I always knew that I should be hitting 65% to 85% of my maximum heart rate while exercising, and I knew that I was sometimes, but this little gadget showed me how far off the mark I was. I had to double my cardio workouts in order to get into the zone where I needed to be to lose weight. Now, I am seeing real results. That knowledge alone was worth the price. Most of us overestimate how hard we work out, spend a lot of time at the gym, and then get frustrated at the lack of results. With this gadget I am able to make my workouts effective not just long and energy consuming.

The features on the A5 model are numerous enough to make this a great toy, and few enough as not to make it too complicated. This model is reccomended by Polar as one for for people looking to lose weight and increase overall fitness. This is not a model for the serious "data junkie" who wants to store all of their workout data in a spreadsheet. I don't think that this is a model for cyclists either. This is a model for someone who wants to know how many calories they've burned, time in their target workout zone, BMI, % of maximum heart rate being reached, and heart rate. You can also perform a fitness test with this model, and that is an interesting feature.

This model comes with a transmitter. The product specifications were not clear about whether or not it came with one. I was confused about that, and ended up purchasing an extra, albiet better, transmitter. The transmitter that came with the A5 does not look comfy, the front part that goes over your chest is made of flexible rubber and the back part is a fabric strap. The extra one that I ordered (for $45) is a totally fabric model called the WearLink, that has one small plastic piece in the front. So, I would suggest you buy a more comfortable mostly fabric transmitter, if you plan to wear it alot. 5 stars

Easy to set up, accurate, user friendly. Just took it for a test drive this morning. Shipping was fast and friendly. Nice user manual. Very explanatory.

Put in your vitals, adjust the strap around your chest and put the pedal to the metal.

I burned 511 calories -- 45% from fat. For 49:51 minutes of work, I spent 14:46 minutes in the 144-160 beats per minute range; with my heart rate topping out at 178 (93% of my maximum for the "moderate training zone"). My average heart rate was 151 for the duration (79% of my maximum). The alarm cued me when to step it up and also when to back it down so I could keep on a better training track.

Apparently, I've been working too hard in the past. Because just as the HRM was yelling at me to back down, I was thinking, "Geez, touchy thingie! I can go way harder and higher than this!" But if it improves my stamina, all the better.

I would recommend reviewing the product manual and setting up your customizations the night before if you are an early morning exerciser. Setup and familiarization with the product/material takes about an hour. 5 stars

I bought this watch three months ago as a replacement of a Reebok HRM (by the way one of the worst decisions I ever made)

Since I started using it I feel the difference. It really help me with my exercise routine (I workout 3 to 4 times a week using a Elliptical trainer machine). The memories and the features are very helpful and easy to use.

The only negative thingh is the polar link communication it does not work. I tried to communicate with different computers unsuccessfully. Also the web page is hard to configure and the personal settings needed to be reentered several times.

Besides the software and the web page the HRM is a very good adquisition and it really helps with your training. 4 stars

So, I purchased the F6 in October of 2006. I use it for cycling and on aerobic machines and it really works great. No complaints about performanace at all and it does a nice job of tracking exercise. I paid $99.95 for the product, which seemed sorta high, but I wanted a reliable product from a good name. Well...in August 2007, the transmitter stopped working. Despite the "2 year" warranty stated above, that does not cover batteries, which apparently was the transmitter problem. So, I sent it back to Polar to fix it...but they can't fix it, they can only replace it. All said, it cost me $52 plus my shipping costs to fix. The "replacement" was clearly not new. I'm not sure if it was mine, but it definitely was not new. So, in less than a year, I've had to shell out about $160 and, if the battery dies again six months from now, I guess I'll have to go through this again. I would not but another Polar product. 3 stars

Overall I am very pleased with this watch. I am not a health nut of a fitness fiend. I'm just an average person looking to get into better shape and needed something to tell me if I am over working or not working hard enough.

The Polar F6 Heart Rate Monitor did just that. The watch helps you figure out your "zones" that you personally work well in and monitors where you average, your peaks, your lows, counts your calories and then gives you a full report once you're done.

For someone like me this is great! I found that I was not working hard enough and that when I did get an urge to work hard I was over doing it. With this watch I can pace myself and extend my workouts. Before I would get winded and have to stop. Then I would get frustrated and have to walk away, thus not fulfilling my fitness goals.

In the month that I've been using the Polar F6 Heart Rate Monitor I have found a new interest in my workout and am on my way to having a semi-pleasant bathing suit season (if that is possible.) So to make a long story short, this watch has helped me a great deal and I am very happy with it.
4 stars