Polar A370 Review – Fit To Be Your Fitness Tracker? Updated!

Display and Uses

In this Polar A370 review, you will learn all about this fitness tracker. The first thing we want to cover in this review is its display and what exactly you can use it for.

This fitness tracker has a very simple display as the majority of your data can be accessed through the fitness app. You can activate its simple display features by tilting your wrist while you wear the tracker to activate it.

Changing the watch face is simple and can be done by tapping and holding the display and swiping through the option.  Once you have found an appropriate watch face for you, simply tap on the screen to change it.

Materials and Durability

The Polar A370 is made out of an elastomer material. This material is great for fitness trackers as it won’t soak up sweat and dirt; however, there isn’t another material option for anyone who suffers from allergies to this material.

The fitness tracker itself is waterproof, so there is no need to remove it when showering after exercising or swimming. The strap doesn’t tear easily either, which is another bonus for anyone that participates in full-contact sport.

Display Functions and How to Operate the Polar A370

Navigating around the Polar A370 is relatively easy. The fitness tracker comes with an in-depth user manual that is easy to follow. Let’s take a brief look at its top functions and how to operate them:

Polar Flow App

Downloading the Polar Flow app is in your best interests as your fitness tracker automatically syncs to the app and downloads all of your data to your smartphone. This is done wirelessly and fuss-free. All you need to do is download the app on the App StoreSM or Google playTM.

Set-Up

You should charge your A370 fully before setting it up. Once it is fully charged, you should plug it into your computer or a compatible device using a USB cable and follow the instructions on the screen. You may set-up your Polar A370 using the mobile app; however, this takes longer than doing so on your computer.

Starting a Training Session With a Target

Targeted training sessions are brilliant for pushing you towards your fitness goals. Here is how to start a targeted training session:

1. Go to My day.

2. Choose the target from the list by tapping it.

3. Choose the sport you want to use by tapping its icon.

4. Training display comes up, and you can start training.

Continuous Heart Rate Monitoring

The continuous heart rate monitor is on all the time and can be controlled through the fitness tracker’s settings. Keeping this setting activated at all times will give you more accurate fitness and heart rate data, which will be useful during your fitness journey.

A Deep Dive Into Polar A370

The Polar A370 builds on the brilliant A360 (4.5/5 Star Review) adding some great new features including:

• advanced sleep tracking,
• 24/7 heart rate (HR),
• GPS sharing, and
• HR broadcast (Bluetooth).

The Polar A370 is one of the best activity trackers on the market with a high-quality color display and changeable wrist straps. This review of the Polar A370 has been written and prepared by TheBestInTech.

The Polar A370 is for anyone looking to improve their fitness with the help of a stylish, functional, and motivational activity tracker. It’s not an out and outperformance monitor as it doesn’t have an internal GPS (although it can piggyback share the GPS in your phone). If you want to do that take a look at the new Polar M430. The A370 supports Polar dozens of sports profiles so you can keep track of your exercise whether it’s cycling, running, rowing, weightlifting, etc.

It does everything you’d expect for a top of the range fitness band including:

• steps counting,
• time to move alerts,
• smartphone notifications,
• off the wrist HR monitoring, and
• daily calorie burn.

Polar has been leading innovation in monitoring heartbeats since 1976 – we have loads more reports of Polar Fitness bands and HR monitors here.

Polar A360 vs A370

Cosmetically, the Polar A360 and this A370 are almost identical but there are several new technical features that justify the extra cost.

• 24/7 Heart Rate Monitoring option – your heart rate is recorded throughout the day.
• Daily summary (found in My Day) providing feedback on lowest heart rate (resting HR) for both DAY and NIGHT plus maximum HR. Having a resting heart rate day and night is a unique and useful feature not found on any other monitors I am aware of.
• The A370 has a sample rate of 5 minutes, however, when it recognizes that you are exercising it increases this to a higher resolution (similar to regular exercise mode e.g 1 second) to give better heart rate representation throughout unplanned training activities.
• Heart Rate Broadcast – transmit your heart rate to any compatible device. For example, Polar M460, M450, iPhone or Android phone running Polar Flow, Strava, Endomondo, etc.
• Advanced Sleep Tracking using Polar’s new Sleep Plus algorithm provides a more accurate representation of your sleeping patterns.

