ListedFit is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a small commission.

 

The Polar Loop Review

The Polar Loop is an activity tracker that claims to not only count your steps, but also give you a lot of other information based on your heart rate.

The Polar Loop arrived in a small, compact box that is very reasonably sized considering how conveniently small the loop is. When I opened the box, I found the loop, a charger for the loop, a piece of folded paper, and tool used to pop in and out the loop’s pins. The loop is very easily charged; all I had to do was plug one side of the charger into the wall and the other side into the port on the inside of the loop. Just like a Mac computer charger, a magnet holds the charger in place.

 

The folded piece of paper I mentioned earlier is actually much more important than I originally realised. It actually splits into both a ruler and the instruction steps. I followed the instructions and used the ruler to measure my wrist. The number you measure (I was a 5 & 5) is how many sections you cut off of the loop in order to have the loop fit you. This is where the pin popping tool came in. I used it to pop the pins out of the loop’s clasp and remove it before I cut either side of the loop. Then, I simply popped the pins back in and reattached the clasp. Overall, configuring the loop was quite easy and definitely could have been a lot worse.

Get the Software

The next thing I did was download the Polar Loop software onto my Macbook. Once there, it was very easy to follow the instructions and sync my loop onto my computer. I

read about the option to sync to a smartphone, but I am more of a laptop guy, so I went with that. Then, it calculated a daily activity goal for me that I was very happy with. It was reasonable for what I wanted to do, and (I know now) very feasible to reach when using the Polar Loop. Then, once I had it all set up, I was pretty much good to go.

For those wondering the Loop has an app which works on both Android and IPhone called Polar Flow. It syncs really well with the loop and gives you added functionality such as actually telling  you when you have been sitting on the couch for too long, it’s like having a personal coach, however you do get more detailed information on the computer rather than the smartphone so do bear that in mind.

Go Time!

Time to try this puppy out! Although I worried at first, using the loop is honestly as simple as wearing it. I could click the button on the display screen to scroll through the options and see the data I had collected for the day.

Each thing it tracks is very useful to me, especially the calories burned option. (Long story short, I am also tracking calories consumed on my own. Seeing how many I burn each day makes it very easy to see what I need to do in order to lose weight.) Along with how many calories I’ve burned, it also shows me the time, how many steps I’ve taken, and how much more activity I need to do in order to reach my goal. It even gives me tips on how to reach my goal most efficiently, as well as a cumulative distance for the day based on my number of steps.

 

Another thing I love about this loop is the sleep tracking aspect. I am not the best sleeper in terms of successfully reaching deep sleep, but boy did the loop show me how bad I was. It showed me how much restful sleep and restless sleep I got a night.

When they say that this thing picks up ALL your daily activity, boy do they mean it. I can even wear it in the pool! My main source of fitness is walking, jogging, and running, and at first I was confused as to how the loop would differentiate how many calories I had burned with each. As it turns out, there was no need to worry. The loop is able to tell how intense my walk / run / jog was and the number of calories i burned.

Pros:

-The loop is as easy to use as wearing a bracelet
-It effectively motivates me to reach my daily activity quota.
-Waterproof!
-It gives so much information
-To be honest, it looks pretty awesome
-Although I have not purchased it, you can buy a heart rate strap to get even more data.

Cons:

As much as I love this activity tracker, like all products, there are some things that could be improved.
-The battery could last longer. After using it for a solid 30 days, I really only get about two days of charge.
-Personally, I wish that the size of the loop was interchangeable so that multiple people could use it. Along the same lines, I wish that two separate logs could be created for use by two different people.-Although the loop tracks my steps, it is on a delay. I can not see the loop update with the steps I’m taking as I take them.
-Sometimes I wish that I could set my own goals, instead of having Polar Loop pick them for me.

 

At first, I was a bit skeptical, and it took a while for me to decide to purchase it. However, I am so happy that I did. I am on a bit of a weight loss journey, and this tracker has helped me more than anything else.

Overall, I love this tracker. I have already lost 8 pounds with the help of the Polar Loop. I am sure to be using it for years and years to come.