Heart Rate Monitor

jer2kat
jer2kat Posts: 71 Member
edited September 21 in Fitness and Exercise
So I would like to get an accurate reading of calories burned and I've heard numerous times a heart rate monitor is the way to go. The problem is I was looking at them online and there are literally hundreds to choose from. What should I look for in a good HRM and what features does everyone use most and find most helpful? Also if you use a HRM which one is it and what is your opinion of it?

Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • Kmill217
    Kmill217 Posts: 204
    First, what is your budget.

    Polar is among the favorites mainly beause it offrs a lot of options/durability for price.

    I prefer a HRM with chest strap. They will be more accurate too.
  • SassyMissDasha
    SassyMissDasha Posts: 614
    Everyone says a Polar F7 is the best choice, and make sure it has a chest strap. I can't afford one right now. But I posted an add on Craigslist to see if anyone is willing to give theirs away.
  • funkyspunky871
    funkyspunky871 Posts: 1,675 Member
    I have a Polar F6... Or maybe it's F7, I don't know for sure right now. It tracks your calories burned and your target heart weight. It'll beep and stuffs when you need to get your heart rate up or when it's getting too high. Really cool. I'm now a pro at using it and I just got it two days ago, so yeah, really easy to use. Oh, and I though this was awesome: You can swim in it! Yup. :) And, and! It's PINK! Just saying.

    As for features that are most helpful, I really like that it tracks your calories for entire weeks. That way I can go back and look at my totals.

    Dasha's right, they're really expensive. Luckily, I'm just a high school student, so I didn't have to pay for mine all by myself. I think mine cost around $100. But, really, it's not that bad considering everything it does and how long it lasts. (I think the battery has a year and a half lifetime)
  • lilchino4af
    lilchino4af Posts: 1,292 Member
    My husband surprised me with one for my Valentine's Day gift (I'd been talking of wanting one). He did research and said it seemed like the best one in terms of features vs. price vs. customer reviews. It's an Oregon Scientific SE300 and is cheaper than the Polars and comes with a chest strap. He got it from Amazon.
  • jer2kat
    jer2kat Posts: 71 Member
    First, what is your budget.

    Polar is among the favorites mainly beause it offrs a lot of options/durability for price.

    I prefer a HRM with chest strap. They will be more accurate too.

    My budget is pretty tight but I can always save up what I need to it just might take longer then I want. lol
  • 00trayn
    00trayn Posts: 1,849 Member
    My Polar F6 is from Amazon.com and it was $80 on sale. It's great so far, I just got it last week. It's the one model I see most recommended on the boards on here.
  • surlydave
    surlydave Posts: 512 Member
    I am getting the Polar FT7 based on many thing I have read on here (by getting I mean literally I am going tomorrow to buy it). If you search the posts for "heart rate monitor" you will see tons of posts, but there is a link out there to a very well written blog post about the science behind these things and which ones are best. Chest strap is definitely necessary to ensure accuracy.
  • jer2kat
    jer2kat Posts: 71 Member
    So the Polar FT7 and F6 seem to be popular. I will have to look into those. When I was searching online I found the Garmin Forerunner 305 which is a little pricey but seems to be worth it. Does anyone have it or any thoughts on it?
  • spiralgirl71
    spiralgirl71 Posts: 374 Member
    Last fall I was going to get a Polar F11. I got a cheap-o non-Polar one for about $30 instead. While it worked fine at home, it went bananas at the gym. With HRM I believe you get what you pay for. If I had a do-over, I would have waited a bit longer and gotten a Polar.

    Right now I'm waiting for a Fit Bit to ship.
  • LoriLou67
    LoriLou67 Posts: 173 Member
    I have a Polar...an F4 - which I think is probably not available these days. I have never had any problems with it, the battery in the watch has been replaced once. I have had it for approximately four years. Whatever you decide, go with one with a chest strap - for accuracy. And no, it's not uncomfortable - hardly know it's there! Definitely check amazon for prices! Happy saving and shopping!
  • MisdemeanorM
    MisdemeanorM Posts: 3,493 Member
    I love my Polar. Get at least a 6 so it won't pick up other people's signals at the gym. If I had the extra $20-30 or whatever it was when I got it I would have gotten the 11 just for the softer chest strap. But I do love mine. I highly recommend it too because the machines at the gym tell you like 2x too much on the calories and will make you over eat. Plus you can also clock things like housework etc too.
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