Polar RS100 Heart Rate Monitor and Stopwatch
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Description of Polar RS100 Heart Rate Monitor and Stopwatch
The RS100 is a simple, no-fuss solution that's perfect for entry level runners who want to get on the right track to fitness. It comes with a variety of uncomplicated yet highly effective features. Heart Rate features include OwnCode, OwnCal, OwnZone, average heart rate and maximum heart rate. Data features include 1 exercise file and data transfer.In order to reach your fitness goals, you need to exercise at the right intensity. The Polar RS100 wrist heart rate monitor helps you to easily and accurately measure your heart rate to help you get to just the right intensity or your exertion level. This basic HRM features added stopwatch and time-of-day watch features as well as extra-large digits for easy readability. The Time in Target Zone feature calculates the amount of total exercise time spent in your personal target zone. You can use this feature together with the Total Exercise Time to determine the effectiveness of your exercise program.
The RS100 displays heart rate as beats per minute (beats per minute) and as a percentage of the maximum heart rate. The Target Zone feature can be set manually or automatically (for age/weight), and the RS100 provides visual and auditory alarms when you've moved away from the zone. Other features include dual time zone, alarm with snooze, and water resistance to 50 meters.
It's a great choice for using in large groups, where other exercisers might be using wireless training gear that could interfere with your own signal. The RS100's coded transmission prevents crosstalk with other monitors so you'll get a personalized workout--even in a class environment. It also includes the following exclusive Polar features:
- Polar OwnCal: This feature shows your energy expenditure during one exercise session as well as your accumulated kilocalories during several exercise sessions. You can set daily and weekly exercise goals in terms of calorie expenditure with the OwnCal feature. Because the OwnCal tracks both the energy expenditure during one exercise session and the accumulated kilocalories during a longer time e.g. one week, it helps in achieving both short term and long term goals.
- Polar OwnZone: This feature guides you through an appropriate warm-up routine and automatically determines a safe and effective exercise heart rate zone--your OwnZone--while taking into account your current physical condition.
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.
Note:
Polar heart rate monitors are precision instruments; consumers are not advised to change their own battery. Polar recommends that all service be done by an authorized Polar Service Center which will include a warranty for 90 days on repairs and 6 months for batteries.
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.
Sports reviews of Polar RS100 Heart Rate Monitor and Stopwatch
Customer Review: Great features, no overpriced frills
Sport shop rating: 4 Stars
It's unisex, easy to use, and has all of the features a runner needs without all of the expensive frills. I chose the RS100 because it had features that the women-specific watches did not, including interval timers, two zone limit monitors, and a back light (essential if you run at night or cross train in spin class where the lights are usually low). I recommended spending a half hour reading the manual and setting up the watch that way. It covers every feature simply and clearly.
Being able to set my own heart rate and percentage limits is great since those numbers change as my fitness improves. I also like that the running total tells me the percent of calories burned from fat, super essential for proper training.
The total only keeps track of one run at a time, which is fine. I log my runs in an Excel spreadsheet and I've found this to be more useful than storing them in the watch because I can write all sorts of formula combinations and create averages and see a big picture and completely geek out. Other models allow you to upload logs to the Polar website but paying the extra money wasn't worth it for me. I like doing that stuff myself.
The medium chest strap fits me fine once it is adjusted (female, 34" chest) and stays in place. Be sure to moisten the transmitters before wearing, a few drops of water will do, your sweat will take care of the rest ...
My only issue is that the watch is a little bulky for my small wrists, which causes some discomfort at times, but I've come up with a few workarounds to solve the bulky problem:
1. I wear it somewhat loose but not so loose that it spins around on its own. This keeps some of the pressure off. It's loose enough that I can manually rotate the face around to the inside of my wrist if I need to.
2. For longer runs, I sometimes wear the watch strapped to my gear belt or zipped in my pocket. Since the watch has interval timers and warning beeps when I go out of zone, I've been able to keep track using my hearing instead of my eyes. The beep is pretty loud so as long as my headphones aren't cranked, I can still hear it.
