you will succeed. I digress!
In the diagnostic mode you can adjust the LCD contrast. All this does is change the BLACK background to less black. This does nothing for the already near impossible to read display and actually makes it more difficult to read. After talking to Polar again, i learn that the factory has optimized the display settings before they send it to you. The moral of this frustrating experience is "don't waste your time trying to adjust the contrast as it will only frustrate you more".
What Polar forgot to design in was a "brightness" control. What really upsets me is Polar's marketing literature which has obviously "tweaked the product photos of the display" to indicate a beautiful bright white graphic display. Anybody ever hear of truth in advertising? BUYER BEWARE. Polar's direct sales are final sales and can not be returned. Although, I will try as the advertising pictures and literature is dishonest!
I rely on Polars superior product performance. Imagine your on a run and trying to stay within various HR limits, and then the HR data goes all screwy and chaotic - loosing transmission, then wrong HR, then settling down back to what you would expect. How could the transmitter be all screwed up in the FT80 - but apparently it is.
The G1 - can't begin to describe how disappointed I am in this performance or difficulty of use to get even a signal. It's not what you would expect in a GPS so please research the features carefully before you purchase the G1. It appears to my shock to only provide average speed and distance...huh? There does not appear to be any mapping, or terrain, or area covered with the details of routes and speed, no way points - nothing!
The "user" manual that comes with the FT80 is hardly "useful" and not worth the paper its printed on. It's very sparse on the exact steps and explanations of features. There are so many features of the FT80 and website interaction that are not documented, that it will leave you researching and making calls for days on end until you get it figured out.
I still believe in Polars superior products overall, but the FT80 is a waste of money and time.
Sadly, the unit is near un-useable due to the display alone, not to mention the erratic behavior and poor GPS integration -- anybody want to purchase my "new" FT80G1? Its your for a song!
4 of 4 people found the above review helpful.
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A flawed hero, August 22, 2009
By Hugo M. M. Rabson (Anchorage, AK)
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The FT80 (plus chest strap, plus GPS tracker) will help you achieve your fitness goals. At least, it has helped me achieve mine. I haven't bothered to explore all the bells and whistles: rather, I have focused on using it to track my aerobic exercise. It does this by recording the duration and exertion of my routines, compares them to its customized weekly goals (in my case, about five hours per week), and tells me what I'm doing wrong.
There's a little more to it, but in essence you just do N hours/wk of exercise, let the watch figure out if you're exerting yourself too much (or not enough), upload the info from the watch to Polar's website, and rinse & repeat. You could do this with a cheap $80 Casio watch and chest-strap, but you would have to punch the numbers into the website, instead of uploading them with the weird-looking docking station (I swear, it looks like something for warming a very small pot of coffee).
My first FT80 died after a month, so I sent it back to the manufacturer. Polar kept me informed from start to finish, charged me $0 for repair (as is appropriate), and only took a couple of weeks to return it in full working order.
The synchronization issues, which have been mentioned in other reviews on Amazon and elsewhere, are still ongoing. I have to unplug and reconnect the docking station from time to time. However, the data still makes its way from the watch to the Polar website, so I'm happy.
The face of the watch is easy to scratch and the wrist strap is not very flexible. Then again, the watch isn't built for looks. I wear a $20 Casio most of the time. Even if I didn't, I wouldn't wear this watch on a daily basis.
Its best feature in my opinion is actually in the chest-strap: it transmits my heart rate to the treadmill at the gym. This causes the treadmill to adjust its incline in order to keep my heart rate in the right zone. This keeps me from wearing myself out. So, before I know it, I've run for an hour, burned a thousand calories, and not torn anything. (I am nursing a groin injury.) So, for coaxing me into the gym and keeping me there without encouraging me to overdo it, this package has my vote.
Aside from the synchronization issue and the initial fault (covered under warranty), it's an excellent watch. The GPS tracker is good too. I am happy with my purchase. It helps me keep myself on-track with my fitness goals, it is utterly unforgiving of my 'lazy days', and it helps me to maintain the weight and the level of fitness that I need. I believe Polar's Quality Control Department made a serious error by allowing this product to be released for general sale when it was still exhibiting these issues, but the watch is still an excellent product in my opinion.
4 of 4 people found the above review helpful.
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Technically Flawed; No Customer Support, July 12, 2009
By Dan (Houston, Texas USA)
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This product does not work and Polar seems uninterested in doing anything about it. Please review the Polar user forum on Flowlink, the interface between the wrist unit and your computer. The software does not work, the company is silent despite hundreds of queries, and the product is useless.
I would not recommend this or any Polar product to a friend.
4 of 7 people found the above review helpful.
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Polar Managed to fix the issues with the earlier versions, November 30, 2011
By Amï¿lcar (Curitiba, Paraná Brazil)
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Let me state that the negative reviews led me to avoid this purchase for a long time, during which I researched as much as could about this product. One key information made me give it a try. According to a Polar employee, all the problems were fixed in the "newer" versions of this watch. The newest version is the 2011 one, and to find out which version you have take a look at the second digit of the serial numer. In the 2011 version, it is 1. Example: C12...
