Polar - H7 Bluetooth Smart Heart Rate Sensor - Black

I purchased the H7 and it works like a charm every time. My iPhone app (Polar Beat) had no problems connecting to the HRM and giving an accurate BPM. The H7 HRM strap does not track mileage or calories but strictly monitors your heart rate and communicates this information to another Bluetooth device (such as your smartphone or watch) and that device passes the information to the app. In my case, my H7 connects to my iPhone and relays the HRM data to my Polar Beat app.

I love my Polar heart rate monitor. I initially bought it primarily for weight lifting to get a good idea of when I was hitting high impact levels of training which are obviously important both for muscle growth and reduction of body fat. The unit, when paired with my iPhone 5 and the free Polar app, is extremely accurate. I verified this by checking it against normal cardio equipment and the reading was very close. Now I know this unit can be utilized with other compatible software but I found Polar's app to be sufficient. It gives you the heart rate (obviously) and also adds in important stats like calories burned and distance, which I don't use since I do indoor training and it runs off GPS. If you want to track your indoor distance you can buy a "stride counter" but then again I would think the distance on the cardio equipment would be sufficient unless you have a lot of hang time when running. What I did notice is that the cadio calorie counter is insanely inaccurate. The LifeFitness equipment at my gym would register that I burned about 1100 calories over the course of an hour when the Polar app would say something more along the lines of 700-800. I trust the Polar monitor since heart rate is likely a better indicator than speed/distance/incline. Each person is going to vary in calories burned depending on how their body reacts to the physical stress. Sure there are built in heart monitors on the equipment but I personally prefer to go with the lower number simply because even when you don't use the monitor built into the equipment, that calorie function still registers the exact same number which means it is a static function, not based upon your individual workout. It is also really helpful to see how much you are pushing yourself when lifting... it's interesting to notice the different cardiac peaks that different exercises bring. It helps keep me motivated to push my level higher and higher. I've also developed some better habits like staying at the gym longer to reach specific goals (generally I try to get to 1k calories burned which is about 45 min cardio and a bit over an hour of lifting at my level). The app will also tell you when you have set a new record for distance or time which is another nice way to keep yourself motivated. I could keep going on and on as there are lots of positives about this unit. Def pick one up if you have the opportunity.

it's just an elastic strap with a sensor area, snaps and a pod with the electronics and it does a great job measuring heart rate and transmitting it to my iPhone 6+. The pod contains the battery and, if I understand correctly as long as it isn't snapped to the strap, isn't discharging the battery which is nice for saving battery while not in use. The strap fits snug as it needs to be and is easy to wash after a workout. I haven't noticed any issues with damage yet and I've used it pretty often already. The one thing that could be improved is the method of attaching the ends of the strap to each other when putting it on. It's just a plastic hook on one end and a nylon loop on the other. It can take a few tries getting the hook through the loop but this is a minor issue so far. To complete the system, there is an app to download to the phone that receives the signal from the pod. It's a free app but there are upgrades that I bought like the fitness test, energy pointer and benefit target that give a little more information which I thought was worth the cost. The information transferred to the app then gets uploaded to a training website and there is a bunch more information and graphs that parse the data into useful information about what's happening with your health. I had some rewards certificate money available and the heart rate monitor was on sale at Amazon. Best Buy matched the Amazon price so I was able to get a good deal on it and for a little money, I've picked up what has turned out to be a pretty good prod to get myself doing some cardio work. The fitness test has shown that I've improved a lot since I started using it so in the end, it has done everything I wanted it to do.

I had a Timex watch with a heart strap monitor but the monitor stopped working. While I waited for a replacement from Timex, I bought the Polar sensor. I really like having the Polar because I can use my iPhone and the apps to monitor my heart rate. The downside is that I have to use my phone to get the info I want. A watch is much more immediate vs. the phone. Sometimes I forget to change my settings on my phone to not auto lock and then mid exercise I have to open my phone and go to the app. But the phone gives the information on a big phone screen vs. the watch's small gray screen. The app also saves the info and can be uploaded to a user account, which is easier to navigate than a watch. The app also has many more categories and options in how to extract info from your workouts. I like knowing how many calories I burned and the Polar app easily gives me that info. The strap is not the best. I felt that my Timex strap fit better but it did not always stay connected, which is contrary. I have to adjust the Polar strap more often but I have not had an incident where there wasn't a reading. The reason I'm giving it four and not five stars is because I had to learn how to use the polar monitor from the internet and not from the docs that came with the Polar. The instructions were very basic. Maybe I'm not as savvy as other users, but I am use to things working "right out the box" and instructions being clear to get. My Timex watch was very easy to figure out right out the box, but not the polar. I went to the Polar site and it was not easy to navigate because they have so many products. Finally I found my product but I did not get the info I needed. I needed to know how to use the Polar monitor with my iPhone and it was not easy to get that info. I had to search the Apple Store to see which apps would work with it. There were several options and it wasn't very clear which apps would work with it other than the polar app itself. Luckily I found a website that reviewed which apps are best to use with the Polar monitor. From there I downloaded a couple different apps and picked the one I liked, which is coincidentally the Polar app. I wish that it was easier to use right from the box. But now I am pretty savy with it and I really like it. My Timex is my back up now. The polar has good range when in the gym. I have not lost connection with it yet. I have used it riding a bike in the gym and out in the community. I like that I can access my phone's gps to keep track of my rides in the community. The app also can sync to a device called a stride, which I have not bought. But it is an option that I can look into, which is cool. The original price was near $80 but I was able to get it on sale for $45. I don't know if I would recommend it for $80 but definitely at about $50. The bad thing about the polar monitor is if your phone is not charged then you cannot use it. It syncs with machines in the gym but you lose any ability to save your info if your phone is not around. I am notorious for my phone not being charged so there is that. I have had to charge my phone at the gym and stay near my phone, which was a drag, but I did not lose connection, which was a positive.

