Heart rate monitor you love?

sarafit926

Hi fitness pals -- my Polar FT4 heart rate monitor keeps reading 00 or saying "check heart rate monitor," and changing the battery didn't help. So, two questions:

1) has this happened to anybody else? How did you fix it?
2) what are some heart rate monitors that people have and LOVE and that have pretty accurate reads?

Thanks!!

OldAssDude

I have a Garmin fenix3 HR which has an optical heart rate monitor built in, but when I exercise, I use a chest strap monitor for accuracy. I have a Garmin premium chest strap monitor and a Polar H7 chest strap monitor that I use with my Polar V800. I also have a Suunto Ambit3 Peak which uses a chest strap monitor as well.

The optical monitors have come a long way but are still not as accurate as the chest strap monitors.

MichaelJSwann

If changing the battery didn't help, then the strap is the next thing to try.

I have a Forerunner 230 that I very much like. Paired with a chest strap it gives me accurate heart rate data. I was along time Polar use, but made the switch to Garmin last April.

When you can record your activities and see where you when and what you were doing at any given point in time, it makes working out much more productive and fun when you get onto sites like Strava. The 230 allows me to program workouts such as Couch to 5k and have the watch beep and vibrate when it's time to change steps in a workout.

rks581

I love my Garmin Vivoactive HR. For a heart rate belt I have a Polar H7 (luckily I found it on clearance at Staples). It doesn't have ANT+ so won't connect to the watch, but that's not an issue for me. It does have Bluetooth for connecting to a phone (for Endomondo/MapMyRun/Runtastic) and it also has the 5 kHz Polar system for communicating with gym equipment. I really like how the belt will send your heart rate to a machine so you don't have to hold onto the sensors.

My gym uses Polar 5 kHz anyway ... the equipment is a little older. Perhaps newer equipment is Bluetooth or ANT+ or both... I'm not sure.

Morgaen73

I have to Polar FT7 and I've found that the cardio machines tend to interfere a bit with it. However, I now use the H7 sensor with the Polar beat app and it seems to have sorted out that issue.

Rushgirl82

I have the polar FT4 as well. I love it, with no issues yet.

Bentforkx

Garmin VivoActive HR with chest HR strap, works beautifully! Especially when weight training

playadelcarmen2

Same problem with my polar4 and no idea why.

powered85

Scosche rhythm+ paired to a Garmin Fenix3.

The scosche is great because its a small armband. Also have the Garmin chest strap but I haven't used it in almost a year. The scosche is just way more comfortable and convenient.

sarajenivieve

i used to have polar and loved it! the only downside was the 2 pieces i lost one piece so i no longer have it but im glad i learned where my heart rate should be to burn fat and how high is to high for me now i can almost tell my heart rate just from how i feel when i check it on my elliptical im almost bang on

HomeatWDW

I got sick of chest straps. Love my Garmin Vivosmart HR.

TavistockToad

Garmin 225, love it!