I got in touch with the seller through amazon and made sure that he had the 2011 version. I ended buying the black model due to the price, and here is what I have to say about it:
a) The display is ok. The numbers are green, not grey as in the pictures, so I believe that Polar changed the settings to fix the problem reported by the reviewers.
b) No problems uploading data to the website. (Another commom complaint)
c) It's too early to tell about the durability (another frequent complaint), but I hope Polar fixed that as well.
With those concerns out of the way, let me add some info for those who are considering either Polar FT60 Men's Heart Rate Monitor Watch (Black with White Display) / Polar FT60 Women's Heart Rate Monitor Watch (Purple) or FT80:
(i) FT 80 comes with the Polar Flowlink which is necessary to upload the data to Polar website. (And I urge you to do so)
(ii) FT 80 has a chronometer (it tracks laps, but you cant see your heart rate while in this mode)
(iii) FT 80 has the ownrelax test
(iv) FT 80 stores enough data to plot a HR graph (which you will be able to see on Polar website)
(v)FT80 has the "strength training" mode
(vi) FT 60 has a "weight loss" setting on STAR (Polar personalized program).
I am more than happy with my watch. Let me add that due to its face being convex, I strongly recommend that you purchase a Zagg screen protector (which unfortunately amazon doesn't sell) or any similar product to avoid damage.
I hope Polar have learned their lession. They didn't treat earlier customers correctly and lost both sales and lifetime fans. If my watch stops working, as reported by others, I will make sure to update this review. For now, I rate it 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found the above review helpful.
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Does what its supposed to do..., January 18, 2011
By futureENT
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The watch definately does what it is supposed to do. A lot of people whine about the negatives, but there are also some possitives to be noted. This is my second watch which I recieved yesterday (first watch arrived with a broken heart rate transmitter).
Pros:
`VERY sleek design!
`Tracks heart rate fairly accurately
`Can display heart rate with very large font
`Band is comfortable
`Data to website transfer is very simple
Cons:
`Menus and screens are somewhat NOT user friendly
`Any overhead lighting reflects HEAVILY on the convex screen making reading the output somewhat difficult at times
`The readout should be brighter; The photograph in the item description displays the readout as much more brilliant than the actual readout on both of the watches I've seen.
`The armband is somewhat difficult to connect due to the material used
I would recommend this watch, but I would recommend that Polar brighten the screen TREMENDOUSLY!
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Don't buy this polar monitor, January 7, 2011
By Joe (USA)
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The display is very dark and not readable even with plenty of lighting. I've tried several polar products and have been disappointed with them all.
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Best workout companion, February 18, 2011
By Nahuel
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I've been using this product six days a week for the past two weeks during my cardio and strength training, and it has changed my workouts for the better. In summary:
1. The STAR training program helped me understand that I was doing too much high-intensity cardio work (apparently the product of many years of competitive running) and not enough in Zone 2. Since I started following the program I've had more energy during the day and slept better at night.
2. I'm able to optimize recovery periods between sets during strength training. I'm amazed at how many calories are burned during an hour of weightlifting, especially when I make a conscious effort to keep my heart rate up.
3. Having a more complete picture of my calorie and fat burn each day has helped me optimize my nutrition so that I have enough energy without putting on extra weight.
The product is well-made and intuitive to use. The menus are easy enough to navigate that you can get started without having to read the manual first, but the manual is helpful to understand the many different features in greater detail.
I did a lot of research on this product before purchase, so here are a few thoughts on themes common to other reviews:
- Screen brightness/contrast/reflectivity/readability: It's a watch, not an iPod. I saw so many negative reviews about the black-screen model that I opted for the white screen instead. It's fine, never been an issue under any ambient light condition.
- Dropped signals/erroneous data: I've noticed that the cardio equipment at my gym seems extremely prone to interference when multiple people with HRMs are nearby, so I never trust the HR display on the treadmill or spin bike. But the watch has never had a problem in the same environment. I imagine that the coded transmitter deserves the credit. I do see the HR waveform drop to zero momentarily about once per every three hours' worth of data collected, and only during weight training, so I suppose that the chest strap loses contact with my skin on occasion when I do certain exercises. No big deal. The product works just fine even if it drops a beat now and then.
- FlowLink: Works flawlessly about 80% of the time. After a bit of troubleshooting I discovered that the unit seems suscepible to interference depending on where it is being used. I have never had a problem with it when I set it on a table, desk, or the floor.
Bottom line: Great form + function; my only regret is working out for so many years without a HRM!
3 of 4 people found the above review helpful.
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Heart rate workout, August 29, 2010
By Rick Patterson
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I have had watch for a month now and really like it. The program the watch made for me is benefiting my health, I have been following the workout plans through the weeks. Lots of information the watch records and all can be transferred to website so you can see the difference in your health and always have records. The watch is hard to see in a low light situation but does good outside with natural sunlight. The most I like about this watch is the battery life, not sure how long will last on battery but a month of hours and weeks and don't have to keep charging like other heart monitor watches with gps and still wouldn't mind if had to change battery every several months if that happened, the website says about a year. It is a great motivating tool that just doesn't give heart beat ranges but programs to the change the heart rate is of resting between beats when taking the fitness test and relaxation test. It is like having a trainer to help out so you can get fitter as you want.
