The Polar F4 Heart Rate Monitor: High Quality, Low Price!

So you've started your new workout program or you've decided to take your current program more seriously. What is the next step? Purchasing a top-of-the-line, yet affordable and accurate heart rate monitor is the next step in the pursuit of weight loss and improved health. For a beginner who simply wants the basic functions of an accurate and high quality heart rate monitor, the Polar F4 is the perfect choice. Here are some pros and cons to consider in your decision to invest in the highly popular monitor.

Pros
1. The Brand: Yes, there is a reason Polar is the most popular heart rate monitor brand in the United States today. It is because Polar monitors are highly reputable for their quality products which offer accuracy, simplicity, and an array of option for its many consumers. Sure, you can save yourself about 20 dollars and buy a cheaper heart rate monitor, but you must be willing to sacrifice the accuracy of the information the product will provide you.

Now ask yourself, if you are going to be spending money on a monitor, shouldn't accuracy of the equipment be on the top of your list of qualities to look for? Besides, even Polar offers many different choices in monitors and if you are simply looking for the basics (like a Polar F4) you would be spending no more than $100; for the high level of precision the monitor will provide, this price is indeed a bargain.

2. Highly accurate heart rate monitor & calorie counter: The Polar F4 will both track your heart rate and tell you how many calories you have burned. During set up of the monitor, you will be asked for your height, weight, and age. These numbers allow a very precise determination of how many calories you burn during your workout. Obviously, knowing how many calories you have burned is essential to weight loss.

4. Summary/Totals: The Polar F4 provides both a summary and a totals function on the watch. By using the summary feature, you can review how long your last workout lasted, how long you were within your target heart rate zone, and how many calories you burned. When using the "totals" feature, you can see the accumulation of all this data for all your workouts since the last time you reset the totals log to zero. For example, you can review the total of all your workouts for the entire week before you decide to set the total back to zero.

5. Color/Style option: The Polar F4 comes in black amber, icy blue, and pink. All three colors are very attractive. Also, unlike most heart rate monitors, the watch for the Polar F4 is not bulky or unappealing in the least. There is even a version of the Polar F4 specifically designed to fit smaller wrists, which will accommodate women who may find most other heart rate monitors to be entirely too large.

6. Simple Use: For those users who are not interested in a highly technological or complicated monitor, the Polar F4 is superb. With only two buttons on the watch, use is neither confusing nor will it take a long time to learn to properly use the monitor.

Cons
1. Chest Strap: Though it is essential to buy a heart rate monitor with a chest strap for utmost accuracy, the strap is, nonetheless, annoying. Two pads on the back of the heart rate monitor must be moistened prior to being strapped on and the strap must be snug around your chest. If the strap is too loose, once you begin working out, the watch will not show an accurate reading of your heart rate. If the strap is too tight, it can be somewhat uncomfortable and restricting. It is somewhat difficult to adjust the strap to a perfect circumference for your chest.

2. No Backlight: Unfortunately, the Polar F4 does not have a backlight feature. Though this is not a problem if you work out in a gym, it can be an issue if you tend to jog or perform any other exercise outdoors at night.

All Polar brand heart rate monitors are good choices and well worth their asking price. The more expensive models, such as the Polar F6 or F11, offer many more features than the F4 and are both exceptional products. However, if you are looking for a product which combines both quality and excellent pricing, the Polar F4 is the heart rate monitor for you.