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Polar Loop and Garmin Vivofit are the best two activity bands on the market, thanks to heart rate, according to the Heart Rate Watch Company. How to choose between them is the centerpiece of this article for consumers.
Garmin Vivofit and Polar Loop are the only two activity bands in the world that deliver real-time heart rate data according to the Heart Rate Watch Company. Naturally, the question arises as to which band is better?
“I’ve talked to several trainers and customers that have used the Loop already and the bright LED lights make a great display, especially in workout rooms where the lights are turned down low, like in a spin class,” says Rusty Squire, president of the Heart Rate Watch Company. He adds, “Garmin Vivofit will lack a bright LED display and use a standard screen with backlight to conserve energy requirements.”
Strengths
“For Garmin Vivofit its strength is that you only have to change batteries once a year whereas with Polar Loop you need to recharge every 4 days or so,” says Squire. He adds, “However, you give up the LED light display which is more readable in order to conserve battery.”
“For calories Polar has always been one of the most accurate companies in the world because they have done more Human Performance Lab VO2 testing than any other company around,” says Squire. He adds, “Both bands do steps, calories, sleep monitoring, steps and are water resistant.”
“Garmin is the lighter of the two bands and requires no custom fitting like the Polar Loop does,” says Squire. He adds, “Both bands do time/date and heart rate, plus both bands can transfer data wirelessly.”
“I think women are going to like the Garmin Vivofit better because it is lighter, fits small wrists a bit better and comes in more colors,” says Squire. He adds, “Polar does have the LED light display advantage for readability however and with older women that require reading glasses that is a real plus.”
“Both these bands can at least measure intensity cycling with heart rate where all the other bands fail because accelerometer technology does not recognize activity when the wrist is static,” says Squire.
Weaknesses
“I would say the one weakness for the Polar Loop is the recharging every 4 days whereas the one weakness for the Garmin Vivofit is that it is lacking an LED light display,” says Squire.
Which Is Better
“I think the answer to this question is a bit situational and depends upon the needs of the individual,” says Squire. He adds, “This is why we recommend calling our expert staff that uses these products at 866-586-7129, this is a real advantage that you can’t get at Amazon or even most other online stores.”
Posted On: Bozeman, MT January 28, 2014
