is the Polar strap program all that great? Seems to be the big diff between the 13 and 15. Worth it to get the 15?
1188990
I use the polar strap occasionally. not all that important. I went with the 15 because it was a bit heavier, for my weight . its seems to be well made.
1188991
It works better than the hand grips once there is good continuity. The strap contact needs to either be slightly wetted with water or you need to have a good sweat going. If you try to use it dry it doesn't make good enough contact to give a reading. This is true of most of these type if monitors in the mid range. Other than that, the major difference really comes down the stability of the 15 and the heavier flywheel.
1188992
The strap works great the hand grips don't work well at all The 15 is a great unit the touch screen is nice the fan is weak I would recommend this elliptical
1188993
I cannot make a comparison between the two versions so I defer to Irish81. The 15 is a stable unit.
580339
Thanks for your detailed insights. From your post and others I've read, seems like I'll stick with the 305. I am very happy with the accuracy and ease of use, I just need to find some way to make it not rub my wrist so much. And the only other thing, and this is minor, is that it does not calculate calories expended unless you are using the GPS. I would think they could make an estimate when you are using the footpod indoors, but they don't. (The Polar R200sd does do this.)Maybe they will get the kinks worked out of the 405 sometime and I'll think about it then. Until then, I guess it doesn't pay to be an early adopter. Thanks for your detailed insights. From your post and others I've read, seems like I'll stick with the 305. I am very happy with the accuracy and ease of use, I just need to find some way to make it not rub my wrist so much. And the only other thing, and this is minor, is that it does not calculate calories expended unless you are using the GPS. I would think they could make an estimate when you are using the footpod indoors, but they don't. (The Polar R200sd does do this.)Maybe they will get the kinks worked out of the 405 sometime and I'll think about it then. Until then, I... » Read More Thanks for your detailed insights. From your post and others I've read, seems like I'll stick with the 305. I am very happy with the accuracy and ease of use, I just need to find some way to make it not rub my wrist so much. And the only other thing, and this is minor, is that it does not calculate calories expended unless you are using the GPS. I would think they could make an estimate when you are using the footpod indoors, but they don't. (The Polar R200sd does do this.)Maybe they will get the kinks worked out of the 405 sometime and I'll think about it then. Until then, I guess it doesn't pay to be an early adopter. « Show Less
1927592
I have the 18-135 and I love it. I've not used the 18-55 so I'm not sure about the quality being the same.
840652
Interesting! I am looking at buying the 405 without the strap, as I still have the one from my now stolen 305.The Garmin support website says that some versions of the 405 are compatible with the HR monitor. How can you tell if the one you are buying is compatible? Or is it just a trick to make you buy the more expensive version?
1269113
I found th strap white comfy. I never had any issues with sweat or the time I dropped it in the shower, but I never took it swimming or anything. My only issue with the timex is that I found the interface less intuitive than the Polar.
1320515
I am not using this watch any more. As far as I know you can run it continuously. While the chest strap is reasonably comfortable you would have to be wearing that continuously also. you can go to the polar.com website for more information and I'm sure you can call their sales or support line for this information. Sorry couldn't be more helpful
148463
I bought an extra strap when I bought the pedometer. It has a metal clip and works MUCH better!!! I got it on Amazon for about $2! Just type in "Safety Leash".
780807
The one I got is pretty comfortable. It is more comfortable than the one I got from Polar a few years ago. I had never had a previous one from Garmin, but this has a pretty soft elastic strap. I don't think it will last forever (it is already starting to stretch a bit), but I've never had any chaffing from this one. It has also worked pretty well -- it never loses the ability to connect to the watch during a run, for example. The only thing I haven't been able to do with it is measure my resting pulse -- it is "smart" enough to turn off if my heart rate is too low.
222822
My hunch is this can work with any Polar watch. BUT I don't recommend it. It's too bulky for comfort and not aesthetically nice. I get a better deal with a split piece of rubber foam aircon tube insulating hose, cut to the width of the watch, and fitted unto the handlebar. The flexible hose makes it easier to strap the watch into place and provides better shock absorption for the computer as well. And it's free from any handyman's shed.
1558620
I found the strap that came with my Canon G15 wider and more comfortable than the leather one. I just came back from a painting trip in Italy and had the camera around my neck 21 days so am glad I made that decision. Glad I had the nice leather cover so camera did not get banged around......
723428
No. It is not Polar compatible. You need a Polar compatible 5kHz strap for most gym equipment. This strap uses 2.4 Digital. You can pick a Polar strap up for about $40.
597033
Actually it is simpler. I have used my friend's trx and prefer the Woes because the straps can slide through the carabinier and adjust naturally. For instance with the trx you have to fiddle with both straps to make them even whereas you can often just shorten/lengthen one of the Woss straps, grab the handles and even the sides just by putting some weight on them(with hand or feet). The sliding function also allows for more interesting exercise variations. I have bought 5 sets for friends and they are all still going strong.
1308167
So I bought this watch and been using it for about 1 month. I can assure you that there is a difference on the caloric expenditure displayed on the cardio machine verses the one on the watch. But I made some research and really the POLAR watch seems to be the one to trust. The watch has info on height, weight, age, real-time heart rate monitoring so it has all the info needed to generate the actual caloric expenditure. On the machine however, usually the only 2 info you give is weight and age. At the end of the day, long story short, the POLAR FT7 is pretty much accurate and serves perfect for the individual who wants to monitor his/her caloric expenditure during any kind of aerobic exercise. I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND!
273581
The only difference's are the logo has been changed, and the shoulder strap no longer hooks in to the front using a hook. This is a plus and a minus, the plus side is it would be more comfortable for the child, the downside is the new design is a bit harder to get to and change the position, not that hard to do. The only other thing i've noticed is they have improved the buckle design. If you can get the older version I'd go with that as the price difference isn't worth it in my opinion.
357075
I have a 17.3" and it works fine, you just have have adjust the straps a bit differently than on a 15" which I also use.
16673
I can't really answer that because I didn't wear it often. I didn't find it to be that user friendly so I went back to using my Polar watch w/ heart rate monitor. You may want to ask other purchasers and/or do a customer review search to get a better cross section of opininos.
1678983
I called polar and here's what I found out:All Polar HRM will include a transmitter and strap with every package. It is a "standrad" strap/transmitter in size mediumThe F6 is a coded receiver and comes with a coded transmitter.They offer a "Wear Link" strap which is a more comfortable cloth type material and has a user servicable battery that costs about $55.00.... BUT the Polar F7 is IDENTICAL to the F6 but comes with the wearlink strap and it's only a few dollars more...