Polar HRMs--Questions

contingencyplan

I've come to the conclusion I need a HRM because most of my workouts are things I put together myself and logging everything as "circuit training, general" probably is not the most accurate way of doing it. I've done a lot of research and I've come to the conclusion that Polar is pretty much _the_ brand to have unless you're willing to spend over $200 on one (which I'm not) and that the FT4 is generally the go-to model for people because it offers the best compromise of features and value in their lineup. Some questions I have, though...

1. I've seen a lot of complaints by people who have had their Polar HRMs for a year or so complaining about how when the battery in the transmitter goes dead you have to replace the whole transmitter, can't just replace the battery. Is this limited to just the FT4 or other models?

2. I've noticed that on Amazon.com, as long as you're not too picky about the color, you can find the FT7 (the next model up from the FT4) for about the same price. Is there really any difference between the FT4 and FT7?

I've also been looking into other brands such as Timex. Any opinion on Timex models?

I'm planning on purchasing a HRM in the upcoming months and I want to get one that will last and has all the features I need and is accurate. So any help would be appreciated!

wellbert

Have the FT7, like you said, only a small bump over the FT4 on Amazon.

It has user replaceable batteries.

Keep in mind, it's only really accurate for cardio.

contingencyplan

Have the FT7, like you said, only a small bump over the FT4 on Amazon.

It has user replaceable batteries.

Keep in mind, it's only really accurate for cardio.

Calisthenics circuits aren't ideal for it?