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 run my stairs at home!
A few times a week I walk the mile to and from the gym to get in extra steps in my day!
i try to take the stairs at the office. on lovely days, walk outside during lunch time. strength train 2-3 times a week.
I like to park a little further out when going places. I also enjoy jump rope contest with the kid. 🙂
My favorite way to get in extra exercise is to walk with my dog! Knowing that he loves that time so much makes me want to get out with him 🙂
I so need this! Need to “up my game” and this would be quite helpful/motivational!
I try to exercise at least 20 minutes a day, 5 days a week. I do not have a physically demanding job, so I try to make sure to get up and move/stretch every hour.
I take walks while at work.
Liked your page on FB
Liked polar loop on FB
Oooh. I have been wanting a heart rate monitor for a while and I love polar’s stellar reputation!
I would love to see the activity I do during the day. I think that most people overestimate the amount of activity they actually do!!
I usually work out (boot-camp) everyday, but then I ride my bike to the train station to get to work, so I get a little more oomph each day 🙂
I’ve been wanting a fitness tracker to see how my office lifestyle is affecting my fitness!
I have a fitbit flex, but would love to try one with hrm and display.
i really need to look into this hrm/band.. my old faithful HRM just pooped out and i have to have one because I have an extra pathway in my heart and get prolonged tachycardia if i don’t watch it! thanks for your review!!
I’ve become a big fan of doing the 10 minute workouts on barre3.com whenever I get a few minutes during the day!
I’ve been wanting one of these!
I try to walk at lunch every day but it’s been so hard with this crazy snowy winter!!
I would fit in extra activity time by going on power walks during and after work!! Dancing with my baby boys too
Looks like a fun gadget!
I get my extra cardio by parking far away from stores.
I get in some extra activity as I walk my dogs, and I am constantly up and down the stairs at work.
I would love to win this as I already have the strap, and I was hesitating about some of the other wrist trackers because of what I had heard about accuracy.
I step off the desk and walk the stairs during lunch.
I love the idea of fitness trackers. This one seems much more accurate with the HRM and I’d love to try it. Getting married in August so I can use all the activity I can get!
Love the polar products! Can’t wait to try the loop.
Always take the stairs…always!
I get up a lot! I try to take a lap around the office at least 1x an hour. I need to be better at parking farther away from the office….I’ll get on that when it’s not freezing outside, haha!
I make sure to get up and walk every hour – even if it’s just to the bathroom and back!
Does sounds like the best of both worlds…would love to give it a whirl!
We walk to the park or zoo instead of driving. Uphill on the way home is always fun!
I walk around while talking on the phone! No need to sit for that!
I like to park far away and drink a lot of water at work so I have to get up a lot!
The polar loop seems great. I love that you can use it to track heart rate.
I usually try to get in a few laps around the business park during lunch.. assuming we’re not buried in snow!
I have been in the market for a fitness tracker would love to try this
I’ve been really wanting to try a fit band so that I can see how effective all my HIIT workouts are! This one looks perfect!
I park further away at work, get up and walk to people’s desk to talk to them, use the furthest bathroom, walk on my lunch break when it is nice out and use our upstairs bathroom.
I really need to be better about little things throughout the day. I always workout in the mornings before work, but I have a desk job, unfortunately, and though I try to get up throughout the day, I feel certain I don’t get in enough steps.
I’m active all day with my job – walking to and from my car every 30 minutes and playing with kiddos.
I would love to be able to track my activity throughout the day!
on days that I work (12-13 hours) it feels impossible to also get in a workout afterward, so I try to do those simple things like taking the stairs and doing my charting standing at a computer rather than sitting at a desk since we spend a good chunk of time on it!
I’m always step-conscious during the day. I try to get in as many trips up and down the stairs and park furthest out in parking lots. Not to mention avoiding door dings =)
I’m going to walk the pup more consistently rain or shine!
I love that it connects to the heart rate strap! I’ve been hesitant to get an activity tracker since I didn’t think they would accurately measure my workouts
I take the stairs instead of the elevator!
I walk my dogs daily!
I teach kindergarten and everyday my kiddos and I do exercises. We do all sorts of things…count by 10’s and do jumping jacks, “letter-cise,” etc. We even do finger exercises to strengthen their fine motor skills.
I’ve been walking to work even in minus temps! i hear you burn a little more fat in the cold 😉
I always try to park in farther parking spots and carry all my groceries vs. using a grocery cart when I leave the grocery, it’s the little things 🙂