Good heart rate monitors?

Msdirection
Msdirection Posts: 54 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So thinking about buying a heartrate monitor but have no idea at all where to start. What heartrate monitors do you guys have? How do they work? What are the good/bad things about the one you have? I'm looking ideally for one that can tell me how many calories I've burnt and goes round my wrist - though I'm open to chest strap ones if people think they work better.

Thanks guys! :)
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Replies

  • carla8270
    carla8270 Posts: 15 Member
    Following this. I have one but I don't think it is consistent.
  • Goosiesnougs
    Goosiesnougs Posts: 420
    I have an old polar F4...........I have brought it to the jeweler to have the battery changed once. (I"ve used it for years) It works really well.
  • sarahcuddle
    sarahcuddle Posts: 349 Member
    Polar ft4, I think all the accurate ones have to have a chest strap but it's comfortable to wear, can use it swimming too as long as you don't push the buttons underwater.
  • Yooperm35
    Yooperm35 Posts: 787 Member
    I have an old polar F4...........I have brought it to the jeweler to have the battery changed once. (I"ve used it for years) It works really well.

    You can change the batteries yourself. I bought two sets (2 batteries per package) for the watch and the monitor for the chest strap for $12.

    The only downfall of the Ft4, in my opinion is the watch is sort of big. Other than that, I love it!
  • sarahcuddle
    sarahcuddle Posts: 349 Member
    i don't think you could change the battery yourself if you wanted to use it in the pool though. Only had mine a few months so not needed to change the battery yet
  • MelanieAnneWoods
    MelanieAnneWoods Posts: 15 Member
    I use a Polar heart rate monitor for cardio workouts and would definitely recommend it. I have had mine for about ten years so doubt that they still make the same model. As far as I am aware they all have a wrist watch and strap that goes around your chest. I would suggest the Polar FT4 as it has everything you need, not sure how much they cost but you are probably looking at about R1000 to R1500.00 (South African rands)
  • Yooperm35
    Yooperm35 Posts: 787 Member
    i don't think you could change the battery yourself if you wanted to use it in the pool though. Only had mine a few months so not needed to change the battery yet

    The polar website actually has directions in how to change the battery yourself.
  • kristen6022
    kristen6022 Posts: 1,923 Member
    I have a Polar FT4 that i just got, used once yesterday and I absolutely feel it was well worth the money paid. I have been having issues with motivation to keep my weight down after losing and thought it would help to get me off the couch and keep me going. Knowing how much I burned and having an idea of how much I wanted to burn it was easier to keep going.
  • kokalvt
    kokalvt Posts: 143
    Definitely go with the Polar...any model...I recently purchased the FT4 and I'm absolutely in love. Also, get it off Amazon...takes over 30% off!
  • clperrett
    clperrett Posts: 33
    I have had 3 heart rate monitors, the first one didn't have a chest strap and I found it very inaccurate, the 2 I have now are both Polar, I have 2, Polar FT4 and RS100 as I just fancied a new one but the FT4 is the best one of the two.

    The RS100 annoys me because it only stores the information for the last workout, and sometimes when I work out more than once in a day I'd like to compare them but it is only a small complaint.

    The chest straps are comfortable. I would never work out without my HRM now
  • rblair_22
    rblair_22 Posts: 202 Member
    I just bought the Polar FT7 and I really like it. It was easy to set up and use (used it for the first time yesterday!) and the strap was very comfortable to wear.
  • dawnkitchen
    dawnkitchen Posts: 161
    I have to echo the Polar models. I have an FT4 and I LOVE it! I have a chest strap and it's really comfortable - I hardly realize I'm wearing it.
  • Dad_of_3
    Dad_of_3 Posts: 517 Member
    http://www.heartratemonitorsusa.com/

    Based on recommendations from my friends and on this site, I got the FT7 off Amazon.
  • RedSunshine365
    RedSunshine365 Posts: 189 Member
    Am I the only one with a Garmin HRM? I really like it. Easy to change battery and very comfortable strap. Works with my ANT+ device so I can use with my iphone 4s along with many apps (endomondo, strava, cyclemeter, just to name a few). My polar sits in my drawer unused.
  • Tat2dDom0105
    Tat2dDom0105 Posts: 661
    http://www.heartratemonitorsusa.com/


