What heart rate watch should I buy?

Tinapov

Hello,

I m looking for a good inexpensive heart rate watch that show's me how much calorie's I burn! ANy suggestions?
Thank you

tjames719

bump

pammyedmunds

I have a Timex Ironman Easy Runner..it comes with a chest strap. I love it. if you get anything make sure it comes with the strap its the most accurate.

hyde1977

You can read through the Community section! Lots of posts about HRMs

I have the Polar FT4-

whatever you get just make sure it has a chest strape! so worth the investment!!!!

RinaMax

Polar FT7...Just got it for my bf. Don't cheap out on a heart rate monitor. Most of the ones that are $50 tend to be inaccurate and require you to press your finger to them to measure you heart rate every few minutes. I have the Polar F7 and have had it for several years. I have never had issues with it and love it. If you can find that one, it will probably be cheaper than the Polar FT7 by a bit.

Nikki_Gets_Fit

Well I have the Sportline 1010 Duo. I think it was around $50-60 at ****'s Sporting Goods. It also comes with a band you put around your chest so you don't have to keep touching it to get your heart rate. It does show calories, but I have to play with it for a couple minutes in order to reset it when I'm ready for a new workout. But once I get it going, it works great! Maybe I'm just not reading the instructions right *shrugs*

bisky

I like the lower end Polar monitor. I think it is the F7. I like it because you input your age and weight for a more accurate calorie burn. The higher end Polar are much more accurate but very technical. They may have upgraded this monitor to FT-7. My husband got a cheap timex one and it is great for just heart rate but not calories burned.

Tinapov

So the Polar one show's you the heart rate and the calorie's burned?

puggleperson

Yep! Polar shows calories burned, how long you worked out, It tells you when you are in or out of your heart rate "zone" You burn the most fat when in your" Zone", so obviously by saying that it also shows your heart rate. It can do other things as well but I don't usually mess with the other things because I am not tech savvy! I bought a diff HRM before my polar and took it back, it sucked and was too difficult. I love my polar HRM with chest strap. It makes workouts so much more worth it for me, and more fun!

27strange

The Polar FT4 or FT7 models are my recommendation. The FT4 can be purchased from Amazon around $55 and the FT7 around $75. These Polar's have the chest strap and measure heart rate and calorie burn. The differences between the FT4 and FT7 are minimal... 3 things. 1) FT7 can store data for 99 workouts, the FT4 10 workouts. The FT7 shows which heart rate range effect you are in, whether fat burn range or fitness range (more of a novelty than anything else unless you are needing to manage and maintain what heart rate range you are in while working out.) 3) the FT7 is capable of uploading workout data to the Polar website, though you have to buy an additional computer adaptor for this I believe.

I have the FT7 and really enjoy it!

alimoll

I just bought the Polar FT4 on Amazon.com! Thanks for the info everyone! Love MFP!

jadior

I have the Polar FT4 and love it!! Best investment ever

Tinapov

Thank you I think I will go for the Polar

katjohn83

Everything I ahve read says don't bother. Just guess how many calories you are burning. You will be just as accurate.

dad106

Everything I ahve read says don't bother. Just guess how many calories you are burning. You will be just as accurate.

This is awful advice.. You will not be just as accurate by guessing. Anything can give you a calorie burned number.. but there are lots of different ways to calculate them and some methods are more accurate at estimating then others.

I personally have a Polar FT7 which I love. The calorie estimate is spot on and its really easy to use/set up.

Ideally your looking for an HRM that lets you enter all of your stats(height, weight, age, sex and Vo2Max if allowed) and has a chest strap. HRM's like TImex and Sportline generally don't do all of those things, so I'd be wary of buying one of those.

katjohn83

Everything I ahve read says don't bother. Just guess how many calories you are burning. You will be just as accurate.

This is awful advice.. You will not be just as accurate by guessing. Anything can give you a calorie burned number.. but there are lots of different ways to calculate them and some methods are more accurate at estimating then others.

I personally have a Polar FT7 which I love. The calorie estimate is spot on and its really easy to use/set up.

Ideally your looking for an HRM that lets you enter all of your stats(height, weight, age, sex and Vo2Max if allowed) and has a chest strap. HRM's like TImex and Sportline generally don't do all of those things, so I'd be wary of buying one of those.

Yeah and just what is your Vo2 max and how do you accuratley determine that? And how does a HRM monitor that? Also how does a HRM monitor increased heart rate due to environmetal or other issues not due to exercise?

vampee

I have been looking at HRMs as well (for future investment when I get extra money) and wondering which is best. I do have a question about the polar models. I read that when you need battery replacement that you have to send in in to be replaced. Is this true for all polar HRM or just on the one I read about? And do these models also require being sent in for battery replacement?

dad106

Everything I ahve read says don't bother. Just guess how many calories you are burning. You will be just as accurate.