3 of 4 people found the above review helpful.
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Great Workout watch, August 7, 2009
By Lucy (Eau Claire WI)
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I've had this watch for about 2 months now and I'm very happy with it. The screen can be a little difficult to see indoors in certain lighting but for the most part its a non issue. I use it for biking, tennis, nautilus,kayaking, and daily walking. I find it to be a great motivator. My only issue is with the software link. It can be a pain but for the most part I have found a way around it. No matter what error I get from the system I find that if I just ignore it and continue to place my watch on the link system it eventually goes through. I have managed to transfer data even when it says "fatal system string error". I just leave the message there and put my watch on the link again. I have had it transfer data every time. If you say okay to the message it just shuts the whole system down and then you have to restart your computer and start the transfer again. I basically work out every day of the week and I always transfer my data after I finish a workout I have never been unsuccessful in transferring my workout data. It might take 5 minutes because I have to keep putting the watch on the link and clicking retry after it says connection lost but I always get it through and probably 80% of the time it goes through on the first try.
Overall I think this is a great watch, It looks great. It fits great I have really small wrists so I was pleased with its sleek look and more tapered fit.
3 of 4 people found the above review helpful.
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I LOVE THE DISPLAY, April 8, 2009
By Steven A. Baenen (Boerne, TX USA)
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Based on the reviews you're reading and the one's I read before purchasing, the big concern is the display. With that reservation, I ordered it anyway, and must say I love the watch AND the display. It really is an attractive, full featured watch, that I much prefer over my RS200. True, the display is not as "bright" as black against gray, but it's clearly readable in and outdoors provided that you view it more or less straight on--at an angle, there is glare. That works fine for me, doesn't interfere with my workouts, and since I'm the only one who needs to read it, it's never a problem. The fit is great, really wraps around your wrist, and it's very low profile. And the black face is quite striking.
3 of 4 people found the above review helpful.
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Amazing!, March 6, 2009
By Adultwatch, not babywatch (SF, CA)
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I have had this watch for over four months and love it. The best workout companion I have ever had.
Here are the facts:
The screen is completely readable even in dim light. I wear it swimming and can see the numbers clearly through fogged goggles.
The buttons are not hard to push.
I have not had a single issue with the software. The watch has been very reliable and the website has been a great tool in tracking my progress.
The design is great! The low profile and smooth lines make it perfect for either powering out miles on the pavement or making business decisions in the boardroom.
If you are looking for a great workout partner that doesn't take days off, doesn't complain about doing another set and that really pushes you to the max, this is the watch you want. I would suggest not purchasing any other watch even the FT60 if you are considering a Polar watch. The FT60 is the babywatch to the FT80, everyone knows that.
3 of 5 people found the above review helpful.
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No mention of chest strap... nor did I want one, November 2, 2010
By Midge (TX)
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I wanted a simple heart rate monitor watch with a selectable heart rate alarm so I can avoid getting zapped with my implanted defibrillator. By knowing when my heart rate was encroaching upon the danger zone I would be able to stop my activity and allow the heart rate to slow down without having to get hit with a shock which comes without warning. I can assure you that this is not a pleasant experience... unless you enjoy the experience of something that feels like grabbing a live electrical wire.
However, I have no desire to wear some stupid chest strap. I simply want a wrist monitor unit which I can wear indefinitely that can keep me informed on my heart rate and have an alarm when it exceeds a selected threshold.
The pulse in the wrist is quite strong and easily measurable without needing a chest strap. Wrist blood pressure cuffs measure the heart rate quite easily... but not continuously as I would require. But the point is the heart rate can be measured from the wrist. I don't need any other data. I only need to know how fast the heart is beating.
I had thought this heart rate monitor could do the job without a chest strap. I could not find any indication in the product description and details that this watch monitor required a chest strap, nor were there any photos of a chest strap. It wasn't until I read through the customer comments that I discovered it did use a chest strap. I would not have known this if the customer comments had not mentioned it. With all of the superfluous narratives the seller used to market this monitor to the shoppers... I would think they might have bothered to mention this monitor required a chest strap to function. I would have been furious if I had bought this monitor and found it used a chest strap.
The least the seller could do would be to MAKE IT CLEAR that this product uses a CHEST STRAP so those of us looking for a simple wrist ONLY heart rate monitor don't end up wasting money on something we would detest. I am not happy at the amount of time I had to waste to discover this product used a chest strap which is NOT what I wanted. Sellers should be clear about the details of their products.
3 of 18 people found the above review helpful.
