Polar FT4 Heart Rate Monitor (Purple/Pink)
for accurate, continuous heart rate.
For best results, thoroughly moisten
the chest strap with water prior to workout.
Click here for a larger image
FT4 Heart Rate Monitor
The FT4 heart rate monitor helps you exercise smarter with its easy-to-use heart rate based features. Perfect for active exercisers who want to track their intensity and calories burned during any activity.
Exercise Guidance
Continuously displays your real-time heart rate during exercise. With this information you can gauge your intensity and stay within your target zone to maximize your workout. It’s like a personal trainer on your wrist telling you when to slow down or speed up.
Accurate Calorie Burn
Tracks your intensity and calories burned during any activity, even playing with children and swimming.
Stay Motivated and Reach Your Fitness Goals
Removes the guess work from your workout. After each workout, the FT4 will display a training summary with your average and max heart rate and calories burned. In addition, it keeps track of your last ten workouts so you can see your fitness improvements and stay motivated to reach your goals.
Key Features
• Continuous, accurate heart rate
• Average and maximum heart rate of training
• Automatic age-based target zone – bpm / %
• Smart Calorie feature uses your personal data to provide accurate calories burned
• Includes heart rate chest strap made of soft fabric material that adapts to your body shape. Requires and includes chest strap for accurate heart rate
• 10 training files (with summaries and totals)
• Backlight
• User replaceable battery and water resistant (30m)
• Connects with compatible gym equipment using GymLink (5kHz coded transmission)
• Time of day (12/24h) with alarm and snooze
In The Box
FT4 heart rate monitor
H1 heart rate sensor
FT4 Getting Started Guide
Easy to Use
1) Enter basic settings
2) Thoroughly moisten the H1 heart rate chest strap with water, snap on the transmitter and wrap around your chest
3) Start your workout. * Tip: it is best to stand away from others when starting the heart rate monitor.
4) To extend the battery life of your H1 chest strap transmitter be sure to detach the sensor from the chest strap and rinse after each use
H1 Heart Rate Chest Strap Sensor
Includes the comfortable H1 heart rate chest strap. The chest strap sensor (also called transmitter) streams continuous, accurate heart rate to the FT4 wrist unit.
• Soft fabric materials adapt to your body shape so you forget it’s even on
• Convenient side hook mechanism makes it quick to put on when you want to start training and easy to take off when you’re finished
• Coded heart rate transmission to avoid cross-talk with other heart rate monitors
• Bring it to the gym. Its 5kHz coded transmission will show your heart rate on compatible gym equipment
• Hand washable
• User-replaceable battery
• Strap material: 38% Polyamide, 29% Polyurethane, 20% Elastane, 13% Polyester
*Tip: after each workout, detach H1 transmitter, rinse the strap with water and hang dry.
Smart Training Starts Here
Polar invented the world’s first heart rate monitor and pioneered the Smart Coaching training approach that delivers faster progress and better results. Each Polar product includes unique Smart Coaching features that listen to your heart and interpret the data for you so you can train smarter.
FT4 heart rate monitor Smart Coaching features:
Smart Calories
Lets you know exactly how many calories you’ve burned.
How Heart Rate Training Works
Click here for a larger image
When you train, you don’t always have to go faster or harder to get the best results. To reach your goals you just need to listen to your heart rate and train at the right intensity.
During training, there are specific intensity zones, each with a benefit. These zones are based on a percentage of your maximum heart rate- a number calculated by most Polar heart rate monitors. While training you can use your max heart rate to calculate and follow the recommended zones below. Training in the right zone will help you stay on track to reach your goals.
Zone 1 “Very Light” 50-60%: Improves overall health and helps recovery. Recommended for weight management and active recovery.
Zone 2 “Light” 60-70%: Improves basic endurance and fat burning. Recommended for everybody for longer and frequently repeated short exercises.
Zone 3 “Moderate” 70-80%: Improves aerobic fitness. Recommended for everybody for moderately long exercises.
