Editorial Review
Ideal for general fitness, running, and other cardio workouts, the Polar F5 heart rate monitor watch combines all the necessary heart rate features with a sleek, high-quality design. Heart rate watches are essential training tools for many runners, as they help you perform a mix of endurance workouts, tempo runs, and AT intervals by leading you through the routines and giving you valuable feedback on how to turn your weaknesses into strengths. Fitness runners will likely benefit most by running in a particular zone each day. For weight management, running in the 60- to 70-percent zone helps you burn fat and build endurance. Or you can increase your overall fitness by doing tempo runs in the 70- to 80-percent zone. Best of all, heart rate monitors aren't just for competitive runners, as casual joggers will also find them invaluable.
The F5 is packed with innovative training features to help you toward your exercise goals, including Zone Pointer and OwnCal modes. The Zone Pointer is an audible and visual feature on the display of your F5 that shows you where your current heart rate sits within your target heart rate zone. Polar OwnCal, meanwhile, shows your energy expenditure during one exercise session, as well as your accumulated kilocalories during several exercise sessions. You can also set daily and weekly exercise goals in terms of calorie expenditure, helping you achieve both short-term and long-term goals.
Other features include a Fitness Bullet feature that shows a bullet on the monitor's display for every 10 minutes spent exercising/training in your target heart zone; a Time in Target Zone mode that calculates the amount of total exercise time spent in your personal target zone; water-resistance to 30 meters; visual and audible alarms in the target zone; a stopwatch; a Heart Touch mode that automatically scrolls through different information while in the exercise mode; an automatic age-based target zone that instinctively determines your target zone based on your age; and a Self Walk Test that measures your fitness on a brisk 1.24-mile walk. The F5 is backed by a two-year warranty.
Note: Polar heart rate monitors are precision instruments; consumers are not advised to change their own battery. Polar recommends that all service be done by an authorized Polar Service Center, which will include a 90-day warranty for repairs and six-month warranty for batteries.
About Polar
The first EKG accurate wireless heart rate monitor was invented by Polar back in 1977 as a training tool for the Finnish National Cross Country Ski Team. The concept of "intensity training" by heart rate swept the athletic world in the '80s. By the 1990s, individuals were looking to heart rate monitors not only for performance training needs, but also for achieving everyday fitness goals. Today, the same concept of heart rate training is being used by world-class athletes as well as everyday people trying to lose weight. Polar is the leading brand among consumers, coaches, and personal trainers worldwide, and the company is committed to not only producing the best products, but also being the leading educator on the benefits of heart-rate-based exercise.
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Customer Reviews
not made for a man 
2008-07-11
Wrist band is the size of an young adult or woman. This is not made for a man although the product review does not tell you that.
Not bad at all 
2008-07-09
I'll start off by saying I'm kind of a picky person, recently in the movie "Hulk" I saw that the main character uses a Polar F5 to monitor his rate with a snazzy alarm so off I go to get the same. As far as the heart rate monitor it is accurate enough and updates actively (per beat). The quality of the watch I would say is about the same as a 20 dollar pharmacy watch, not as good as a cheap namebrand watch but not as bad as a 10 dollar corner store kids watch. The big letdown is that this watch isn't all you need, you have to wear a chest strap on your bare skin to use the Heart Rate Monitor freature and it isn't comfortable since it has to be tight to get a good reading. The movie was misleading because of how they show you only need the watch but I believe from looking at the website that the $120+ models all seem to be completely wireless and gadget free though I could be wrong. All in all I can't really complain though I don't recomend you get this for "all day" wear, this is definately an item for wearing at the gym only since it feels very delicate (cheap/flimsy) and I'm sure daily wear would break it quick.
Great heart rate monitor 
2008-07-05
Can't say enough about it. All the functions work great and I am able to tell exactly how many calories I am burning.
Very nice cadio watch. 2008-07-02
Very light and easy to wear. This is my first running watch, so i can't bring more information, but it's nice to wear and motivate to running thanks to the sounds emited by.
simple and effective 
2008-06-28
This watch is perfect for my needs. It tell all the basic vital information. I usually bike alone or without other heart rate monitors around so I don't get interference. This model is now discontinued.