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It's good when it works, December 10, 2010
By John Lin
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I have been using FT80 for about 1.5 years. It was pretty good in the beginning. Then I started having problem with it from about the 4th month. There was a synchronization issue problem as my PC could not detect the weblink. This issue persisted for about 6 months until a new version was released. However, in the meantime, I was not getting correct heart rates from the FT80, sometimes it would not detect any heart beat and sometimes it would go real high, like 200 something. I changed the battery on the heart monitor strap, then battery on the watch, then I sent both of them back for check. Got it back, and the problem still comes up once or twice a week. Wrote their customer/tech service support, so far I have received no definitive reply after 2 months.......Disappointing experience since this is NOT a cheap Heart rate monitor.
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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FT80 better than most, but could be tweaked, August 13, 2010
By Safety Man
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The FT80 is the most high tech heart rate monitor I have owned. I also like the functionality provided by uplink to my laptop and the ability to create individual programs. Like many others have commented, the display could be improved. Black on a white or gray background generally has much greater readability, but with my 54 year old eyes, I can still spot the zone I am in when on the stair climber, treadmill, and cross trainer.
The one shortcoming of the FT80 is that it has just three zones. With most zone training protocols using five zones, it is odd the FT80 only utilizes three, especially since other Polar heart rate monitors use the full five. Not a huge deal if you know your zones and monitor your actual heart rate, but seems odd it is limited to three zones.
I like the strap and snap on transmitter which is very comfortable and easy to don and doff. All in all a good product with minor improvements would be a five star product.
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Great looking but functionally only good, March 2, 2010
By proud pappa (Chicago, IL USA)
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I purchased this watch with the following criteria:
- single watch to wear in the gym and office
- help me track intensity, calories, distance and pace while running
- used during strength training / cross training
- Mac compatible
It does 3 of 4 above. It is very stylish watch for a heart rate / fitness watch. It _does_ have a some nice features for fitness. And it _does_ all the main things I need - intensity, calories, distance, and page (using G1 GPS). Where it falls short a bit is the display. I read the reviews prior to purchasing. The display is not totally as bad as reviewed but it should be brighter. I don't have a problem reading it at work and most days in the gym or outside. It's tough to see in the shadows but if I tilt my wrist a bit it's fine. The GPS unit works fine. I did have a problem b/c I put in power save mode by accident on a run one day. But other than that, it works fine.
Gripes:
- polar's and it's competitors (I had a Garmin 310 as well) make their instructions really difficult. Don't know why but they don't make the instructions really simple to put features together.
- Polar for some reason ignores Mac users and therefore this unit is NOT mac compatible. I conceded here b/c of the watch style and comfort of the HR strap. It's the comfiest I've ever tried
- The last gripe I have is that it's 3 zones for HRM vs a full 5. I didn't realize this until it was past the return date. I probably would have exchanged for the less svelte, but more functional Polar 300x
Overall, I would recommend this watch. However, I would also recommend that if you are a runner, that you check out the Polar 300X or a Garmin 405.
Polar if you are reading this - fix the display by making it brighter or user controlled brightness, add the full 5 zones for HR intensity, and make it Mac compatible!!!!!
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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How to fix contrast problem, February 18, 2010
By SCtud (New York, NY)
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Most of the other reviews have touched on the potential issues with this product - notably the uploading information to the Polar website and poor contrast. Simple solution is to make sure you get a recent firmware version that uploads fine. I especially like that you don't have to press a single button for the watch to upload information to the site!
With regards to the contrast issue, it is fixable as well!
I completely thought there was something wrong with the watch when I first received it and was about to send it right back. The screen was impossible to read with or without the backlight because the letters were bleeding into the pixels next to them and you could hardly see where a character began and ended. This is probably the opposite of what most people are complaining about, where the "white" pixels are too dark to see on a black background.
There is a secret service menu that allows you to adjust this setting which you can find by searching Polar's discussion forums. Polar does not support doing this, but I would have deemed this product unusable had I not found and used this. The adjustments are on a system of 1-10. I adjusted my setting from 8 to 7 (others have adjusted theirs up from 7 to 10). It will not be a night and day difference in readability, but it might render the watch from unusable to usable as in my instance.
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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"Can't exercise without it..., April 19, 2011
By Seven Wellness (Washington)
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I have been using Polar's training computers since 2004. At first I wasn't sure of how I could benefit from using it, but now I can't exercise without it. I now have the FT80 with G1 GPS sensor and love it. The Polar FT80 is definately worth the investment if you are looking to lose weight or increase sports performance.
As a Certified Fitness Specialist and Nutrition Coach for Seven Wellness since 2001, I recommend Polar training computers to clients because they help clients attain results faster. I have witnessed clients increase their fitness level, melt body fat and become more motivated from using the Polar Personal Trainer website.
Thanks Polar for creating such amazing fitness and weight loss tools!
Chris Knight
Seven Wellness
[...]
Specializing in healthy weight loss and fitness performance
2 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Great for general fitness, December 31, 2009
By Brian T. Waits (Atlanta, GA United States)
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I have owned this product for 9 months, and it is my second Polar product. This watch has been a great purchase, and I am very satisfied with its performance. I use the watch for general fitness (6 workouts per week 3 cardio and 3 strength). The contrast is great for almost all situations (the backlight works for all others).