Zone 4 “Hard” 80-90%: Increases maximum performance capacity. Recommended for everybody for shorter exercises.
Zone 5 “Maximum” 90-100%: Develops maximum performance and speed. Recommended for fit people and athletic training.
(Calculate your Maximum Heart Rate: 200 – Your Age= Maximum Heart Rate.)
Recommended Accessory
H7 heart rate sensor Bluetooth Smart
A combo heart rate sensor that provides real-time, accurate heart rate to your mobile training app, including Polar Beat. The H7 also connects to many Polar products as well as compatible gym equipment.
Comparison Chart
| FT4 | FT7 | FT60 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watch Functionality | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Continuous Heart Rate – BPM / % | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Water Resistant (will work in the water) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| High & Low Target HR Zone w/ Alarm | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| OwnZone – personal heart rate zone | Yes | ||
| EnergyPointer | Yes | ||
| Fat Burn % | Yes | Yes | |
| Calories Burned | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Training Files | 10 | 99 | 100 |
| Downloads to polarpersonaltrainer.com | Yes (w/Flowlink) sold separately |
Yes (w/Flowlink) sold separately |
|
| Fitness Test | Yes | ||
| STAR Training Program | Yes |
Polar Customer Care
Purchasing a Polar product is only the start of your experience with us. We’ll be there to provide training advice and assistance and help you get the most out of your new product.
Product Features
- Provides continuous, accurate heart rate to keep your fitness training simple
- Smart Calorie feature uses your personal data to provide accurate calories burned
- Includes heart rate chest strap made of soft fabric material that adapts to your body shape. Requires and includes chest strap for accurate heart rate
- User replaceable battery and water resistant (30m)
- Connects with compatible gym equipment using GymLink
Best Watch I Have Ever Used *Updates Included!*_____________________________________________________ORIGINAL REVIEW:_____________________________________________________Thoughts:First off, all that i was looking for in a heart monitor was the ability to see my heart rate, see if i’m in the zone, and see how many calories i have burned. This watch does all of those functions flawlessly! My family has a history of heart related problems so when i workout, i need to make sure that i am not putting too much stress on my heart while still maintaining a high level of work. I use this primarily during cardio routines of P90X but i will use this more for running once it gets warm outside.Functionality/Use:The watch is incredibly easy to use. When you first open the box, you go through a setup wizard on the watch asking you to input information such a weight, gender, and units preferences to better tailor the results to the individual. After that, you are literally all set to workout. While many people have had trouble getting the watch to pick up the signal from the strap, i have found that licking or wetting the strap works wonders!Something else that i would like to point out is that the watch have the ability to **beep** when you’re out of your zone (either not working hard enough or working way harder than you should be) that is priceless! I have found sometimes during my workouts that i’m pushing myself really hard and i end up getting my heart rate above 185 BPM which is not really the best thing to do. This **beep** is great for some workouts but terrible for others. Luckily, you can turn the **beep** off very easily. I prefer to turn the beep off if i’m going to do interval training like sprints or something where my BPM is not always in the zone.Other:Just a few quick things i would like to point out. I’ve read online that detaching the heart rate pod from the strap will make the battery last longer. I am not sure this actually does anything, but it gives me ease of mind thinking that i am actually making it last longer.Pros:LightweightComfortableEasy to use**Beep** while outside of the “zone” is a great feature that can be turned on/offCons:NoneOverall:Overall, i can’t think of a better watch to spend my money on. No, this doesn’t give graphs on how you’re doing over time but that is not what I was looking for. This is a great buy and i have used it for a good period of time and have had no issues at all with it._____________________________________________________UPDATE #1: AFTER 2 MONTHS_____________________________________________________After two months, this watch is still working perfectly! I have had no issues and i love that i have the ability to look at combined totals of my workouts! As of today, i have burned over 35,000 calories!!! This feature is something that keeps you motivated to keep working hard. Before this watch, i never was that into working out. Now when i run, instead of going a certain distance, i like to aim for a caloric goal (about 1,000) before i end my workout.I still highly recommend this watch to anyone looking for a great heart monitor!