Polar Loop Review + giveaway time!

Hi friends! Hope you’re enjoying the long weekend <3 We’re driving back to Tucson after a fun and crazy weekend of house hunting and Disneyland. I’ll be back with my normal(ish) posting in the morning! 

In the meantime, how ’bout a giveaway??

Loop 1 of 1

(Bella, wishing the loop came in her size, even though 19 hours of the day are spent lounging in between sprinting)

[The remainder of this post is sponsored by Polar through a compensated campaign with Fitfluential. As always, all opinions are my own. I’m always happy to share the word about new fitness products, especially when they include a fun giveaway opportunity. Click through for the details and your chance to enter!]

Quite a while ago, I was contacted about reviewing a Polar Loop. I was really stoked because it was something I’d been wanting to try, and even more exciting because it included a giveaway opportunity. In the meantime, I had already ordered another fitness tracker that was on the way. For the purposes of this post, I’m not able to do a side by side comparison, but hopefully my feedback will help you make the best decision for your lifestyle. There are pros and cons to the various types out there; it’s really about determining the best model for your needs.

I didn’t really become intrigued with fitness trackers until I started teaching at the resort. A TON of guests would walk into class with their respective gadgets, and as a techie curious person (not capable, just curious haha) I was definitely interested in the various types. When I stopped teaching at the resort, I was looking for ways to gauge my activity since I spent a lot more time seated throughout the day. I quickly noticed that it can be extremely challenging to get in the daily recommended 10,000 steps, especially when you don’t live in a walking-friendly city. (This is even when you’re chasing around a very active toddler!) Fitness trackers are a nice reminder to add some bursts of activity throughout the day, and can also provide some insightful data about habits and patterns.

One thing that excited me the most about the Polar Loop is that it’s compatible with Polar heart rate straps. I’d been a heart rate monitor fans for many years -especially while I was pregnant- and I knew I’d love the ability to sync the tracker during my workouts. My other fitness tracker counted “steps” via arm movements, so even when I was working out (especially with yoga, spinning and strength training) I knew my previous tracker was inaccurate. I’d be waving my arm around on the spin bike to get in my steps for the day 😉 The Loop seems to be more accurate, especially for workouts.

The first thing that alarmed me about the Loop was the size.

Loop 1 of 1 2

 

Thankfully, the Pilot was able to snip and reattach it. After that, it fit like a charm. I plugged it into my computer to charge and downloaded the app on my computer and phone.

Some things I noticed after a week or so of wearing:

Cons:

-No alarm! If this had an alarm of some type, it would be my perfect fitness tracker.

-The size. Even after fitting the band to my wrist, it’s still pretty thick. The simple band isn’t too much of an eyesore, but I’d love a daintier band.

-Basic sleep data. I wish it provided more info on my sleep patterns throughout the night. It gives me the duration but that’s pretty much it.

Pros:

-Longer battery life. I was pleasantly surprised with how long the Loop lasted without needing to be charged.

-Display. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about it, but I LOVE being able to see steps, calories, time and activity right there on the wristband. For this reason, I didn’t drain the battery by synching it to my phone throughout the day.

Loop steps

-Heart rate monitor! I feel like this tracker is one of the most accurate versions if you’re going to be wearing it for everyday + workouts. It tells you your workout duration, time in the fat burning zone and fitness zone, and is extremely easy to use. It’s like the best of both worlds for heart rate monitors and fitness trackers. Also, because it’s a Polar brand, many cardio machines will sync and display your heart rate on the screen. Since it had been a while (since I was preg!) from the last time I’d used a HRM, I found that I was totally slacking on some of my workouts and could up the intensity. (cough, watching Downton Abbey on the spin bike, cough)

Polar data

All in all, I’m really happy with the Loop. I’ll be wearing it from now on, especially on the days I work out. 

Want to win one? 

Here’s how to enter:

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

You have until Tuesday night (midnight EST) to enter! I’ll announce the lucky winner Wednesday, 2/19 in the am post.

xoxo

Gina

This post was sponsored by Polar Loop through a compensated campaign with Fitfluential. As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting this blog and the companies that help support our family <3

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934 Comments

  1. Melissa on February 19, 2014 at 5:53 pm

    A few laps around the office when I’ve been sitting too long is my quick fix to get a few extra steps in throughout the day.

  2. JaNiece on February 19, 2014 at 6:44 pm

    OOoOOh, I want to win one. It looks like it would bring a bit of excitement and fun to my workouts. Pick me!

