Heart rate monitors that dont use chest strap

hnyzthms

Hi is there any heart rate monitors out that show calories burned but don't use a chest strap? UK

jempie

Would be interested in hearing about one of these! I'm after a watch that will show distance and heart rate. Thanks

BrianSharpe

The only one I've ever seen get decent reviews is the Mio Alpha

http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2013/02/monitor-bluetooth-smartant.html

jempie - if you want distance you'll need something with built in gps

MoreBean13

They exist but they're not reliable.

brianpperkins

I have a Schosche bluetooth HRM that uses an armband rather than chest strap. It was within one beat of the doctor's equipment during a fitness test.

jempie

Thanks all. Seems like there's a gap in the market unless I've missed a technical challenge.

The Scosche is an option but the reviews are less than favourable.

http://www.scosche.com/rhythm

I want a watch for when I'm playing football. Think I'll look at a pedometer watch for now, with option to get a HRM strap in the future if I decide I want it.

pinkiemarie252

The calories burned on mine was always way off. The heart rate seemed close enough to give me a decent idea though.

WalkingAlong

The Basis tracker does a heart rate measure of sorts but I think even they say it's not really the same as traditional chest strap monitoring. But if you just want a spot pulse check or something that notes when your HR is elevated, it might be ok.

http://www.mybasis.com/

The Withings Pulse has a spot HR check ability, too. Other than that it's pretty much a Fitbit in function.

MinnieInMaine

As stated above, they exist but aren't very reliable. The purpose of the chest strap is so that your hear rate is picked up and trasmitted to the watch in order to get a more accurate calorie count. If you don't use one, you're better off saving your money and just using online calculator estimates.

I have to ask...what is the problem with the chest strap? I use a Polar FT4 with a chest strap and it's perfectly comfortable. No one can see it, if that's what you're worried about. You wear it under your clothes, just below your bra line - or even tucked under your sports bra if you plan on working out like that.

eldamiano

Adidas have recently brought out a watch called Smart Run or something like that. Has an HRM incorporated.

Costs over £300 though....

rileysowner

To get an in any way accurate estimate for calories burned from a HRM it requires, notice requires, constant HR information. Generally the only way to do that is a chest strap. The simple watch type take your HR when you touch them, meaning all the rest of the time they simply assume your HR is the same meaning the calculation for calories burned is wildly inaccurate and thus useless.

Having said that, many of the manufacturers (if not all) will put a calories burned area in even on these, but that is more of a marketing tool. People want calories burned, so the manufacturers put it in even though the number is really meaningless because accurate enough information has not been gathered to actually calculate the calorie burn estimate. To use the jargon of the computer industry, Garbage in, Garbage out. If you input is not accurate as in non continuous HR information, the calories out number will be useless.

rileysowner

The Basis tracker does a heart rate measure of sorts but I think even they say it's not really the same as traditional chest strap monitoring. But if you just want a spot pulse check or something that notes when your HR is elevated, it might be ok.

http://www.mybasis.com/

The Withings Pulse has a spot HR check ability, too. Other than that it's pretty much a Fitbit in function.

The Basis may be the only exception to what I wrote earlier since it uses a different approach to measuring HR, similar I believe to the thing they put on your thumb at the hospital to measure HR. That would give a continuous HR. If it is a continuous HR measure, it would work for calculation of a calorie estimate.

scorpio516

The only one I've ever seen get decent reviews is the Mio Alpha

http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2013/02/monitor-bluetooth-smartant.html

jempie - if you want distance you'll need something with built in gps

Mio's got a new one coming out. The link: http://www.mioglobal.com/en-us/mio-link-heart-rate-band.htm . Like the Alpha, it does optical HR from your wrist, and doesn't store and info. Unlike the Alpha, it doesn't have a display and should be cheaper.

you need to have something else with you to record the data though. It's ANT+ and BT Smart, so a Garmin watch or a particular phone with the right app will record it.