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Polar Loop Activity Tracker and Sleep Monitor, Black - Polar
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Garmin vívofit 2 Activity Tracker Signature Edition - Garmin

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Polar Loop Activity Tracker and Sleep Monitor, Black - Polar
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Garmin vívofit 2 Activity Tracker Signature Edition - Garmin
Rating info
eComparisons Score
eComparisons ScoreThe "Comparison Score" Is calculated based on the average number of times this item was compared with other items in this category by our users
7.2
8
User Rating (Amazon)
User Rating (Amazon)

Five Star Reviews:

38%
Polar have always been quality products
July 1, 2016
I love Polar products. My fitbit flex died last week and I decided to look for another brand of tracker. Not that I disliked the Fitbit but the Fitbit is a good start but it is really not a great product. You can't get it wet, after a year or so it started getting finnicky, battery was lasting only two days towards the end, just high maintenance thing. I looked at a bunch of activity trackers and decided to go with this one. Polar is a company that has a rep with me of building quality products. I am a longtime user of their Heart Rate Monitors (25 years or so I think).I am happy I choose this product. The process of cutting the bracelet to fit is not easy but it is not hard either, you just have to be careful and cut less then they recommend and then cut a little more til you have a fit. When you do have it cut you have a much better bracelet than all the other trackers out there because if it opens it probably will not fall off your wrist and a truly appreciate that. The company went with better, not easier The thing with the fitbit is that I had to find it a couple of times because the clasp would open on it's own and it would fall off and I would then have to backtrack to find it. This happenned about 3 times and was very annoying.I love the screen this product has. Very bright. And playful. Kind of a neat thing and I think what they show is just right. I am still getting used to Polar's web software. Looks interesting but I haven't synced yet. I would love to have someone who would look at my data and work with me on fitness. I wonder if they offer this?Setup so far was seamless keeping to the tone of Polar products being well built and having the features that are important and not too many features.I am going to use this product without taking it off...pool, shower...lets see....I have not set it up with my phone yet but am using the computer and the cable.I liked Fitbit's autosync feature and this product will not yet do this with a computer but that is OK, not a huge deal.If I do travel I will have to hook it up to my phone....but was going to avoid that for now.If this product holds up I will then buy the much more expensive polar fitness watches....let's seeLooks good and promising so far...
This is the best activity fitness tracker in the market, for my activity and fitness goals.
August 23, 2015
Been a Polar customer for a couple of years now, (had the FT7), and when it comes to activity and fitness tracking I wouldn't consider any other brand. Polar is the Mercedes Benz of activity and fitness trackers. They've been doing this since the late 80's, I believe, and it's the brand athletes and trainers use. It does exactly what it promises.IMPORTANT: This device is waterproof, not just water resistant as other devices are, meaning you can swim with it, shower with it, and all other activities that may involve water.Also, this device doesn't need to be told when you go to sleep. It just knows. Huge advantage over the others out there.You can sync it with two apps on your phone: Polar Flow for daily activity tracking and summary, with charts and all, and Polar Beat to track your training and work out, along with the heart rate monitor.But you don't need to plug it to your phone to view your stats. It will display them right on the bracelet: calories, steps, activity, and what you need to do to meet the daily goal, and of course, the time of the day. And yes, it's Bluetooth.When cutting it to size, they've already taken into account the slack for your wrist. There are other great reviews here that cover that aspect in detail and they were very helpful. I'd advise you read those. Plus there is a You Tube video. I used the video and it worked perfectly.The "time to get up and move" reminder is great. The one thing I wish it did have was a vibrate feature because it only displays, and if you're busy and not looking at it, you'll miss it. But aside from that, it's a great product and great value for your money.As far as the battery charge, I wear it 24/7 and I have to charge it every 3-4 days. But it charges very quickly, usually in less than 15 minutes. I'm sure as the battery gets older it'll need to charge more often and it may take a little longer, but so far, I've had it for 8 months and it's been working as promised.Important to note:If you're looking to track your every move via GPS 24/7, this is not for you. It'll track your GPS movements when you connect it to your phone app Polar Beat when you work out. After all, that's all I need GPS for. Why would I need 24/7 GPS tracking, I'm not so sure.If you're looking to track your heart rate 24/7, this may be inconvenient because it'll need the heart rate monitor strap and device along. But does one really need to do that 24/7? I only track my heart rate when working out. And I wear the strap and device then, along with the Polar Beat app. It captures my every move and heart rate during the work out time.So, the GPS and heart beat tracking are great to track workouts. And it performs excellently on those two fronts. If I did that 24/7, it'll wear on the battery and I wouldn't want 24/7 Bluetooth on around me. From the holistic point of view, it may not be good for the body's own electromagnetic activity, in the long run. But that's just my opinion.The rest of the day it just tracks my steps, calories and movement, as well as sleep patterns, even if I take a nap or fall sleep.Love this device. Will buy another one when this one goes. Polar is the way to go when it comes to these devices. I wouldn't consider any other brand, so far.
Love, love
April 7, 2015
Love, love, love this watch. I used to own the polar FT7, but alway curious about everyday calories or steps done in a day. Thought about switching to Fitbit until I discovered the Polar Loop, and I was instantly sold. I didn't care that the HR monitor was sold separately. I do circuit training workout too, so having a HR monitor for accurate fat and burn reading is a must. I had a hard time adjusting the complexity of the Loop at first, but once I got it, it was really easy. I also use the app on my phone, I try to sync it the least possible because I think it drains both my phone and watch. It looks cool too. On my hand it looks like an oversize bracelet.
Was on the line
April 9, 2014
I work in Physical Therapy, therefore I can ask several people what they recommend.When I asked, fitbit, and jawbone were at the top of the list.I read lots of reviews and decided on the polar loop even though no one had mentioned it.Things I knew were cons when I bought it:1) Did not have a nap 'alarm' that woke you up at the most beneficial place in your sleep2) You had to cut the band to use itLet me just say, I LOVE THIS BAND!I've seen complaints about the cutting (I didn't mind), I saw complaints about the battery (It lasted 5 days on its first run, and I'll change this review if it stops workings well), but I LOVE that it can connect to a Heart Rate monitor (it's a extra you have to buy).The only thing I find weird is that is says I need to reach 9.5 hours to reach my goal for the day, but I almost never reach it. I am on my feet for 8 hours a day for work, and that doesn't include things at work. But I think it's because I'm holding things in my hands all day.This band tracks sleep, sitting, walking, jogging, and running. It tells you how well you slept (restless versus restful). It tells you things you can do to reach your goal! It keeps me motivated and I can track how well I'm training with the additional heart rate monitor! If you are looking for a easy to use waterproof watch, that tracks your activity, can track your heart rate, and has an application it syncs with an iPhone this is the one for you!
If you know what you're doing this is 5 star
January 13, 2014
First, don't buy this unless you're getting the H6 (for iPhone) or H7 chest strap. This review is based on using the Loop and chest strap. Currently the price for both can be had for about $150 on Amazon if you hold out for a sale. Considering the price of the Nike Fuelband at $150 and the Fitbit Force at $130, the chest strap for the Loop is a no-brainer and must have all at once.Why? because the Fitbit Force and Nike Fuel Band units will never use heart rate data, a deal-breaker for a legit exercise tracker. A $130-150 pedometer like the Fitbit and Fuel band are simply too expensive in my opinion if they exclude heart rate tracking. At $150 and higher you're well into heart rate monitor pricing and well past e-pedometers.Let's talk about sleep. Some have opined that the Fitbits are better for this. Total nonsense. If you're using the chest strap, the Loop provides *minute by minute* tracking of your sleep. You can even see if you experience PAC and PVC's during deep sleep on your chart using the Polar Flow website. Do Fitbit Force users know what PAC/PVC is? Of course not because their devices don't use heart rate at all. Basically when you awake you remove the chest strap, synch the Loop to your laptop (very fast compared to Nike) and you'll have a graph showing you (A) how long it took for you to get into deep sleep, (B) how many calories were burned during sleep,(C) what your resting heart rate is during deep sleep and (D) what the heart rate is during light sleep, (E)how many minutes or hours are spent deep sleep,(F) if you are restless sleeper as it shows when your breathing pattern was interrupted and (G) how many PAC or PVC's you experience in a night. If you think that wrist movement alone like on the Fitbit during sleep is all you need to analyze your sleep then have been misled by Fitbit reviewers. This aspect of the Polar loop and chest strap alone makes it worth buying. You would have to check into a Hospital Sleep Center to have this kind of data analysis at your finger tips. For which they would bill your insurance thousands of dollars.Some have complained that they don't know how to mark the begining or end of a workout when viewing the data on the Polar Flow website or App. Simple: get dressed for your workout and make sure the very last thing you do before you begin is to put on the chest strap (and hold the Loop up to it for it to connect). Dab a little water under the chest strap's blue tooth transmiter, it speeds up the linking. When you are done with the workout and have recovered for a few minutes remove the chest strap. This stops the data recording of heart rate. The Loop will continue to record your foot steps however. That workout is now a "feed". When I log on to Polar Flow I typically have two feeds a day. One is 7-8 hours for sleep. The other is 1.5-2.0 hours for workouts. In essence putting on and removing the chest strap