Polar RS800SD Heart Rate Monitor One Color, One Size

Polar RS800SD Heart Rate Monitor One Color, One Size Review

This pack comes with all you need: Waist pulse-sensor, shoe sensor, IR connectivity plug for data transfer, the watch itself and a software package. It packs a wide range of functionality (such as cadence measuring and monitoring) and the shoe sensor makes it ideal for in-door running (as apposed to a GPS).

I've owned this product for about a year (using it about 5 times a week). Features are great, and it provides very accurate measurement of heart rate, speed, altitude. I've cross checked it against GPS', other heart rate monitors, altimeters etc and its accuracy keeps impressing.

Nevertheless, there are a significant amount of improvement areas Polar should consider:
- Build quality is mediocre and humidity penetrates the watch. The display fogs up when left in the sun for more than 30 minutes. Operating the buttons gives a "squeaky plastic feeling"
- The shoe sensor and the pulse sensor do not occasionally work (each stopped working for a few days, then miraculously started working again. Battery replacement had no impact)
- The shoe sensor and the pulse sensor both require different sizes of batteries (not practical when procuring or keeping spares)
- The IRdA connectivity could favorably be exchanged for a standard USB cable connection (easier to operate and replace)
- The accompanying software has huge improvement potential in its interface. Also the electronic manual could need a good workover. I have still not been able to figure out how to set speed speed on the graphs to km/hour (I know it can be done however).

Had there been a watch out there with better build quality, more conservative design, offering the same extensive bundle of great features, I would have have picked it over this one. Sadly, I have not been able to find one.

Polar RS800SD Heart Rate Monitor One Color, One Size Overview

The Polar RS800sd Heart Rate Monitor is for runners who aren't screwing around with their training data. This monitor tracks speed, distance, altitude, and a multitude of heart rate functions. The RS800sd comes with Polar s3 Stride Sensor W.I.N.D, which gives you detailed speed, pace, and distance information. Polar also gave this heart rate monitor a ton of heart rate functions including maximum heart rate, average heart rate, and target heart rate. The Polar OwnCode function ensures that the RS800sd won't interfere with fellow athlete's monitors. Not sure if you've recovered enough between workouts? The Polar OwnOptimizer measures your resting heart rate to ensure you've gotten the proper amount of rest before you jump back in. After a burly workout, hook the RS800sd up to your PC and analyze your workout data.

Product Features

• Material: PU
• Band Type: PU
• Altimeter: Yes
• Barometer: No
• Compass: No
• Stopwatch: Yes
• Chronograph: Yes
• Thermometer: No
• Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
• PC Compatible: Yes
• Waterproof: Yes, up to 50m
• Backlight/ Electroluminescent: Yes
• Alarms: Yes, with snooze
• Size: Medium
• Recommended Use: Running, aerobic activities
• Weight:
• Warranty: 2 Years

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Apr 17, 2010 12:20:03