It provides great motivation to get my workouts in, and it keeps me honest when I don't.
Pros:
- The training program is a huge step forward - it monitors and adapts to your weekly activity level
- Strength training - I bought the watch for the strength training capabilities, and I am very satisfied. I like the ability to load workouts and see the recommended start times
- Data tracking - Polar does a great job of tracking all workout progress on the watch and on their website www.polarpersonaltrainer.com - the watch synchs easily to the site, and the available data is extensive and motivating
- Easy to read watch - I wear the watch unit most of the time
Cons:
- Swimming - the device doesn't work for me when swimming, the chest strap won't stay in place when I push off the walls - not allowing me to use the product in the pool
- Battery life - I've already had to replace the battery in the watch unit (my previous Polar is still on its first battery)... battery replacement was simple.
If I could use the watch while swimming, it would easily be 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Function almost wins over form... almost..., January 12, 2009
By Jim Chou (Austin, TX USA)
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Great watch... except for the display, its fatal flaw. Outside during the day it looks great, with almost as much contrast as you see in the product picture. However, indoors it definitely is less legible than normal black on white watches. Furthermore, the crystal is very reflective - not a problem outside with only the sun, but in the gym the display is made harder to read by the multitude of reflections from the various lights. It's not illegible, but you have to work to make it out. Also, the largest time display (which is very large and easy to read) leaves out the seconds ; there is a display mode that shows the seconds but this one wastes half the screen space with an FT80 logo.
On the bright side, the battery is user replaceable, as in all the new FT watches, so you don't have to send it away for replacement as recommended with the older Polar watches. Furthermore, it's actually a very thin watch, almost 50% thinner than my old Polar F55 and a Timex Ironman watch I had, so it's comfortable to wear as a normal watch.
If it weren't for the display and crystal, this would be a great watch. If they come out with a firmware update that lets it display the normal black on white I'd recommend it without reservations. As it is, the FT60 might be a better buy - it's legible, and is missing only the stopwatch, OwnRelax, and strength training functions from the FT80 (according to Polar's comparison site).
2 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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My FT80, June 12, 2009
By Dr. Rafa (Miami, Florida)
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The only problem I got is: The wrist band is to short!!!
I'm in the last hole
Rafa
2 of 4 people found the above review helpful.
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polar ft80, March 3, 2009
By agnes romero (brooklyn, ny usa)
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this is like the best monitor device i have ever seen, this thing works incredible, i would recommend it to everyone.
2 of 5 people found the above review helpful.
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lasted less than 6 months, April 29, 2011
By Hope it helps
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Wonderful piece of equipment when it worked.
Lasted a total of 6 months before I finally got fed up.
The problems began about 4 months after the purchase, the watch wouldn't recognize the signal, it would freeze, wouldn't record any data. The time function would also freeze. Nice watch, lovely design, need many improvements in what really counts.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Excellent Watch. Does the job very well, April 25, 2011
By Nike18ak
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After reading a lot of reviews, I went ahead and bought the watch even though the product has 3 starts to its name. The watch does what it supposed to do. The cardio machines recognizes the heart strap device and is accurate. I love the graph bar image that shows while doing your physical work out. The watch has many features where the watch gives you your weekly results.
I understand the watch's image is hard to read but I love it. I know a lot of people don't like the LED brightness of the watch but I like it overall and doesn't bother me one bit.
Overall I would recommend this watch for people who manually records their workout like me. I record everything by hand and record it in my workout program instead of using the watches.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Serious operating problems. Don't waste your money., April 20, 2011
By JOCo
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I've had one of these for 16 months. For the first 9 months it worked fine. Then the battery died and I replaced it...no problem. But then it started to freeze up at random every couple of weeks and the only way to get it going again was to remove the battery and reinsert it (i.e. reboot it) and/or put in a new battery...I've replaced the battery 4 times by now. Every time you do that, all the basic info has to be re-entered. In the past week it started refusing to sync with the web site and then the battery died again. Today I replaced the battery again, it syncs with the web site again, but it has spontaneously deleted all of the last three months of workout data....poof! This is very poor show and totally unacceptable at any price.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Just doesn't work, April 1, 2011
By PD
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I bought this monitor after using another Polar monitor for around 4 years. The FT80 seemed to be the best match as I like to see my workout results online and this monitor has an upload device included. The watch itself is very stylish and 'modern', and the transmitter is great as it's made of fabric so is less coarse than the cheaper plastic versions.
HOWEVER, 4 workouts later I discovered that my 4 year old Polar is far better and more reliable than the FT80. Firstly, the display is almost impossible to see, regardless of whether the light is good or bad. Try to use the backlight and the display just disappears. Secondly, after around 50 minutes of workout the transmitter lost connection with the monitor and wouldn't reconnect despite refitting the belt numerous times. Then, the watch seemed to lose complete power and lost 2 of my 4 workouts completely.
