Help with Heart Rate Monitors?

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justjenny89
justjenny89 Posts: 40
in Fitness and Exercise
Can anyone recommend a good, relatively inexpensive heart rate monitor? I have been looking at the watch-like variety, but there are just so many, confusing options. I'm interested in one to get a more accurate picture of how many calories I burn. I've been using the readings from the machines at the gym, but they don't monitor my heart rate, so I'm concerned about how that discrepancy might affect my goals. If any of you have one you absolutely love, then I would love to hear about it. Thank-you so much!

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  • justjenny89
    justjenny89 Posts: 40
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    Can anyone recommend a good, relatively inexpensive heart rate monitor? I have been looking at the watch-like variety, but there are just so many, confusing options. I'm interested in one to get a more accurate picture of how many calories I burn. I've been using the readings from the machines at the gym, but they don't monitor my heart rate, so I'm concerned about how that discrepancy might affect my goals. If any of you have one you absolutely love, then I would love to hear about it. Thank-you so much!
  • Wolfena
    Wolfena Posts: 1,570 Member
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    I've had a Polar F6 and now an F11 neither of which were particularly inexpensive (100 & 145$). I've heard good things from people who have had the F4, which starts around 75$ I think... and I'd definitely recommend the Polar brand.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    Polar makes a good one. If you're just looking for basic heart rate and calories, the F4 is ok, the F6 is better though, if you can afford it. the F11 is even better if you really want to get crazy, but they are like 200 bucks so that probably leaves them out (depending on what you call expensive I guess). Personally, I am teetering on getting an RS400SD from polar, they are specifically for running or cycling, they do all kinds of good stuff like pace, target pace, run speed, efficiency, stride...etc. but they are like 350 bucks.
  • xtraquispe
    xtraquispe Posts: 24 Member
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    I use a Mio Watch. I LOVE IT!! It's a stapless heart rate monitor that track cals in and burnt. It uses a formula from your hight, weight, age, sex to tell how many you burn. They come in like 5 models and start of at less thatn $50 and go up to $99. I have the Mio Motiva petite. I wouldn't trade it for ANYTHING in the world!!

    Hope this helps!!

    Chela
  • bonski
    bonski Posts: 49 Member
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    I Highly recommend the Polar.
    I wanted a cheap one about a year ago and got a MIO from Walmart. ($30.00) it was okay.

    For Christmas I got myself a F6 (about a hundred) and it is so much better.
    I really like it, easy to read, shows a lot more than the MIO.
    I wish I never tried to go cheap with the MIO and just went for the Polar in the first place.

    (It sounds like I did just what you are thinking of, if you can afford it get the Polar and skip the cheap one. I went from having a cheap one that I rarely used to having the Polar that I use every time I workout)

    Also I think the ones with the chest strap are way more accurate. That I think is what makes them priced higher than the ones that are the wrist units only.

    I hope this helps.
    Bonnie
  • fiddlechic
    fiddlechic Posts: 196
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    I also skipped the cheap one and bought the polar F6 in pink! love it, you can also swim with it on. search the web and you can find a dicount code to get $15 off.
  • bonski
    bonski Posts: 49 Member
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    I got the F6 in black and love it. (I think it can come in black, pink and a tea green)

    Jenny: If you get the F6 just make sure you get the woman's version, because there is also a men's version (which is bigger and more bulky. ) The women's version are sized just right for women.

    Bonnie
  • Tiddle
    Tiddle Posts: 762 Member
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    I got the F6 (in Pink:heart: ) about a week ago, and love it!!
  • Freda
    Freda Posts: 15
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    I have two; Polar F4 and a Timex. I like them both but I use it everyday and if the battery goes out in the Polar I have to send back in to be changed. The Timex I can change myself. I am not sure which one is correct in counting calories though...the Timex reads higher then the Polar does. Also, I had to send in the Timex to be repaired and have not recieved it back. I don't think I really gave you a good answer but I wanted to at least share my experience so far. Not sure if I am impressed with either one but it gets me by.

    Freda
  • justjenny89
    justjenny89 Posts: 40
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    Thank-you everyone for your replies! I really appreciate your input, and I feel like I can make a more informed decision now. You guys are great! :heart:
  • hmo4
    hmo4 Posts: 1,673 Member
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    Go to the Polar website. They show all the different models and what you'd use them for for your fitness goals. i just bought a F11 from ebay for cheaper than I could get elsewhere.
  • PhotographerOfNature
    PhotographerOfNature Posts: 452 Member
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    I love the Polar F6 and got it at Scheels for $89.

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