In tandem with a Polar Loop to monitor activities, I bought the H7 heart monitor. It's very simple to put on, around the chest. There's no display, it just clings next to your chest and monitors. When going to the gym, I was surprised to see the treadmill tell my heart rate even though I wasn't using its sensor. It had picked up the H7 automatically... of course, so did the treadmill 5 feet from the one I was on. :) I knew the recumbent bike I use has a Polar logo on it, but not the treadmill. So Polar is definitely a name brand when it comes to fitness gear. The software (Mac OS X, Windows, Android, iOS) is simple to install and use. Every heart rate change is recorded - and accurate with the Loop. That's why I got it, and I even wore it 24/7 a couple of days to see patterns. It's slick. If anything, the battery lasts 200 hours before replacing, is not easy to get out, and uses a standard 2025 watch battery. I've no complaints. The H7, works great on its own with compatible gym equipment, but with the Polar Loop as a conduit one can track so much more. It's no a con that one needs the Loop to really get the most use out of the H7, but it is two devices working in tandem, which still cost less than some other armbands that can't do a good job at recording.

I got this to replace a watch/monitor combo that was not working well and which was extremely complicated to use. This works well and isn't complicated to use once you find an app to use with it. Since I always have my phone (for tunes, if nothing else!), this is way better than messing around with a clunky watch. When I bought it, Polar had not opened up their "Beat" app to my Android phone. Google's tracking app won't recognize the device. I found a third party app that seems to work pretty well and, actually, works much better than Polar's Beat app (which they recently released for my phone). Through the third party app, along with the "extra cost" options in that app, I can export my logs, view a chart of my heart rate over time, and view a map showing my heart rate along the path I took. All of this is easier than my previous watch/strap combo. The big bonus, however, is that the machines at the gym all recognize it and automatically display my heart rate now.

You certainly can't go wrong with Polar. I purchased the H7 primarily to supplement a new treadmill purchase along with using it with my iPhone 5s fitness apps. The actual fit of the chest band is very comfortable and Polar made a smart decision to place a comfort tab below the clasp to prevent it from pinching your skin. Bluetooth connectivity is easy and consistent when paired with any device. So far, no dropped connection whatsoever. Now the tricky part. I cannot tell if it's the applications I use or if it's the H7 itself. However, I found that the heartrate tracking can sometimes be sporadic. One moment, I think I'm in the fat burning zone, then suddenly jump into cardio, then hit peak and then randomly all over the place. When I compare it to the heartrate monitor that comes with my Fitbit Surge activity watch, I find my watch is more consistent. However, it doesn't pair with any of my applications and the comparison may not hold any merit. Overall, I am satisfied and comfortable giving it five stars despite the odd hiccups. Every piece of tech has its issues, but the Polar H7 doesn't have many.

I have been using this for several weeks and found that the monitor seems accurate. As with most chest strap based monitors, I find that unless I really get my chest and the monitor really wet before I start running, the readings are erratic and all over the place until I work up a good sweat. The bluetooth link to my iPhone 4S seems to work pretty well, but I have had issues with the link to Gym Equipment and even an older Polar watch -- after several minutes the connection is lost to the Gym Equipment and/or the Polar watch. As I have read other reviews, I would have liked a full featured IOS app to go with this Heart Monitor and not have to purchase an "Upgrade" from their software. I tried this with RunKeeper, Polar Beat, DigiFit and Wahoo Fitness and ended up purchasing the upgraded for DigiBit because it seemed to offer the best features for Heart Rate Zone training. If Polar could make an IOS app that rivals fitness watches, and include some kind of code/credit in the package this would be an ideal purchase.