acts as a stop watch. After your workout its good to leave it on until you've recovered your heart rate back towards the resting heart rate zone, or where you were when you began workout. Analyzing this data is important as it shows how quickly you can recover from exertion. As you workout more, this recovery time should begin to shrink. For example a very out of shape person climbing stairs will often be panting for a while afterwards. Since buying the Loop I wear the chest strap frequently to gauge how many calories are burned and the level of heart activity for common activities like walking in the mall or the supermarket. For example a long five hour shopping trip resulted in typical heart rate of 80 bmps and 1,300 calories burned (my resting heart rate for sleep is 55-60 bpms). This shopping trip was enough to meet my minimum activity goal for the day. On the Polar Flow website under "Diary" it showed 130% of the daily goal achieved and it also displayed the average for that week of 120%, thereby demonstrating short-term consistency towards a long-term goal. There were also hyperlinks for each calendar day that took you to the graph for that day's workout when the chest strap was used.Important: by using heart rate tracking you can see how hard those 10 miles you just hiked actually were. The Fitbit and Nike will only show the steps hiked but what if those 10 miles were a mix of hard uphill steps where you had to expend much more energy? Well without heart rate tracking it registers them all as the same. What if you walked those miles at a brisk pace? Only the Loop and chest strap combination records that data, and it does so with the most accurate alogrithm for calories burned in the exercise industry.I'm Android user, no there's no app yet. No big deal I can use use the Polar Flow website from my PC or Laptop to get at the data for exercise or sleep sessions until then. The Android app will come at some point so no point throwing out the baby with the bath water because of impatience. The issue is that Android devices have not all gotten on the same page about bluetooth stack so the app developers are left waiting for the phone makers to get it together. It's not Polar's fault. Either way its not huge deal because I will spend more time analyzing the Loop's data from the comfort of larger PC or laptop screen than a 4-5" phone display. Also, while I'm viewing this data the Loop is charging since its connected via the USB cable. It charges very quickly and its a good idea to charge it every three days. If the charge goes too low I find that the sensor is less responsive.Let me address the device itself. Some say cutting the band is negative. That's a matter of opinion and I could not disagree with that view more. The Loop uses a dual-deployant clasp, something you only see on high end sports watches like Tag Heuer. Once you're sized up the fit is SECURE, it will not come loose like some have complained on other wrist trackers. And getting it on takes 1/10 of a second because it's using a much better engineered spring-loaded clasp. I give this five stars on product design. Well done. Nothing fits better than a custom fit, you get that here. If you're worried about cutting it,take it to a high end watch store in the mall, they have experience with this. But if you do it yourself it will take about 10 minutes use a new pair of $2 scissors and cut in between the holes. Hint, use your finger nail to squeeze the push pins back into the bracelet once you're don cutting. But use the special tool included to remove the push pins. If you lose the tool just use a safety pin.As for the button that some people complain doesn't work. First of all it's NOT a button. It's a sensor. You have to hold your finger over it long enough for the device to sense the input. Much like the heart rate sensors on the handles of an elliptical machine at the gym. Once the device is awakened for the first time that day, the second touch will work quickly. This keeps the Loop from turning on inadvertently too many times which will drain the battery. The fact that the Loop is fully waterproof well past 10 feet must also add to that barrier as well. Once I wake the device for the day, like when on my bike ride, I will rub the sensor against my chin to light up the screen. This keeps at least one hand on the handlebars with my eyes on the road ahead. When I'm running it's easier for me to check the screen this way as well. It will display the last category you looked at previously. I keep mine set at "heart rate" when using the chest strap during exercise or on "time of day" for the rest of the day when I'm not wearing the chest strap. A second swipe of the sensor against my chin brings up the next window which can be "steps walked" (10K steps is about 5 miles), a third swipe brings up "calories burned", a fourth "activity". Now let's discuss "activity", the Polar Flow algorithm computes based on your height, weight and age the necessary number of steps you need to walk each day to arrive at your ideal level of activity. As you walk more the meter, which is just a red LED rectangle, fills up like a tall glass of water. When using the chest strap during exercise this fills up faster as it knows you are working harder. When the rectangle fills up to 50% I step on the pace so that later on, when I'm viewing this on my laptop on the Polar Flow website, I will see a higher level of work: more calories burned more work done. This is hugely motivating.I'm a cyclist and have been using Polar since 1992 to guide my exercise (using the Polar Favor). For the beginners, when you're doing exercise you can multiply your maximum heart rate (subract your age from 220) and multiply your maximum by 0.65 (or 65%). This the minimum heart rate during exercise that you need to stay at in order to begin burning fat. You will burn more fat all the way up to your maximum. Some stay within 65-80% to keep from bonking out too soon. When you remain above 80% your body needs help from more than just your existing fat stores. But the plus side for lurching above 80% is that you burn more fat in total and increase your endurance. The best workouts by far are high intensity interval training (HIIT) where you're basically play a cat and mouse game of moving your heart rate to the upper end (moving above 80%), slowing down for your heart rate to recover below the fat burning zone for a minute or two and then racing back up to the top. One method is to increase the amount of time you spend above 80% and then reverse the trend for the remaining sets. There's plenty on YouTube about this type of training if you wish to expolore it further. In the end high intensity invertal training will give you the hugely beneficial after-burn effect: although you have stopped exercising your body continues to burn off fat. Now explain to me how you are going to do any of this with a Fitbit Force or Fuelband if they leave out heart rate monitoring? How will you know when you're back below 65% for the required recovery or when you've gone over 80%? You're not. You're guessing. Too bad you spent $150 on those other devices when you could've had this.Also, the Loop with the chest strap is versatile as you can use it to track exercise where you're not really moving your upper body like when biking or skiing. Or perhaps during circuit training with weights where you are intentionally trying to move your arms and legs slowly but your heart rate is well into the aerobic zone. The Fitbit Force and Fuelband will not accurately record this type of activity while the Loop will show you every calorie burned and earned. If you were slacking during that work out it will show you that ugly truth as well.Yes there is no nutrition component yet, but if you have a smart phone there are a ton of Android and iOS apps that will do that for you. And yes the Loop does not have a GPS tracker like some higher end Polar or Garmin monitors costing hundreds more but again your smartphone can take care of that as well if you download apps like Endomondo. That particular app will stop when you rest to check a text or something or are a traffic light crossing and will automatically continue when you are moving again. Afterwards you can see how fast your ran or biked and as well as the route you used on Google Maps. So for the casual but committed athlete there's no sense is buying a second GPS unit for your biking and running when it's already in your pocket with the power of a dual or quad core processor. Which means its really just the swimmers that need a waterproof GPS device. For the non-swimmers perhaps Polar could integrate your phone's GPS into the Polar Flow app as well. There's a great deal of improvement ahead no need to wait for it to be all perfect and ideal before jumping onboard with a great device.Apple have apparently filed a patent to start incorporating heart rate into future iPhones. I doubt the data will be as good as Polar's whove been at this for 30+ years. And Apple's first attempt will not be their best, just looke at the Apple Maps debacle. And half the phone market belongs to Android which means an Apple activity tracking device will be of no use to 50% of us. (Hint Polar/Google collaboration). Point is Polar is a proven global brand in heart rate tracking and Fibit and Nike have some trouble ahead if their devices are to compete with Apple without using heart rate tracking. They could all be obsolete within 2 years.Polar Loop gets my vote for fitness tracker of 2013.
Love my Loop
January 2, 2014
Purchased this to replace a Fitbit Flex.Beats the Flex handsdown!! Why.....- A better clasp and band. My Flex came loose one too many times and ended up lost for the last time.- Gives real time data at the tap of a button. Flex can't.- Also gives the time. Flex doesn't. If I am going to wear a band on my wrist, it only seems natural that I be able to look at the wrist for the time.Several friends who have seen the Loop on my wrist ask what that cool thing is. When I tell them and show them what it does several have purchsed it and are just as happy with it.My only complaint that the Loop software was not set up to display miles based upon the steps and your stride. I would think that Polar could do this with a download to the software that could do this during the sync.
70%
Fantistic
September 17, 2017
This is a great way to track your steps. It's not complicated and doesn't have so many buttons that you can't find what you're tracking. I wouldn't say a hard core runner or exerciser would like this as it's simple. I love it, I'm an oxygen user that needs to move during the day and this is wonderful. Thanks Garmin
A waterproof watch as well as fitness tracker
August 5, 2017
This is my second. A new battery leaked and destroyed the first. (The old battery lasted 23 months.) This is a great product -- an actual waterproof watch!
fab and fun!
May 20, 2017
This is fabulous tracker with great design! Love my garmin vivofit 2! I've used other trackers but my Garmin is by far my favorite. I bought it because it was waterproof and small. I get lots of compliments on the bands too!
Five Stars
March 13, 2017
Love this!!
Five Stars
January 21, 2016
This was a gift for my wife and she loves it!
I have enjoyed this but hard to sleep in at night
November 3, 2015
I have enjoyed this but hard to sleep in at night. I sleep on my arm. I chose over other options because it's waterproof.

