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 Polar S120 Heart Rate Monitor Watch By: Polar Average Rating: 4.0 Total Reviews: 20 More Information Very handy  On: 2008-05-04I bought this for my dad, and he loves it. Its quite simple to use, and has excellent customer service. I needed the instruction manual in spanish and they were able to provide with a pdf in no time. Great running watch!  On: 2007-10-18Perfect for watch + heart rate monitor in one unit. No backlight though. Other than that, awesome product! Lightning fast shipping from seller. good product and a good value On: 2007-09-24I bought The Polar S120 for my son as a birthday gift because I have been using the same model for a couple of years and really like the functionality and value. A great way of measuring your hearts effort to make sure that your within a reasonable training range. Works great On: 2007-06-01This is exactly what I wanted: an accurate heart rate monitor, plus stopwatch with lap memory and a countdown timer. I just ran a marathon wearing mine, and it gave me excellent data on splits and heart rate at each mile. Good watch On: 2007-05-12Very good watch and heart rate monitor, but it miss a light to see info in the dark. Does what it's supposed to do On: 2007-05-08This is the first heart rate monitor Ive bought, so I decided to go with Polar, a company that specializes in heart rate monitors. Pros: Reliable, fairly easy to use for monitoring heart rate and stop watch functions. Cons: I dont use many of the advanced features, but it has a lot of other features that are very complicated, even after reading the manual I couldnt remember how to use them while running. Unless you carry the manual with you or spend a lot of time memorizing how to get to different functions, youll be frustrated if you want to calculate lap splits or change your target settings. Overall, its good for what its supposed to do and Im happy. Strap works fine, monitor seems to be reliable (as long as you moisten the receptors, as it states in manual). I would rather have had a simpler one with less features, but they werent any cheaper. Great for the average person On: 2007-03-31This is the perfect monitor for the average person. The chest strap communicates with the machines at my gym so I dont have to look at the watch while using the machines. While walking or jogging the watch provides a quick way to know your heart rate. I havent used the other features that are offered so I cant rate them, but it does everything that I wanted out of it when I purchased it. Simple, straight-to-the-point HR monitor On: 2007-02-24Simple, yet very effective heart rate monitor! I got it for over a month replacing the dBase HR monitor for the gym. I ride bike quite a bit so I got the Polar S720 initially. I thought it was way too much for a simple HR monitoring. If it wasnt for the relatively high price (got my for $69, when other brands offer for $40 or less), the S120 would get my five-star. Awesome for the person who likes cardio On: 2007-01-15Great features! Love the design. Easy to set up and use. Erratic, unpredictable  On: 2006-11-06Its a cool sports watch but setting it to tell time was a horror show that required a call to the help desk. The manual is totally unclear and seems to be written in Martian. Also, I got it for the heart monitor. Maybe it will and maybe it wont Yes, the chest strap is on right, the contacts are wet. Sometimes it works. Sometimes not. Sometimes it works for awhile and goes to two zeros for no discernible reason. Im not sure at all this is worth the aggravation Acurate & comfortable On: 2006-10-29My treadmill came with a heart monitor of the same chest-strap type that only worked about half the time. I never had a problem like that with this one, once its on, it keeps reading until I take it off. Its also compatible with all the treadmills/ellipticals/bikes at the gym, so I dont have to hold the handles any more. Exactly what I needed On: 2006-10-02After spending many years using crude methods of determining heart rate (pulse counting, perceived rate of exertion) during many different forms of exercize, I finally broke down and considered a HRM. I am nearing the end of my marathon training (first one) and have become more concerned about my proper pace for the race and for training. This monitor - Polar S120 has been the perfect training aid in that I can easily record and view at a glance, my pace for each mile and whether I am training in the proper zone for each run (pace, long, recovery). In the past, I had always simply timed my runs and figured out my pace after the fact, now, I get real time feedback. It is the best tool for my running, no question. I am glad I didnt spend more money than I needed to. In my research for this monitor, I found that not many will record laps (miles in my case). For runners, this is very important. The fact that it will only record one session at a time is not significant to me because I will transfer the info into my training log right away. and that is less time consuming in my opinion, than to look for cord and upload it into my computer. If the watch logs too many sessions, I might get lazy and not record it in my own journal which is important to record other aspects of a training session that the monitor cannot record - whether you are coming down with a cold, other current stresses, such as work, kids, traffic, dogs (which surely makes my heart jump a few beats). Another helpful aspect is that I can toggle the info in each of the three lines. If I want to do intervals, I can set the count up or count down timer for the time I want for each interval and have that showing on the center line, or, lap time, or split time, or even the clock. It is easy and helpful. The manual may seem difficult at first, but, you really need to just play around with the watch while reading the manual. Get your important settings out of the way first, just get comfortable and it will be easier to understand. Very happy with my choice, and even happier that I didnt spend way too much money! Didn't Work for Me  On: 2006-08-29Maybe the S120 will work for you, but it was nothing but trouble for me. I bought it because of the great features and price, but returned it because of all the problems: 1) The manual is anything but friendly, e.g. after completing the 11 steps to set the date you are then told that theres a short cut. Thanks. 