If you might be seeking a heart rate monitor that does over just display your heart rate, but is not so high-end that you would need to get a second mortgage to buy it, the Polar F6 is an excellent choice.
The F6 includes a variety of functions, from tracking heart rate and physical exercise intensity to calculating calories burned and time spent in every zone. It is simple to use, comes at a decent price and is accessible in different sizes and colors, creating it both comfortable and stylish.
Features
Like most heart rate monitors, you will need to sit down and spend some time reading the F6 manual to learn how to set it up and use it during your workouts. The instructions are simple to follow, and also the watch allows you to enter own settings (such as weight, height, age and gender) so that the watch can calculate your heart rate zones and calories burned. It also has a timer, stopwatch and an alarm.
Once you have set issues up, it is possible to begin monitoring your heart rate correct away. You also have the alternative to record your workout, which allows you to track your intensity and calories burned each day.
When you begin recording a workout, it is possible to improve the settings to pick the intensity of one's workout (basic, light, moderate or hard), whether or not you need an alarm to sound whenever you drop below or go over your target heart rate zones, and how you would like to track your heart rate. During the workout, you can scroll via numerous screens to view your heart rate and how several calories you have burned; you may also check to determine if you happen to be within your target heart rate zone.
Heart Rate Options
One on the most effective features in the F6 stands out as the ability to pick numerous ways of tracking heart rate:
OwnZone -- The OwnZone is often a feature that determines your heart rate zone each time you jobs out. During your warm up, the watch will follow your heart rate at different intensities and then create a target heart rate zone in accordance with individuals numbers. What's excellent about this is that it matches your energy level for the day, that is always reflected within your heart rate. Using the OwnZone can help you match your energy level and physical nation with the right heart rate zone.
Automatic -- In case you choose the Automatic setting, the watch will automatically calculate your heart rate based on your age. The typical formula applied for this calculation is usually underestimated, creating the heart rate zones a bit low for many people. For the reason, it is possible to select the OwnZone or the Manual settings for most of one's workouts.
Manual -- The Manual setting allows you to enter your personal heart rate zone, generating this one of the most versatile from the heart rate options. You can use a formula or calculator to arrive up in your heart rate zone, or it is possible to use your personal numbers. I find this setting is greatest when I'm doing a exercising that has a quantity of intensities.
For every heart rate option, except the manual version, you can select from hard, moderate, light or simple intensity levels. This really is beneficial for tracking lighter workouts, such as yoga or Pilates, as well as additional intense workouts, just like interval training.
The Bottom Line
While the F6 offers some impressive features, you will discover a few drawbacks. First, like quite a few heart rate monitors, the buttons aren't always intuitive. It takes some method to figure out which buttons to push for getting to the proper screens, which are frustrating if you happen to be in the middle on the workout. And, even though you can change some settings during your workout, it would be nice to have the ability to improve the level of intensity. To accomplish that, it is advisable to stop the activity and start a new one. Last, I wish the timer and stopwatch have been easier to find. I don't use them often, but I repeatedly must refer to the manual to figure out how to obtain to them as soon as I do. It would be nice to determine those people features during the exact same area as the heart rate information.
Beyond those people minor flaws, The Polar F6 will be the perfect mid-range heart rate monitor, offering good features that an physical exercise enthusiast will enjoy using.