Four Star Reviews:

21%
Purchased December 26, 2016 But Returned. Here's Why:
January 11, 2017
Loved this activity tracker for its merits but not the seller, unfortunately. When I received my Polar Loop, I could see that the package had been previously opened. Everything was intact but not everything was in its original state. Parts were loose and caught between pieces of packaging, outside of the plastic bag where they should've been. It would have been easy to assume that these loose parts had not been included (several of the pins and the tool for affixing them to the buckle and band) but I did find them, eventually. Unfortunately, when I synced the Polar Loop, I received a battery LOW message in Polar Flow despite it simultaneously charging to 100% capacity via USB. A light bulb went on and I realized that this was not brand new, and had most likely been sitting around as overstock somewhere after being returned, with all parts hastily and carelessly, thrown back into the packaging/box by a previous buyer. I have now returned this activity tracker for a full refund. Four stars for the tracker, marked down from five due to the seller. :/ I bought another Polar Loop directly from Polar's website to insure that what I am getting is a brand new Polar Loop with a fresh battery. Correction: Polar is no longer selling the Polar Loop, in lieu of the Polar 2. Good luck with whatever you, the potential buyer, decide. Just remember that a good price is not necessarily a good buy. :-)
I like it, but....
February 8, 2015
I purchased the polar loop because I wanted a device that wasn't quite as expensive as the FitBit, but still served the purpose of counting steps, ect. Overall, I really do love my polar loop - it counts my calories, activity and steps and displays the information in real time on the screen. It's a really great tool for motivation, as you can "see" your progress throughout the day and it actually tells you what activities you need to do to reach your goal - ex: jog 5 minutes, walk 10 minutes. While I like my device, the app (I have an Android) needs A LOT of work and is actually quite frustrating because it refuses to work properly. Secondly, you have to actually cut your loop with scissors to fit the size of your wrist. The process was time consuming a slightly confusing. Lastly, I purchased the black bracelet that has LED letters on the scrolling screen. It's okay, but to me, it's sort of masculine. Instead, I wish I would have purchased the dark purple color (it is very dark and can pass as black) with the light LED coloring. In all, the polar loop is a great way to track your activity throughout the day, but the technology is lacking.
Nice band, app issues fixed finally
January 19, 2015
As a wrist-worn tracker, it's fun, comfortable, and looks pretty good . However, the Android app from Polar is famously and effectively broken, as the band will not sync with the app after about 10am every day. So in that regard, it's a flawed product and I would look at other brands, at least until this app problem is resolved. If that's not important to you, then it might be worth looking at.I dislike having to physically cut the band to make it fit my wrist. Once it's cut, you can't go back and make it larger. So the band fits my wrist only, and my wife or son can't really wear it unless I cut it down more.Battery life is fine, I go about 3 or 4 days on a charge. Recharging is extremely quick, less than an hour to 100%.***UPDATE***The app sync issue seems to have been fixed.
so I feel like I can accurately write a decent review
October 15, 2014
I've had this for about 3 weeks now, so I feel like I can accurately write a decent review.First of all, this is the first tracker I've seen that's more than a glorified pedometer. As someone who lifts weights for fitness and doesn't do cardio, those other trackers that focus more on steps than anything else are useless. The fact that this comes with a HRM helps a ton! Squatting doesn't take "steps", but maxing out on squats gets your heart rate up pretty high. For that reason I invested in this guy.The design is decent - it's no larger or smaller than the average band. It's slightly bigger than the FitBit and doesn't have the option to change out the design. Be careful with sizing it - it's one of those things where you cut the band to make it fit. Once you cut there's no turning back!It's also ACTUALLY waterproof. I've swam with it, I've showered with it, etc. with absolutely NO issue to the design or integrity of the device. That's really helpful for swimmers or people who forget to take it off when they shower (me).A design con, however, is how responsive the touch screen is. The "button" you press isn't so much a button as it's a very sensitive touch screen. I've had trouble shifting around in moving theaters and setting off the bright screen and making people around me look. In the future having an ACTUAL button might be useful to prevent these issues.It pairs seamlessly with the HRM, which I love. Make sure when you put the monitor on you press the button through to make sure it's joined to the device. I've exercised once or twice and apparently the HRM didn't sync with it :( Oh well!Overall I'm very happy with this product, and it's an amazing step forward for these types of devices.I hope in the future they offer what others fitness devices offer - a chance to synch it to your MyFitnessPal/LoseIt/etc. so you can track ins and outs. That's not currently an option.
Great product with a major Achilles heal - UPDATE Dec 2014
August 24, 2014
Great product, easy to use and easy to wear. The toughest part of the set-up is sizing the band. I made it a little bigger than the measurement and then trimmed it down one link at a time until it fit right. A little time consuming but worth the effort. The software works on Android without issue and the bluetooth sync is easy enough.There is a major Achilles heal on this product, which is why I can't give it 5 stars. The charging cable is proprietary and if you lose it, you're done. I've read other reviews mentioning this but thought I'd take a chance since there's no way I would ever lose the cable, right? RIGHT...it fell out of my briefcase somewhere and I had no idea until I got the message that the battery was low. (side note - the battery stays charged for about 3 days on average rather than 5) I thought it would be easy enough to just go to the Polar website and purchase a new one. It's not that easy - they're out of stock and no one else carries them. I've been out to the site several times after purchasing my Loop thinking I'd buy a second cable to plug in at the office - once less cord I'd have to carry around - but they were always out of stock. I never thought much about it...until now.Now, I'm stuck with a product that I can't use and have no idea when I'll ever be able to use it again.UPDATE December 2014 -After a wait to get the charging cable and an email into customer service at Polar, Polar did let me know as soon as new cords were available. Shipping was far faster than expected and my Loop is right back in service.I'm adding one more star since Polar customer service is pretty darned good and exceeded my expectations.Overall, I'd recommend this band over others. Since purchasing my Loop, my wife purchased a VivoFit and my son purchased a FitBit. When comparing the 3, we all agree I got the better deal. It doesn't monitor heart rate but the new products that Polar has released do and Polar seems to be the best out there at heart rate monitors. Maybe I'll upgrade in the future but for now, I'm happy with this product.Recommendation - buy a second charging cable before you think you'll need it!
estimates activity levels and sleep quality, syncs well with heart rate monitor, few complains
August 21, 2014
Wish I could give 4.5, it's really quite good, it does what it's intended to do and is waterproof unlike many similar products. Keep in mind the intent of an activity monitor like this is meant to give you an estimate of general activity level and calories burned (not a highly accurate measurement) and make it possible to compare the relative amounts of activity and sleep duration and quality across some time period.The only reasons I don't give 5 stars are:1) won't sync with iphone app after around 7pm CST until early morning hours. Repeated attempts to sync sometimes work after restarting the phone etc, but it's annoying. Bluetooth icon on the phone flashes but the app never shows new data. You could still sync to a PC but it would be nice if after getting in bed each night it would sync so data could be viewed at the end of the day without hassle. This is probably really just a software issue in the app, perhaps it will be fixed one day.2) No android app yet, come on!3) No API so no My Fitness Pal integration or working with the data except using Polar's app and website tools.4) Band could be more comfortable. It's not that it's truly uncomfortable, but that I tend to still notice that I'm wearing it especially at night even after several weeks of nearly continuous use. I have metal banded watches that are less noticeable on the wrist, I think maybe it's because the sides of the band are fairly square and also it doesn't twist/flex as easily as a multi-linked metal watch band. I've even considered figuring out how to fit a different band to it, but it would require destructive modifications that would ruin the existing band if they didn't work out.5) Display difficult to read in full sun. This is a trade off since it seems the LEDs may likely draw more current than the entire rest of the device so brighter display would mean worst battery life. I feel they designers overall struck a good compromise between brightness and battery usage but for those who care about such things, keep in mind it will be nearly impossible to read in direct sun unless you shade it with your hand which is awkward and goofy to do while running. Perhaps a higher-end future model could use an OLED or e-ink display. I'd pay more for it.More positives:1) battery life is good, you can get a solid 3 days if you don't use the heartrate monitor strap with it2) was a good value compared to a basic polar watch that syncs with the H6 but lacks activity monitor featuresUpdate - I forgot to mention the button/sensor, the only means you have of interacting with the device other than over the PC. I find the touch-sensitive sensor works just fine and it responds 19 times out of 20 on the first press. In the event it doesn't register the touch of your finger, the solution is to release and touch again gently, almost like a tap seems to work best. Pushing harder won't help since it's a sensor not a button with a switch.
10%
Four Stars
February 16, 2016
My wife loves it. The button could be easier.
Could be better
November 28, 2015
I had the Vivofit, but wanted the backlight feature and the water resistance of the the Vivofit 2. I have yet to figure out how to get the back light to work. I have not had any problems with having it in water so that is good. Seems the ant sticks never work past the first windows update that happens, which is really frustrating. So I am rather disappointed in this unit.
I like this tracker so far
November 17, 2015
I like this tracker so far. The bands are a cute accessory to your outfit no matter what you wear. :) It feels secure on my wrist because of the way the clasp is designed, much like a watch and then you lock it in place. If you don't wear a watch often, it feels a little annoying on you for the first day or so. Tracks steps pretty accurately except while in the car (additional steps are counted when you drive which is the only downside I have with it so far). Syncing to your app is easy and quick.