3. The treadmills at my gym are Polar ready so they pick up the transmission without me having the wear the watch. While the treadmill doesn't have any logging features, I can at least keep track of my heart rate during a run if I don't want to wear the watch.
Overall, it's a great running computer for the money.
Customer Review: Most Solid HR Monitor
Sport shop rating: 4 Stars
This is my fourth HR monitor. I've owned a Nike (garbage), two Timex models (one solid and one I returned). I bought this one because it had three lines of information so I would know my total time and my lap time.
Some points:
- For the first month the watch never gave me an inaccurate HR. Since then I've had two instance when it's been whacky (you know, shows you at 185 when you're at 145). My previous HR monitors were MUCH worse than the Polar on this account.
- The three lines is nice, however it does not allow you to swap the lap time with the total time. I would much prefer the lap time to be in the middle or at least bigger (it's hard to read when you're doing a hard run and you're bouncing around).
- There is a lap number. I like that a lot.
- If you press and hold the button a little too long it will pop up Limits and adjustments and whatnot. This is annoying and happens too easily.
- If you use the light/indiglo while using the stopwatch it will automatically light up whenever you hit lap/stop afterwards. This is a great feature. Often I'm running in the dark and this feature is a lifesaver.
- Getting the information from the watch is just OK. Not terrible, but not as streamlined as the simple Timex HR monitor I previously used.
- I don't use the totals. I have a database for that.
The bottom line is that HR monitors are pretty unreliable generally. After 2 months, this model has been solid. I would still like a tweak here or there because of my personal preferences.
Customer Review: Great monitor for basic use and with cardio machines
Sport shop rating: 4 Stars
I was using a timex monitor that I got for cheap at Costco. It wouldn't work with the precor machines and I kept losing the signal. My trainer recomended buying a polar and replacing it and glad I did.
I get a reading as soon as I put on the strapband (with my timex sometimes there was a almost a minute delay before getting a reading even using heart rate cream on the strap). It works fine with all the precor machines and it is nice having the reading go on the machine and getting told the heartrate stats as well when I finish an eliptical machine work out.
There is one thing I dont like and I may just need to read up on it. I can't figure out how to get the time to show with the heartbeat. I also like to time some things and the only way I can figure out how to do it is with the lap feature. Not a big deal but I have the alarm sound turned to silent but it wsill still beep when I am outside my targeted heart rates which is annoying and embarrasing at a gym.
If someone wants a cheaper heart rate monitor go with this one. I wouldn't recomend any of the other ones that sell for cheaper like the timex, they don't work with the cardio machines and this does, and this one is also reliable.
Customer Review: Great first heart rate monitor
Sport shop rating: 4 Stars
This is my first heart rate monitor, which I use for running and cycling. It is pretty simple to use, fits great, and all components are hand washable. In addition to average heart rate, max and min, it tells you how many calories you've burned, and the percent of those calories from fat. You can also track your performance on laps, such as when you're doing intervals or speed work, but I haven't yet mastered that function.
What this HRM lacks: A GPS to track distance and pace (I use the RunKeeper app on my mobile phone to do that), and the capability to transmit your workout data wirelessly to your computer. I enter that info manually into a training diary that I created on the Polar website. If that seems too tedious, you might want to spring for a more expensive model.
Customer Review: good but not great
Sport shop rating: 4 Stars
Over all am happy with it now that I have finally got comfortable with what button does what on it. The menu setup of your max heart rate, weight, etc is horrible, and the instructions make it worse. Maybe I have just gone soft in this smartphone era but I now expect a good bit of correlation between button location, button label and button function. All that said definitely four stars, the basic function of it is always rock solid, and has done a great bit for my cycling in the month I have had it. Transmitter works seamlessly with all equipment in my local gym.
Note: the strap on the transmitter it comes with is not huge, I am 6' 185LB and only have a bit of slack left in it. If you are much over 200lb you will probably need a longer strap, try one on first.