Are you looking for a fully functional, feature packed, affordable activity tracker? If so, the Polar Loop might be the solution. The Polar Loop is one of the most feature packed and versatile activity and sleep trackers available on the market. As with any activity tracker or exercise aid, it is important to have a clear understanding of what you want to get out of the equipment. Do you need an activity monitor for walking and running or do you need one that is going to be able to handle a variety of activities?
Features and Advantages of the Polar Loop
The Polar Loop features are varied and it is one of the most feature rich activity monitors available on the market. Unlike other models, the Polar Loop features a custom fit bracelet. You do not have to worry about trying to find a bracelet that is going to fit your wrist or having to make do with the one offered. This bracelet will fit exactly as it is supposed to, preventing losses from loose bands.
It shows the standard daily activities such as steps taken, calories burned, and amount of active time. These features are standard. It also offers the time of day, thereby doubling as a watch. This makes it the perfect wristband for someone who wants to be able to track their daily progress without having to have multiple bands on their wrist.
Something new that appears with the Polar Loop is the activity feedback function. This function provides feedback on your activities, which can include swimming and cycling. It also provides you with motivational goals, which print out using the 85 LED lights that make up the display. The device synchronizes via Bluetooth to a free app. This app also includes access to a training community.
The Polar Loop is not waterproof but can be worn in the shower or while swimming. It also comes with a rechargeable battery. The charge is good for five days. It recharges via a USB connection. The device can sense the various intensity levels, such as between running and walking. It can also sense four different levels of activity, making it versatile for individuals who may vary their activities or their pace.
To increase motivation there is an additional feature the Polar Loop offers. This tracking device can send inactivity alerts to your phone in order to help keep you motivated and moving. It also offers motivational goals such as increasing the amount of time you walk in a day. This can be a great way to fill in those inactive periods, especially for beginners.
As with most activity trackers on the market today, the Polar Loop also provides a sleep tracker to help keep track of your restful and fitful times. This can provide a wealth of benefit to users who want to get better sleep or find out why they are not getting the quality of rest they truly need.
Most units need clearing daily. All the data is synched to the app and removed from the device. The Polar Loop can store up to 12 days of data in the device itself. This can be helpful, for example, if you lose your phone. Heart rate monitors are available with this model, though sold separately. This is a unique feature for the Polar Loop as many activity monitors do not come with heart monitors.
Disadvantages of the Polar Loop
It is hard to believe that something with such a wide variety of features would have disadvantages but they do exist. Some of the disadvantages can also be advantages –depending on the user. For example, the Polar loop is a rechargeable model that gives the user five days of activity and sleep monitoring before it needs recharging. This can be either an advantage or a disadvantage.
- For disciplined individuals, having a tracker that needs to be taken off and placed on a charger is not a big deal. Most active people have rest days. However, if you are a beginner, or someone who is not as disciplined as many highly active people seem to be, taking the tracker off generally means days of inactivity until you remember to put it on again
- The results may be inaccurate. This statement is true of most activity monitors. They tend to be too sensitive or not sensitive enough. If the device is not sensitive enough, you end up with fewer steps than you took in actuality; the same is true for the reverse. It is important when you first put the machine on, to make sure that you test it. Make sure the device reads your regular steps and arm movements at various intensity levels
- Compatibility issues. While the device does state it is compatible with IOS and Android operating systems. The version is important. You will need to have the right version of this software installed on your device. It does work with other versions; however, it requires manual synchronization
- There is no vibration alarm available with this model. For individuals who like this feature, this is a disadvantage for this model.
The Polar Loop offers numerous benefits, including one of the biggest benefits when it comes to activity trackers: namely a heart monitor device. This device does need to be purchased separately but the availability is something that you do not find with other devices.
The model seems to have the same advantages and disadvantages as other models, aside from additional storage space. Price wise the Polar loop is less expensive than other models. It sits on the lower end of what seems to be midrange for these devices. It is not the cheapest device on the market but definitely not the most expensive, either. The features and lack of serious disadvantages make it well worth the money invested.