Review by T. Moss:

Initially I was very pleased with the set up, a simple to use display and a very sensitive chest-strap that works with the gym machines for the very effective feedback heart rate training. However, as the other reviewer (no relation) mentioned, after a couple of weeks training, the readings were erratic, displaying an unlikely athletic 55bpm when I was a human pool of sweat, or displaying a hyperventilating kitten’s heartbeat upon walking up the stairs to the gym. Changing batteries has done nothing. So personally I would recommend you do not buy this product. It is cheap but it is not good value.

Review by Mesmer77:

Very good in the short term (about 2 weeks), but sometimes the signal just breaks between the watch and the chest strap (which monitors heart rate) and the reading is completely wrong. It now doesnt work at all. A shame really, I really had high expectations. I wouldnt buy another unit thanks to this.

Review by mssmith1:

This is my first heart rate monitor and I’ve been very impressed with it. Pretty easy to set up and get going. Once you’ve put basic personal information in (age, height, weight) you are pretty much up and running. Display is very flexible and shows heart rate either in BPM or as a % of max. It can calculate training zones for you with its “own zone” functionality or you can choose to define your own upper and lower limits. Either way, when you are training outside the zone the watch lets you know.

Alongside all this goodness, it has the usual stopwatch with laptimes, back light etc. The strap seems fairly durable and the transmitter belt works well with equipment in gyms. When you’ve finished working out it tells you the workout duration, time in your heart rate zone, calories burnt and % of those that came from fat. I’ve been using mine with a book called Slow Burn by Stu Mittleman and have been very impressed by both.

Review by D. Ward:

Great bit of kit. Easy to use / set up and has all what is required for your monitoring needs. I like the new “soft” chestband.Display big and clear and easy to understand.

Review by Kirtland C. Peterson:

I was going to wait a while to review the Sigma PC15, but as I was just asked for a HRM recommendation from a friend, it makes sense to got ahead now.

PRICE.

A while back I bought two HRMs for my work as a clinical psychologist. Got a coupla small HRMs, wristwatch size with a wire running to a “cuff” over a finger. Each of them cost – more than the PC15. And all they did was monitor HR with an option to set an alarm. Seems to me the price for the Sigma PC15 is more than reasonable.

EASE OF USE.

I am NOT fond of digital watches with buttons. iPods OK. Cell phones, just fine. Complicated computer programs, no problem. But not digital watches with buttons. Add translated-from-the-German instructions written by techies for techies and you’d think a bad appraisal was forthcoming. But no. Non-digital-watch-techies can use the PC15. I still think some of the access is “random,” but I can usually get to where I want to be.

RUN / CYCLE.

I’ve used the Sigma PC on both of my bikes and on one long run. No difference in signal strength or accessibility with wrist (running) vs. mounting (cycling). Another reviewer commented on the ease of viewing the data and I would concur.

SWIMMING.

The warning that users should not push the buttons when swimming has warned me off using this in the water. Although I’m training for a triathlon in 2008, I really don’t need this.

SIGNAL STRENGTH.

Another reviewer noticed that SIGNAL LOST is common. My experience: it’s related to signal strength and interference. Attempts to see what my HR was while driving failed: too much interference in the car. Also, while going around the BWI Airport (cycle) loop I notice that the SIGNAL LOST message came up in predictable, high interference areas. So if you lose signal? Be patient, check to see what might be interfering, move past, etc. My signal always came back as predictably as it disappeared.

SUPER OCD?

I gather some folks like to download HRM information to their laptops. Although I am OCD enough to warm to this marvelous notion, I’m not willing to pay for it and am pleased with the functionality available with the PC15 at this price. Happy using pen and paper, later *laboriously* transferring data to my Excel spreadsheet.

CONCLUSION:

So far can only say the PC15 is a great piece of kit at a reasonable price. Very pleased indeed.

If Amazon allows double entries I’ll check back in a few months. If others could do the same that would be a real service.

Dr. Kirtland Peterson

Review by E. Foster:

My Sigma PC15 arrived today and I’ve got to say I’m very impressed with it:

At a glance it handles well, functions as a nice looking watch (no more relying on my phone for the time!), and has all the functions I could want. It tells you your training time, your average heart rate and your maximum heart rate. Not only that but it has your current heart rate on the screen at all times as well as telling you what “exercise zone” your training in (you can feed in your max heart rate and training zones). I was even more impressed when I realised it came with a clip for you to attach the watch to your bike with; now I’ve got the time and my heart rate when cycling!

The software is brilliant and the “training manager” is a really efficient tool once you’ve read through the instruction manual and got to grips with it.

A word of warning; it’ll probably come in German and the manual doesn’t tell you how to change language. Since I don’t speak the language I had to spend ages fumbling in the dark: instead go to settings, press enter and then select on of the options in there – I can’t remember what the German word for language is! (perhaps that was all obvious but it took me a while to work out).

If it’s fallen apart in a few weeks I’ll update this and downgrade it’s rating to a one star!

Review by M. Scott:

I;v ebeen using an F6 for several years now, initially for indoor rowing for endurance distance rowing. I found that it was essential in keeping me in a sensible training zone and keeping my stamina up for longer rows. In days where I forgot my HRM, i would become overtired and train too intensively. I now use it exclusively for cyclign and it is a useful reminder using a polar bike mount not to push too hard on hills. My likes are that you can see how you are doign fitness wise very visually and you havea usefu log of training and calorific burn (as well as heart zones). It gets 4 starts since (as with prevous review) my gripe is the that replacement of battery means not to open the unit yourself (as I did with my first one and killed it completely ) but send it off to repair.

