POLARFT4 Heart Rate Monitor

I wasn't sure about this, because I've never used a "heart rate monitor" before and I pictured something they'd hook you up to in a hospital. However, the good reviews here on Amazon sold me, and it wasn't that expensive. Well, I couldn't be happier. The strap isn't bulky at ALL--I really do forget it's there! I thought it was weird that you have to wet the "electrodes" before use, but I just literally rinse them for a second and then put it on. When I'm done working out, I immediately take the strap off, rinse it off thoroughly, and hang it to dry (after taking off the little monitor thing, of course). I've washed it a few times with gentle soap, as per the instructions.This is exactly what I wanted for my fitness goals. I'm not a huge fitness nut, but I wanted to get healthier and lose some weight, and I hated estimating how many calories I was burning. Proof--on MyFitnessPal, which I use to track my activity and eating, it wanted to give me around 150 calories for a 51-minute I took with my dog today. However, this HRM said 350--because it picked up on the fact that most of it was uphill and I was going at a fast pace, hence burning more calories. I also like seeing my heart rate fluctuate because it motivates me to keep moving--not to let my dog sniff too much! I've always hated going up hills, and now I know why--my heart rate jumps at least 15 BPM when I'm going up a hard hill! But that's how I burn so many calories (that and the brisk pace). So, I'm more motivated to go up hills because there's an explicit pay off. It's also very encouraging to look down and see how many calories you're burning! And to know that it's realistic and not something a computer comes up with.I will say that the elliptical at the gym is pretty darn close to this thing, but it says I'm burning about 20 more calories than I really am at any given time. So I've burned, say, 250, but the elliptical says 270. Not a huge deal, but I like knowing it's really 250 because I don't want those 20 calories to make me go over my "budget" for the day.Again, I was pretty skeptical with this, because I pictured it being really bulky and not accurate. But I find it's very accurate, and very motivating! I also like that you can set up the heart rate goal so you know if you're getting too low or high. This thing really encourages me to keep moving and to keep my heart rate up--which is just what I wanted! Very easy to use, too. A great purchase!BONUS - I plan to try to start a family in the near future, and this will be great for monitoring my heartrate while walking, etc. so I don't go over the safe limit. It's just good to see where your heart rate is.

I purchased the Polar FT4 Heart Rate Monitor Watch about a year ago after doing a lot of research on the countless fitness trackers out there on the market, and I rely heavily on Amazon reviews. I typically do not write reviews myself, but I have been so happy with this purchase I was compelled to share my support for this as well.The ratings and reviews on this monitor are spot on. When I was looking for a fitness tracker I was taking a few things into consideration: truly reliable heart rate monitoring (running & lifting weights), calorie tracker, workout timer, and price. I was not concerned about a step counter, sleep tracker, and or a fancy app tracker to go along with it. Don't get me wrong, those Fitbit watches are slick, but I personally didn't really need all of that. Plus, I didn't want a fitness watch to wear all day; I prefer to wear my other daily watches. Last thing about Fitbit, while they do have a good track record of accurate heart rate monitoring while walking/running, I've read that their watches do not track heart rate as well when doing strength training/lifting, which was personally a deal breaker for me.My goal was to monitor my daily calorie intake to lose weight, so I paired this watch which tracks calories burned during workouts and the free Under Armour calorie counter app which tells you exactly how many calories are in the food/meals you eat. They worked amazing together. To date, I'm down 23 lbs. and I seriously don't think I could have done it without this watch. It is so simple to use, and it provides instant gratification at the end of the workout to know exactly how many calories you've burned. One thing I've always struggled with while running/working out was the guessing game of how many calories I burned, did I really push myself as hard as I could, and constantly looking at the clock on the wall to figure out my rest time. This watch takes care of all of that.The workout timer is also amazing because I like to do a lot of circuit training, so whenever I am done with a lift, I know exactly how much time I have to rest until the next set. Such a simple concept for a fitness watch, but Polar just makes it so easy, it’s amazing. No issues with batteries, malfunctioning, or anything like that either.I could go on, but in all, I couldn't be happier with this purchase. If you are looking for an easy to use, reliable, and functional heart rate monitor, then I can tell you this is it. Awesome job Polar, I think you've made a lifelong customer because of it. Good luck everyone!