A feature-rich heart rate monitor
Written: Dec 18 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: For intermediate to advanced training requirements, it does the job.
Cons: Appearance won't appeal to everyone, may have more features than you need.
The Bottom Line: The S210 fits the bill if styling is not an issue and the feature list matches your particular requirements.
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| fuzzpedal's Full Review: Polar S210 Wrist Watch |
I bought this watch when I ordered a WaterRower rowing machine as I needed a Polar transmitter belt for it. I looked at some of the cheaper ranges but was seduced by the S-210's feature list.
The S210 is at the bottom of Polar's high end S range of watches including the S410, S510, S610, S710 & S810. Looking further up the range to see what it doesn't have, features such as a computer interface, cycling functions, trainer - these are features I was happy to live without. In fact since I bought it I have mainly used the basic heart rate monitor mode, fitness test and calorie counting which I think some of the cheaper M series models would have provided. The watch does also offer interval training and heart rate limit settings as well as a VO2max estimator so I may use some of the more advanced features in time...
Appearance
When the watch was delivered, my first reaction was slight disappointment - the plastic case looks cheaper and somewhat tackier than the advertisement photos had suggested. The artwork on the case is very uninspiring to my taste, but others will no doubt differ. The case is quite large and I don't rate it as a fashion accessory, although my 12-year-old son thinks it looks OK, so perhaps that gives a clue as to the styling. The buttons are quite robust but the down side is they are not so easy to operate - more force than your average Casio is required. The watch is comfortable to wear and the display is clear and easy to read - it also has an effective backlight.
Water Resistance
The S210 is 50m water resistant which to me doesn't inspire great confidence - I think that for swimming, ideally a watch should be 100M or better. In fact the manual suggests that you can swim with the watch and belt in fresh water and it should work OK, although I haven't tried it. Casio manage to make 100m waterproof watches for not much money so for $200 I think Polar could do better there.
Ease Of Use
The manual that came with it is Ok but I found the navigation to be less than intuitive. In fact I still have to mess around a bit if I just want it to display time, heart rate and running Calories burned. Seems a shame I can't just hit the red button to start and get this as a saved preference - instead I have to press a button a few times to get to the right menu option.
Features
S210 features include:
Target zones with visible audible alarm
Interval training function
Recovery function
Lap times with heart rate
Maximum/average heart rate of each lap
OwnCals calorie expenditure
OwnIndex and Polar Fitness Test
Predicted maximum heart rate
Total exercise time
Time in target zone (in, below, above)
Average heart rate of total training
Maximum heart rate of total training
Training file info page
Exercise files
The fitness test is of particular interest - after you set the watch so it knows your age, weight, gender and activity level, you then run a fitness test that requires you to lie down for a few minutes! A measurement of your resting heart rate is then processed by some cunning algorithm, which then calculates what your VO2max is. This seemed to me a bit hard to trust at first but according to Polar, the correlation between VO2max and the OwnIndex value is quite accurate. This information is then added to the OwnCal calculation to improve accuracy.
Chest belt
The chest belt is quite comfortable - it is a coded model which (as I understand it) means that you have only something like a 1 in 10 chance of having the same transmission frequency as the next guy in the gym, so once an exercise machine locks in on your transmitter, chances are it won't be affected by anybody else's. I have found the transmitter to be reliable in use as long as it is wetted slightly before wearing (as the instructions suggest). The battery life is very much dependent on use and care (not drying it off after use can cause leakage current between the electrodes which causes batter life to be reduced. When the battery goes, it is very expensive to change. It has to be serviced by Polar - it is a sealed, non-user-serviceable unit. With my usage of about 7 hours a week on average I hope to get a couple of years out of it. We shall see...
Verdict
Overall, I am happy with the S210 - I didn't buy it as a fashion item and I don't regret not going for any of the more advanced feature models as I haven't used all the features in this one yet - and I probably never will. My advice for any Polar watch purchasers is not to get seduced by features and instead decide what you want from a heart monitor watch - being honest with yourself may save you quite a few dollars.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
fuzzpedal
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Reviews written: 5
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