Polar Loop Activity Tracker Review

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Smart Activity Wristband with Optional Heart Rate Monitoring.

Once in a while you come across activity trackers with the little extra. Polar Loop Activity Tracker looks like just as other fitness wristbands but has a few rare features which I find very interesting.

It’s difficult to choose between all the training gadgets on the marked these days, but if you are in doubt I can tell you this one is a really good choice and one of my favorites. Read on and I’ll tell you why.

The fitness tracker is made of silicon rubber material with chrome details. It looks very good and is delivered as one-size-fits all. Unless you have a very large wrist it’s necessary to adjust the size to fit you perfectly and it involves cutting in the band itself. With the package follows a measuring band for reading of your wrist thickness and a tool to help you do this job.

The front has a cool LED display with letters made from 85 red dots and a sensor button. It is light weight and comfortable to wear with a very secure stainless steel buckle that keeps the band to fall off.

The Loop now comes in 3 colors – black, blue and purple.

Polar Loop Activity Tracker in 3 colors

Manufacturer

The Polar Loop is made by Polar which is a Finnish company that usually is known for their heart rate monitors and GPS training watches. This is their only wristband device which was launched in October 2013.

It lacks built-in possibility to measure heart rate but works with Polar H7 and H6 Bluetooth heart rate sensor chest straps which is bought separately. It’s recommended to have one of these heart rate monitor as well to make the most out of running training sessions.

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How It Works

The internal gyroscope tracks your activity 24 hours a day and to keep you motivated so you reach the goals you have set. When turned on you can read of calories burned, steps taken, the time and how much you need to walk or jog to reach the goals for today. The feature that understands if you are running or walking without telling it is something many similar products don’t have.

During the night the device will automatically register that you are sleeping due to inactivity.

You switch between the output modes by pressing the sensor button. There are reports that this button sometimes is a bit tricky and some users use a slide move with the finger on the button to interact.

Apart from that it is very easy to use and that claim is supported by the many positive user reviews on Amazon.

The gadget is synced to your tablet or smartphone with Bluetooth Low Energy, or Bluetooth Smart which is the marketing name. For connection to PC you can use the USB cable.

Polar Loop Video

Software and Apps

Polar Flow and Flow sync

The app Polar Flow and they Polar web site gives you a lot of feedback on your activities. The app fits both Apple and Android devices.

The calories burnt estimation is based on input as age, height, gender and weight. Together with the knowledge on how many steps you have walked during the day it can calculate how many calories you have burned.

You also set your daily, weekly and monthly goals here even if that is losing weight, maintain weight or gain weight. The App will show you a percentage value on how far you have gotten that day and comes up with suggestions on how to reach your goals.

Your daily activities are indicated as colored areas over the time of the day and it works very well. The grey areas are when you are sitting still, the light blue is when you stand up, medium blue is walking and darker blue is jogging or running.

The device is waterproof down to 20 meters so it’s perfect for bathing, swimming, running in the rain and showering. Heart beat monitoring will not work when swimming.

The app gives you a reminder when you have been sitting too long and encourage you to move.

Click here to read more about the benefits with activity trackers.

Accuracy

Both the calories burned calculations and heart rate monitoring (if you have the Polar H6 or H7 heart rate sensor) is said to be very accurate. The device gives you in general very fast feedback on the Polar Flow app.

H7 Heart Rate Sensor (optional)

Battery

The included battery will last for 5 days with continuous use. It is rechargeable and is fully charged in about 1 hour. The band has a contact on it inside you place the USB charging cable and it is held in place by magnets.

Specifications

One size fits all (adjustable)
3 colors – Smokey Black, Blackcurrant and Misty Blue
Weight 38 g
Waterproof 20 m
Displays daily activity, calories burned and steps
Clock function

What’s In The Box?

Polar Loop activity tracker
Buckle tools and extra spring bar
Measuring band for wrist
USB cable
Getting started guide

The Verdict

The ability to distinguish walking from running, the great daily overview in the app and the design is why I think this is one of the best activity trackers. And the price is not that bad either.

This activity tracker fits everyone from ordinary persons that sit a lot at work for instance to people that exercise a lot. Recommended with Polar H7 Bluetooth Smart Heart Rate Sensor.

Pros +	Cons –
Great design Cool LCD display Easy to use Can pair with HRM sensor Great App and software Both Apple and Android Clock	No distance No vibration or alarm No stair step support Difficult sensor button sometimes Not very impressive sleep tracking

Where Can I Buy Polar Loop?

Purchase this gadget on Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk. Remember to check out the updated second version, 2.

If you are in or close to USA click the top link to check recent price and additional info. If you are in or close to United Kingdom, click the bottom link.