| | |  | CYCLING GIFT IDEAS | Home » » » Polar CS300 Cycling Computer and Heart Rate Monitor | | | | | | | Description: | | The CS300 is a cycling computer and fitness monitor all in one, providing valuable feedback on or off the bike. Wireless speed, distance and heart rate provides for proper pacing during training, or cardio-focused workouts. Calorie expenditure, fitness test, and automatic target zones based on how the body feels each day makes the CS300 the perfect solution for cross-trainers, beginner tri-athletes, and fitness cyclists looking to stay in shape. | | | Features: | |
• Wireless Polar CS speed sensor, speed pointer
• Calculate cycling energy output, estimated time of arrival
• Zone pointer tells you if you're burning fat or just calories, polar OwnCal calculates heart zone and calorie expenditure
• Polar OwnCode, polar OwnZone
• 2 Year warranty
| | | Product Details: | | | Product Length:
| 6.7 inches | | Product Width:
| 5.2 inches | | Product Height:
| 3.0 inches | | Product Weight:
| 0.65 pounds | | Package Length:
| 6.7 inches | | Package Width:
| 5.2 inches | | Package Height:
| 3.0 inches | | Package Weight:
| 0.65 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 26 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 26 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
39 of 39 found the following review helpful:
 Great HRM for Cycling and ExercisingApr 15, 2008
By TPop
I feel I really have to write a review... after all, I felt I took a bit of a gamble on this product given some of the negative previous reviews. Yet this HRM had all the features I wanted - an HRM that can be used to keep track of cycling exercises and could also be used independently of the bike at the gym or when running.
I've used this product for about 3 months now. I've biked close to 400 miles and have completed over 40 exercises with it (both biking, gym, and running). I am very happy to say that it has functioned flawlessly in all conditions... it has been used:
- in the rain
- in freezing conditions
- in the city
- in the gym
The watch has not frozen or restarted. I was very afraid of this from a previous review.
I have confirmed the distances it has calculated by GPS - and have used it on 2 of my bikes. Each time after setup it worked well.
I have also used this HRM with the optional cadence sensor which has worked fine as well.
So the roundup:
*** PROS
- Has worked flawlessly in all conditions and during all workouts
- Provides all features as documented
- Intuitive and easy to use interface
- Free Polar web software to track exercises and stats
*** CONS (all minor)
- Wireless data transfer can takes time to setup - It took me a while to get it to work with my laptop. I think I spent about an hour futzing with it, but once I got my setup it works every time.
- Polar website is slow and doesn't export data to CSV or Excel.
- The buttons feel a little cheap (but hey, they work fine).
17 of 17 found the following review helpful:
 Great upper-entry level cycling HRMJul 29, 2009
By B. Rogers
I'm very pleased with the CS300. I purchased mine with the optional wireless cadence sensor.
I've used a number of generic, low-end, heart rate monitors for cycling in the past. When I decided that it was time to step up to a cycling specific HRM, this is the one that I picked.
I used the CS300 to not only upgrade my HRM, but also to replace my existing cyclometer and cadence sensor. It's slightly bulkier on the handle bars, but getting rid of the wires to the speed and cadence sensors on the old cyclometer is a real plus.
PROS:
--Very reliable. Had trouble with it displaying apparently erratic heart rates at first, but that turned out to be the fact that I wasn't wetting the contacts on the chest strap enough before starting my ride. Now I just run it under water before putting it on, and it has never had another problem.
--I love the "OwnZone" function, which selects an appropriate target heart rate zone every time that I ride based on my max heart rate, heart rate above my resting rate, etc. I find it to be very accurate. If it says that I haven't fully recovered from the hard ride the day before, it is always right. In the cases that I've tried to overrule its judgement, I've discovered that my legs really weren't ready for another intense workout. And on the days that I want to just go out and crank, I can set my own manual limits.
--Distances are extremely accurate. I've checked it against GPS, and it is dead on.
--The upload to the Polar training diary website works well, once you fiddle with it a bit. Polar training website allows you to record and chart a huge variety of data elements.
--The wireless speed and cadence sensors work very well.
--I like the fact that it differentiates between cycling workouts and non-cycling workouts, and is still able to run the estimated calories burned for each.
--The VO2max estimation function is great!
CONS:
--Only a single target heart rate zone. I wish that it had multiple zones, as other more expensive units have, but that's a tradeoff that I made knowingly.
--I wish I had the ability to pause recording during a ride (such as when stopped at the mini-mart for a Power Bar) so that the stopped time didn't dilute my average speeds, heart rates, and cadence. It's possible that the unit will already do this, but I haven't found it yet. I've only been riding with it for a few weeks, and the multiple functions of each button, depending on mode, can be a bit confusing at first.
--I wish that the volume on the audible alarms went up just a little bit higher. In a strong headwind it can sometimes be difficult to hear.
--I really wish that when I uploaded the stored workouts from the HRM to the Polar training website, that the website would recognize workouts that had previously been uploaded and deduplicate them. At the moment I have a number of workouts on the HRM that I don't want on the training diary. It automatically uploads all stored workouts every time, and I have to go into the online diary and delete those workouts. It would be nice if it didn't upload those workouts again the next time. Minor irritation.
SUMMARY:
Overall, a very, very good cycling heart rate monitor. It doesn't have the features of the $700-$800 dollar units. But it doesn't have the price tag either. And it does everything that I realistically need it to do. I'm not Lance Armstrong. I'm just an over-40 guy who likes to ride a couple hundred miles a week, and improve his general fitness level.
11 of 12 found the following review helpful:
 poor quality controlAug 27, 2007
By H. T. Reepmeyer
If this product worked as advertised I would be very happy, but Polar has replaced the watch three times in six months under warrantee because of defects. First the watch would not produce audible sound (chirp) in order to transfer data to my computer; then it acted erratically displaying clearly erroneous speed data and turning off while riding (among other things). This last watch could not be reset to work with the speed and cadence sensors so it would not accept any speed or cadence data.
It it worked the CS 300 would be great, but Polar's quality control problems make me wish I had purchased from another company.
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
CS300 Polar Heart Rate With CadenceJan 02, 2009
By K. Garroway
"LuckyKSG"
I have had this Polar CS300 watch for almost two years now. It does keep track of the vital information after a ride is complete. I use it every weekend all year long. So I get plenty of use out of it. At times it will loose connection with the watch for Heart Rate and Cadence. The numbers will go to Zero. Then all of sudden kick back in. I have replaced the battery in heart rate strap. Didn't make a difference.
I have been only able to update to the web site once. Polar support stinks. I have contacted then more then a few times. The reason I had purchased this watch was to keep a log of my exercising with out me having to keep a spreadsheet. The weblink software just doesn't work properly.
The next time I purchase another cycling Heart Rate monitor I will look at other products before considering another Polar product. A lot of the cycling clubs in Miami / Fort Lauderdale area recommending the Garmin products. You get a lot more useful information while you are riding and easier to read when getting bounced around on the road.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
 Broke in the first month!Sep 02, 2011
By MAC231
I would not recommend this product as it did not work out for me. Within the first month the top button broke so I could only move thru selections in one direction.
When I called the company they wanted to charge me $44.95 just to look at it and potentially repair/replace it, they made sure to let me know I needed to mail it at my own expense and I would be charged for any repairs.
The HR Monitor does ok, but it loses connectivity and all of a sudden during a workout your heart rate goes from 140 to 00 for about a minute until it creates a new link. The read out on the watch would be different than what was broadcast on cardio machines at my gym.
All in all, a very poor product, I have had much better luck with Timex and Garmin. I will never buy a Polar product again.
See all 26 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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