It seems crazy that Polar haven’t facilitated DIY replacement of the Panasonic battery, given that it should be an easy process

Review by ric03:

This is a perfectly designed HRM. I must admit, though, at first, I considered returning it as it seemed too simplistic. It doesn’t really seem to do all that much for the price when you look through the manual. After looking into alternatives though (and discovering that Garmin’s model doesn’t track calories unless you buy an extra footpod), I decided to give it a proper go (if nothing else, I’d have a decent backup model if I ever decided to go for a top of the range HRM).

So, onto the F6 itself. The unit itself, is, actually, very good. It is easy (and comprehensive) to set up (logging your height, weight, age, sex etc. — which gives you confidence that it is tracking your own personal fitness). You can then either train to automatic zones (defined by your age etc.), or can use Ownzone, which actually measures your heartrate through your a simple 5-stage/5-minute warmup (from walking to running, via given percentage rises in your HR each minute) and defines your own personal training zones. These zones are split into four intensities: Light (60-70% HR), Moderate (70-80% HR), Hard (80-90% HR), and a catch-all Basic (65-85% HR) for general aerobic work.

Once you choose your zone method, you can then choose one of these four zones, and your watch will alarm you if you go above or below (you can switch this off).

The other features (quickly) are just as well thought out and easy to use. A diary and file system, lets you review your workout data for the week. You can view zone and heart rate analysis, and also see what percentage of calories burnt was fat. Everything you’d need, really. You can then upload your data to the Polar website using a PC microphone and Polar Weblink, a small piece of software from the site.

One other thing that I didn’t initially like, was that it had a ‘chav’ style tribal design on the display. I’ve since discovered this can be changed on the Polar website, by putting the phone next to your speaker (it sends out a little morse code type signal, and your display graphic changes to what you want — bizarre but true)… I’ve now got Space Invaders on my watch screen, and it looks much better!

All in all, if you’re looking for a solid and reliable HRM, that does most of the things you’d need it to then this will do fine. It doesn’t do the specialist things that the more expensive HRM’s do (no laps, no distance tracking), but I think if you’re looking for that you wouldn’t be considering the F6 anyway. What it does do, it does very well, and makes everything so easy to use, it is a pleasure.

Review by Mr. Michael Goodman:

This monitor is very basic but that is an advantge. It is very easy to set the time and to start the monitor. I found that I needed to use ECG gel to have a continuous indication of my pulse. This is probably due to my damaged heart! In operation the pulse indication is clear when I’m running but it sometimes “freezes” on an obviously false reading e.g. when the true reading is about 145bpm it drops to 0 and then resumes at (say) 73 and stays at that for about a minute and then gives the true reading. Again this is probably due to my impaired heart.

I wear a monitor when I go running so as to take my pulse to a safe maximum and to walk when this maximum is reached and then to restart running when my pulse drops below the maximum. This simple monitor is OK for this activity.

Because of my heart condition I have bought many heart monitors from the very cheapest to the very expensive. The most expesive one was “all singing and dancing” but was very variable in performance. At best it is very good and reliable but tends to intermittently show a zero pulse. Then the strap snapped and I have not been able to buy a replacement.

The very best performance was from the cheapest monitor (a weekly special from Lidl) it had everything and worked well until it “froze” and although the instructions were in a dozen languages none of them were able to guide me as to how to correct the fault. As it was a weekly special I was not able to replace it but Lidl gave me a full refund.

As a simple monitor the Sigma PC3 is as good and as reliable as any I’ve tried and far better than some.

Review by Pete.:

A good quality “Entry-Level” Heart-rate Monitor Watch that gives basic functions. with easy to use “Single-Button operation” and simple “Clear display”,

“Normal-Time” / Basic “Heart-rate” / and “Stopwatch” to measure “Exercise-Time” elapsed.

Review by Jam Banjo:

Having been training regularly for little over a year I felt I needed something to kickstart my regime again, as I felt I’d plateau’d. I kept reading people’s suggestions online and in various magazines about heart rate monitors but never felt I’d need one as, though I want to get fit, it’s hardly a pressing priority in my life. I exercise as regularly as I can and that’s enough for me. But I’d noticed my time in the gym wasn’t proving as effective and I felt to some extent a little disheartened when spending a lot of time training and not reaping the benefits. So I needed a new decent sports watch and looking on Amazin found this Polar RS300X for slightly more than I wanted to pay, but given it’s heart rate monitor, a bargain price.

I’ve had this now for four weeks and can honestly say its totally reinvigorated my training. what’s more, due to the set-up I have I now train faster and harder in the time allotted. So my training has improved, I’m back on track and I’m actually spending less time doing weights, as I’m well aware that I need to try to keep my heart rate round my specific target. No time for slacking off, so it helps keep pushing me on.

The heart rate monitor is an essential tool in training, be it for professionals or amateurs. This one is the first I’ve owned and I love it, plus its a funky orange colour! Great watch, great training device with tons of functions. Excellent value. I can’t recommend it enough.

Review by Mr. W. M. Pollard:

Easy to use product good and would recomend if you are thinking of buying a heart fitness monitor

Review by Ms. Anne Watts:

This is a brilliant easy to use product. I’ve used it everyday since receiving it and and have found it a complete bargain! The watch is quite large but not unsightly as I have very small wrists and it doesn’t look silly. The chest strap is excellent as it is flat so you don’t see it under your clothing. Well worth every penny!

Review by Mr. D. Gillinson:

Having read reviews about this product on the amazon website I was quite excited and thought this watch would really help me improve my running performaces. However, I found most of the functions severly limiting and the absence of a simple stopwatch has left me frustrated. Also the functionality of the watch relies heavily upon the belt, which you must wear in order to monitor training performance. Unfortunately I found the belt unreliable, as it took ages to synchronise with the watch correctly. Good points include: the watch is light and easy to view when running and the belt is easy to hide under your clothing. Overall though this is not something that I see myself using very often.