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??
(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.
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.
-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)
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:
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
Post Navigation:
Winter Shape Up Week 4 Workout + Reebok Zquick Giveaway → ← Disneyland and House Hunters v2.0934 Comments
Leave a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I have never tracked my fitness activity but I would love to give it a try!
Oh, and I always walk everywhere I go (I cancelled my bus pass a few months ago and don’t have a car)!
I live in a big city and try to walk everywhere I can instead of taking the subway. Plus I take the stairs over escalators/elevators.
I’m lucky enough to live in an area where I can walk to numerous shops, restaurants, etc. So even on days I’m not buying or eating anywhere, I may take a little walk around the window shop and/or stop by the grocery and pick up a few things. It’s very different from where I had lived before, which was driving everywhere except to your mailbox 😉
Just adding up all the small things like walking to the store and carrying home the groceries, always taking the stairs everywhere and dancing around in the living room just because I can 😉
Woah woah woah #gamechanger I love POLAR products and I am glad they stepped there game up with design! Thanks for sharing <3
I’ve always wanted one of those bands to count my steps and HR! I walk around a lot in college, but it’d be interesting to see the exact numbers.
walk my son to school!
I also recently bought a Fitbit. I try to get in 15,000 steps a day- and that can be hard! One cardio days, its no problem. But it does make me look like a slacker when I do yoga or weight training.
To get those steps up there, I’ve started just always taking the long way– at work, taking the long way (and the stairs) when I need to run to another office. Sometimes I just walk a loop around the building before I go to my office. At home, I am always finding extra reasons to run errands- I’ll purposely forget something at the grocery store so I can walk back down the next day, and when I walk there, I walk all the way around the shopping center before I walk down the the grocery store. And doing these things, I can hit 15,000 most days 🙂 20,000 when I have the time to actually try.
I’d love to be able to track how much I walk everyday!
I have been wanting one of these so badly!!!!
I try and walk to school instead of taking public transportation! It gets hard in the winter and when it rains but I am definitely doing much better this year!
I do floor exercises while watching TV in the evening
i always take stairs and walk up escalators when possible
I try to stay active by walking to close spaces instead of taking the car. I’d love to try out the polar loop!
I try to take longer routes at work to get in more stairs.
I walk home from my workout rather than driving!
i would love an accurate heart rate monitor for my home spin workouts!!
I’d love to win a polar loop!
I love the various photos you have where Bella appears in the background staring wistfully at what ever is in your hand! I’d love to win this as I’ve never really used a heart rate monitor so would like to be able to learn about all the techy side of tracking my workouts!
Cool, I have been trying to decide which product to try out, this seems perfect.
I teach and avoid sitting whenever possible. I will often pace around the room even though it’s a tiny room (half the size of a typical class).
I pick up toys n stuff after my toddler. But it would be really useful to find out how many steps I take during the day!
I like that this one has a HRM – seems to combine the best of both worlds!
I have a desk job, but I try to get up and move as much as possible – I would love to see how much (or how little) I’m really moving during the day. Plus, I love that it has the HRM.
Love that this one has a longer battery life and hrm. Exciting giveaway!
I am often on my feet throughout the day, but if not, I make an effort to stand up every hour or so and do something like squats, a little yoga routine, some push ups etc., just a little something to get the blood flowing.
I teach preschool, so I am up and down, moving around, dancing, and playing all day! Plus, I have my own 9 and 6 year old who love our family walks in the evening. When there isn’t two feet of snow anyway…..
I have to park a mile away from my work but I walk from the lot to my office rather than taking the bus. (even in blizzard-like conditions!)
I’ve been really wanting to try a band like this, but have been waiting to understand which one would be best for me. The Polar Loop sounds awesome! If I don’t win it here, I’ll probably go buy one 🙂
I would live to win a polar loop!
I have been hearing all about the loop, I would love to win this! I have the worst sleep patterns and I love how it monitors sleep 🙂
I’ve been trying to decide which monitor to buy, thanks for the review!
I always take the stairs!
I’ve really wanted to try one of these for a while! It is hard to know which one fits your needs so thanks for the review!
It can be difficult to find the time to sneak in extra activity now with graduate school, but when I lived in the city I would try to walk rather than drive
After I go for a run I take my dog for a walk. I have all the gear on, and it’s a great way to cool down so that my muscles don’t get tight.
my mom has a great walking regime and this would a be a great motivational gift for her.
Thanks for reviewing this – after getting my Fitbit, I’ve been so frustrated about not getting any credit for yoga and non-running workouts. It seems crazy to me the Fitbit doesn’t have a HRM. It’s crazy how hard 10,000 steps can be though when working at a computer all day.
One of the ways I fit in extra activity is doing errands on my lunch break. It’s always nice to get up and walk around – and it’s a bonus that I’m being productive at the same time!
I skip the shuttle and walk the mile between my parking garage and the law school! I also take the stairs to all my classes! Every step counts 🙂
I always walk on my lunch break for 30 minutes and skip the shuttle and walk to/from parking lot!
Intrigued for sure. I got tired of wearing my HRM a year or so ago because it stopped recognizing my watch but since this is polar brand it is more enticing than all the other fitness trackers out there.
I have a front desk job so I can’t really wander away but if it’s not busy I try and squeeze in some lunges and wall sits behind the desk
Been trying to decide on which one to get. This would make the decision easy!
I have a fitbit and I really like it but it does annoy me when I am doing activities (like spinning) that aren’t counted. Would love to try the polar!
I always try to stand as much as possible at work and walk around every hour or so.
i usually go for a walk at lunch, unless it’s snowing/raining or below 20 out. good way to sneak in some activity and boost my energy!
I have been back and forth trying to decide on a watch or a band. This would definitely make it easier 🙂
Hold the phone!!! How awesome is THIS???? I have 2 toddlers and I do fit my workout in each morning. Throughout the day I do crunches here and there – along with lunges and things like that. Sometimes it’s not easy, but it sure is important. Thank you for the wonderful giveaway.
Erin
fairyfractal at gmail dot com