Three Star Reviews:

14%
but I do like that it keeps track of how much (it thinks) ...
April 29, 2017
I was looking for a fitness tracker that I could wear while swimming. This one was inexpensive and waterproof, so it's the one I chose. I don't know that it's particularly accurate, but I do like that it keeps track of how much (it thinks) I sleep and ho much activity I've had. The wristband is annoying, though; it is not adjustable, so you have to be very careful to measure & cut it properly. It also occasionally shines in the middle of the night, which I don't like. I did find that I started to get a rash from wearing it all the time, but I finally realized that I can open the latch & push it a bit further up my arm when I sleep, so it will still keep track of my sleep but it won't rub on my skin.Unlike the name-brand Fitbit, it only synchs through the computer; you can look at your current progress while you're wearing it, but to get any details, you need to plug it in. But, for a low-end fitness tracker, it is quite sufficient.
I did research and this seemed like it would meet my needs for my fitness routine ...
February 20, 2016
This was the first fitness tracker I purchased myself. I did research and this seemed like it would meet my needs for my fitness routine and goals. I enjoyed the "calories burned" feature, which I thought to be pretty accurate. It is lightweight and the design looked classier and more tasteful than other trackers I've seen. When you first get the loop, you trim it to the size of your wrist with a scissors and then assemble it, which I think is a pretty decent way to get the best custom fit. I downloaded the polar loop app on my iPhone and it is very cool. It has a lot of graphic content and has a fun interface - one of my favorite things about using the loop. It can sync daily info to your device via bluetooth. The updates do not work this way, though. I have received a message on my phone before telling me that I have to "connect your Polar Loop to your computer for updates and syncing". That was inconvenient because I was away from home and was unable to do that.I had some issues with this product that have made it really annoying to use. The battery life seems short to me, and the memory seems to fill up fast. It takes a little bit longer than I would like to sync it to my computer than I would like, which caused a barrier for me to have the memory freed up and the device available for continued use and tracking. There seemed to be too many updates that needed to happen each time I connected the Loop to my computer.My current Polar Loop 2 has been doing strange things lately, like showing me erratic heart rate rhythms that are around the 200's when I'm at resting heart rate. Sometimes I take the chest strap off and the loop continues say that "HR is 198", which doesn't make sense because there is nothing conducting heart rate signals to the device. So I ended up trying to reset it and it didn't work,and now it won't turn on unless it is plugged in. Very lame. I do like the design of the device, and it did work well for a while, but I expected to get use out of it for much longer.
Great at what it does - but Very Limited
March 24, 2015
PRO’s : very stylish and comfortable to wear | clasp is strong and has never come undone | device is 100% waterproof and can be worn in shower and swimming which is great | display in band is east to activate and read and I have had no issue with the button as some have | display shows the basic info I want to see which is calories burned, activity level, and steps | It holds a charge for 4-5 days and charges in 30 minutes | The device sync’s effortlessly with the web, my android phone and the H7 chest worn heart rate monitor, and the android software is very clean | Initial setup of the device was very easy. | The Loop is designed to be worn 24/7 and tracks calorie burn well from non-vigorous activity and excels when the optional heart rate monitor is worn during vigorous activity. | Customer support from Polar is hit or miss | it does show sleep status on the phone applicationCON : Unlike other devices, the Polar Loop does not let you set your own goals, it determines your activity level based on questions you answer and the activity level displayed on the device is set for you | The Polar loop ships with a one size fits all band that you must cut for your specific wrist size. This is a bit unnerving because a mistake will ruin the device | If you want to sell it later , it has to be to someone with a wrist the same or smaller than yours. | The Polar logo on the bottom of the clasp started to wear off within weeks of use and scratches easily | Heart rate monitor not build in though the H7 works great | does not receive messages from the phone like many other devices | difficult to tell how many calories you burn in a specific workout.MY FITNESS PAL (MFP) : My biggest complaint is the integration or lack there of with the my fitness pal on the android platform as IOS is supported. Before I purchased this device, I called Polar and they said MFP integration on Android and IOS would be in late February to early March in 2015. In February of 2015 the integration between MFP and Polar was enabled for IOS users and as of May 1, 2015, Polar continues to promise Android integration but fails to deliver and cannot tell me when, My other gripe on this is that Fitbit and Bodybugg IOS / Android apps pull data from MFP into their applications. With Polar, IOS users launch MFP and calories burned are pulled from polar into MFP.Conclusion : One can get similar functionality in devices that sell for much less or an integrated heart rate monitor and MFP integration for a bit less. This device is for a very niche market of users. If polar was to integrate MFP data into their Polar software this would be a huge win and when they do get MFP integration going that will also be a great win. If you don’t care about MFP, are a swimmer – this is great.
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
January 15, 2015
Unfortunately, I can't review this with 5 stars. I have yet to find an activity tracker that will truly do all I want and sadly, the Polar Loop is yet another that leaves me wanting on multiple levels. After using the Loop for a week, here's the good, the bad, and the ugly.The Good:Will *not* fall off (huge issue with many other devices I've tried)Super reliable Heart Rate Monitoring when paired with chest strap sensorClear easy to read monitor display - even without glasses!Very accurate pedometer featureSleek designTracks during aquatics activity including the Polar Heart Rate Sensors (chest strap) - This is mission critical for me!!!!Loop doesn't wake you up - I have a *very* erratic schedule. Loop doesn't drive me batty trying to wake me up when I went to bed 3 hours ago.The Bad:I'm not going to ding the Loop for features it doesn't claim to have. Not fair. Go read what it's capable of if you want the information.Once you get the FABULOUS custom fit on your wristband, you can't return/resell it. Kind of a bummer *but* to me it's worth it for the custom fit.Showers activate the display which is kind of fun to watch the "alien purple" light but freaked out my toddler because the aliens were landing in the bathroom.No "sleep" function to turn off the display so the aliens also invade my bedroom...System does *not* adapt to your ability level at ALL. Don't expect a fitness tracker that will meet you where you are. Expect a tracker that will report on where you are - that's it.The inside of the clasp is about 1" x 3" of metal. If you have metal allergies, this *could* be an issue although so far so good for me. This made me VERY nervous straight out of the box but I'm guessing it's nickel free because I haven't had a problem yet after 1 week of continuous wear.The Ugly:Synching is a royal pain. The system is constantly having issues and having to completely remove the product every 24-48 hours to sync and charge is not conducive to modern schedules. People using apps report similar issues although I sync to my computer because my phone doesn't have the app available.Apparently according to Polar, I don't sleep. Well, I sleep about 3 hours a night. I have a toddler who hops in with me and picking him up and adjusting him constantly means the Loop thinks I'm a very lazy insomniac.Apps and software leave a LOT to be desired. Praying for upgrades that actually fix some of the issues soon.OVERALL:It's a good tracker and does some of what I need. Seriously considering pairing this with a Fitbit Flex and only using the Polar Loop as a more comfortable option for a heart rate monitor. The bulky watches often left much to be desired.As a full time fitness tracker, there are many better ones on the market *if* you don't need heart rate monitoring. If you do, get this or a Polar watch and make it work. You cannot beat Polar when it comes to the heart rate monitoring devices.I'm going to keep it - not that I have a choice after having to cut the band. In the future I would *love* to see some of the Bad and 100% of the Ugly fixed. Polar has a *great* product here....but they definitely need some R&D to get it to its full potential.
This is for athletes
June 6, 2014