I have no idea what the problem is but can only assume that the watch is so sophisticated and the batteries so small in capacity that they aren't compatible. I've read online that there are problems with the battery life - sometimes only lasting 2 or 3 months - so returned it for a refund. I've now gone back to my older monitor which works every time, albeit without a nice uploading system.
Definitely wouldn't recommend this monitor - go for a cheaper version and sacrifice the upload facility.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Not as good as expected at this price, March 25, 2011
By bob_b0917 (SF, California)
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Getting the workouts from the web page into the watch is not straight forward and *if* there is a video tutorial on the website then it is not easy to find. I think that the web site is inferior to the Windows application that I used before with my older polaris product, in fact the web site is more advertising and less a training tool. If I could download the information inside of the watch directly into a windows app or one of the cellphone/pda apps that I previously used with Polaris monitors that would be an improvement.
Althought there are a couple of good ideas in this product without the windows app the watch is more fluff than anything else. Polaris is no longer the only game in town and you should shop around before you purchase one of these units.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Polar Heart Rate Monitor Watch, November 2, 2009
By N. H. Earnshaw
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This monitor is a great assistant to measure, record and motivate anyone training to inprove their fitness.
The programmed features are pretty good with different training available programs if you need them as a guide or as a challenge. If you have a solid understanding of the principals of heart rate training you could use something less cabable, hence less expensive.
The Polar website for recording your fitness is pretty good. I acknowledge that some people don't like the fact it's on line only and not "downloadable" and some of the features are not all that flexible. I think it's best suited to soemone who's willing or who needs to be shown how to build and record a training program. Other websites like bodybuilding dot com are more felxible and could be used in conjunction with the the polar tool if you like. Simple daily trackers like diet assistant are also useful and it would be nice if they were all compatible or if the Polar crew developed their site further.
I've noted the complaints on software, watch face lighting etc but I've had no problem with these features.
Overall a very good assistant and I'd recommend this or the less expensvie versions. I am burning 3000cals extra a week now I have the item so it has been a successful purchase for me.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Very disappointed, February 7, 2011
By C. Tran
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It's the most expensive watch I bought and I was so disappointed with it since day 1. I have had it for more than a year and my opinion does not change. The display is hard to read. The watch tends to reset itself once in a while, causing me to set the date and time again. I can't believe Polar release such a poorly designed product like this. No more Polar buys unless it has overwhelming positive rating.
1 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Great idea, Poorly Executed, February 4, 2011
By alfaromeo92
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I purchased this FT80 in May 2010, after seeing a demo at my sports club. As someone who both runs and lifts weights it seemed perfect. At first, I really appreciated the weekly tracking, and I found it very useful. With the help of the FT80, I was able to improve my aerobic conditioning, reduce my body fat and break through some exercise plateaus.
With all of the positives, there have been a constant stream of problems. In the first six months, the watch band broke twice. Each time Polar sent me a new band with no questions asked. Recently, it would freeze during a workout. Polar service told me to reset the watch and replace the battery. I did that and now it does not work at all. I am sending it back for warranty service. I have very low expectations.
It is disappointing that such a great concept was so poorly executed.
1 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Love This Product, November 17, 2010
By renaissance man (Minneapolis, MN)
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My purpose for purchasing this product was to have a way to plan and monitor my workouts. So far it has been great for both my cardio workouts and my weight workouts. I used the polar personal trainer site to create the workouts that I want and downloaded them to my watch. For gym workouts, I have been using the foot pod to calculate distance. The watch will do some tests and calculate your 5 zones, though only 3 are displayed. The watch will also let you know when you have recovered sufficiently from your last set of weights to do the next one. All of the information recorded had uploaded/downloaded flawlessly for me on the polar personal trainer site. The display has been readable for me in various lighting conditions though you need to look straight at it to read it (as you get beyond a 45 degree angle the refraction makes it more difficult to read. I would prefer that the watch track all 5 zones instead of zones 1 through 3, but not a huge deal if you know your zones. The chest strap is comfortable and I don't notice that I'm wearing it. Overall, this has revolutionized my workouts and my ability to track progress over time.
Suggestions to get the most out of it.
* Use the foot pod to track aerobic training at the gym.
* Use the GPS to track outdoor workouts.
* Make use of the polarpersonaltrainer.com web site aerobic and weight programs.
* Make use of the training diary and progress.
1 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Great under 3 zones, May 20, 2009
By melivinthedream (Dallas, Tx)
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I like the product just be aware it only goes to zone 3. Very cool though, definitely ideal to sync up with a computer (not a mac unfortunately). I have ended up using only the very basic functions, so probably could have been fine with a less expensive model, but it is good looking in my opinion.
1 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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worst purchase ever, January 12, 2011
By runner
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This is an awful product, it's really an overpriced piece of junk, I still have my first polar heart rate monitor, the protrainer nv that I've purchased 12 years ago and it's still working!!!! And this piece of junk is not working anymore after only 10 months of use!!! I've replaced the battery and the display started to show a lot of dead pixels, now it's impossible to read it, and of course to use it, I will never buy any polar product again.
