Polar A3 Heart Rate Monitor

The main features of the A3 monitor are:

• Continuous heart rate monitoring
• Manual setting of heart rate training zone (target zone)
• Automatic age-based setting of target zone (65 to 85 % of your maximum heart rate)
• Heart rate can be set and displayed as BPM or % of Max HR
• Audio alarm to keep you training within your target zone
• Fitness bullets: One per 10 minutes in target zone (a rough way of showing time in target zone)
• Stop watch to start and stop exercise session
• Post-exercise summary: Duration, average heart rate, time in target zone
• Basic Time Keeping: Time, date and alarm

The Polar A3 heart rate monitor represents a major improvement over the Polar A1. A1 is a bare minimum heart rate monitor. A3 is almost an intermediate heart rate monitor. It is a big jump.

The A3 introduces the concept of heart rate training zone (automatic and manual) with zone alarm to keep you training within range. It can display your current heart rate as a percentage of your maximum heart rate, and measures the time you spent in target zone in your exercise session.

It is now also a full featured watch. In contrast the Polar A1 cannot even tell the time, let alone allowing you to set the date or alarm.

Summary

The Polar A3 heart rate monitor is a really good monitor for fitness training. Its features are considerably more advanced than its preceding model, the Polar A1. It can easily meet the needs of beginning users of heart rate monitors or experienced exercisers looking for a simple to use heart rate monitor.

The next model up in the Polar A series is the Polar A5.

Note: The A3 has been discontinued by Polar i.e. Polar no longer makes it, though it may still be available in some internet shops. If you are looking to buy the A3, you may want to have a look the similar models Polar FS3 and Polar F4 in the current Polar fitness range. Their capabilities are broadly similar.

The table below summarises the main differences between FS3, A3 and F4.

	FS3	A3	F4
HR set and displayed in % of Max HR	No	Yes	Yes
Visual indicator when training outside zone limits	Yes	No	Yes
Max HR achieved in training session	Yes	No	Yes
Time spent in target zone	No	Yes	Yes
Calories burnt	No	No	Yes
Cumulative statistics	No	No	Yes
Ordinary wake up alarm	No	Yes	Yes
Backlight	Yes	No	No

The Polar F4 has the Exercise Reminder and UpLink features. They are not very important for most users and so are left out of the comparison table.

Not sure which heart rate monitor is right for you? Take a look at the Which Heart Rate Monitor page.