I have a FitBit One, but I wanted to try an activity tracker that is wrist-based so I don't have to keep accounting for it. I wanted a wear it and forget it device. I reviewed all of them in depth (wirecutter.com has great reviews) and came to the conclusion this is the one for me although not perfect. You can read all the reasons why it is good or bad, but the bottom line is this is for athletes. If you are doing intense exercise (not just cardio - I do CrossFit style workouts) this is worth your time. It is the best on the market for this category. The website gives very detailed HR and exercise-based information. Key is obviously having a heart rate monitor. I already had the Polar H7 bluetooth so it was an easy decision for me. If you are not doing intense specific exercise (more than just walking), you can probably use any activity tracker and be happy. If you are into more than physical activity tracking, this is the best option now.Few notes:- It is very comfortable and easy to size.- Battery life is 2-4 days (not good but not horrible)- Web site has very good info, very useful if you are geeked out on exercise specifics- Backlight is hard to read in direct sunlight. You have to cup you hand over it to shade it and even then it is hard to read. Annoying.- Syncing with Android is OK. It isn't a quick as FitBit, but it works.- Sleep tracking is generally accurate, no more than 20-30 min from reality using a regular clock.- Showing the time is good because it allowed me to replace my watch.- Definitely shower proof (haven't taken into a pool but I haven't taken it off to shower yet and it's fine)- Clasp stays on fine, even during the most intense exercise (weights, pull-ups, running, etc.)- Bluetooth connection is far superior to other options for HR monitors. You can use the Polar bluetooth HR monitor with your phone or other devices more than ANT+ (like Garmin uses).What would make it better?- Backlight- Better battery life (one week minimum)- Chronograph (sometimes I like to time things and taking off the watch lost this for me)Only other one I would consider right now (June 2014) would be Garmin Vivofit. I already had the Polar HR monitor so I chose this. I expect this category to explode with devices with these improvements in the next year.UPDATED 5 October 2014:Since this review the device became problematic. Mostly, it because almost completely unresponsive to the touch. The button died or something after a few months, but there would be times I would spend minutes trying to get the screen to change. The other annoying thing was the daily steps tracking compared very differently to my FitBit pedometer. I was getting thousands more per day with the wrist-mounted pedometer vs the FitBit. While neither is probably accurate the Fitbit has proven much closer to actual steps counts when I tested it myself by actually counting a few hundred steps. I had days when the Polar Loop said 15000 and the Fitbit said 9000. It makes sense to me the hand-mounted one would vary, but it became too much. Finally, I got sick of wearing something other than a watch on my wrist. There are a few new products out right now that finally give sleep tracking, step tracking, and are a usable watch with a chronograph. The Loop did well for a first-ish gen product, but it is no longer something I wear. The frequent recharging also became VERY annoying.I just got a Magellan Echo Fit and am looking at the Polar M400 also maybe. Both fit the bill advertised above. Watch that is an activity tracker, less than 200 dollars. I am trying to combine devices. The Echo Fit has a regular watch battery that lasts 6-9 months, so it is a little limited as compared to others but it is very much a regular watch. Not perfect yet, but inexpensive and makes my life easier (less devices, no more things to recharge). I am comparing the watch's pedometer to the FitBit to see how it varies also. Hope it's not unreasonably different.
The Loop device itself rocks. The data availability is horrible - I mean REALLY bad.
March 29, 2014
I wanted to love the Polar Loop more than any other fitness band I've tried so far. I really tried to love it. However, the software and data availability of this device has crippled an otherwise fantastic fitness band. The Loop in itself is a great design. It fits comfortably, is discreet, shower/hand-washing proof, and is generally well designed. The screen (LED dot matrix) on it is fantastic. It isn't a crisp, high resolution readout, but when not looking at data on the Loop, the fitness band looks like a bracelet. The design of a "hidden" interface type is very cool - it has gotten me many compliments when going through information on the Loop.** You can look at the bottom for a list of pros and cons **Important things to note as far as design of the band itself:1) YOU HAVE TO CUT THIS THING TO SIZE. The Loop goes on the wrist like a nice watch - you cut the ends of the wrist band and reinstall the clasp. Polar includes the tools necessary to do this (except scissors). If you want to try the Loop but aren't sure if you want to keep it, you can cut a paperclip and bend it almost like a bobby-pin (a very tall "U" shape). Just make sure the paperclip is short enough not to poke through the other side. Then, using the holes on the SIDES of the wrist band, you can hold them together by inserting the paper-clip in each end...or use rubber bands, etc. The necessity of this depends on the return policy.2) The button is capacitive. FURTHERMORE, there must be skin contact with the back of the loop (specifically, with the charging port) in order for the button to work. This likely explains any "button" issues reported by other users. The capacitive button may activate and scroll through menus while in the shower, but this wasn't a big deal for me.The major, MAJOR downfall of this device is the software and Polar website. I have an Android, and as of this time there is no Android app. I'm ignoring this fact for the sake of the review, as I tried the app on my girlfriend's iPhone. Data is primarily reported using a dial design (basically, it's an analog 24 hour clock). As you move throughout the day, different colors appear around the clock for different activity levels. This feature is pretty cool, however it is the ONLY way to view your data. There is NO graph or other breakdown of your data. You cannot see your step count at certain points of the day. You cannot see calories burned at certain points of the day. You cannot see movement during sleep (aside from a very, very rough estimate by looking at the dial graph).The website's front page is a map of Europe with a list of people who are running. There are four tabs at the top (this view counts as one). The 2nd tab, "Feed", is another list of people running. The 3rd tab actually shows you data, and the 4th tab is only relevant if you have the heart-rate monitor. Thus, by buying the Loop without a HRM, you are automatically limited to 1/4 of the website. The "Diary" page is a calendar of the month with how far to goal you were each day. Clicking on a specific day brings you to an exhaustive, hour-by-hour planner type view which essentially shows you nothing. Scrolling all the way down to the bottom shows total calories, steps, sleep, etc. Note it shows TOTALS, and not actual graphed data. Next to it is the familiar Dial from the app, as well as a breakdown (breakdown meaning how much total time was spent) of activity throughout the day (time sitting, resting, strolling, running sort of thing).That's about it for the website. Without the heart rate monitor, you really, REALLY can't see much. If all you care about is the end result (total steps, etc.), this may suffice. If you are training for an Iron Man and have the heart-rate monitor, this could probably serve decently well to track your workouts (if you have a ton of them). I feel the site is better suited for VERY active people who need to track large amounts of workouts.Pros: - Great design, comfortable fit - Dot-matrix readout is very slick and earns many compliments - When not looking at data on the watch, there's no display so the Loop is very discreet - Mostly accurate step count (within 10% of other trackers) - Relatively accurate calorie count (I have a very, very exhaustive study on this) - Automatically detects when you are sleeping. This feature is amazing! NO "enabling sleep mode" for this watch - Shower friendly (the display may go through menus, but it's not a big deal) - Very nice charger (it magnetically "snaps" into place on the back of the band) - Dial readout of data is pretty cool, as is the tracking of time spent at different activity levels - Shows the time, so it can double as a "normal" watch - Compatible with a heart-rate monitor. This is huge for workouts. This is one of very few fitness bands that have this ability.Cons - The website. Seriously, almost all of it. It's 50% social, 25% useless without the heart rate monitor, and has virtually no way to see your data in any detail aside from a total amount. Look at screenshots on Google images to see what I mean. - Battery life. I've had to recharge mine every 3 days or so, although I've admittedly been scrolling through the menus a lot since it just looks so cool. - The app does not show any more data than the website does. Syncing was fairly painless. While there is currently no Android app, I'm not listing that as a separate con since it is due out soon. - No silent alarm. This is a vibration feature on the FitBit which can wake you at a certain time. This is more a "missing feature I wish it had" than a con of the existing device. - The website again.
7%
I'm very pleased with the tracker
July 22, 2017
I'm very pleased with the tracker, I do wish I had gotten a larger band, because these have a lock on them that I love. (But I have a large wrist).
What is shown is not what I got...
April 24, 2016
The item shown is not what I received. I got a metal gold fancy gold bracelet and a black basic band. The gold is not something I will ever wear so very disappointed. Vivofit itself works great.