1 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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This Polar FT80 Heart Rate Monitor SUCKS, January 1, 2012
By why so serious (Gotham)
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I brought this monitor expecting a top rate heart rate monitor. After one year and one month I started to have problems. After changing the batteries twice, just to make sure it wasn't the batteries, I gave up. For the price I paid for this I expected more. This is one reason I give it 1 star. My new Timex heart rate monitor cost $43.00. It has out lived the Polar Monitor. If my new one dies, I will go back and buy the same Timex Monitor I now have.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Poor Product. Deceptive Advertising., December 28, 2011
By rickbuddy_72
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This product performs poorly; Polar is aware of the problems and does little to correct them.
I've never had a gut ache over a purchase until this one. The photo of the product does not represent the product well. As others have noted, the photo of the product has been enhanced to make the watch face appear more legible than it actually is. Neither my wife nor I can read the face in normal daylight. As for running intervals to max heart rate: forget it, the watch simply doesn't perform. I cannot imagine it is readable under exertion.
You may see a reply to a negative review from a Chris Zoller, who claims that he is a representative of Polar. His words lack credibility to me. I contacted Polar first and found no satisfaction or cure to the problem. Polar does admit they are aware of the problem. They also admit that once the product box is opened for inspection that the product is difficult to return. In other words, once your discover the photo is a misrepresentation of the product, you are stuck with the junk.
Some companies build trust with customers during difficult economic times, and others ruin their reputation. With Polar, it seems they have chosen the later.
I have trusted Polar until now. I now understand why my trusted, local fitness dealer will not carry the product. I also question Amazon's promise to stand behind the merchandise they sell.
We are out almost $300 on something I view as a scam.
In one word: Garbage.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Great product, March 30, 2011
By USC 2011
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While I've had my share of issues with the FT80 as this is my 3rd try, I've had it for a few weeks now and it performs perfectly. I couldn't ask for a better heart rate monitor. I've read several reviews where people have complained about the brightness of the display, but it is readible. All of the functions are terrific.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Polar FT80 Heart Rate Monitor, December 9, 2011
By Mike
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I bought this Polar FT80 on amazon.com on November 30th 2010. I received the item and as soon as I installed the software of Polar websync to track my workout progress, I came to know that this is a refurbished unit from 2008 that someone returned, sold by Amazon as brand new. I found this out as the software was telling me the dates dating back to Middle of 2008. Within 10 months, nothing would work and I have to send it to
Polar for repairs and ended up paying $60 and still dealing with a refurbished unit. The manufacturer said it is out of warranty. It is not worth buying on amazon.com for the listing of few bucks cheap as you don't know what kind / how old of a product you are going to get. I used to be a regular buyer and even had Amazon Prime membership for a couple of years. I WILL NOT RECOMMEND NOR BUY ANYTHING FROM AMAZON.COM. PERIOD.
PLEASE DONT DELETE THIS EMAIL. CONTACT ME / LOOK UP MY PREVIOUS ORDERS AND FIGURE IT OUT.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Just Perfect, August 17, 2011
By Fitness4ever
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I'm a huge fan of Polar products, first i bought the FT60 for a friend and when i got the watch i wanted to upgrade mine, so i went and look for a newer model for me.
I have been working out with my FT80 now for 3 weeks and i just love it, just becarefull by mistake i spread some Mosquito Spray on the watch and the wrist band color its peeling.
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Great Watch. I do not know why people complain about the display, July 30, 2011
By Delbert Jackson II
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The watch is easy to use and I love all the fitness test. It was easy to load in workouts from the polar fitness website. I do wish the website had more exercises to choose from and even some planned work outs, that would really help. I do not know what all the fuss was about the display though. I have the one with the black display and white lettering and I found it really easy to see in the sunlight when I was out running. I even thought it was easier to see than my FT 4 I used before this watch.
The data entry on polar fitness website is a lot easier with this than my FT4. All I have to do is set it on its stand and a few min later it is finished. If you want to have a watch for all around fitness this is the one to get. I usually hate working out and always find ways to reason my way into putting it off, but ever since I got this watch I have started to enjoy working out from the feedback it gives and the website that keeps track of the data on the watch.
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Avoid!, July 11, 2011
By Tom Rucker (LONDON, OHIO, US)
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My second polar just froze up yesterday. for the last week i have been fighting to keep it alive. i spent 50 more dollars on a new chest strap and monitor. i changed both batteries. my first one died about 3 months in. Amazon sent me a new replacement and it lasted almost a year. i should have listened to the reviews and saved my money.
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Very good product, July 3, 2011
By Gab
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It's a very powerful device to help your trainning.
Likes: appearance, style, color, processor, integration to personal trainner software (polar website), accessories.
Dislikes: it should come with a gps transmissor embedded and should connect automatically to nike+ software - I know there's a Polar strap that does it.
Conclusion: in my opinion it is the best product in this category.
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Polar FT80, great watch, August 5, 2010
By czilveti
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I have used this watch for over a month, great product, for running and workout, perfect for me.
Good resistance to scratch, light and fine quality on materials.