  3. Kady on February 19, 2014 at 7:07 pm

    I’ve been really wanting a fitness tracker! I’ve been trying to get in more steps by taking a walk at lunchtime (if I have time!) and longer routes for errands.

  4. Diana on February 19, 2014 at 7:16 pm

    Oh wow, this gadget looks so cool! Awesome giveaway!

  5. Diana on February 19, 2014 at 7:17 pm

    One way I fit some extra exercise into my day is that I walk almost everywhere! If I can skip the bus, I walk home from work most days.

  6. Emily S on February 19, 2014 at 7:27 pm

    I do some of my school reading on the treadmill if I have been sitting most of the day!

  7. Lindsey A on February 19, 2014 at 7:34 pm

    I’ve been known to do walking lunges around the office after a little too much time sitting at my desk 🙂

  8. Hilary on February 19, 2014 at 7:53 pm

    I like doing 15-20 minutes of yoga at night after the kiddos are in bed.

  9. Alecia p. on February 19, 2014 at 7:56 pm

    I’ve been wanting a fitness tracker to keep up with my progress .

  10. Emily on February 19, 2014 at 8:13 pm

    My office is on the 7th floor and I always take the stairs and walk to work when it’s nice out.

  11. katie on February 19, 2014 at 8:16 pm

    I always take the stairs at work and get up as often as possible. In the warmer seasons, I like to get out and walk at lunch time – even if I can only fit in 10 minutes it clears my head and helps with the concentration for the rest of the day.

  12. Koko @ Koko Likes on February 19, 2014 at 8:22 pm

    always take the stairs!!

  13. jennyv on February 19, 2014 at 8:29 pm

    I’d love to try the loop!

  14. Louise on February 19, 2014 at 9:04 pm

    I’d love to try the Polar loop. I’m a suckers for any gadget that help me workout.

    • Louise on February 19, 2014 at 9:08 pm

      As to how I fit extra exercise in to my day – a two year old who asks for me to ‘hold it and by it he means his big self. He then groans ‘heavy’ which cracks me up.

  15. Ashley on February 19, 2014 at 9:33 pm

    i’ve been contemplating getting a tracker to track my effort in spin classes and trail runs, and to see how much i actually run around all day at work (it feels like a lot)!

  16. Britt on February 19, 2014 at 9:34 pm

    I walk the stairs during all of my breaks!

  17. Veronica on February 19, 2014 at 9:58 pm

    I always try to take the stairs! Since I am a graduate school student, some of my week days are full of classes. To balance all the sitting, my friends and I take laps around the building during breaks to increase our daily step count!

  18. Andrea on February 19, 2014 at 10:04 pm

    Walking during lunch has definitely helped add steps to my day!

  19. Bianca on February 19, 2014 at 10:12 pm

    i park far away and always take the stairs!

  20. Sarah b on February 19, 2014 at 10:31 pm

    I come in early every morning to work to make sure the coffee is flowing. I get a little exercise in, too. I walk down the hall to put on the coffee, walk back down to my office and do some work, then walk down and get a cup and bring it back to my office to sip. It has to give me some calories in the bank for creamer, right??? 😉

  21. Lindsay on February 19, 2014 at 10:52 pm

    I’ve been wanting to get this tracker! I try to get up and move around pretty often and it would be nice to see how often I really do it.

  22. Pam on February 19, 2014 at 11:32 pm

    I play with my dog and also park not too close to the entrance of stores.

  23. Melissa on February 19, 2014 at 11:33 pm

    I thought I commented before but don’t see it. Walking my new pup gets me those extra steps for sure!

  24. Jennie on February 24, 2014 at 8:31 am

    Barre fitness class and some elliptical time for cardio!

  25. Marv on February 27, 2014 at 3:54 pm

    I have been literally standing all day, but the Loop (via Polar Flow), is telling me I’ve been sitting for 6 hours. It appears the Loop does not know how to measure standing versus sitting.

    • Fitnessista on February 27, 2014 at 4:16 pm

      have you been moving and standing or standing still? that’s strange. it always knows when i’m standing vs. sitting, but when i’m standing, i’m moving around

  26. Marv on February 27, 2014 at 7:36 pm

    I was standing at my office desk all day. I sat for about 15 minutes the entire day.

  27. Amy V on July 15, 2014 at 10:44 am

    So would you say it was good for tracking yoga? I’m having an especially hard time finding a fitness tracker for that!

    • Fitnessista on July 15, 2014 at 10:45 am

      if you wear the heart rate chest strap, yes!

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