Comments on: Advise On polar s1 foot pod Blog

By: Ashton

Ashton — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 04:32:40 +0000

This is a good entry level watch for a runner that wants to follow their HR during runs. The watch is only moderately complex. The numbers are legible. The basic kit comes with a strap, the sd kit comes with the footpod.

You really need to buy into the HR zones to get the full function of this watch. Otherwise, it may be a bit of overkill. The polar website has some additional instructions that help with this.

By: Kimball

Kimball — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 02:39:42 +0000

Pros: Price, Weblink, accurate, not big, easy to navigate.
Cons: none
I have had no problems with my Polar RS200SD. It is extremely accurate. and easy to use although more advanced interval monitoring is a little cumbersome. For anyone looking to purchase a heart rate monitor for the first time the RS200SD is a great start and has the weblink feature that lets you use Polar’s software to breakdown and visualize your workout heart rate data. I have not used the foot pod so I can’t comment on it. I’ve had very good luck with mine so far.
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By: Estabrook

Estabrook — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 02:27:19 +0000

I am currently training for the Marine Corp Marathon and recording all my runs using this watch. I am tracking against a training program i created on the polar training website. The watch included the optional footpod. I find this to be an invaluable tool as I use it to track pace (min/mile) as well as total distance. Overall i am extremely happy with this purchase. As a long distance runner i am able to keep track of my heart rate and better manage my fitness through training zones. This is not perfect as i find i am typically running at 90% of my maximum heart rate unless i make a concerted effort to slow down.

By: Urich

Urich — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 01:23:25 +0000

I LOVE this Heart Rate Monitor watch!! It is just what I was looking for in a HR Monitor for running. I would highly recommend it…It is easy to use and loaded with great features for runners/walkers.

By: Renne

Renne — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 00:28:21 +0000

I’m an experienced runner (running for more than 5 years) and I just can’t train without a polar on my wrist… First I bought a simple polar F3… At first It was good because all I wanted was my heart rate measured… But after 6 months I realized it wasn’t enough… So I spent a good money on a Polar FT80 Heart but that was too much… You just don’t use all the features of the watch and the screen is too dim at night and when you are running at high level you get have an easy to see screen, one that just at a glance you get all the information you need and want… So, as I’m from Brazil and I moved to US I forgot to bring my Polar FT80 Heart so I purchase the Polar RS200sd (the sd means speed and distance because it comes with a footpod)… This heart rate monitor does all the work… It measures your speed and distance (that’s good for street runner but useless for treadmill runners only if you like the watch to keep registered your speed and distance for that day)… And gives you your heart rate, your percentage, and your ownindex (VO2)…
I’ve learned that the polar ownindex is not accurate but it is useful for doing a training program at the polar weblink software…
This polar comes with a feature called connectivity… You download the polar weblink software, register yourself on their website and transfer your training data from your polar just putting it near your computers microphone… It makes a modem connecting sound and it transfer all the data (it’s easy to do it)… Thus, after transferring the data you can create training programs up to marathon… Moreover, it’s really useful for you to keep your whole data as this polar only keep in file your last 20 sessions (more than enough)…
In a nutshell, I would certainly recommend this polar for experienced runner and beginners… Keeping a track of your heart rate and your training evolution is extremely important and with this polar on your wrist you will be just fine…
Best cost for the features, certainly do not recommend spending more money… This does it all…

By: Lagattuta

Lagattuta — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 23:00:56 +0000

I have the Polar S625X and use it all the time for running, biking and swimming. I use the S1 foot pod for running and have had very good luck with it, even without calibration. I also use a Garmin Forerunner 205 while running for more accurate distance measurement. I was very excited when Polar released the G1 gps that would work with the S625X. I like the Garmin but get tired of keeping up with two watches, plus the running log software with Polar is far better than Garmin's.

I waited quite some time before buying, hoping I'd find some product reviews on-line. I didn't find many so decided to just try it myself. After getting mixed information from a polar rep (from my local bike shop) and the customer service at Polar, I bought it from Amazon.com.

Unfortunately, I feel now like I wasted $140. I first tried it while running and although the distance was not so bad, the pace information was useless. At one point it was stuck at 10:40 min/mile while I was running closer to 8 min/mile. Even slowing down and speeding up wouldn't get it to budge. I tried other times running and the error in distance got even worse.

Then I rode my moutain bike while others were running (so I was going pretty slow). It measured short and then stopped altogether.

I will try get it to work better, but I'm not so confident. If you use the S1 foot pod, I would stick with that as the pace info on the G1 is worthless (most gps' aren't very good for that anyway while running) and I can't seem to get the distance to work very well. If you want really accurate distance, I would suggest the Garmin products. Otherwise, just use your S1.

