POLAR RS300X Review

January 20 2010

The POLAR RS300X is ideal for runners who are actively training. Aside from being a heart rate monitor, the device can also keep track of speed, distance, and time spent in the activity with the help of a compatible S1 foot pad™. The product comes in black or orange color.

The monitor can create a personal training zone which can help the user train at the intensity ideal for him/her – this feature is the basis for the product being called a “training computer”. This heart rate monitor can keep track of 16 training sessions. The monitor displays heart rate in bpm. It also shows the calories burned per training session.

Product Specifications:

• Automatic age-based target zone (bpm/%)
• Average and maximum heart rate of each lap
• Average and maximum heart rate of training
• Heart rate (bpm/%)
• HR-based target zones with visual and audible alarm
• HRmax (age-based)
• HRmax (Polar Fitness test-based)
• Manual target zone (bpm/%)
• Polar Fitness Test
• Distance – training, lap, and total
• Speed-based target zones with visual and audible alarm
• Speed/Pace – current, average and maximum
• Training files (with summaries) – 16
• Weekly history
• Automatic lap recording
• Display zoom
• Graphical target zone indicator
• HeartTouch – button-free operation of wrist unit
• Interval trainer guided workouts (heart rate/pace/distance)
• Time and distance based interval timers
• Date and weekday indicator
• StopWatch
• Time of day (12/24h) with alarm and snooze

Pros of the Polar 300X

The Pros of buying a Polar 300X are that the unit is relatively easy to use and program obviously the first time with the manual. The device as with most of the Polar products is very accurate when used correctly. This model can measure your aerobic rate fitness at rest, it can configure two lines of display, can store up to 16 trainng sessions, has automatic lap recordings, Zonelock and Zone pointer. The unit will meet most of your requirements and some more.

Cons of the Polar 300X

The WearLink strap feels a little chunky and cumbersome and the edges of the elastic can be a little sharp during exercise. The GPS pod took an age to sync and acquire a signal. For the technology some say that the retail price may be a little expensive and a little light on functionality for the sports athlete in comparison to other models

Customer Reviews

Great, easy to use

Reviewed by Brian Mac, 2010-01-15

I have had this for about one month and it is great. It is the first time I have owned a watch like this and it is excellent.

Pros - I would suspect it provides as detailed info as possible as it asked for age, height, weight, and sex. Watch is not ugly so I can wear it at work. It is pretty easy to use. While you have to/should take it to a Polar Dealer or mail it to Polar to change the battery in the watch (not uncommon for these things), I love the fact that you can put the watch in sleep mode to conserve battery power.

Cons - easy to use but not so easy you could pop it out of the box and strap it on. But one read of the manual should be enough. The funtion keys and menu are okay but could be easier.

The one thig I with it could be is give me a read-out of calories burned while I am actually working out. For example, if I want to burn 400 calories in a workout I can't check while I am working out. I would need to stop my session and then read it. Minor issues though, I would buy this again in a second.

Great watch for exercise

Reviewed by David Chang, 2009-10-05

This is a great watch for exercise, now I know my heart rate when I go jogging or during spinning bike sessions. I've been using it for some time and it's pretty good. It's also compatible with Footpot and GPS, just in case I want to use those features in the future. At the moment, everything works as expected.

Exactly what I wanted

Reviewed by Christopher L. Huffman, 2009-09-25

Does exactly what I was looking for. Records heart rate, time, laps, etc. Has the option to expand to pace or gps, but isn't as expensive as some of the other higher end models. I've been able to figure out the screens and the setup without issue.

Good bang for the buck

Reviewed by D. Keith, 2009-09-22

A good watch, almost identical to the 200 series. If you don't need the latest in download capabilities, and you are not an Ironman, this is probably all you will ever need.

The Polar 300X Heart Rate Monitor for the average fitness person will provide all the information plus some required to measure and track your workouts. It doesn't have all the technology of the later models but isn't priced like these either. It is a middle of the range product that is priced about right. You can find the latest prices for the Polar 300X at the Newsfitness Fitness Shop.

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