    That is where i bought my Polar FT-4 from. Free shipping too.
  • bparr
    bparr Posts: 246 Member
    Bump. In the market as well and leaning toward the Polar-- want to hear all the comments.
  • 32thirtytwo
    32thirtytwo Posts: 19
    I have my eye on the FT4 as well. I'd like to hear more pros and cons of any monitors out there.
  • Msdirection
    Msdirection Posts: 54 Member
    Thanks guys! Wow, I'm definitely seeing a trend here - I think I may well end up with a Polar FT4. Thanks for the tip to look on Amazon too - found it there $20 cheaper than what it was going for on Ebay - score! Think I'll be buying one over the next few days. Any more opinions before I do though?
  • snowflakeheather
    snowflakeheather Posts: 37 Member
    I LOVE my Polar FT4. It's easy, comfortable to wear, and I love that I'm getting a much more accurate picture of the calories I'm burning. I was disappointed to see that my HRM says significantly less for many exercises than MFP calculates for me, but I'd rather know what's really going on!
  • jellybellykelly
    jellybellykelly Posts: 6 Member
    Do any of these reputable HRMs also have a pedometer built in?? I am not the greatest consumer-researcher, but from the little bit of looking I've done, it looks like all of the best HRMs don't have a pedometer that tracks steps & miles. Would be nice to have it all in one gadget.
  • 32thirtytwo
    32thirtytwo Posts: 19
    The model I've seen that has a pedometer which you can translate into miles and tracks calories burned is the BodyMedia line. But, it doesn't track your heart rate. You hook it up to your computer and it connects to the BodyMedia website then it syncs the data from the armband.
  • 99cherrypie99
    99cherrypie99 Posts: 205 Member
    I had a Polar but was really unhappy with it. Got the Garmin Forerunner with the GPS and it is AWESOME.

    jenhudsonmosher.blogspot.com
  • NareenaTheGypsy
    NareenaTheGypsy Posts: 475 Member
    Just because no one else has said it...

    Scosche arm HRM: Good and bad. But in general, I'd say no. I got mine for Christmas this past year, 2012. From day one, it started acting up. Sometimes it drops/loses my pulse in the middle of a workout. Which wouldn't be so bad except on the iPad app that I use with it, my HR drops from the 150's to around 54. It makes the data from my workout skewed badly and ruins my avg HR, etc. After only 2 months the strap started to separate.. the velcro and band itself came apart and now I have to put the band on and try to lay the velcro out before adjusting the strap to my forearm.

    I've been looking on the market for the Mio Active Connect (watch style, pedometer and all day HRM). Any suggestions from anyone on that style HRM?
  • Ke11yJo
    Ke11yJo Posts: 141
    I purchased the Polar FT4 in January.

    Sadly my experience is not that great. The transmitter will not work and Amazon won't help. Polar is non-responsive. It's like I just threw the money away. Doing a search on here you will find a couple threads of people having trouble with Polar and if you google it, it is a common problem.

    Having said that I think it is true of most makes and models.
  • Yooperm35
    Yooperm35 Posts: 787 Member
    Did you remember to run water over the electrode area of the strap before you wore it? You must also store the transmitter not connected to the wear link strap or it drains the battery fast
  • kisses4dylan
    kisses4dylan Posts: 46 Member
    I have the Polar FT4 and then purchased the FT7. I changed to the FT7 because of its ability to show the zones you are working out in based on your heart rate such as Fat Burn, Fitness, Endurance (I think is the last one) Love Love Love Polar!
  • eAddict
    eAddict Posts: 212 Member
    I'll make you a deal on my slightly used Polar FT7 since I want to buy an FT80 now..
  • mandypizzle
    mandypizzle Posts: 633 Member
    I have the Polar FT4 and LOVE it! It's been great for me! Simple and easy to use. I DID have a Timex Ironman Triathlon (something like that lol) and it was good but omg SO complicated! It always took me forever just to set it up so I got this one. So glad I did!
  • quilteryoyo
    quilteryoyo Posts: 6,550 Member
    I have had the Garmin Forerunner 210 for about a month and absolutely love it. It does have a chest strap, which I was afraid would aggravate me, but I don't even notice it is there. The watch part isn't huge, which I love because I have really small wrists. It does all I want it to do...has GPS to help determine my mileage, gives pace and distance during the run, can program in intervals (and probably other things I haven't played with yet), calculates calories, has a foot pod to use if you run on the dreaded treadmill, and you can upload all of your data to Garmin connect and analyse your workout and share with others, if you wish.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    I've got a New Balance N4 and love it, although it's the only one I've ever had, so can't compare. :bigsmile: Well, I did start out with a watch-only model, but got frustrated with that pretty fast. :noway: Don't both if it doesn't have a chest strap.

    I've had it over two years and it's worked great. Have had to changed batteries in both the watch & chest strap, but that's it!

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