Product Features :
- Sophisticated training watch designed for dedicated multi sport endurance athletes
- Integrated Polar ProTrainer 5 software lets you create custom GPS routes and maps
- Displays heart rate as percentage of maximum bpm and within target zone indicator
- Compatible with complete range of W I N D sensors for tracking speed and distance
- Built in altimeter for altitude analysis 12/24 hour clock 2 year warranty
>> Great product when the buttons work or don t fall off
Story of three Polars
This is my third Polar The first one I had was a s510 It was great until it lost two buttons somehow during the swim portion of a triathlon No idea how that happened but the end result was that salt water got into the unit and ruined it
I replaced the s510 with an s725x special edition the one with the chrome finish Loved it too until it started to flake out It wouldn t let me update the user settings and no longer shows the date I decided to make that my permanent bike computer and took the opportunity to upgrade to the RS800cx
I love the RS800cx s contoured sleek design Much better than its predecessors big chunky and buly block style Again I love Polar devices when they work I love uploading my data to the training software via the infrared sensor I like visually tracking my zones HR altitude pace etc I also liked seeing my routes on Google Earth very cool However after 3 months I noted significant condensation under the lens That was followed by the battery going dead It s under warranty so I sent it in After 3 weeks it came back with no water and a fresh battery No more than two weeks later two buttons fell off I sent it back waited for another 3 weeks and am using it again However this time the main button doesn t like to work This was evident immediately upon getting back from Polar and before I started using it again It s usable but more frequently than not I have to press the red button enter or start several times to get it to work I m anxious about sending it back yet again because I don t want to spend the money on shipping for the 3rd time and I m worried about what will fall off or not work when it returns from the factory
I should note that I m not rough with these devices I swim bike run and lift I don t wrestle work construction or do anything that would cause unusual wear and tear on the product
A friend of mine bought the Garmin Forerunner 305 this past summer for his Ironman training He loves it and has had no issues with it One of the cool things about the Garmin is that you can detach it from the wristband and attach it to your bike mount in a quick release fashion and vice versa The other cool thing is that it s currently 167 99 on Amazon vs the RS800cx which is currently 469 90 If I m reading it all correctly that s equally equipped with GPS HR software and online mapping If I wasn t already invested in the Polar with the GPS I d switch to the Garmin The biggest drawback that I can see with the Garmin is that it s big and chunky Not something I d wear to work like I can with my Polar
>> Lousy Product
Purchased this new and it functioned well for about 60 days Used the PPT software as well as the Weblink Watch stopped transfering data on a Friday the following day it stopped communicating with the heart sensor I took it to the jeweler to have the battery replaced and they were unable to open the watch Polar told me to send it back so I did 3 weeks later the watch was returned supposedly repaired under warranty and STILL HAS THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM No fix no communication with either the sensor or the computer Make sure you read the Polar forums before buying ANY Polar product
>> Great Unit worth buying instead of cheaper units
I also have had three other Polar products For people who are considering one of their 200 units I would recommend they make the jump up to this one It really is great having your speed cadence heart rate altitude pace and average stride graphed at 1 second intervals The speed/pace etc comes if you have the s3 foot pod which I also recommend You ll also want the associated GPS pod as well
The one complaint that I have relates to the heart rate strap Some polar products that I have used in the past have their sensors and transmitters as a single unit One product had a button strap that would click into the transmitter These worked fine The s3 W I N D transmitter however has a button on transmitter that attaches to the strap while its attached to you This design allows that strap to stay affixed to you while the transmitter is removed
The comment below didn t happen I still rubberband the sensor but it didn t come off that day
Unfortunately on a recent run the transmitter popped off without me knowing it After I pay the 65 for a new unit I will fix this problem by attaching the unit with a rubber band This problem should not dissuade you from buying the unit but you should use the rubberband trick
