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
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I take the stairs down the ice machine at work.
Wow, awesome giveaway Gina! Love your blog!!
I love my heart rate monitor–combining with Loop would be fantastic!
I have a desk that can be used for sitting or standing….so most days I stand. Plus, I answer the phone in the office and I personally walk to tell someone they have a call instead of picking up the phone to ring them.
This would be awesome. I just had a baby so I have some baby weight to lose.
Walk, run, skip, hop, but just don’t sit there
I wear a fit it, but would love the loop. If my steps are low, I run in place or walk laps around the house. Helps to have competitions with friends online.
It’s hard to sneak in extra exercise in cold New England winters, but I can always count on an after dinner dance party with my twin toddler boys. I would love a loop to help me make sure I’m getting in more steps during the day too.
I always take the stairs and walk if I can. I would love to be able to track my steps and HR throughout the day!
Haha I love me some data.. I can’t get enough of wearing these gadgets that make you aware of how much you are (or aren’t) moving around on a given day. Im having a hard time deciding which device I want to go with, but having the heart rate really is helpful when trying to figure out how hard to push on a workout..and a must during spin class.
cool product
I’d love to try it!
I would LOVE to try this! I track my daily running mileage, but I think “just moving” is the most important element to a healthy lifestyle aside from a healthy diet. Thanks for hosting the giveaway!
I always take the stairs at work and not the elevator….ever little bit helps!!
I would love to have this!
Dance party with the kids
I bike wherever I canin New Orleans- class, the grocery store, to frozen yogurt, yoga class, starbucks etc most places with within a 6 mile radius and there’s a bike lane on st Charles ave.
I’ve been using a FitBit but I am looking to buy a HRM (pregnancy) – I love that this is integrated so i wouldn’t have to stack my wrist with them!
Would love to try it out! I use my Garmin for running but don’t have any gadgets. Or I could give it to the hubs so he could see that he’s needing to move a bit more – little encouragement!
To get in extra activity we have dance party’s with my son (nothing is more fun than watching a 3 1/2 year old shake his groove thing!) as well as taking our two dogs for a walk after work 🙂
Lately I’ve been really diligent about getting up and moving during the day instead of sitting at my desk ALL DAY.
I fit in extra activities to my day by doing exercises while sitting at my desk. I like using my chair to leg lifts and then using my desk for arm dips. 🙂
I would love to win this!! I fit extra activity in during the day by taking the stairs in the parking garage and in my office building. Long walks with the pup also helps me stay active during the day.
I take my dog for a walk or offer to pick up lunch for my coworkers!
I have been searching for a “more” accurate heart rate monitor. The others I have tried have misrepresented how much I walk, etc. because I talk with my hands …Alot! I would love to try out this tracker and the heart rate band together!
love this
I’ve really been wanting a fitness tracker that does more than just count my steps. Though this wasn’t an intentional way to fit in more exercise/lifestyle activity, my parking spot ended up being about a 15-20 minute walk away from the building I work in (as well as the classrooms I need). That means that I get at least a good 15 minutes of uphill walking every morning when I go to work. Not the most convenient when I’m running late but certainly works for all the other days!
walking the dog! i totally want to try this, i loved my old polar HRM from back in the day!
I built a standing desk at work to keep me from sitting for too long!
Love this product, I always take the stairs, if I am in my home office working on computer I get up every 15 minutes and run my stairs as well as add in various body weight exercises
I’ve been trying to decide on a fitness tracker! This looks like a good one!
I get in some extra activity by taking the stairs at work and parking a little farther away at stores!
this looks like a super fun gadget!
I get in extra steps by chasing my kids!
I always take the stairs!
I have a fitbit, but my 6 year old heart rate monitor just died on me 🙁
I live in a city and would love to know if I’m walking as much as I think I am. I would also love to have an accurate heart rate monitor–I never trust the one’s on cardio equipment at the gym.
Ones*
My gfs and I go for two walks during our breaks. Otherwise, our job is sit, sit, sit.
I try to move every bit I can, parking a little farther away, taking the stairs. A gadget like this that would track the little extra things along with the big workouts would be great to help keep up motivation.
I try to take the stairs, if I end up on an escalator (Paris metro) I always walk up the escalator!
I’m very interested in getting a fitness tracker but I haven’t pulled the trigger on any because of the many mixed reviews. Most of the week I workout twice a day because of military requirements and I walk a lot so I think one that records steps and heart rate might be a winner for me!!! Thanks for the awesome and honest review!
I work out daily but deep down I’m lazy so my only way of getting extra exercise during work hours is printing at the printer on the other side of the building or going to the far kitchen. I bust my butt when I’m working out but I don’t really do much other times of the day!
wow that watch looks cool, you definitely got my interest!
I would love to try this! I know I don’t walk nearly enough in my day if I don’t work out, but I’d like to see the difference between my workout days and my easier days 🙂
I’ve never played Freeze Dance? Sounds fun! One way I try to stay more active during the day is not using my desk phone unless absolutely necessary. When I know I will be on the phone for awhile I try to take the cordless phone and walk around while I talk.
One of those would be awesome to have – especially useful when I am doing one of your tabata workouts and my heart is pounding out of my chest!
Thanks for hosting!
I’ve been using MyFitnessPal and trying to track my activity but it’s really not accurate. This would be amazing. Thanks for hosting the giveaway!
I NEED to fit more activity into my day – I’m always busy, but not active enough and I think a device like this would help me see exactly where I’m at.
I make sure to fit in at least a 15 min walk at lunch time!
I have the FitBit Flex but the light display doesn’t work anymore 🙁 I would love having a tracker that comes with a heart rate monitor for workouts. I have the same complaint of the FitBit in regard to it not tracking yoga and spinning.