This is awful advice.. You will not be just as accurate by guessing. Anything can give you a calorie burned number.. but there are lots of different ways to calculate them and some methods are more accurate at estimating then others.

I personally have a Polar FT7 which I love. The calorie estimate is spot on and its really easy to use/set up.

Ideally your looking for an HRM that lets you enter all of your stats(height, weight, age, sex and Vo2Max if allowed) and has a chest strap. HRM's like TImex and Sportline generally don't do all of those things, so I'd be wary of buying one of those.

Yeah and just what is your Vo2 max and how do you accuratley determine that? And how does a HRM monitor that? Also how does a HRM monitor increased heart rate due to environmetal or other issues not due to exercise?

I suggest you read this article.. it will answer all of your questions and more.

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

It's called doing research hun.. and I suggest you do some before totally discounting HRM's.

dad106

I have been looking at HRMs as well (for future investment when I get extra money) and wondering which is best. I do have a question about the polar models. I read that when you need battery replacement that you have to send in in to be replaced. Is this true for all polar HRM or just on the one I read about? And do these models also require being sent in for battery replacement?

Only the older Polars(the F series) require that you send them in. The newer models(FT series) allow you to change them yourself.

katjohn83

Everything I ahve read says don't bother. Just guess how many calories you are burning. You will be just as accurate.

This is awful advice.. You will not be just as accurate by guessing. Anything can give you a calorie burned number.. but there are lots of different ways to calculate them and some methods are more accurate at estimating then others.

I personally have a Polar FT7 which I love. The calorie estimate is spot on and its really easy to use/set up.

Ideally your looking for an HRM that lets you enter all of your stats(height, weight, age, sex and Vo2Max if allowed) and has a chest strap. HRM's like TImex and Sportline generally don't do all of those things, so I'd be wary of buying one of those.

Yeah and just what is your Vo2 max and how do you accuratley determine that? And how does a HRM monitor that? Also how does a HRM monitor increased heart rate due to environmetal or other issues not due to exercise?

I suggest you read this article.. it will answer all of your questions and more.

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

It's called doing research hun.. and I suggest you do some before totally discounting HRM's.

I have read this and he does explain that HRMs do not measure calories. period.

dad106

Everything I ahve read says don't bother. Just guess how many calories you are burning. You will be just as accurate.

This is awful advice.. You will not be just as accurate by guessing. Anything can give you a calorie burned number.. but there are lots of different ways to calculate them and some methods are more accurate at estimating then others.

I personally have a Polar FT7 which I love. The calorie estimate is spot on and its really easy to use/set up.

Ideally your looking for an HRM that lets you enter all of your stats(height, weight, age, sex and Vo2Max if allowed) and has a chest strap. HRM's like TImex and Sportline generally don't do all of those things, so I'd be wary of buying one of those.

Yeah and just what is your Vo2 max and how do you accuratley determine that? And how does a HRM monitor that? Also how does a HRM monitor increased heart rate due to environmetal or other issues not due to exercise?

I suggest you read this article.. it will answer all of your questions and more.

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

It's called doing research hun.. and I suggest you do some before totally discounting HRM's.

I have read this and he does explain that HRMs do not measure calories. period.

Exactly... they give an estimation of calories burned because nothing can exactly measure calories as I've stated before.

HRM's can only give an estimation of calorie burned.. and some are more accurate then others. They are sure a hell of a lot more accurate then making up a number yourself.. unless you have some sophisticated formula for figuring out an estimation of calories like the people at Polar and Sunto do.. which I highly doubt.

rml_16

The Polar FT4 or FT7 models are my recommendation. The FT4 can be purchased from Amazon around $55 and the FT7 around $75. These Polar's have the chest strap and measure heart rate and calorie burn. The differences between the FT4 and FT7 are minimal... 3 things. 1) FT7 can store data for 99 workouts, the FT4 10 workouts. The FT7 shows which heart rate range effect you are in, whether fat burn range or fitness range (more of a novelty than anything else unless you are needing to manage and maintain what heart rate range you are in while working out.) 3) the FT7 is capable of uploading workout data to the Polar website, though you have to buy an additional computer adaptor for this I believe.

I have the FT7 and really enjoy it!

One important thing: If the FT4 is equivalent to the F4, it will pick up interference from other HRMs nearby, so if you work out in a gym, it might not be accurate if someone nearby has an HRM, as well.