Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #230 in Sports & Outdoors
• Brand: Polar

Features

• Time of day
• Polar OwnZone - Determines personal heart rate limits for an exercise session
• Polar OwnCal - Counts and displays calorie expenditure
• Polar OwnCode - Prevents cross talk from other heart rate monitors
• Wireless ECG accurate heart rate
• Target zones with visual and audible alarm
• Average heart rate of total exercise

Manufacturer's Description
For training your way. Need some motivation when training? Not anymore. The great looking F6 is all the encouragement you need. Thanks to the unique OwnZone function it tells you how hard to train to get optimal results based on your current physical condition. You can check the calories you’ve burned, too.

Customer Reviews

Essential fitness item
I;v ebeen using an F6 for several years now, initially for indoor rowing for endurance distance rowing. I found that it was essential in keeping me in a sensible training zone and keeping my stamina up for longer rows. In days where I forgot my HRM, i would become overtired and train too intensively. I now use it exclusively for cyclign and it is a useful reminder using a polar bike mount not to push too hard on hills. My likes are that you can see how you are doign fitness wise very visually and you havea usefu log of training and calorific burn (as well as heart zones). It gets 4 starts since (as with prevous review) my gripe is the that replacement of battery means not to open the unit yourself (as I did with my first one and killed it completely ) but send it off to repair.
It seems crazy that Polar haven't facilitated DIY replacement of the Panasonic battery, given that it should be an easy process

Polar F6 HRM
This is the second Heart rate monitor I've bought from Polar and it shows how much technology has come along in the last few years.
The positives:
Good looking and comfortable so you can use as a normal watch.
The menu on the watch is quite easy to use.
Waterproof so you can take it in the shower.
The ability to upload and download from your computer so you can track your progress.
Compatability with most gym equipment.
The negatives:
Initially downloading and uploading can be a pain and takes some time and effort but that could be my inability with technical things.
I don't like the fact you cant replace the batteries in the transmitter, however that said my last one lasted five years so if this is the same I won't be unhappy. Plus I've seen new transmitters for less than 15 notes on ebay so not a major catastrophe.

I've only had this a short while but so far quite impressed. The personal trainer software on the web is really good. I would reccomend this to anyone except complete technophobes.

Perfectly weighted between beginner and advanced HRM's.
This is a perfectly designed HRM. I must admit, though, at first, I considered returning it as it seemed too simplistic. It doesn't really seem to do all that much for the price when you look through the manual. After looking into alternatives though (and discovering that Garmin's model doesn't track calories unless you buy an extra footpod), I decided to give it a proper go (if nothing else, I'd have a decent backup model if I ever decided to go for a top of the range HRM).

So, onto the F6 itself. The unit itself, is, actually, very good. It is easy (and comprehensive) to set up (logging your height, weight, age, sex etc. -- which gives you confidence that it is tracking your own personal fitness). You can then either train to automatic zones (defined by your age etc.), or can use Ownzone, which actually measures your heartrate through your a simple 5-stage/5-minute warmup (from walking to running, via given percentage rises in your HR each minute) and defines your own personal training zones. These zones are split into four intensities: Light (60-70% HR), Moderate (70-80% HR), Hard (80-90% HR), and a catch-all Basic (65-85% HR) for general aerobic work.

Once you choose your zone method, you can then choose one of these four zones, and your watch will alarm you if you go above or below (you can switch this off).

The other features (quickly) are just as well thought out and easy to use. A diary and file system, lets you review your workout data for the week. You can view zone and heart rate analysis, and also see what percentage of calories burnt was fat. Everything you'd need, really. You can then upload your data to the Polar website using a PC microphone and Polar Weblink, a small piece of software from the site.

One other thing that I didn't initially like, was that it had a 'chav' style tribal design on the display. I've since discovered this can be changed on the Polar website, by putting the phone next to your speaker (it sends out a little morse code type signal, and your display graphic changes to what you want -- bizarre but true)... I've now got Space Invaders on my watch screen, and it looks much better! :)

All in all, if you're looking for a solid and reliable HRM, that does most of the things you'd need it to then this will do fine. It doesn't do the specialist things that the more expensive HRM's do (no laps, no distance tracking), but I think if you're looking for that you wouldn't be considering the F6 anyway. What it does do, it does very well, and makes everything so easy to use, it is a pleasure.