The evenings are getting lighters and the weekends are certainly starting to feel a little warmer. I’ve been trying to get out the house and do a little bit of running before the sun goes down. I knew it wouldn’t be easy given my cardio level but I’m hoping to be able to run 5k within the next couple of months. I recently received my Polar FT7 watch and heart rate sensor to start tracking my distance, calories burnt and heart rate to help me achieve my goal.
Polar FT7 watch and heart rate sensor
There are so many heart rate monitors and watches that are available on market, it was a bit of a minefield for what to go for. I’d seen lots of people talking about Polar on blogs and forums and had only heard great things. I was choosing between the FT4 and the FT7 as they seemed popular are were reasonably priced.
The fact that the Polar FT7 was waterproof for up to 30 meters drew me to it, especially as in the summer I spend almost all of my free time kayaking and in the sea. The FT7 also has the ability to use the Polar personal trainer app to analyse your work out, which sounded awesome.
It states that it’s compatible with Mac (Intel-based) via Polar FlowLink and compatible with polarpersonaltrainer.com via Polar FlowLink to transfer data between the training watch and the computer, but I didn’t realise the USB connection was sold separately. The connection retails at £46 on the Polar website. So unfortunately, I can’t use the app to benefit from the cool features and sleek design to monitor my fitness progress. It’s quite frustrating only being able to review the data on the small watch face.
Polar Flow and Polar Beat app
To use the app you need to purchase a Polar heart rate monitor H7 retailing at £67.50, which is actually cheaper than the watch and heart rate sensor itself. It’s a shame that it isn’t compatible and was a little confusing on the website, as you’d presume the higher ticket price item would have this compatibility. I was excited to join the community to Polar Flow, sharing progress and updates but now I can’t upload my information, without entering it manually.
The Polar FT7 is simple in design and has an adjustable strap for even the tiniest of wrists! It’s very comfortable and would suit someone who does regular exercise and would like to have a basic overview of their training and how many calories they are burning. It has a clear interface with simple controls to track through the calories you’ve burnt, the time since your training began and what heart rate.
I’m excited to use it to get a basic over view of how many calories I burnt when I’m kayaking. However, I think those looking for a more in-depth training may benefit from the Polar H7 Bluetooth 4.0 Heart Rate Sensor. Additionally, it integrates GPS to help you better achieve your targets whilst benefiting from the functions of the heart rate monitor.