Main Features and Functions

I will be adding my own photos of the Polar A370 once I have finished testing the watch. In the meantime, please accept these Polar marketing department photos. This one demonstrates the following:

• Polar A370 smartphone alerts
• One of the many watch face alternatives
• Heart Rate Zone training

Advanced sleep tracking

The Sleep Pluss sleep tracking feature is one of the top new features on this fitness tracker. Its main target is to monitor your movement as you sleep to evaluate how well you are really sleeping during the night.

Exercise Mode

In Exercise Mode you get to select the exercise that most closely reflects your workout. There are over 100 different sport profiles that can be loaded in the A370.

Les Mills Training Programs

Recently Polar added dozens of Les Mills training profiles. If you’re not familiar with the world’s most popular online workout programs, please visit Polar Les Mills information page.

More Features

(Click or tap below to expand)

My Day Summary

The My Day screen is a summary of your daily activity with calories burnt, steps taken, etc. It now includes heart rate data acquired throughout the day. This daily heart rate summary gives resting heart rate for both DAY & NIGHT and maximum heart rate

Speed & Distance while Training

The A370 can share your smartphone’s GPS. This useful feature provides accurate speed and distance data to your exercise sessions without the need or cost of its own built-in GPS. As well as GPS sharing the A370 features an internal accelerometer providing reasonably accurate speed/distance data while running on a treadmill or outside without GPS sharing.

Heart Rate in 5 Zones

Polar has been involved in heart rate monitoring since 1976 … that’s something we shouldn’t forget about. They have decades of experience working with elite athletes analyzing their heart rate while they train and recover. The Polar A370 takes advantage of their experience utilizing Polar’s 5 x Heart Rate Zone system to help you understand the training intensity and its potential fitness benefit.

This is one of the most accurate fitness trackers when it comes to monitoring your pulse. We have a great video review for you to watch here that covers the tracker’s main features and evaluates its heart rate feature in-depth.

Polar Flow APP

Polar’s Flow APP is one of the primary reasons why you might want to consider the A370. Doing the exercise is one thing, but understanding what benefit you can hope to receive from your training is another thing.That’s where the Polar Flow APP comes in. Polar’s unique Training Benefit feature provides plain English explanation of what you achieved in your training session.

24/7 Activity Tracking

Track your activity 24/7 and get practical support to help you achieve your individual daily activity goal. The daily goal is set based on one of 3 levels of activity you choose when setting up the A370 as shown below.

At anytime in the day you can see your progress to achieving the goal from the bar under the time of day view (default). If you would like more details you can enter the “My Day” view to see precisely what you’ve done (note, watch shown is the A360, but screens are very similar)

And another tap will show you what more you need to do to achieve your daily goal from either standing, walking, or jogging, as shown below

Polar A 370 FAQs

Is Polar A370 Accurate?

Yes! The Polar A370 is a very accurate fitness tracker that can be relied on to give whoever wears it a very accurate overview of their fitness level.

Does the Polar A370 Track Steps?

The Polar A370 does track steps as well as many other activities such as weight lifting, distance traveled, calories burned, and many other metrics.

Does Polar A370 Have GPS?

The Polar A370 uses the GPS from your phone to calculate data. In order for this feature to work, you will need to allow the Flow app access to your mobile phone’s location.

When was the Polar A370 Release Date?

The release date of the Polar A370 was June 2017.

Is the Polar A370 waterproof?

Yes, up to 30 meters deep.

You can wear both A360 and A370 while swimming or taking a shower. This Polar fitness watch will still be able to function. It can still count steps, track how many calories you burned, and pinpoint your GPS (when tethered off your phone).

But, just note that the heart rate measurement may not be as accurate while you’re in the water.

How do I sync my Polar A370?

It’s actually quite easy.

