Heart rate monitor recommendation

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  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    GaryRuns wrote: »
    Lots of info on HRMs. For distance running they give you great estimates of calories burned, otherwise, not so much. They have trouble with activities that aren't at a constant level of effort. They are pretty good at helping you focus your workout for a particular goal though. For example, I like distance running and my HRM helps me during my aerobic base build-up, keeping me focused on maintaining my level of effort where it should be.

    With all the information that myself and others have given you, if you you still want an HRM I'll diverge from some of the other folks and recommend something other than the chest-strap models, a Scosche Rhythm. They're optical like the wrist ones, but you wear it on your forearm where it has better contact with your skin and it uses more powerful LEDs than is typical in the wrist devices, and so it's more accurate. I have had horrible luck with the chest-strap based models. I have to replace the straps at least every 6 months, sometimes more often. And I've tried washing them, not washing them, showering with them, not showering with them. You name it and I've tried it. I've had the Scosche for about 6 months and it's been flawless. Way happier than I've been with the chest-strap ones, and I've had 4 chest-strap models, including Polars. And it's comparably priced so that's not an issue.

    I'll second the recommendation for the Scosche Rhythm+. I've used chest straps also and find the Scosche to be just as accurate and far more comfortable. I wear mine on the upper arm, around the biceps/deltoid junction, with the monitor itself on the outside of my arm and it tracks perfectly. Connects via both ANT+ and Bluetooth and will do both simultaneously, so I can have it connected to both my Apple Watch and Garmin Edge 520 bike computer at the same time.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
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    Wahoo for HRM synced with Garmin Vivoactive and Phone via ANT+ and BLE
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
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    GaryRuns wrote: »
    Lots of info on HRMs. For distance running they give you great estimates of calories burned, otherwise, not so much. They have trouble with activities that aren't at a constant level of effort. They are pretty good at helping you focus your workout for a particular goal though. For example, I like distance running and my HRM helps me during my aerobic base build-up, keeping me focused on maintaining my level of effort where it should be.

    With all the information that myself and others have given you, if you you still want an HRM I'll diverge from some of the other folks and recommend something other than the chest-strap models, a Scosche Rhythm. They're optical like the wrist ones, but you wear it on your forearm where it has better contact with your skin and it uses more powerful LEDs than is typical in the wrist devices, and so it's more accurate. I have had horrible luck with the chest-strap based models. I have to replace the straps at least every 6 months, sometimes more often. And I've tried washing them, not washing them, showering with them, not showering with them. You name it and I've tried it. I've had the Scosche for about 6 months and it's been flawless. Way happier than I've been with the chest-strap ones, and I've had 4 chest-strap models, including Polars. And it's comparably priced so that's not an issue.

    Get a universal chest strap like wahoo or Garmin. The straps are essentially disposable/wear and tear items. I buy replacements as needed. $4-6 each...

    I don't want/like/need something tight squeezing my arm.

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