Two Star Reviews:

11%
Not as Advertised
December 19, 2015
I purchased this tracker when it was close to $100, now it's almost half the price. Having used this tracker, I understand why it is a lot cheaper now. I had nothing but issue with this tracker. The most frustrating issue was customer service. I would hold for more than 30 minutes every time I called and I would receive conflicting information from each rep I spoke with. For example, the package my tracker came in says a full charge will allow up to (I get the "up to") 6 days of activity. Out of the box, mine provided 1.5 days. I had to charge daily. One CS rep said a full charge will provide 1 - 3 days ... though my box and advertising says differently. She also said because I'm swimming, it depletes the loop of a full charge ... I DON'T and CAN'T swim, never suggested that I did. After a month of charging daily, the tracker would "die" because daily charging didn't provide at least a days worth of tracking activity. Finally, CS advised me to return it. They had it for almost a month so I bought the FitBit Surge to track my activity (which I very much prefer).A month later I received my Polar Loop ... I had to reregister and enter info all over again. When I again encountered problems, CS informed me that I was sent a brand new tracker that they placed on the same band. When your battery dies, you are to purchase another tracker, there's no battery replacement.My Polar Loop is in my closet. I am using and enjoying my FitBit Surge.
Not worth the money
February 28, 2015
I wouldn't buy this again. It would be fine if I didn't care about tracking my work outs. I also got the bluetooth HRM. The issues is it doesn't track well with the Polar loop. So I use the Polar Beat app. WHY can those two apps not share information? It's absurd that two products from the same place cannot make it easier.I can wear my Polar HRM, and burn 1,000 calories in the gym, then check my loop and it says I need more activity and it's not the settings. It's a flaw. That should tell you how well the loop tracks your activity.I recommend the HRM, you can use other apps with it to update your Fitness pal. Polar for whatever reason makes it hard to share. The website cannot even link up the two different "polar app's"
Updated Review: Definitely needs work (reasons listed)
December 26, 2014
The loop itself isn't super sexy. I wish it had a little nicer look and in my opinion, it's a little bulky for a female. But it gets the job done. The loop has consistently been tracking my activity, sleep, workouts* (*with the HRM on), etc. My only complaint is it is very slow to sync with the Polar Flow app. Sometimes there will be hours or even most of a day where it hasn't synced and it won't until I connect it to the computer. It's frustrating when you want to easily see where you're at for the day at a glance. I contacted Polar Support and they suggested uninstalling and reinstalling the app (which I did, didn't change anything) and re-setting my phone (which I haven't done because I don't want to reset my phone). This tracker seems like its about a year or two away from working out all the bugs - and once it gets there, it'll be a real kickass product. All that said, for the price... it gets the job done.***UPDATE***Now I've been using the loop for several months and have learned its pitfalls - I would consider getting another device. Here are the issues:1. The app sucks.Polar knows the app sucks and keeps saying they are going to release a fix but haven't. It doesn't sync like it's supposed to with my iPhone 6. When I contacted their support, uninstall and reinstall the app (which I did with no success) - then their next suggestion was to hard reset my phone. Upon researching the app, I found complaint after complaint with no solutions from Polar (though I did get them to give me a vague "we're going to release an update to fix the syncing problem soon" - which has not happened in the six months I've been using it). To me, the instant feedback is the most attractive feature of the 24 hour band, so not having that is a pretty huge bummer.2. Tracking is not consistent.I've tested the band a number of times on outings to see how it compares to the apple health app and to other previous sessions and have found it to be very inconsistent. Though the technology they use does the best it can - you're not going to see super consistent tracking when it comes to steps taken, etc. It monitors your arm swing, so if you are carrying something, holding a baby or have your arm up on your purse, you likely won't get credit.3. Sometimes, it decides not to record my heart rate...I've used the loop to successfully track heart rate sessions in the past, but the last couple sessions have been a struggle. I've been working with a personal trainer (and I work hard so I like to see my progress in numbers). I put on my H6 band, made sure it was reading my heart rate, started my workout and disconnected the bluetooth receiver after the workout only to find the device stopped tracking my heart rate and didn't record any of my calorie burn or heart rate data. The app shows that a heart rate session started and ended but its only showing 31% of daily goal reached. Very, very disappointing because I don't have any other way to track those calories.4. If you have a desk job, the bulk is somewhat uncomfortableFor something that you have to wear 24 hours a day, this band has a pretty high profile. As an office worker, I get annoyed with my band sometimes because there's no good way to adjust it so it's not uncomfortable while I work on the computer.I haven't tried any of the other bands, but now that I've had this one for a while - my official review is a combination of argh and meh.
Extremely Disappointing
September 28, 2014
I was very disappointed with the Polar Loop. (Before the Loop I had the recalled Fitbit Force, so I will occasionally compare the two for the sake of clarity.)1. I like that the clasp is secure (my Fitbit would fall off my wrist and several times I was blessed to find it again), but don't like that you have to permanently cut the watch band to make it fit. I can't upgrade and then pass the Loop on to my husband because his wrist is bigger than mine.2. I bought it because it would pair with the Polar H7 heart rate monitor, but the monitor won't pair with one's phone and the Loop at the same time; this means that if you are running with an app that uses the heart monitor you cannot check your heart rate on your Loop - which is the whole reason I bought it. The software that comes with it has an app you can use that syncs the information to your Loop, but it only syncs AFTER the workout so that doesn't help. Also, neither the loop nor the software includes the option for a heart rate zone alert ("above target heart rate"/"below target heart rate"). I even paid to upgrade the software because it had "guided runs", but it was a waste of money (upgrade Digifit instead).3. The software is terrible. Between a not-very-useful interface and syncing problems (it usually won't sync until I plug it in to my computer), it is practically useless. I checked my Fitbit app on a regular basis, but I finally just gave up on the Loop app.4. It only calculates steps, not miles. I know some people are really motivated by steps - I'm motivated by miles. It simply isn't available, on the watch or on the app.5. The sleep mode is useless. The loop "senses" when one sleeps instead of having a button one pushes to start and stop sleep mode. That's useless for someone like me who usually gets up once in the nights because it cuts out of sleep mode the first time you get up. It constantly records that I got less than 5 hours of sleep. Again the software leaves a great deal to be desired - no "3 times restless, 2 times awake", getting a close up look your sleep pattern, just "4 hr 29 min" of sleep, and try to figure out quality for yourself.I am now looking for a new fitness tracker, which is very frustrating - and I can't even pass the loop to someone who would appreciate it because the Loop is permanently cut to fit my very small wrist.
