Heart Rate Monitors

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ngwife4life
ngwife4life Posts: 569
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm kind of shopping for a heart rate monitor and I'd like your takes on which ones to get and which ones to pass up on. If we can afford to buy one right now, it will be my reward for meeting my blog challenge goal (hopefully I'll meet it!) and if not, I'd like to know what I need to be saving up for. I didn't see a thread on this already but I've been known to be very, very blind so if there's already one that you know of, please just link me. Thanks!

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  • ngwife4life
    ngwife4life Posts: 569
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    I'm kind of shopping for a heart rate monitor and I'd like your takes on which ones to get and which ones to pass up on. If we can afford to buy one right now, it will be my reward for meeting my blog challenge goal (hopefully I'll meet it!) and if not, I'd like to know what I need to be saving up for. I didn't see a thread on this already but I've been known to be very, very blind so if there's already one that you know of, please just link me. Thanks!
  • mrsyac2
    mrsyac2 Posts: 2,784 Member
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    I have a Polar F4 it was the cheapest one I found with great ratings that did the 2 things I needed it too

    Track my Calories burned and Track my heart rate.

    I bought it at Target for 89.00 online

    Best purchase by far.

    Just becareful looking for a HRM because if you don't pay attention you will get just that a HRM that only tracks your heart rate not your calories..

    Good luck
  • markei1
    markei1 Posts: 52 Member
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    thanks for the feedback. i've been looking for one myself.
  • joelb23
    joelb23 Posts: 1
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    I second the F4. My wife and I both have one and really like it. One thinkg I have found is that the chest strap works better if you wet your skin and the sensor before you put it on. It calculates instantaneous heart rate, calories burned and tells you when you are in your zone. You set it up with your personal settings. From what I read, most of the strapless only calculate calories based off the average heart rate when you take a reading. You have to stop, put your fingers on the sensors and wait for it to take a reading. Also, some of the lower cost (~$35) versions don't use your actual weight (has a standard of 150 lbs) to calculate calories burned, so that reading will be off. Anyway, hope this helps.
  • JustAnotherGirl
    JustAnotherGirl Posts: 96
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    I have an F6...it is pretty much the same thing as an F4. The only big difference is that the F6 is coded, which means that it will not (most times) "talk" to other HRM and misread the wrong HRM. If you do not plan on working out at a gym or something I would go with the F4, but if you do workout at a gym I would highly recommend a F6. I love mine. I got it for $84 at Sports Authority. The original price was $109, but I had a coupon off for $25 if you spent more than $100. Good luck, when you find the right HRM for you, you will wonder how you ever did with out it!! Hope this bit of info helps! :smile:
  • ngwife4life
    ngwife4life Posts: 569
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    Thanks, guys!!! Important information I need to consider! I have no problems spending $90 on one as long as I know it's worth the money... and it's money we have to spend. :) It's normally not a problem but well, the military has activated my husband and we have been having issues getting him paid like he's supposed to be. So, we're a bit shorter than normal and I'd feel guilty splurging on myself before the issue was fixed. Kind of unrelated but oh well!
  • singfree
    singfree Posts: 1,591 Member
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    Sorry, Polar people, but there is an inexpensive HRM that will do everything but drain your wallet. Many of us own a Reebok Precision HRM and paid only $30, no tax & free shipping. It comes with a chest strap & watch. Yes...you do have to enter your weight, height, age, gender, etc.. It does calculate cals burned, time in & out of the zone, max HR, avg HR, fat burned, etc...

    Believe me, I am not knocking Polar (just the price). But don't believe that Polar is the only brand that will do these things. My Reebok works well, no problems, and is easy to use.
  • ngwife4life
    ngwife4life Posts: 569
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    Sorry, Polar people, but there is an inexpensive HRM that will do everything but drain your wallet. Many of us own a Reebok Precision HRM and paid only $30, no tax & free shipping. It comes with a chest strap & watch. Yes...you do have to enter your weight, height, age, gender, etc.. It does calculate cals burned, time in & out of the zone, max HR, avg HR, fat burned, etc...

    Believe me, I am not knocking Polar (just the price). But don't believe that Polar is the only brand that will do these things. My Reebok works well, no problems, and is easy to use.

    Thanks! I thought I remembered someone saying they had a Reebok but I couldn't find it. I'll take this into consideration as well when I make my decision! :)
  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
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    Sorry, Polar people, but there is an inexpensive HRM that will do everything but drain your wallet. Many of us own a Reebok Precision HRM and paid only $30, no tax & free shipping. It comes with a chest strap & watch. Yes...you do have to enter your weight, height, age, gender, etc.. It does calculate cals burned, time in & out of the zone, max HR, avg HR, fat burned, etc...

    Believe me, I am not knocking Polar (just the price). But don't believe that Polar is the only brand that will do these things. My Reebok works well, no problems, and is easy to use.

    I :love: my Reebok Precision XT
  • rlw911
    rlw911 Posts: 475 Member
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    Sorry, Polar people, but there is an inexpensive HRM that will do everything but drain your wallet. Many of us own a Reebok Precision HRM and paid only $30, no tax & free shipping. It comes with a chest strap & watch. Yes...you do have to enter your weight, height, age, gender, etc.. It does calculate cals burned, time in & out of the zone, max HR, avg HR, fat burned, etc...

    Believe me, I am not knocking Polar (just the price). But don't believe that Polar is the only brand that will do these things. My Reebok works well, no problems, and is easy to use.

    I :love: my Reebok Precision XT

    Me, too (or would that be me, three?)! Thanks again, Lauryn!
  • Brandiann
    Brandiann Posts: 905 Member
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    Sorry, Polar people, but there is an inexpensive HRM that will do everything but drain your wallet. Many of us own a Reebok Precision HRM and paid only $30, no tax & free shipping. It comes with a chest strap & watch. Yes...you do have to enter your weight, height, age, gender, etc.. It does calculate cals burned, time in & out of the zone, max HR, avg HR, fat burned, etc...

    Believe me, I am not knocking Polar (just the price). But don't believe that Polar is the only brand that will do these things. My Reebok works well, no problems, and is easy to use.

    I :love: my Reebok Precision XT

    I love mine too! :heart: :bigsmile: :heart:
  • msarro
    msarro Posts: 2,748 Member
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    I adore my Polar F11. Tracks my heart, calories, allows me to set up health plans based on my heart rate, tells me my VO2MAX, and syncs up online to the Polar website.

    Now, you may not need all of this, but I'm a geek and go gaga over bells and whistles. Plus VO2MAX is probably the very best way to track overall health/fitness.

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