1. Open up the Flow app on your smartphone.
2. Take out your A370. Press the button on the side and hold it. You should see the word “searching” pop up on the screen a few seconds later.
3. After the watch has found the device it should connect to, it should take you through a sequence of confirmations: from Searching > Connecting > Syncing.
4. Once it has successfully finished pairing, it should show the word “Completed.”

How do I reset my Polar A370 fitness tracker watch?

You only need to reset if you are experiencing technical difficulties and have tried all other solutions.

Why?

Because resetting means that you’ll lose all the collected fitness data, and you’ll have to set it up like a brand new tracker again.

If it’s your last resort, follow these instructions below:

1. Take out your A370 fitness watch and go to Main Menu > Settings > Power Icon.
2. The words “Turning off” will show. Press the power icon again and hold for 5 seconds.

How do I change the time on my Polar A370 fitness tracker?

Easy!

1. On your new Polar A370 watch, tap on Main Menu > Settings > Watch, Time, and Date
2. Select Time:
   1. Time 1 is to set your local time’s format in terms of hours and minutes
   2. Time 2 is to set the time for another time zone

How do I update my Polar A370 fitness band?

Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen automatically, but you do get notified whenever there is a firmware update.

There are two ways:

1. Mobile: If you downloaded the Polar Flow mobile app, then the app will let you know when it’s time to upgrade and will guide you through it.
2. Computer: Otherwise, you can connect your A370 to your laptop with the USB cable when it tells you to update. FlowSync will sync all your data, then ask you if you want to update.

Note that it might take a while (maybe 20 minutes?) for the update to happen. Afterward, it will restart itself.

That’s when you know if you can start tracking activity like normal again.

Top Alternatives

Next Model UP

If the NO CHEST STRAP option brought you to the Polar A370, Polar’s other product with wrist-based HR is the M200 (intro level GPS running watch.

Next Model DOWN

The next model down is the Polar Loop 2. Fairly similar tracking functions like steps, calories, and inactivity alert, but without the built-in HR sensor. The Loop 2 is an attractive and discrete band for those looking to increase everyday activity.

Similar Alternative Fitness Bands

The best alternatives with the closest functionality to the Polar A370 activity tracker would be the FitBit Charge 2 and the Garmin Vivosmart HR.

The Vivosmart HR & Charge 2 features a barometric pressure sensor that provides stairs climbed feedback not found on the A370. Both provide OFF the WRIST pulse monitoring and 24/7 tracking.

They are ALL very good fitness bands, they all record HR to a reliable and accurate level, they all give an indication of Vivosmart HR+f sleep duration & quality and they all motivate you to move throughout the day…

Update Oct 2017 > Garmin has just released their new Garmin Vivosport fitness tracker. Replacing the Vivosmart HR+, the Garmin Vivosport features built-in GPS, wrist-based pulse rate, dedicated running functions (auto-lap, pace alerts, etc) a full-color display, VO2 max, Stress tests, and much more. TheBestInTech has been awarded the Garmin Vivosport Best on Test in the tracking category and expects it to be one of the best selling fitness trackers. Other solid options include:

• Garmin Vivosport – voted Best In Class – a sleek, discrete fitness watch with GPS and wrist-based HR
• Garmin Vivosmart 3 – top of the range tracker with VO2 Max, Fitness Age, Stress score, and more
• Garmin Vivosmart HR – replaced by the Vivosmart 3 (above) but still a highly recommended fitness band
• Fitbit Charge 2 – hugely popular best selling tracker of 2017 and 2018

Polar A370 Review Conclusion

If you’ve got this far then you’ll know by now that TheBestInTech analyzed this Polar A370 very highly. The only feature missing found on other similarly priced fitness trackers is STEPS CLIMBED. It’s not a feature I really find that useful, but some people may have a reason for wanting it. I certainly wouldn’t allow that one omission to put me off buying this 5/5 Star Review Polar A370.

Pros

The fitness tracker is easy to use and very user-friendly. We loved how it has an app that collects all of your fitness metrics and makes creating a fitness plan that much easier.

Cons

We were disappointed to learn that the Polar A370 does not calculate swimming information although it is advertised to be able to do this as none of the data collection features work in the water.