I was so excited to get this item.... What a disappointment!
April 24, 2014
I loved (still do) the idea of an activity tracker that, when paired with a Heart Rate Monitor, can keep track of steps, calories burnt, heart rate during exercise (or whenever the HR monitor is worn), sleep and whether or not you're in "Fat Burn" or "Fit Zone" for your workout. Those are just the basics of what the Loop is supposed to do! It also is supposed to notify you if you've been inactive for an hour or more. Like I said, great idea, BAD execution on the part of Polar.I am sure my unit is faulty; but I've read other reviews with many of the same issues. I have had my Loop for three weeks, to the day. Very rarely could I get this thing to sync with my iPhone and/or iPad. What good is the inactivity alert if it comes 4 hours after the fact when I finally get the Loop to sync? The button is quite finicky; and you get no information at all, ever, without pressing that button!I thought the no syncing thing was the most frustrating thing about it... until I contacted customer service at Polar. I simply wanted my Loop replaced. I was told it might be replaced but most likely just repaired. They are not friendly and show no desire to make you feel good about doing business with them. Forget that. My Loop and the H7 Monitor are being returned to Amazon for a full refund. Did I mention the Loop took forever to Pair with the Monitor too? I will fully weigh out all other options before buying another Loop. I just hope there truly is a better product out there... because now I don't WANT to give Polar any more of my money!
Not the best I've had
January 17, 2014
Here is what Polar does well: Monitoring your calorie burn while you are working out using a heart rate monitor. If you get the heart rate monitor, you will get that with this device, but you can also get that by just buying one of their fitness watches with a heart rate monitor, as well, and use that watch during your dedicated training sessions. They have arguably the best algorithm for accurate calorie burn during exercise out there. You get that in this device.The goal of these "wear 24/7" devices is about monitoring the other things you do, like general activity at work (sitting too long at a desk job is really, really bad for you) and sleep (to help you understand restless sleep, waking up, etc.). Polar doesn't do these things well with this device.Here is why I say that.A key to being successful as a 24/7 wearable is tied to the ability to capture and surface the information the device is tracking in a way that is meaningful.* In capturing dataFrom spot-testing the "steps" menu, I've walked a very short distance (20 yards) and the device registered over 100 steps. Simply not the case when I also counted them. It wasn't a little off, it was a lot off. So, I don't feel like they capture the "non-workout" information in an accurate way, yet. It just isn't there thing. They didn't grow up in this world like the other wearables.The sleep tracking is pretty meaningless. It just tracks your sleep as "low activity" time. It doesn't tell you important information like how long it took you to fall asleep, how often you woke up, restless sleep time, etc. like the other wearables do. It doesn't even know when you go to sleep, at least as far as I can tell (their website and supporting manuals aren't good on instructions). They just don't have their technology together here. When I wake up in the morning and push the button on the Polar Loop, it flashes a message that says, "Sweet Dreams". I'm waking up, not going to sleep. The technology just isn't there. The other wearables allow you to push and hold a button when you go to sleep and wake up. That's how they know you are asleep. This device has a button. I don't get it.Displaying the informationI'm an Android user, so there are no apps for me. I'm a slave to the Polar Flow website. In a word, it is bad. The data doesn't synch correctly. It doesn't surface any meaningful data beside the data (like heart rate, calorie burn, etc.) that is tracked when I'm working out and using the heart rate monitor (again, just like their fitness watches). Because I'm tied to the computer, if I want the real-time feel, I have to buy another synch/charge cord to keep at work (I keep the other one at home). Another $30 just to get realtime data. I've read there is an Android app on the way (not verified by Polar as far as I can tell), but with the sad state of their Website (where you'd assume the most robust features would be), I don't hold a lot of hope for the app being that stellar.Custom SupportI have to cover this, too. Polar's customer support is bad as of the writing of this review. It took them over a week to respond to an inquiry about where I could buy another charging cord for this device since that option was on their website's product list/store or Amazon.com. I wanted to pay them more money and they took a week to tell me how I could do it. Their answer was "just call us". That blows. I'm an Amazon Prime member I expect to be able to buy it and have it at my house in two day, max. As a company, they don't seem equipped to play in this game. The other wearable companies are light years ahead of them based on my current experience.I'm actually thinking of ditching this device after about 3 weeks of use. At the time of this writing, I would recommend the FitBit Flex as a better alternative. I've used FitBit in the past and they capture and surface data in a much more meaningful way and have better overall features. I am fully aware that if I do switch, I will loose the ability to have a heart rate monitor track me when I workout. But that tradeoff is worth it in my book to get all the other benefits outside the 1 hour per day I workout.The only hope I hold is that the Polar Loop team is kicking it 24/7 to upgrade the software on the loop to capture data better, allow me to interact with it better (push the button to note sleep), and really working on the Website and Android App so I can see meaningful data when I need it (now, not tonight when I synch it at home). We'll see.
3%
Initially I really like this, but I've had the vivofit2 for 6 ...
February 29, 2016
Initially I really like this, but I've had the vivofit2 for 6 weeks and the display screen has stopped working!

One Star Reviews:

