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 On: 2008-06-18
I got this HRM after using several other versions of Polar in the past. So I am not new to HRMs. Have been using it for 2 years now.
There are four major problems with this product:
First issue is the chest band. It was simply created for people with chests below 38 inches. If you have a wide chest measurement like me (41 inches) the band will be so tight you will hardly be able to breathe. I make a clarification here: I am not overweight, I just happen to have a wide chest. The solution: stretch the band to its maximum for a couple of minutes before exercising, until you wear it and feel comfortable.
Second issue, and the most critical one, is that you are limited to the 17 body workout exercises that come preloaded on the unit. This is a major issue, considering the fact that any good fitness-trainer will have you do at least 4 movements for 1 single muscle group, sometimes combining two movements in 1 single series. Hence, forget about inputing your own body workout program in the unit. You cant, period. For me, this is a MAJOR design fault. Polar, if there are more than 1200 workout movements and each person adjusts different to each movement creating their own personal workout, why did you limit your customers to 17, yes, 17 movements? It is simply unacceptable. A good fix in future versions of this unit would be the possibility to create your own movements and store them in memory and even combine them to create combo-series of movements. In the meantime, my solution was to create a second, long aerobic exercise to record my whole workout for the day. Hence, the whole purpose of the unit was lost with this.
Third issue, and this is something you dont think about until you need it, is that you cant erase daily exercise records massively. Instead, you have to go on a day by day basis. This is annoying and if you want to erase any records bigger than two months, you are better off disconnecting the battery and re-programming the unit all over again. (About 20 minutes once you are used to doing this).
The final issue about the F55 is that the main button (center right button) is considerably bigger than all the rest. This is OK because this is the button we will push the most as users, but there is a problem here as well: if you wear the unit too close to your hand, the button will be pushed against it and the exercise recording will activate without you even knowing it, effecting all your exercise records. This also happens when you take the unit off and store it with the mentioned bigger button facing down.
So overall, a fairly good attempt to create a fitness-workout compatible HRM, but it is not worth the money for the mentioned limitations. Dont even bother looking for the F55al (Aluminum casing) for they are the exact same product.
 On: 2008-01-18
The strap that is included is different than my previous Polar heart rate monitor that this replaced. For whatever reason Polar chose, the strap is not replaceable as prior versions were; the battery pack snaps onto the strap, which does not allow a different strap to connect to it (the front is sewn into the part of the strap that goes around you).
Although the fact that is is nice to see that the battery on the chest strap could be replaced, the strap, although indicating that it adjusts from M-XXL, was loosened it to the maximum size and it was still snug. I have a 40" chest and if that is XXL, they wont sell many of these units with that chest strap.
Watch = 5 stars
Strap = 1 star
On: 2007-10-22
The documentation was not appropriate to the product version. The product is unecessarily complicated and filled with silly features, for example, customized exercise routines. To measure heart rate, you have to wear a belt with transponder to get your pulse into the machine, and the belt that you have to wear you have to douse is water periodically. The installation and use of the belt are not documented. Readout is in a bizarre font. Amazon, of course, took it right back for full credit.
 On: 2007-09-09
Its a complete and solid watch, the polarpersonaltrainer function (absoltely free of charge) is really helpful. The controls and menus are very intutitive and easy to use. I have to say that the workout funtion is only a kind of memo, just to remember what kind of excersice you want to do and with how much weight you want to work, is easy to program and use. Its a good companion and motivate me to improve because you can have a very accure measure of your progress.
On: 2007-08-30
I have been using the Polar F55 about a week now, and at this point think its a great product, though it has many features I do not use.
First off, the basic functionality is great - the strap is comfortable, and after adjustment I can wear it without really feeling it or having it come loose even when Im doing weights. Both the wrist unit and the gym equipment Ive used it on (elliptical and treadmill) read my heart rate without interruption.
The advanced functions are... advanced. I had to read the instructions to figure out how to work the unit, but was able to figure (almost) everything out after doing so, the remaining exception being my inability to figure out how to rename exercise sessions. The features I found most useful were the fitness test, which calculates your VO2, and the personalized exercise program. Theres also a body workout which I thought fairly useless, as all it does is show you muscle group and sets (its also a single program, you cant have two different programs for alternate days).
One thing I was curious about was the accuracy of the calorie expenditure calculation; I was initially puzzled by how it could figure this out just from my heart rate and statistics. I did some googling, however, and found that heart rate is proportional to oxygen use; it turns out several groups, including some sponsored by Polar, have researched how to derive energy expenditure from heart rate and the calculation is fairly accurate overall. I checked the calculated calories on the F55 against the calories calculated by an elliptical machine (which knows energy use) on a 45-minute workout and the Polar was within 4% of the elliptical.