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Works Great, June 24, 2010
By jlew (Arizona)
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The Polar FT80 has worked great for me. No issues with the display. I wear it playing basketball, aerobic excercises, and weight training and I haven't had any problems.
I have worn it outside in the sun and can see the display without issue both inside and outside.
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Display Renders Monitor Useless, June 6, 2010
By Book-ie (New York City)
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Apparently this monitor has many great features...well I don't care if it can hand you a protein smoothie when you're done working out! If you can't read the display...it's useless.
I read about the display issues prior to purchasing---but to be honest, I thought those people complaining about the display were either whiners, or....old with bad vision. I am neither. When I took it out of the box, I thought that perhaps the protective plastic over the display was tinted...it was not.
Outside in bright sunlight it is passable, but inside the gym, and especially in a spinning class where the lights tend to be low...forget it! You have to keep reaching over to press the display light which is only on for a second.
Your effort should be spent on your workout, not trying to read your monitor. I am returning mine.
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What is the point if you can't read the screen?, April 19, 2011
By JaySin
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I bought this and the first one I received worked for less than a single workout. The replacement worked for a day. I could barely read the screen and the belt battery went dead in a week. It was nearly impossible to get another replacement and I had to fight to get my money back from Polar.
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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NOT FOR SWIMMERS!!!, February 10, 2011
By Luis E. Villarreal (Eagle Pass, Texas United States)
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In the manual it says there could be minor interference when using it underwater, but it just doesn't work. Just hearing that pathetic little sound telling me the sensor isn't getting any reading always makes me want to stop swimming and go hit the watch hard against the wall till it breaks. I have also thought of burning it...may be I will do both someday. Anyway, my $100 Timex Ironman used to work fine in any pool, so should the FT80. I'm guessing the only people the Wearlink sensor works for is the guys at cost-cutting, when they developed it.
My wife gave this to me as a christmas present. I don't like hating gifts from my wife, which only makes me hate Polar more. I definitely will never buy anything form Polar again.
(1 hour later) Just destroyed it!
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Outstanding product, January 30, 2010
By Felippe (São Paulo, Brazil)
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After several weeks using this device, I can assure i am 100% satisfied with it. I would say it is impossible o workout without my polar on. It is precise measuring my heart beats and its design is awesome as well. I do not take it out even working because it seems as a normal watch.Polar FT80 Heart Rate Monitor Watch (Black)
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Addicted to It, March 18, 2009
By Mary Ann Krawchuk (denver, co United States)
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After a few bumps in the road initially, I have become addicted to using this monitor. Great tracking abilities and the customer service at Polar out of Chris' Department has been stellar.
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Love it!, May 14, 2009
By Scott Corbett
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It is a little hard to read, but get over it. I am 34 and can see it fine. The watch looks great and works perfect. Still need to swim with it for a complete review. I was worried ordering it after reading the reviews on here but I am very happy I got it.
0 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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A very expensive piece of junk, September 28, 2010
By Christien Tuttle
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I am not sure what circumstance Polar found itself in, but to release an item in which so obvious a mistake exists is a desperate and dangerous move. The reading on the screen is so incredibly hard to discern that you cannot tell me it is a design choice. Having to spend 30 minutes tracking down some "secret" method of enhancing the contrast to make only a minimal difference is laughable at best; a complete swindle at worst. This product should never have been released. I will never even entertain the idea of purchasing another Polar product.
0 of 6 people found the above review helpful.
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VERY POOR Documentation--But something else!, December 30, 2011
By A. Johnson (Atlanta, GA)
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The display is very difficult to read. Even with the "light" button which doesn't light the display very much. Trying to work with the Polar Web Site is a challenge (and I spent years with computers), it is among the poorest sets of documentation I have seen. The user manual say what you can do, but neither the web site or manual tells HOW to do anything. I thought I could figure it out, so I opened and tried the product (it is not returnable once worn). For example the manual says you can create training programs and download them, but neither the site or manual says how. It is very frustrating... I would not choose this product!!
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Display is awful, December 28, 2011
By NotImpressed
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Purchased this watch for the wifey for Xmas. She never used it, because she could not read the face. We returned it immediately. No idea how it performed, not sure if we would have known if she did use it because you cant read the darn thing! Do not buy the black faced version, if anything try the white faced version as that is what Polar advised for us to do. We ended up purchasing the FT60 per the advice of Polar. We'll see how that turns out.
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Its a good product, November 17, 2011
By sihamberger
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I received the item on time and I am satisfied. The product met my needs. I am using the gym every day and I love it.
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Wants you to download a program to use their site to synch with pc(retarded), January 24, 2012
By I really wish audible had more technica.. (bat yam, Israel)
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Rather than just having the training history there in a simple text file via USB interface , polar has decided to make you dependent on their site for all communication between the watch and the PC, which also happens not to work well.
I highly suggest not to buy the product if you want to rely on having any information copied to your PC , if you will make it to sync their website with the watch , I don't think you will feel like you own your own training info. its like there is a DRM on your own data.
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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