Heart Rate Monitor Help

Vanembryzoe

I am looking for a heart rate monitor. I am really unsure on which is the best. I am looking for accuracy and ease of use. I don't know if it is a feature all have, but I am wanting one that will tell me how many calories I have burned also. All the ones I have seen either come with a chest strap or its a watch that you have to hole your finger to. are there not any that you don't have to hold your arm up to your chest or your finger to your wrist? It seems they would come up with something that constantly monitored your heart rate to get a more accurate reading. If I am just missing something please let me know. Thanks!

DenverKos

The ones with the chest strap have the best feedback for being more accurate than ones without a chest strap. I dont know which ones you've been looking at, but you don't hold your wrist up to the chest strap - it transmits to the "watch" and you just read it like you're checking the time. My monitors constantly as long as I'm wearing the chest strap.
I have a Suunto, and my husband has a Garmin Forerunner. The garmin is cool. It's a bit larger than others, but it also has GPS in it and tells you how fast you're going, and your elevation gain/loss. It also connects to the computer so you can download everything, and compare your heart rate against your speed and elevation which is kind of cool for us since we cycle.
If you want something simple, check out Timex, Suunto or Polar. Polar is cool since it will sync with a lot of exercise equipment in gyms and what not.

CatGrooms66

I have the Polar ft4, its very basic, easy to use and accurate. It has a chest strap but it constantly monitors. One button to switch between heart rate and calories, and if you're on a machine at the gym they usually sense your monitor and sync. It was only $90.

SarahMorganP

Where did you get your Polar kytten?

NAMsMommy

I got mine at big 5, but you can find them at Target or even a local fitness supply store.

Vanembryzoe

Thanks guys I have never used one before and was only going by what I had looked at online.

rana_bear

i have the polar FT4 and love it.

Taratruex

Look into bodymedia and their arm band I love mine! Calculates calories in out and sleep

natini

Polar Ft4. I love it and dont exercise without it.

vs1023

I have the polar f7 with chest strap in pink and I love it! Around $100

Tiffysinsanity

I used to have the Polar blue tooth and had to pass it along to my hubby. My phone's bluetooth wasn't strong enough to keep it accurate. So I just yesterday got the Polar FT4 and Love it so far. It's so simple, comes with a chest strap, tells you how many cals you burn and when your heart rate is falling above or below the Maximum burn area. I was recommended this one by a friend as well. She's had hers for 4 or 5 months now. Whatever one you get just make sure to take care of the chest strap, regular rinsing and all that. Good Luck

Capone007

I have a Polar also, got mine here...and this is the one I have (female in black):
https://www.healthchecksystems.com/Polar_FT40_Heart_Rate_Monitor.cfm

I love it. Also, the only thing I do have it set to do when I wave it near my chest strap...is it tells me what time it is. Otherwise, I don't need to have my watch anywhere near the chest strap. It does a lot!

alikat5544

I just got a polar FT7 and used it for the first time tonight. I love it! My husband got it off Amazon for 85 and the link up system was 50.

Swoopette

I have the polar f7 with chest strap in pink and I love it! Around $100

I also have a Polar F7 and I use it everytime I go to the gym. Lots of people wear it around the house when they are doing house work and stuff. If I am shoveling snow or raking the yard I put mine on. Great feed back on this one for sure!!!

Nikki582

I have a Suunto M4 - it's cute and does the trick. It tells the time, measures my heart rate, records my max heart rate, tells me calories burned, had a workout timer and at the end of a session it gives me the run-down of my work out (which I can look at later to record it down)
I like it It was $110AUD

JCGilbert

Polar FT4 is pretty basic. I got mine at Sports Authority for about $60 bucks. You wear a watch that communicates w/ a connector that snaps onto the chest strap. Wet the electrode sensors on the chest strap, snap on the connector, fasten the strap around your upper rib cage and press start on the watch. It's THAT simple!!

heybales

You also mentioned accuracy was important.

Accuracy for getting the heart rate is going to be equal across the types. Chest straps best, wrist straps next, finger pulse checkers worst. Chest straps for instance have all been using the exact same technique, and comfort and size would be a better factor.

For the other part of accuracy is getting the readings to the monitor. That's where some options come into play.
Digital or Analog, and ease of re-pairing them in case of interference with others.
Analog has more chance of being effected, but better chance of working with gym equipment (more on that later, may not matter).

The other aspect is the transmitter and radio, good or bad. More expensive are likely to have better of both, which means better on battery life. Some may put out a weak signal on the transmitter, turning the radio up high on monitor to read it, and wasting the battery on the watch where you can replace it easily. But the transmitter is not field replaceable, but since it runs a low power it runs a long time.
Others allow you to change the transmitter battery too, and those may put out stronger signal, knowing you can replace it.
Cheaper units may have weak transmitter and receiver, and weaker non-replaceable batteries.
So the name brands by companies dealing a long time with HRM specifically or sports equipment in general have better specs usually. Polar, Timex, Suunto, Garmin, ect.

Then the accuracy gets down to what do you do with the data.
If all you get is a read out of HR while working out, then pretty simple.
Like most using them, you like to have more data probably.
Minimum desired is calorie count usually.
Perhaps stats at end of session, max, avg, low, time in a certain zone, ect, so you can improve workouts.
Perhaps zones with optional audible alarms when you get serious with workouts and pushing the limits, or trying not to.

Next comes accuracy of the calorie estimate.
For good estimates that are more accurate, the monitor needs to know from you, in order of importance, weight, sex, age, max HR, resting HR. The more the better. And the more accurate that data, the more accurate the estimate.

This is where using the strap with the exercise machines, or the Garmin x05 series, looses accuracy.
The Garmin does not use HR in the calorie estimates. Weight and pace tables like you could look up on a website. The x10 series uses HR.
Machines, while displaying the HR, and willing to display the calories burned, usually don't use the HR in those calculations. For one, the most info I've seen them ask for was weight and age on one specific machine. Usually just weight. And they also base estimate of calories on avg pace tables.
So if interested in accuracy, don't worry about which ones work with the machines you'll use. If you just want to observe your HR easier, fine and dandy. But bring your own monitor and set it on the machine if you don't want to wear the band.

Other features that may be nice.
Chronograph of course for recording your workout time. Laps for different parts of the workout or such, and if avg HR given for each one, even better. And if HR is only recorded while chrono is going, even better.

Countdown timer might be nice option.
Interval timer is great if you make progress to that. (set 3 min and 1 min, repeat so many times or continuously).

Comment on the BodyBugg/BodyMedia/SenseWear/FitBit type of device. Not meant for getting accurate with workouts. Study has shown they are way off. They can be great to get your daily lite activity, and walking, but start losing it when you really work out - they have no HR monitor, and that is the most accurate means barring expensive equipment, to estimate calories during exercise with HR between 90-160.