I think the best feature for me is the ability to continuously calculate and record heart rate and energy expenditure; without the F55 I only knew how many calories I was burning when I was on the cardio equipment, now I can record this during my weight sessions and other exercises. This, along with the ability to upload and keep track of my exercises and fitness level, will make the F55 used long after I get bored with all the extra bells and whistles it has.
Edit: Two months later, I am still using it and loving it - it keeps me honest when doing weights and records my last 26 sessions so I can keep track of my workouts on the polar web site. Still puzzled as to why some features were included (lunar phase indicator? why? so people who need the moon to run can plan their running during the day?) but I just ignore the things I dont use.
On: 2007-06-29
The product is very good.
It took care of my necessities.
Thank you very much.
Best regards
On: 2007-05-16
I got my Polar F55 a week ago and LOVE IT! I will admit I am a big gadget person however I cant imagine anybody not loving and seeing all the benefits this device has to offer! It also is an excellent motivating tool! You can check up on your exercise time, calories burned, and HR zones from your previous workouts individually or look at them a week at a time. I love to watch the numbers climb and see myself reach my goals in real time as I exercise. Also it calibrates the heart rate zones at the beginning of each session so it is always customized to YOUR BODY! Also all through your workout you can see where your heart rate is compared to the limits for that zone so you can be sure you are getting the most our of your workout. You can tell it if your goals and it will work out a cardio program to help you reach those goals. It also works with every piece of cardio equipment at my gym and I have used it solid for a week and not receive any interference. The WearLink strap it comes with is EXTREMELY comfortable and doesnt even take you 15 minutes to get used to wearing. I wear it swimming, playing racquet ball, lifting, and any cardio you can imagine. I also wear the watch as my full time watch as I just am obsessed with checking out how I am doing as far as my weekly goals are concerned. I would say this is an absolute MUST for any person serious about their fitness level and it will easily keep you on track getting to that next level whether it is losing weight or strengthening your cardio prgram. The only negative I have to say is that the BodyWork out that is to do with lifting isnt that great of help unless you are a complete novice and then it would be a great starting point as it suggests reps, sets, and movements. If you are already in a lifting routine or know about lifting you proabably will not find it that great but the cardio part is PERFECT!
 On: 2007-01-12
Heart rate monitor works great but the body workout aspect is not very useful if you know what your doing in the gym
On: 2006-11-10
This is my 3rd Polar HRM. I personally struggle with learning the features of their products- it just doesnt click, but once I understand how the devices work, I am very pleased with the performance. I upgraded from Polar HRM #2 to this model for the additional features and user replaceable batteries. Thats huge. I used to send my old device to be serviced and telemetry strap exchanged and the turnaround time was very poor. I almost went with another make just for that feature, but I think Polar recognized it wasnt user friendly. The button action is much improved on this watch- stiff at first, but after a little use its very easy. The display is large and clear. OwnFit and OwnZone are huge features for me training for multisport activity. I like the data storage and the 2.0 IRDA device (sold separately) to upload the data to my computer. The free software is useful, but not very robust. All in all Im still getting used to it, but I got what I expected and it is doing all the things advertised. I would recommend this device. There are other devices with more features and capability, but you need to get honest with yourself and ask if you really will use or need all that stuff, or care to measure it.
On: 2006-11-10
really really good , excellent service ,until now i dont have any complaint ,thank you amazon.............
On: 2006-11-09
Sorry I prefer write in Spanish. El reloj me ha resultado excelente en mis ejercicios diarios en el gym. Lo utilizo todos los dÃas y especialmente en mis prácticas de Spinning. Lo recomiendo favorable y ampliamente.
On: 2006-09-25
The Polar F55 is great. I wanted a hear rate monitor and didnt care much about bells and whistles, but was attracted to the weight lifting features and the larger size of this model. The F55s unique feature is basically a diary to keep track of your sets, reps, and weights. If you dont lift, or if you can remember all your sets and weights, you could gete by with a lesser model. Each of the Polars features is well thought out. My HR monitor is my personal trainer on my wrist, and I love it! Yes, it is complicated, but I fancy myself a technical guy, and like to keep track of all that stuff! It really helps to motivate me. Issues: the wrist band is a little small; I didnt think I had large wrists, but it wouldnt fit a much larger wrist, and the chest transmitter was a little tight on me (6, 200lb).
On: 2006-07-21
I have used this monitor for just a week and already find it the best addition I have ever made to my fitness program. Simply put, this unit will automatically take care of the M&Ms of personal training. Measure and motivate. Very simple learning curve. Once your up to speed on the buttons the Polar does the rest. Want to see how many calories you have burned? No problem. Want to maintain your cardio level. Simply done.
Using this monitor will take anyone seriously interested in their fitness to the next level. I would rate it higher then 5 stars if possible.
Also the Polar personal training web-site is a very good resource to track your data and progress. The nice part is that the Polar personal trainer comes along at no additional charge.
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