Heart rate monitor

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kaseyAnne425
kaseyAnne425 Posts: 230
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm thinking of investing in a cheap HRM for my workouts since I don't quite trust the calorie estimate on the cardio machines at my gym. I don't want to spend a lot, so does anyone have any suggestions? How do they work? I just want to use them to estimate the calories I burn during my workouts! Any help is greatly appreciated!

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  • kaned_ferret
    kaned_ferret Posts: 618 Member
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    the general consensus is that the more accurate ones are also the better quality and therefore more expensive ones, but you can get some bargains on ebay if you're a good sniper (just got myself a polar ft4 for 20 quid). I would look at the polars, a lot of people love the ft4 and ft7. Make sure you get one that has a chest strap as these give more accurate readings. From reading post after post before I got my first hrm, I concluded it was worth going for the better branded ones. My first was a polar f4 and I was very happy with it, but sadly it died when I did a battery change (hence choosing the ft4 as the next purchase - these have user-changeable batteries lol!). I certainly feel the calculated calorie expenditure was pretty accurate with my f4 and it generally gave me less than MFPs calculations for cal burn. Have a browse on amazon as there's good reviews to help you make your mind up :)
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
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    the general consensus is that the more accurate ones are also the better quality and therefore more expensive ones, but you can get some bargains on ebay if you're a good sniper (just got myself a polar ft4 for 20 quid). I would look at the polars, a lot of people love the ft4 and ft7. Make sure you get one that has a chest strap as these give more accurate readings. From reading post after post before I got my first hrm, I concluded it was worth going for the better branded ones. My first was a polar f4 and I was very happy with it, but sadly it died when I did a battery change (hence choosing the ft4 as the next purchase - these have user-changeable batteries lol!). I certainly feel the calculated calorie expenditure was pretty accurate with my f4 and it generally gave me less than MFPs calculations for cal burn. Have a browse on amazon as there's good reviews to help you make your mind up :)

    agreed.... spend alittle more now...... in the long run it will be worth it... I use the Polar FT60 but the FT4 and FT7 are both great.. My wive has the FT4...... Best of Luck
  • EdgeGoalie31
    EdgeGoalie31 Posts: 11 Member
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    Not exactly cheap, but I have a Garmin and LOVE it! Worth every penny!
  • SeeEmWOD
    SeeEmWOD Posts: 8
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    I have a New Balance N4 and they run about $60. The chest strap is comfortable and I often forget its on. I like that it tells me calories burned, the time, the amount of time I'm working out, and peak heart rate. Those are about the only features I'm interested in. I had initially bought a cheap polar without a chest strap....yeah don't do that.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    Not exactly cheap, but I have a Garmin and LOVE it! Worth every penny!

    Just a warning, not every model of Garmin with HRM base the calorie estimates on HR. Some do but not all.

    OP - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/the-real-facts-about-hrms-and-calories-what-you-need-to-know-before-purchasing-an-hrm-or-using-one-21472
  • mlove351
    mlove351 Posts: 94 Member
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    worth spending ..its an investment in your health.. I have a timex.. some timex or other h.r. monitors you buy that are pretty accurate and effective around 60-80 $
  • CLL1001
    CLL1001 Posts: 40 Member
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    I have the polar ft4 and spent around $60 for it on amazon. Definitely go with one that has a chest strap as they are more accurate. I love mine and you can't even feel the strap. Sometimes I forget it's on even after I'm back home from a workout if I don't take a shower right away.
  • vet272
    vet272 Posts: 183
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    After tonnes of research I went with the Polar RC3GPS. Love love love it. Best amazon purchase ever
  • CogitoErgoSum2
    CogitoErgoSum2 Posts: 57 Member
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    I literally just bought a Geonaute ONrhythm 410 progress - this will be my very first HRM. Good luck! On a side note - I did a bit of research before buying, and there are a lot of half-negative reviews about the most basic model of Polar because there is only one button and customers report this as being too fiddly. Maybe others who own one can contribute on this - I must admit that this put me off from buying one and I opted for the one I got. It's fairly cheap and has all the features I believe I will need at this point - just starting out and first 5K in 4 weeks.

    Keep us posted on your thought processes and research. Interesting topic!
  • bepeejaye
    bepeejaye Posts: 775 Member
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    Mi Polar FT40 (with chest strap) has been quite reliable thus far :)
  • pbrahan
    pbrahan Posts: 107 Member
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    My only experience is with the Polar FT4 and I have to tell you looking back now, I'd pay $1000 for it. (It only costs $60.) It's the single most motivating thing related to weight loss I've ever done/owned. I DESPISE exercise - at least, I did until I got the Polar HRM. Now I want to exercise EVERY DAY because I can instantly see the calories burned. I used to get so discouraged because I'm one of those people who wants to eat right for 1 day and wake up 20 pounds lighter. The Polar HRM gives me a feeling of instant gratification and has helped me lose 20lbs in 7 weeks.
    Just get it!
  • FitCurlysue
    FitCurlysue Posts: 23 Member
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    I don't know what I'd do without my HRM. I just got a new one, a Polar RS400 half price at my gym during a special challenge thing they're doing and I love it! I believe my previous workouts years ago before I bought a HRM in recent years---those workouts weren't burning enough calories and I wasn't working near as hard as I should have been to make a big difference. If that makes any sense. Not that any activity is a waste, but I think you get what I mean.

    But I can totally relate to your comment about instant gratification knowing just how much work you have expelled during your session. It's rewarding to see that number! It's also great to see if you need to pick it up too :)

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