Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)When the transmitter on my old Polar "Smart Beat" started to fail, I had a choice of replacing the transmitter or buying a new monitor. I had never cared for the Smart Beat. The buttons were hard to push, features hard to figure out and the transmitter bulky, so I opted to purchase a new monitor.
The "Smart Beat" was so frustrating to use, that I considered buying just a simple beat and calorie heartrate monitor. But as one who loves the bells and whistles, I thought I would try a more advanced model. If it was as frustraing as my old monitor I would send it back and get a simple one.
Deciding on a heartrate monitor is difficult. I knew I wanted another Polar because of their reputation for quality but which one. Polar makes a ton of monitors. After examining different ones I decided the F-11 would offer me some nice features and meet my needs without being too complicated.
The F-11 has won Polar a number of awards for innovation. The reason is the "Keep U Fit" program. With this progam you input your stats, take a fitness test (which is basically a timed measure of your resting heart rate) and the F-ll will tell you how fit you are. Next you tell the F-11 if you want to improve, maintain or maximize your fitness level. The F-11 then creates a weekly fitness plan for you. It tells you how many hours you should exercise, and how long you should be at each of your heart rate intensity levels. If you succeed you are awarded a digital gold cup - cute huh! If you don't want to follow the program you can just do a regular exercise session.
The F-11 has a lot of great features. It will tell you calories burned, time in exercise and more. You can even pause your exercise session should you need to take a quick break to answer the phone, drink some water or do something else. You can also turn the audible sound off or on to let you know when you are "in" or "out" of your heartrate zone.
The nicest thing about this Polar is it is easy to use. Digital images tell you when you are using the features. For example "Exercise" mode has a little image of a man. "Settings" mode has a view of gears. It will take a while to get used to the features but once you do the visual cues (which were not on my old Polar) will help you to remember whats what.
The F-11 looks like a large oversized watch. It comes in two colors Grey Pepper and Red Chili. I thought the red color was cute but it's so oversized it was a bit gaudy on my wrist so I went with the grey.
The transmitter on the F-11 is much smaller than that on older models. This transmitter is about 1/2 the size of a deck of cards and the electrodes are in a soft strap which is washable.
The strap is sized to fit M-XXL but as a medium woman I thought it was on the smaller size. It does have stretch, but I do not think it would fit an XL and certainly not an XXL. Also the strap is clearly labled M-XXL..this may seem petty, a man may not care but what woman wants to run around with an XXL label sticking out?
Overall, this is a great Polar and sure to bump your fitness up a notch!
Click Here to see more reviews about: Polar F11 Heart Rate Monitor Watch (Grey Pepper)
The Polar F11 Heart Rate Monitor is the world's only heart rate monitor that creates a workout program to tell you how much, how hard and how long to exercise to reach your goals. This powerful wrist monitor provides a highly accurate gauge for getting the most from your exercise sessions. The Polar Keeps U Fit Workout Program gives you personal guidance--how often, how hard, and how long you need to exercise to reach your personal fitness goals. It also includes a free-of-charge online component.
The wristwatch-like monitor features a large display that includes 12/24-hour time of day, alarm, and stopwatch. The transmitter includes the Wearlink Coded function, which eliminates interference from other heart rate monitors. The transmitter's electrodes, which pick up the heart signals, are integrated right into the strap for added flexibility and comfort.
The OwnCal feature shows your energy expenditure during one exercise session as well as your accumulated kilocalories during several exercise sessions. It also allows you to set daily and weekly exercise goals in terms of calorie expenditure. The Fitness Bullets feature shows a bullet on the monitor's display for every 10 minutes spent exercising/training in your target heart rate zone. The Coded feature eliminates interference from other heart rate monitors. Other features include:
Displays heart rate, exercise time, and average heart rate
Manual and automatic heart rate limit settings
Large easy-to-read display with backlighting and split screen
Water resistant to 30 meters (100 feet)
Manufacturer'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.
Click here for more information about Polar F11 Heart Rate Monitor Watch (Grey Pepper)
