HRM for Kids - ?

mitch16

I'm considering getting a HRM for my 12-year-old (very active) son... He runs 5K races with me, he plays soccer, he skis competitively, he plays lacrosse year-round. He is small of stature, which I'm convinced is because he doesn't eat enough to sustain his metabolism. Seriously, he's like a hummingbird--always on the move and he gets nasty if he doesn't eat something every two hours. Part of the reason I was considering a HRM is so that he can time his splits in races, but I also thought it might be useful for him to be able to see his caloric burn and realize how much food he really needs to eat to keep his body going.

I have a pretty plain Timex HRM that I love--it suits my needs perfectly. Being a kid, he loves the Nike Fuelband commercial (he's a marketer's dream). I also see comparisons to the Fitbit... Anyone have any experience with any of these in kids? What about the download capabilities? Are there options if he doesn't have an iPhone? He doesn't have a smartphone, but he has a net book computer and will be getting a Kindle Fire for Christmas?

Thanks!