Recommendations for a Heart Rate Monitor

lidybug1984

I'm planning to buy a heart rate monitor to track the calories I'm burning but there are so many to choose from... I'd like to stay under $100 but want something accurate. Please tell me what you've had good luck with and what you'd stay away from. I appreciate any guidance!!

mmk137

you can't go wrong with the polar ft4, it's a great starter hrm.

if you have more money to burn, then go the polar ft7.

if you want features like gps, or a trainer, then you wil have to fork out more.

And if it doesn't have a chest strap, don't get it.

megmay2591

Ft4 is awesome.

sondyscraps

I was just about to post something like this!

lidybug1984

The polar ft4 looks like what I need and I've found it for a reasonable price... I think I'm leaning towards that one. Thanks!!

shutterbabe

I was wondering this myself! Is the chest strap really necessary?

meshashesha2012

I was wondering this myself! Is the chest strap really necessary?

another vote for the polar ft4. i have the ft60 and it does more than what i need. i really only wanted something that tracked my heart rate, calories burned and that i could change the battery myself. the ft4 does that but it loads cheaper.

and yes you really need the chest strap. it's the most accurate way to get your heart rate and calories burned without having to hook yourself into a bunch of tubes and oxygen masks :laugh:

AmyRhubarb

I was wondering this myself! Is the chest strap really necessary?

I would say yes on the chest strap - I started with a watch only model, and you had to simply touch two fingers to the front of the watch to take a heart rate reading. Of course it only gets your heart rate when you pause to do that during your workout, and then it didn't always read right away forcing you to stop your workout to take another dang heart rate, and since it's not reading it continuously it's really not that accurate anyway....

So I started shopping around for something with a chest strap. Polar is the most popular here. I got a New Balance N4, also a chest strap/watch combo. Use the search feature here -HEAPS of threads on this very topic (it gets asked every single day). Read the info here, narrow it down to what you might be interested in, then look those models up on Amazon - read the customer reviews there too - great info.

Then find the one you want either online or in a store. Target has Polars and the New Balance N4 - start at $70. Cheaper online, and if you're really frugal (and patient), look 'em up on eBay - I got mine brand new in the box for $26.

Good luck!

adalychee

I am looking at HRMs too. I love data, so I always go running with the iPhone app RunKeeper; it says on the site that it can sync the data it collects with the heart rate file from a polar device. Does the ft4 have a way to upload the data to the computer, or is that only with the more expensive models?