16%
Poor customer service, band sizing ill-conceived
November 28, 2015
Unusable because I carelessly lost the piece of paper that you need to cut the strap to fit. I tried to get another sent to me after fruitlessly searching their product downloads section to print out. I paid for an extra Loop charger to get the measuring paper, pin pusher, and extra charger but didn't get the measuring paper. So, down another twenty-ish dollars and impossible to use. My wrist is 7 inches, but need proprietary tool they refuse to provide. Frustrated to anger with their refusal to help me woth a simple fix for my mistake.
Software issues render the loop useless
August 10, 2015
I picked up the H7 heart rate monitor at the recommendation of a trainer and had been using in conjunction with google fit to keep track of workouts and runs and thought the loop would do a better job than the GPS on my phone. I really like the heart rate monitor and wanted to like the loop. The software for it is just way to buggy. This morning I did an hour long workout, and a 25 minute walk. As you can see by the attached picture, it recorded my hour long work out just fine, but somehow decided my 25 minute walk was two events, one that lasted 14 minutes and the other that lasted 1 hour and 38 minutes. It does this constantly. The other day it told me I worked out for 11 hours. Of course this renders the device useless. I mean, I guess some of the data isn't nonsense, but figuring out which data is real and which isn't, is not my idea of a fun workout.
Do not Buy a waste of money for Andriod
July 31, 2015
The Loop start of great when I first got. It tracked the heart rate with the extra chest strap. Did what I want to track my daily active and gym workouts. At this point there was no android app for the phone, it was to come soon. The phone app did come out and it was great I no longer had to collect the Loop to the laptop to get the data to sync. This version required a manual sync to the phone but was better than nothing. They updated the app and now it would sync with the loop on it own and would now get warnings to get up and move. Battery life went form a week to two day at the max. Was a good trade off. But then all hell broke lose on 1Jn2015, they released a new version of the app with major issue. The data on the app would not always show the correct data or would stop showing updated date, at least the data was correct on the web app. Took them a good month to fix the app, then it was good again. data still did not always agree between the web and the pone app. Then the next app up date on 8Jul2015, broke the sync. The Loop and the phone app would not sync, about a week later it started to sync again on it own, but stooped after 24 hr. This pattern repeat off and on. Would only sync for 24 hr then stop for days. Call Polar and informed them of the issue, they would not admit that their could be a problem with the app. Past history show that their software release lacked quality control release. Then even sent me a new Loop and it did the same thing. To me it showed that the application was having issue again. After 2 major bug release in their software in less than a year, I decide to get something different. After research I went with the Microsoft Band, to date 2 week later I am very happy. I had a Polar watch before that was good to see the heart rate and work with the gym equipment, is why I stayed with Polar, was not the right choose after all the issue with the app that made the Loop a bad product in the end.
READ FIRST - Loop is okay, but it only holds a charge for 2 days tops, then DIES on you
July 2, 2015
I bought the H7 chest strap separately and wanted this band to help me count calories when I work out. You dont need the band wtih the H7 chest strap but I wanted it to track my every day activity level. The first loop I ordered didnt hold a charge for a whole day. I contacted Amazon and they sent a replacement quickly. The replacement loop that was sent, held charge for 2 days TOPS. This sucks but I lived with it. I didnt necessarily have issue with the basic function of the band, but the software and data analytics that it syncs up to are not that good. The syncing to the phone was wonky and frequntly didnt work well, or took 10 minutes to pair. The real killer is the frequency which you have to charge it - especially since you are supposed to wear it 24-7. I had to charge as often as I plugged in my phone! I could only get 2 days of wear off one charge if I never touched it (lighting up the display wears down the battery). So I stopped wearing it for about a month because I didnt have time for charging every two seconds, and it was inconvenient when travelling. I pulled it out of the drawer yesterday to charge it up and wear it today, and it would not take the charge at all and basically died. It just keeps showing the charging icon even when it was unplugged, and then it went blank and is unresponsive. I wore this device about 15 times total and it is now dead. I tried to return it as it was defective, and AMAZON is saying I am about a month and a half past my "window" to return. I understand a 30 day window for regular returns if you dont like the color or just want something different size or something. I do not understand why I cannot RETURN A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT. I am EXTREMELY unhappy. I would appreciate it if this seller would contact me on this. I would NOT recommend this product at this point.
It's a pedometer that Polar admits is not designed to count steps!
September 13, 2014
It's a pedometer that Polar admits is not designed to count steps!The good - it's nice looking.The bad - it doesn't work.I noticed that the step count seemed off. I started paying attention and realized that sometimes it didn't count any steps and sometimes it only counted some (I did some 200-step tests to check it). I also tried it against a Fitbit and a Jawbone, both of which recorded within 1% of each other over the day. The Polar, on the other hand, was between 30-60%. Not only is it inaccurate, but it's inconsistent.I emailed tech support, and they said, "The Loop does not update steps in real time, please allow the unit up to three minutes to update your count."So I took the unit off for 10 minutes, put it on, did 200 steps, and took it back off for ten minutes. The verdict? I walked 67 steps.I contacted tech support again and told them that I had followed their protocol. Their response? "The Loop is designed as an activity monitor to help motivate people to rethink their day. It is not meant to be used as a detailed training device. We recommend reviewing the Loop's data as a measure of your day's overall activity, not to analyze each step taken."WHAT?How is something thaat kicks out a random number at all useful in this way? And how can you advertise that it "Displays daily activity, calories burned, steps taken, time of day" if you admit that it can't actually count steps with any accuracy?Save your money and get a Jawbone or Fitbit.
I'm glad I wasn't one of the first to own this
August 12, 2014
Incredible idea, not ready for prime time... It literally will not integrate with any other partner service. Will be returning it and going back to another fitbit flex... I really was excited about being able to track workouts, steps and sleep patterns in one device. Unfortunately if you are used to using mfp or another 3rd party service to track your steps, this just won't cut it... Yes the h7 integration is neat, but I already have a polar watch to do that. In order for this product to actually be ready for prime time, you need to allow integration of a users steps with another service. They state they are trying, but that's just not gonna cut it. Do it, stop saying your going to do it... It's been several months, I'm glad I wasn't one of the first to own this, I would have been waiting a long time... thankfully I'm within the return period. For anyone hoping to use full integration in one device with other services, this is not it.
10%
One Star
July 26, 2017
Didn't work, screen have damaged.
Dont waste your money
May 9, 2016
Worst purchase ever. Doesn't show my steps in the connect app, isn't accurate at all with my pedometer steps. I have 2 pedometer apps on my phone, both are pretty close to one another in counting my steps, this thing is way off. I'm so disappointed in this thing, it's so agravating to think I wasted my money on this thing.
I DID Love it...
March 12, 2016
Purchased the GarminVivafit2 on Feb 21, 2016...today is May 21,2016. I changed the battery once a few weeks ago,as the display went dark. The batteries looked a little corroded, so we made sure the cover was on tight and the Gasket was not disturbed as instructed. There are more instructions on how to chg the batteries then any other functions. So today the display want dark again!! Being curious, I opened it up. Sure enough it was wet inside!! I DO swim everyday, this IS the main reason I purchased this unit, it is "waterproof to 50 meters". Needless to say, I swim in a pool with the deepest being 6ft--a long ways from 50 meters!!I am so disappointed with this, I'm not sure what I will do!! The one year warranty does not cover water damage!! So why say it is waterproof!! Please be aware before you buy the GarminVivafit2!! The picture is what the inside looks like today!!
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Pricing info
Old Price
Old Price
Price
Price
$50.79updated: Mar 10, 2020
from 8 sellers
$69.99updated: Mar 19, 2020
Features
Answered Questions
Answered Questions
-
Article Number
Article Number
0698895000252
0753759139964
Binding
Binding
Sports
Electronics
Brand
Brand
Polar
Garmin
Color
Color
Black
-
Currency
Currency
USD
USD
Department
Department
unisex-adult
-
Formatted Price
Formatted Price
$99.95
$139.99
Height
Height
20.1 in
16.1 in
IsEligibleForTradeIn
IsEligibleForTradeIn
-
1
Legal Disclaimer
Legal Disclaimer
Brand New in box
-
Length
Length
309.8 in
270.9 in
Manufacturer
Manufacturer
Polar Electro, Inc.
Garmin
Model
Model
90052534
010-01503-40
MPN
MPN
90047656
010-01503-40
Name
Name
English
-
Number of Items
Number of Items
1
-
Number of Parts
Number of Parts
90047656
010-01503-40
Operating System
Operating System
Apple_iOS
-
Product Group
Product Group
Sports
GPS or Navigation System
Product Type
Product Type
WATCH
GPS_OR_NAVIGATION_SYSTEM
Publisher
Publisher
Polar Electro, Inc.
Garmin
Quantity
Quantity
1
1
Release Date
Release Date
2013-11-10
-
Reviews
Reviews
Score
Score
7.2
10
Studio
Studio
Polar Electro, Inc.
Garmin
Weight
Weight
0.5 oz
0.2 oz
Width
Width
23.2 in
32.3 in
Feature
Feature

Worn on your wrist, tracks your activity 24/7 and provides guidance and motivation to reach your activity goals

Shows daily activity, calories burned, steps taken, time of day and activity feedback on 85 LED display; Plus monitors sleep patterns

Automatically syncs to free Polar Flow app and training community via Bluetooth Smart. For best results use updated Flow app version 1.0.1. Refer the user manual for product help and support.

Custom fit bracelet is waterproof for swimming and has rechargeable battery; Battery life 5 days in continuous use

Provides accurate heart rate with Polar H6 or H7 Bluetooth Smart heart rate sensor accessory (not included, sold separately)

Features 1+ year battery life

Reminds you to stay active with move bar and audible alert

Shows steps, calories, distance and time of day on backlit display

Jonathan Adler design pack features: Stepped Chevron - Black and Nixon I - Cyan design bands

Includes: vvofit 2 with 2 small bands, USB ANT StickTM, documentation

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