Polar has done it again with the release of yet another amazing heart rate monitor, the Polar F6. Much like its predecessor, Polar F6 has the essential features to be used when exercising. What sets Polar F6 and Polar F4 apart though is the evident improvements in user-friendliness as well as an upgrade in its compatibility with other exercise equipment.
For group exercises, Polar F6 proves to be an invaluable tool since it makes use of coded transmission, one that ensures there would not be any unwanted communication with other monitors while you’re doing your routines. Also, the Polar F6 now comes with the OwnZone feature which automatically adjusts your ideal training zone depending on your physical state. This feature not only guides you on which training zone should be focused on but also assess the limits of your heart rate. Exercising at night is not the same as exercising in the morning since stress tends to pile-up by the end of the day and having this tool will surely help you prevent training with a wrong intensity.
Connecting the device to your computer is also easy to do as the needed tools can be found inside the box. Just remember that although the F6 has presets or default installs, you might have to download from Polar’s website every once in a while.
Slight variations in model design are available and there are also other available color options for the both the straps and actual device. Designs vary according to the intended user: for men or for women.
Features include:
Heart rate (both as bpm and as percentage of maximum heart rate)
Pre-set target zones
Graphical target zone display
Button-free operation
Water resistant
Displays date & weekday
Displays time (12/24h) with alarm
Visual & audible alarms for the target zones
KeyLock
Polar OwnZone
Polar OwnCal
Polar OwnCode
Ideal to use when you're:
Doing distance exercise such as cycling or running
Doing laps in a swimming pool
In heavily humid environments
Video Review:
Pros:
Coded transmission prevents unnecessary cross-talks among other monitors
Smart OwnZone system which adjusts training zone according to physical condition
Cons:
The watch is a bit bulky and can sometimes be irritating for those who are not used to big/bulky watches
Full-feature sports watch displays your heart rate, exercise time, and average heart rate
OwnCode transmitter eliminates interference from other heart rate monitors
Polar OwnZone helps determine an individual exercise zone; calorie counter and goal management
OwnCal feature shows your energy expenditure during one exercise session and accumulated expenditure
Zone Pointer displays your target heart rate zone and where your current heart rate is within that zone
Video Reviews
No video reviews found for this product.
Customer Reviews
*I Have a Geek Toy, I Have a Geek Toy*
Review Date: August 8, 2006
Reviewer: WordGirl,
Easy to set up, accurate, user friendly. Just took it for a test drive this morning. Shipping was fast and friendly. Nice user manual. Very explanatory.
Put in your vitals, adjust the strap around your chest and put the pedal to the metal.
I burned 511 calories -- 45% from fat. For 49:51 minutes of work, I spent 14:46 minutes in the 144-160 beats per minute range; with my heart rate topping out at 178 (93% of my maximum for the "moderate training zone"). My average heart rate was 151 for the duration (79% of my maximum). The alarm cued me when to step it up and also when to back it down so I could keep on a better training track.
Apparently, I've been working too hard in the past. Because just as the HRM was yelling at me to back down, I was thinking, "Geez, touchy thingie! I can go way harder and higher than this!" But if it improves my stamina, all the better.
I would recommend reviewing the product manual and setting up your customizations the night before if you are an early morning exerciser. Setup and familiarization with the product/material takes about an hour.
work smarter and harder - worth every penny
Review Date: February 1, 2005
Reviewer: Amjra, Arlington Heights, IL United States
I always knew that I should be hitting 65% to 85% of my maximum heart rate while exercising, and I knew that I was sometimes, but this little gadget showed me how far off the mark I was. I had to double my cardio workouts in order to get into the zone where I needed to be to lose weight. Now, I am seeing real results. That knowledge alone was worth the price. Most of us overestimate how hard we work out, spend a lot of time at the gym, and then get frustrated at the lack of results. With this gadget I am able to make my workouts effective not just long and energy consuming.
The features on the A5 model are numerous enough to make this a great toy, and few enough as not to make it too complicated. This model is reccomended by Polar as one for for people looking to lose weight and increase overall fitness. This is not a model for the serious "data junkie" who wants to store all of their workout data in a spreadsheet. I don't think that this is a model for cyclists either. This is a model for someone who wants to know how many calories they've burned, time in their target workout zone, BMI, % of maximum heart rate being reached, and heart rate. You can also perform a fitness test with this model, and that is an interesting feature.
