For those of you with Polar HRM watches

chubbymom

Do you have to wear the chest strap? I want to wear mine all day because I find it cute. I dont mind wearing the strap when I workout, but was wondering if it will still count calories the same if I dont wear the strap?????

chubbymom

Do you have to wear the chest strap? I want to wear mine all day because I find it cute. I dont mind wearing the strap when I workout, but was wondering if it will still count calories the same if I dont wear the strap?????

songbyrdsweet

You need the chest strap to relay the HR to the watch. You can still use the watch for time, but it won't tell you the HR or calories burned.

chubbymom

Ok. My friend has another brand and she doesnt need a chest strap. Was just curious if its accurate. We did a cycle class today and her watch said she burned 800 calories!

songbyrdsweet

Ok. My friend has another brand and she doesnt need a chest strap. Was just curious if its accurate. We did a cycle class today and her watch said she burned 800 calories!

She probably has an electrode on the watch. The chest strap is generally more accurate since there are 2 electrodes and no delay of HR. The watches don't subtract the BMR, so she didn't actually burn all 800 from the class...depending on her BMR, 50-100 of those calories would've been burnt just sitting.

chubbymom

I have read that it does calculate calories without the strap??? Have you tried it?

mlillie

The chest strap transmits the heart rate- without it there is no heart rate on the watch so no calories are counted- only the time

chubbymom

Ok...so I need to wear the strap all day then. Got it.