2) After spending much more than an hour with the manual just to get the basic settings in, Im off to exercise. Great start, the reading is my usual pulse around 55, then it drops out to 0. Ok, maybe the contacts are too dry, so I wet them. Off I go again and the pulse rate measures 204 then to 0. Ok, maybe the chest strap is positioned poorly. Different position, same result -- measured pulse rates all over the map. I decide to forget what the monitor records and finish my exercise. Final result -- I got periods of reasonable heart rates, but lots of time the values were either 0 or over 190. The next day I try again with the same result -- drop outs and then sky high readings. It went back later that day. Works Well On: 2006-08-24This monitor has the basics along with some advanced features. I like having the alarms when I go out of my set training zone. The logic for the set up of the different screens takes some getting used to; just keep using it and it will make sense. I had one workout where the heart rate skyrocketed and didnt read quite right, otherwise it has worked perfectly. I use it for biking and running. The only reason I didnt go for the 150 is because I already have a bike computer that I like. Invaluable training tool - Best bang for the buck of any model On: 2006-05-30After trying many heart rate monitors, I decided the S120 provided the best array of features for my needs. I also considered strongly the S150, however, I dont have as much information available instantly (speed, distance, time, heart rate, etc.) as I do with the S120 and my CatEye Cyclocomputer. The S120 lets me target my heart zone and helps keep it within my training range for the day. Also, when I am done with my exercise set, I get a report on date, length of exercise, average heart rate and maximum heart rate. Unfortunately, the S120 has been discontinued. I havent found any in the current lineup that come close to providing the features I find most useful. One warning Id like to share is that when the batteries need replacement, send them to the factory service center, I think there are three in the US. I bought one on ebay that was used and after a swim, I noticed the crystal fogged up. I sent the unit to Polar for service and the PC board on the unit was destroyed because the battery was replaced incorrectly. Yes, Polar battery replacement is pricey, but it is certainly less expensive than replacing the whole unit, as I will do now. And yes, I am going to buy another S120, my third one in all. Great for the average runner (like me !) On: 2006-03-05I am very happy with this watch. I really enjoy running and I wanted to learn how to get the best benefit from running without over-exertion and injury. The polar website said heart-rate monitoring helps with pace, getting the desired benefits from my run, and helped to reduce injury. Pros: Works perfectly, immediately picked up by the gym equipment--no holding on required, setting 3 zones for warm-up, running, and cool down was a snap, the audible beeps help me to know when Im slacking off or working too hard, the constant feedback is very motivating. Cons: Not many here, however, the screen seems difficult to see in the sunshine. Will have to see the effect of that when spring comes ! I did a lot of shopping online and I liked the Polar M-61 ($130) best but I got this one because of the lower price ($80). The M-61 has more features and is more fashionable; so you may want to look at that one too. It meets my expectations On: 2006-02-24The S120 meets my expectations, I use it alot at the gym & riding my Mountain Bike. I recommend if you are a person who is looking to keep track of the info from this monitor, the S150 and a few other models has an attachment which you can plug into your computer. Also the S150 has a mount for your bike and alot more useful options. All in all I am happy with the S120 it is simple to use and I have no complaints. Watch is fine, but manual is a little confusing On: 2006-01-19I had a Nordic Track heart rate monitor watch before this one and it was very easy to use. I recently broke it...changing the battery, so if the manual says have an expert change the battery *sheepish grin* it is better to listen. I was looking to buy a comparable watch with maybe a few more if not similar features. This Polar watch has so many functions it was a little daunting at first. The manual is confusing and it took me an hour (maybe longer) to set the watch exactly as I wanted it. So far the watch has worked fine for my running and aeorobic routines. I really like the quick transmitter review of min and max heart rate as well as TIZ without having to push a button. I would recommend it to those who do not mind putting in the time understanding the manual and one who needs all the different functions. Perfect first HR monitor watch On: 2005-12-29This is my first watch with a heart rate monitor and it has been wonderful so far. Below is how I found it useful. I received it as a gift so I didnt compare other brands/models but the person who bought it for me heard it recommended as a brand known for quality from someone who would know. * Has a number of "heartrate zones" that you create so the watch tells you when you are going in/out of a selected zone. I use this to stay between 60-85% HR during long runs, for example. * Records detailed information about your workout - avg HR, max HR and time in each heartrate zone. For each "lap" or "segment" it tells you avg HR and ending HR - great for interval training. * Comfortable and easy to read just as a watch or basic stopwatch, even without the heartrate monitor Things you might not like at first: * I wasnt used to wearing a chest strap so had to get it the right fit through trial and error (stayed on even when I had it too big, though) * There are a ton of features and its kind of overwhelming at first. The manual isnt the easiest to dive into but when you go back to look for a specific function it is well done. Perfect first HR monitor watch On: 2005-12-28This is my first watch with a heart rate monitor and it has been wonderful so far. Below is how I found it useful. I received it as a gift so I didnt compare other brands/models but the person who bought it for me heard it recommended as a brand known for quality from someone who would know. * Has a number of "heartrate zones" that you create so the watch tells you when you are going in/out of a selected zone. I use this to stay between 60-85% HR during long runs, for example. * Records detailed information about your workout - avg HR, max HR and time in each heartrate zone. For each "lap" or "segment" it tells you avg HR and ending HR - great for interval training. * Comfortable and easy to read just as a watch or basic stopwatch, even without the heartrate monitor Things you might not like at first: * I wasnt used to wearing a chest strap so had to get it the right fit through trial and error (stayed on even when I had it too big, though) * There are a ton of features and its kind of overwhelming at first. The manual isnt the easiest to dive into but when you go back to look for a specific function it is well done. Disappointed with this polar model  On: 2005-10-03Have been using Polar HRM for the past 7 years; and my 2 previous models, NV Trainer and another one I forgot the model name were very satisfactory. But this latest model S120 is a big disappointment. The push buttons doesnt work unless you press it precisely, the clock is slow by 1 min per day! (maybe the battery needs replacing?), and overall the unit looks cheap. I bought this online without looking at the real unit. |