This model comes with a transmitter. The product specifications were not clear about whether or not it came with one. I was confused about that, and ended up purchasing an extra, albiet better, transmitter. The transmitter that came with the A5 does not look comfy, the front part that goes over your chest is made of flexible rubber and the back part is a fabric strap. The extra one that I ordered (for $45) is a totally fabric model called the WearLink, that has one small plastic piece in the front. So, I would suggest you buy a more comfortable mostly fabric transmitter, if you plan to wear it alot.
Great device!
Review Date: September 25, 2006
Reviewer: Elliott S. Mccrory, Batavia, IL USA
If one is serious about doing excercise properly, then you have to have a good heart rate monitor. (See, for example, "Fat or Fit" by Covert Bailey.) If you try to get into an excercise program without instruction or a heart rate monitor, you are going to exhaust yourself and give up.
I have no problems with this product. The watch is waterproof and not particularly uncomfortable while excercising. The chest strap fits me just fine. Both seem to be very durable (I've been using mine for about 3 weeks now and there is no sign of wear-and-tear). The menus are, admittedly, a bit cumbersome, but after a couple of excercise sessions, followed by reviewing the manual, I have no trouble dealing with it. (After all, you only have 4 buttons and about a zillion options overall.)
Probably the best part of all is that the heart rate transmitter (the one that attaches to your chest) is picked up by all the equipment in my local gym: Stair Master, Life Fitness and others. So you don't have to put your hands on the probes that the excercise machine has to get it to tell you your heart rate. All of the machines in my gym have a "constant heart rate" mode, so this is fabulous!
I cannot speak to any other brands, or any other models of the Polar brand. But this device, the F6, is great and does everything I can imagine I would like to do.
I am middle aged and overweight. If you are either one of these, then you gotta get a heart rate monitor!
The F6 Completely Changed The Way I Exercise
Review Date: January 6, 2010
Reviewer: Marz, Oregon
The Polar F6 is a fine piece of equipment and there is no doubt about it. It's so useful, giving you access to a host of physical statistics and it's incredibly easy to use. Will the F6 help you with your fitness goals? You bet it will. There is no doubt that it will add a new dynamic to your workouts.
In short, you will wonder why you ever waited so long to get one!
**BTW, the battery is a snap to change and I'll tell you how in a minute.
After you have entered your personal stat's like height, age, etc. your F6 will tell you how long you have exercised, heart rate, calories you have burned and how many your are burning per hour, how many calories you have burned for the entire week of exercises or however many sessions you choose to total. You can also review stored exercise sessions individually all via the Diary function.
The F6 can calculate varying BPM zones for you to work within via the OwnZone function or you can set them yourself. The F6 monitors your BPM and Alarms and arrows go off when you are too high or low.
Here is the part I love. You can use the sonic Uplink to transmit all of your diary information from the wrist unit, through your PC mic, to the website [...] and monitor your progress over time, set up goals and see how well you are achieving them. There is a lot more you can do there as well. Have a look at the site.
**I've read some of the bad press on here concerning changing the batteries in the wrist unit. I changed mine, no problem, and I feel confident that it is still water proof and I'll tell you why. Just a quick note though that for me it doesn't matter because I don't use the unit while in the water.
Purchase a CR 2032 3V battery. Take the four screws out of the back using a tiny phillips head screwdriver created for this type of thing. Once you take the back plate off you will notice a little gasket that sits inside a groove that runs just inside the circumfrence of the back of the watch.
When you have replaced the battery you will want to be very sure and carefully push this gasket into that groove to retain the water proofing. Could it still leak? Maybe, but that is your best bet if you are going to change the battery yourself. I feel pretty confident that, so long as the gasket is in good condition and it is pushed into it's groove, then it will not leak.
With the back off, you will notice that the battery is visible and a small metal arm is holding it in place with an even smaller bent metal piece that fits over a plastic bump. The metal slips down over the plastic bump and clips into place. Use you're your screwdriver (I use a tiney straight edged screwdriver for this) to lift the metal piece over the plastic bump. Once the arm is released the battery should slip out of it's housing.
Slip the new battery in, + side up, and reverse the previous steps.
You're done. It even has your old information still saved.
I love this thing. I'm very happy with it's performance and use it all the time.
Works as Prescribed
Review Date: February 23, 2006
Reviewer: J. LaFentres, St. Louis MO
This has been a great product. I have used it for 1 month now and found it a great way to monitor my workout. The free web based workout logger has provided a worry free way of tracking my progress.
No video reviews found for this product.
*I Have a Geek Toy, I Have a Geek Toy*
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