Help with Heart Rate Monitors Please

TIUClare

Hi all,

I'm doing a lot of exercising at the moment and doing my best to eat lean, green and clean (although some days are better than others). My heart rate monitor has started to play up (claiming my heart rate is way higher than it is, tracking when I'm not even wearing it etc) .so I think it is time for a new one. I need the HRM to be as accurate as possible because despite the copious exercising, I don't seem to be losing any weight (could be muscle gain, I guess, but whatever). I need to make sure that my calories out are being counted correctly.

Does anyone have any recommendations for the best HRM to use?

I'm quite tempted by the water-resistant Polar watch http://www.polar.com/uk-en/products/get_active/fitness_crosstraining/FT4

I am training for a triathlon, so I need the watch to help me when I'm running, cycling and swimming and even when (if) I'm lifting (hoping the surgeon will let me go back to lifting again soon).

Does anyone have any tips / advice? I don't want to unneccessarily overspend but I don't want to go too cheap and end up with a duff product!

Thanks for your help!

bomftdrum

I have a polar ft4 and love it. It is accurate and durable. The battery lasts a long time as well.

hermann341

If it's in the budget, you might want to look at a GPS watch from Garmin or Timex. I've got the Timex Global Trainer (love it!), which was designed for triathlons.

IronPhyllida

I've splashed out and bought the Garmin 620, it's great for running, ok for cyling and water proof so good for swimming. Doestn track heart rate whilst swimming though. It went a bit bonkers when I did a 5k swim as it told me I did 10k (i wish!!). Good luck!!

Genetic_Drift

I recommend the Polar H6/H7. Providing you have a phone that can sync to it (such as iPhone 4S or later, or Samsung Galaxy S3, see here http://www.polar.com/uk-en/products/accessories/H7_heart_rate_sensor), it can be a lot cheaper than many of the watches and gives you a lot of info through the free Polar Beat app, or other compatible apps such as FitBit.

47Jacqueline

I have a Polar H7 and love it. It has all kinds of bells and whistles, but I just use it for calories and heart rate (which I ignore). It's super easy to set up and use.

3dogsrunning

The most recommended watch for triathlon is the Garmin 910xt. It also has a big price tag. It is a GPS with a HRM option. It even counts pool laps. The. HRM does not work in the water though.

If you just want straight HRM and are wondering what to get, check out this blog
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

Keep in mind when you do get back to lifting that for most strength training HRMs are pretty much useless.

CABasile

I have used Polar for quite a few years and really like them. I currently have a Polar H7, which is just the strap I wear around my diaphragm and sync to my phone to see my calorie burn, etc. (It can also sync to Digifit, which I like, because Digifit syncs to MFP so I don't have to manually enter my walking or gym workouts--Digifit does that for me.) I've been toying with the idea of purchasing a Polar FT7 or FT60 since those watches have a few functions that seem interesting. They will also sync with my H7 strap. If I make my weight loss goal this month, I get to splurge on one of them.

cokefloat1

I have the Polar FT4. Does the job from what I can tell pretty well. Have managed to maintain my loss of 1lb a week using it so I'm happy. The FT7 wasn't too much more expensive but has a few more features. Kinda wish I'd splashed out now but hey ho.

TIUClare

Thanks everyone! I think I'm going to plump for a Polar watch - will keep you posted!!