Polar FT4 good basic monitor.

Polar FT4 good basic monitor.
i got the silver/black men's version to replace an old vetta monitor that was designed for bicycle use. i chose this polar because i mainly wanted a device that would display and track the range of heart rate during my workouts. it was easy to set up and i had used it for a few weeks before reading the instructions. here are a few things i learned when i finally rtfm.

1. strap (without transmitter) should be rinsed with water after every use and dried with a soft towel. it is also recommended to machine wash the strap after every five uses (no bleach or fabric softener, do not soak, spin-dry (i think they meant machine dried) or dry clean) using 40c/104f water in a washing pouch. i am assuming that it should be dried with a soft towel after washing. i am guessing those who state that the monitor stopped working for them did not do this and the dried minerals from their sweat interfered with the strap picking up a pulse (just a guess on my part).

2. watch is water resistant as long as buttons are not pressed under water. the instructions indicate that there are three different levels of water resistance and to check the back of the watch to see if it is either a) water resistant (resists splashes, sweat, raindrops, etc) b) water resistant to 30m/50m or c) water resistant to 100m. the back of my watch has no indication, but the transmitter says it is resistant to 30m.

3. while using the heart rate monitor, if you touch the watch to the transmitter, the display will change from displaying heart rate info to the clock (and vice versa). they call this 'hearttouch' and i believe this function can be disabled. i had wondered why the monitor occasionally changed what was displayed - an 'aha!' moment for me.

4. transmitter should be removed from strap after use to conserve battery life. maybe people who complained about short battery life never did this?

the skin contacts on the strap are woven into the fabric so it is much more comfortable than the hard plastic contacts i was used to. i have a 42" chest and i use the strap fully extended. those with bigger chests may find the strap too tight.

if you are looking for a simple heart rate monitor, i would gladly recommend this one.