Best HRM

kimm40p

I am looking into buying a HRM so that I can accurately track my calories burned in a day or for a specific workout. Would like one that works with MFP. Any recommendations? Does anyone use BodyMedia. TIA for your help.

bakemma

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1109712-suggest-your-heart-rate-monitor?hl=heart+rate+monitor#posts-17155149

heybales

There is NO HRM that will be accurate for calorie burn for all day tracking, as the formula's that relate a HR to calories burned is ONLY valid for steady-state (same HR for 2-4 min) aerobic exercise range of HR, from 90 to about 150-170 depending on your fitness level.
Below exercise level will be inflated, as will non-steady state, as will anaerobic like lifting or intervals.

For ease of use, this will become about the easiest, but not out yet for Android and not integrated yet, which would require MFP and Polar to do something, and Polar rarely does work with others it seems. But still very cool.

http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2013/09/polar-loop-firstlook.html

Otherwise, you gotta get 2 separate units, daily monitor, and HRM.

Cheapest Polar HRM that has required stats for a chance of decent accuracy of calories burned is RS300X.

Their cheaper models are missing the self-test and stat for VO2max, which can throw off your calorie burn easily by 30-50% either direction.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/459580-polar-hrm-calorie-burn-estimate-accuracy-study