Heart Rate Monitor

dbrady102

I really want to get something that will give me an accurate account of how many calories I've burned whenever I'm exercising. But there are so many to choose from and I want to make sure I get a good one. Anyone have any suggestions?

Windi38

Polar!!!

I've got the PolarFT7 and it's awesome. The FT4 is also a good one, I've read.

Basically, from all that I've seen on here, you cannot go wrong with a Polar brand. I had bought another kind and had to take it back to the store. When I did, the manager there told me that they NEVER get returns on Polars. Ever. So that's what I got, and I am very happy with it.

Make sure you buy one with a chest strap, they aren't nearly as accurate without.

CassieLEO

I love, love, love my Polar Ft7. Its waterproof and so easy to use. It has a watch and a chest strap...

jenhailan

I have been using the Polar FT4. I love it and it shows you heart rate as well the amount of calories you burned. It gives a lot of information about how long you had you heart rate at the target zone. I would recommend this one, it is one of the more basic ones and isn't too spendy. Amazon has them pretty cheap!!

SweetP88

I have a garmin forerunner....I love it and the chest strap is really comfortable. The only thing is that if you are working out inside then you need the foot pod to track your calories as without the gps and it's ability to track distance (usually can't get a signal in the gym) then it won't give you any calorie info. So....the short version....it is great for outside exercise but you will need to invest a little more to get the accessories for inside workouts!!

ltf304

I have a Garmin forerunner and I love it. Make sure any one you get has a chest strap because the plain watches aren't accurate. I've heard that the Polar HRM's are great also. You can find these all on Amazon.com. Expect to pay up around 100 dollars or more. Its worth it to me so I know how many calories I am burning. The machines are not accurate and neither is MFP.....its all an estimate.

jagfan

I have the Timex Ironman Racer. I like it, but I am still trying to determine how accurate it is and what zones to use and when, etc...

llm12

After reading several posts on here, I recently decided to buy the Polar FT7. I have only had it for a week, but am already in love with it! At first, I was a bit nervous about spending $100 on a monitor, but it was well worth the money. If you are unsure, as I was, purchase one at REI. If you don't like it, you can return it without any issues there.

I think the one thing I like most about having the monitor is that I am not afraid about over-eating anymore. Before, I was skeptical of the calories MFP said I supposedly burned during a workout, so I rarely ate my calories back. Now, the monitor gives me the reasurance I need and I have been forcing myself to eat all of the calories back. The results? I am steadily losing weight again after a month long plateau!

I guess the long story short is spend the extra money on yourself because you deserve it! (and you will be thankful you did)

lindalee0315

I have a Polar, too. F11, it is fabulous. I bought it several years ago, and sent it in a few months ago to get its battery changed. I've never had any trouble with it (and it's at least five years old). It does a fit test, sets up your own heart rate zones based on those results and your stats, monitors your progress, and you can even upload information to the polar website. (I've not done this yet). Pretty slick. You can sometimes find them on ebay for a lot less (that's where I got mine).