By: Smithe

Smithe — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 21:59:20 +0000

I love my Polar F60. I bought it to track my fitness on hikes and runs while on a trip in southwest Utah. And with it, I bought the Polar G1 GPS Speed and Distance Sensor. Alas. The shallowest of canyons had it flummoxed; the most unthreatening cliffs stymied it. On a given hike (or run) I would get mileages from 2.1 to 8.5 miles off from the established distances.
Coming home to New York City, I fared no better. Testing the G1 on daily Central Park runs of (tested) 3.7 miles, I got readings from 2.2 to 6 miles. (And according to the G1, I was running 12.3 miles per hour at my MAX – possible for some, perhaps, but not for me.) Pretty useless. Apparently the “four satellites” that are accessed need to be directly overhead.
I’m going to try the foot pod. Until I move to a Plains state.

By: Gorton

Gorton — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 20:50:32 +0000

I'm a Polar S725x Heart Rate Monitor user and I've been using the Polar S1 Foot Pod diligently for my runs and walks. I like the light weight feel of the Footpod. After having seen the buzz here about the G1 GPS, I had to give it a shot. Prior to using the s725x, I was actually a Timex Bodylink user. The Bodylink system is a heart rate monitor, speed, distance, and altitude system. I switched over to Polar because heart rate data is more important to me than anything else. Here's my review of the G1:

What you get: G1 GPS Unit, Armband, AA battery, and a nice little storage pouch.

First off, the weight initially feels a little heavy. Compared to the Timex GPS unit, the G1 is just a tad heavier. After having it strapped to my upper arm for a few minutes though, I forgot that it was there. So it's just a matter of getting used to it being there.

Set-up: When I first powered up the unit, the G1 took about three minutes to find a signal.

Now on to accuracy...

TEST #1: I decided to head out to Fort Funston here in San Francisco and take a walk along a path where I know the precise distance. Not only that, but I decided to bring along my Magellan Explorist 210 GPS. This GPS uses the highly accurate WAAS system. The roundtrip distance for the walk is 1.11 miles. There isn't that much tree cover, and when I did pass under a tree canopy, it was only for a distance of 100 feet or so. I didn't experience any loss in signal. At 0.7 miles on my GPS, the Polar G1 started to deviate a little bit. The G1 was reading 0.75. The deviation of 0.05 miles remained at the One Mile mark. But at the end of the walk, my GPS read 1.1 miles while the Polar G1 registered 1.2 miles. Of course, this is without calibration. (I've done this path before to test the S1 Footpod and found the deviation to only be 0.025 miles, so out of the box the S1 was more accurate without calibration.)

One thing I did notice about the G1 is that it seems to sample speed at a rate of about 3 seconds or so. Sometimes it was bang-on with the speed on my GPS, and sometimes it was catching up to it.

TEST #2: Now with the Running Feature calibrated for the deviation, I decided to walk the same path again. The GPS was powered off, then powered on again. It took about 45 seconds to find a signal. This time the measurement came out to just shy of 1.1 miles, so it's pretty close. With a little more calibration, it should be okay.

Comparisons to the Timex Bodylink: I've never used a Garmin HRM before, so I can't comment on those, but in comparing this G1 to the Timex GPS sensor, the Timex wins hands down. With the Timex, you get speed, distance, elevation, and logging features. Also, the battery lasts 20+ hours. I figured Polar could have done some forward-thinking with this unit and added some of those features. Perhaps they will when the new rs800cx comes out, or with the new FT series watches. So this is why I only give it 4/5 stars, because it doesn't have as many features as the Timex GPS.

Final Thoughts: I bought the Polar s725x because Polar is the absolute best when it comes to EKG accurate heart rate monitors. For me, my heart and its health is more important than anything else. Every other perk of the technology is just an added bonus. Sure, I do like to log distance and mileage, but when it comes to miles, I'm more interested in 10ths of a mile than anything more accurate than that.

I plan to alternate using the G1 and my S1 Footpod, depending on where I decide to walk or run. I'll use the G1 when I know I'll be in an area with a lot of open space, and the S1 when I know I'll be in an area with a lot of tree-cover.

One more thing about the G1. Now that it's out there, the Polar s625x and the s725x have become true multisport computers. I can now do some crosstraining, like kayaking and inline skating, and have a multitude of data that I can now analyze. For that alone, I think it's worth it.

By: Likitoatananukul

Likitoatananukul — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 20:32:20 +0000

Very confortable and very light. You can run forever and won't even feel it is attached to your foot.

The battery lasts for about 8 months using 3 hours a week so no problem at all !

By: Karas

Karas — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 19:10:39 +0000

I read some reviews commenting on its accuracy. With respect, I must say the accuracy comes from the watch, not the foot pod. I have a 625, (and a 725) and I have no complaints with the footpod other than i hope polar finds a way to make it smaller in the future. Other than that, I can't imagine what else to comment on.

Don't forget to turn it on before going running..haha