Heart Rate Monitors

canelove

I'm looking to purchase a good heart rate monitor that also tracks the amount of calories burned. I know I won't get out cheap for a good one, and that's fine. I just want something accurate. I don't mind wearing a chest strap, or whatever they are called, I'm just tired of the guesswork. Some days I feel like I'm giving myself too much credit and some days I feel like I'm not giving myself enough. It's so frustrating! Do you guys and gals have any recommendations? Thanks so much!

atombud

Check out garmin.com iif you want to keep track of any walking you may do outdoors, the 305 has gps tracking, it is a couple hundred but is pretty accurate from my use. Or Polar has some good ones also.

jillybeanruns

Polar FT60. My favourite part of the FT60 is that it's compatible with the Polar Foot Pod. Foot Pod calculates distance and speed, so I can change my route mid-course and get an accurate distance read or better yet, come up with intervals on the fly.

The FT60 comes with a chest strap (you need one in order to get an accurate read) and runs at around $220. It has different programs and coaches you by setting target calorie burns and % for each HR zone for every week. Best purchase I've made in a long time!

getinshapegirl

I purchased the Polar 6 at Target last year and have been very happy with it. It is very user friendly - easy to update data such as weight changes and it seems to keep a pretty accurate measure of the calorie burn from exercise. It is nice to have because I found out that I burn calories at a much lower rate then most of the machines output. The times that I have made sure to use my monitor and change my calorie intake accordingly are the times when I have had success. I stopped using it this winter and my weight crept back up. I think for me it is truly the only way I will lose weight - carefully measuring calories in and measuring calories out. Good luck.

sharyl1269

Im a personal trainer and the the one I recommend to my client is the polar brand. I purchased te polar F6 a couple of years ago. I'm sure they have a newer version now. But this one tracks calories burned, heart rate, amount of time you spend exercising, and it also keeps a diary of everything. What I mean by that is that it remembers everything you do for months. The only thing it doesn't do is keep track of distance. I think the new version does all of the above plus more. They run about $130 to $170. Good Luck!

shmilla

Sadly, my Polar F11 died on Sunday, so I high-tailed it to the store and got a new Polar FT4. It doesn't have as many great tracking tools, but it keeps me working hard during my workout and that's the point. It's also a nice reminder throughout the rest of the day when I wear it as a watch because I remember the pain and suffering of working out at 4:30 in the morning and back away from the candy bar. So, Polar is my vote.

balance9

I *love* my Garmin FR60 (womens model, which is smaller than mens). I've used at least 4 others...3 Polars, and the entry-level Omron. This one is SUPER easy to set up, and easy to upload all data to computer with ANT stick, so you can track your progress on a graph. Optional foot pod tracks running/speed/distance, and optional bike sensor tracks miles/cadence. Tracks calories. You can set up your own heart zones/alarms, like others in this price range (under $150), Nice balance between bells/whistles and simple out-of-the-box setup.

canelove

Thank you so much for all of your responses! I'll be checking out your suggestions tonight. I hope to make my purchase tomorrow or Thursday.