_____________________________________________________UPDATE #2: April 4th, 2013_____________________________________________________I just started the Insanity workout series today and this watch comes in handy! I am able to see if I am over/underworking so that i can obtain my goals. Something i wanted to throw out there was cleaning this unit. I know that sweating all over something causes bacteria to grow and i also noticed after a while, salt (from my sweat) would build up on the chest strap.I clean it like so;CLEANING:-Watch~Wipe down with a Clorox Bleach Wipe~Soak in some hot water for a few seconds~Dry~Strap~Wipe down with a Clorox Bleach Wipe~Place in the washing machine on A VERY GENTLE SETTINGS~Allow to air-dry~HRM Pod~Wipe down with a Clorox Bleach Wipe~Soak in some hot water for a few seconds~Dry
It fits even us big girls! I have spent months looking for a heart rate monitor that would fit me comfortably, but still be pretty. This is it! I’ve decided to finally get off my big butt and start doing something healthy – walking or biking every day – but I wanted to be able to keep track of the time AND make sure I was working at the right heart rate. As someone who is really out of shape, I find that I might feel like I am really working hard, but my heart rate ends up being at the very low end, so I needed something that I could use to be sure my workouts are actually worth it.This watch is very accurate and stylish. I also like that it tracks my calories burned and my previous workouts so I can see if I am getting healthier. I was worried that it wouldn’t fit my wrist because it is a women’s watch and they tend to run small, but this fits my 7 3/4″ wrist with a little room to spare. The chest strap also fits and is super comfy! I am almost 300lbs (at the time of purchase) and the M/XXL strap that comes with this fit me just fine – again with room to spare. I don’t even feel it once I get it on and start moving.So, for you bigger girls out there who are looking for a rate monitor that will fit, be accurate and comfortable AND is pretty – get this one!
It’s water resistant! Works great Hey folks, I just wanted to add a bit of information based on some comments I’ve read on other Polar devices: The FT4, based on my tests, IS water-resistant and should work great to help you track your stats as you swim laps. I’ll update this once I’ve used it for a few more lap swims, but both the heart monitor you wear on your chest and the watch itself are sealed and won’t immediately flood and ruin if you take it into the pool. Only thing is, you probably don’t want to be pressing the buttons on the watch while you’re under water, which may mean you have to stop and dry off if you want to take a break in the middle of your lap swim.Update: I have now used my FT4 several times to track my lap swimming. It works great! Don’t press the buttons while you’re actually underwater, but I have had no trouble at all with the ‘pause’ or ‘continue’ functions at the end of the lap, even with wet fingers. Oh, and – you don’t have to wet the chest band before you put it on if you’re going to swim in it ;)I have the same beef as others about the FT4 – you can’t see all your workout stats at once while you work out – you have to press the bottom right-hand button to change the display to heart rate vs. calories vs. workout time or what have you, and you can’t see your time while you’re working out (you can once you’re finished and you click STOP to end the workout session…at this point you also get your upper and average heart rates and your time in the zone. You can also hit ‘Pause’ to see your workout time.) Basically, this little gizmo does what it’s designed to do. It does make a unique double-beep when you’re in your heart rate zone, which I find helpful.A couple other details: the FT4 has a user-serviceable battery (some other Polar models don’t, which means you have to pay $$ and ship the device to Polar to change the battery.) The chest band is fabric, as opposed to the stiff plastic of other Polar models, also. You can buy software to download the information off your Polar, but the software is $80 and you need an infrared reader for your computer. I haven’t really explored this, as I use the […] website to track my info and I just copy it straight off the Polar without downloading.My one complaint is the difference in calorie burn between the FT4, my Garmin Forerunner and my GoWearFit…who knows how many I’m actually burning…but I do have a little bit of a formula I can use to convert from one to the next…Overall, I’d say this device is well worth the money, especially if you’re just doing casual exercise without the need for a GPS or an all-day calorie tracker. I’ll probably buy another one should the one I bought break or wear out.