Ladies HRM

letsgethealthy
letsgethealthy Posts: 47 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
What HRM is recommended for ladies, preferably one without a chest strap? I have tried one with the chest strap and no matter what I did it was horribly uncomfortable, not to mention it didn't work. Do the ones without a chest strap work just as well? I don't know what features they would all include, want one that shows accurately calories burned. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Replies

  • Runs4Wine
    Runs4Wine Posts: 416 Member
    I had one w/o a chest strap and it was wildly inaccurate. I switched a few months ago to the Polar FT4 and Love it. When I wear the strap correctly I don't have any issues.

    I find if I have the clasp thing on my left side it's less annoying. When it's on my right side it is uncomfortable and leaves marks.
  • jennifermaffei17
    jennifermaffei17 Posts: 158
    I have a polar ft4 and it works fine, it only gets uncomfortable if I adjust it too small around my waist otherwise I don't even know its there.
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    If you want calories burned to be accurate, then you are going to need a chest strap.. Plain and Simple.

    Polar is the best brand for HRM's I feel. All their straps are cloth and very comfortable... I forget I'm wearing mine half the time.
  • astunningimpact
    astunningimpact Posts: 27 Member
    I have a Polar ft4 and LOVE IT. I will say I played around with how I put the strap on. Originally the closure was on the left side and it was uncomfortable/left marks. One day the closure ended up on the right side and VOILA! :smile:

    My understanding is that HRMs with chest straps are significantly more accurate than those without, so I would probably suggest one with a chest strap.
  • alpine1994
    alpine1994 Posts: 1,915 Member
    I have the Polar FT4 and I love it. I wear the strap right underneath the elastic of my sports bra with the transmitter in the middle. I like to make sure it's tight so it doesn't slip down. It's uncomfortable for a second but then I can't even feel it (and sometimes I forget to take it off after! haha)

    I got it online for about $60.
  • letsgethealthy
    letsgethealthy Posts: 47 Member
    Is the watch part big on your wrist? The one I had looked like it swallowed my wrist, I have small wrists. I'm not entirely sure the one I had (around four years ago) was for women, though it was supposed to be.
  • Runs4Wine
    Runs4Wine Posts: 416 Member
    I have a Polar ft4 and LOVE IT. I will say I played around with how I put the strap on. Originally the closure was on the left side and it was uncomfortable/left marks. One day the closure ended up on the right side and VOILA! :smile:

    So funny it was the exact opposite side for me, but same symptoms.
  • Secondgoround
    Secondgoround Posts: 61
    I had one without a chest strap but I took it right back to the store. It was a cheapy that didn't account for height/weight or age when calculating calories burned which is a good as nothing. Now I have the Nike HRM system and it's great. I don't mind the chest strap at all as long as I don't put it on a python grip.
  • Weebs628
    Weebs628 Posts: 574 Member
    I have a Polar FT7 and the chest strap sits right under the band of my sports bra and I never notice it there. It's very comfortable.
  • a_new_dawn
    a_new_dawn Posts: 517 Member
    I had a sportline hrm (watch only model) and it was, without a doubt, the biggest pile of rubbish I ever bought....returned to the shop for a refund the very next day.

    I now have a polar model with a chest strap, and when positioned correctly, I can't even feel that's it there. It also keeps constant track of my heart rate, unlike the watch only version.
  • daylily2005
    daylily2005 Posts: 203 Member
    I have a polar ft7 and love it. chest strap is fabric, feels great! I got it on amazon for under $70.
  • BetterCrazyThanLazy
    BetterCrazyThanLazy Posts: 336
    I don't think one without a chest strap will give you an accuarate reading. I bought one a few months ago and took it back because the calorie expenditure for a 6 mile run was ridiculously high (over 1200 cals). And a lot of times on those you have to place your fingers on sensors to get the reading so you don't get a continuous reading, thus, incorrect calorie count. And it's very annoying if you are in the middle of an intense workout to stop and measure.

    I just got Garmin Forerunner 210W with GPS. I wore it to my conditioninng class at the gym (a ton of jumping, pushups, moving around and such, very similar to Insanity workouts) and I didn't even feel it was there!

    I initially tried a Garmin without a GPS and that was very comfortable too.

    Good luck finding the one that works for you!
  • PixEm
    PixEm Posts: 190 Member
    I have a polar ft7 and love it. chest strap is fabric, feels great! I got it on amazon for under $70.

    Yeah I have the same and love it!!!! It is amazing how MFP over/under estimates calorie burn. I got mine on EBay for like $80.
  • ryliejaiden
    ryliejaiden Posts: 68
    I agree with everyone about the ft4. It has a strap that is more cloth-like and less plasticky (super uncomfortable). I don't find mine uncomfortable in even the slightest way.
    The ones with the straps will give you a more accurate reading, plus you don't have to stop working out (and consequently slow your heart rate) and touch the watch to get an HR reading, it does everything for you!
    Also, keep in mind that no matter what HRM you have, you can't ever get an exact reading of how many calories you burn. Same with what you're eating. Everything is an estimate. Just sayin :)
    Good luck in your search!
  • MeeshKB
    MeeshKB Posts: 120 Member
    Another vote for the Polar FT4. I love mine, and don't find the chest strap uncomfortable at all. It sits right below the band of my bra, and if I didn't know it was there I would think it was just my bra strap I was feeling. In fact, it's so comfortable that I often forget to take it off before I hit the showers!
  • taintedbutterfly18
    taintedbutterfly18 Posts: 189 Member
    I have a polar ft4 as well. Got it about a month or so ago and love it. It has a comfortable chest strap and i really forget I'm even wearing it during my workouts. I don't leave home without it now.

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