The Best Calorie Counter Watches

The watch ones are not nearly as accurate as the ones with chest straps. With most of the watch ones you have to either push a button or touch the face plate to get your heart rate. If it isn't getting a constant heart rate reading then it isn't a very good estimate. If you are going to spend the money I'd suggest getting one with a chest strap. You can get them pretty for not much more.

I have several friends on here that use the Sportline HRM that you can get for a reasonable price at Wal-Mart with a chest strap. The watch ones without a chest strap only use the heart rate from when you stop to check it. To get an accurate calorie count you need one that constantly reads you heart rate. If you are worried about the comfort of the strap (like I was) they really aren't even noticeable.

Personally I use a Garmin HRM with GPS since most of my exercise is hiking/walking/running outside.

I have and love the polar ft40. Chest strap syncs with the machines at the gym, great memory, all around awesome..

So I'm looking at the different calorie counters out there and I'm honestly not sure what I'm looking for. i feel a little overwhelmed. I want something that is a watch too because I need one, but I don't understand the chest strap thing or the options. I've been reading what's on this thread and appreciate when people are putting their models in because it gives me a point in all the mess to look up...

I'm looking for something relatively inexpensive but have flex to make sure I get what I want...but I don't know what I want...I'd love to have a better idea of what I'm burning for calories in a day though. I think it would help me a lot

Does it do HR only or a calorie burn count?

and I'm a ditz and actually searched it and found the features to answer my own question :P

Anything you wear is just providing an estimate, just like manually entering the activity into the MFP activity database does, though the devices that use your body motion or HR are likely to be a little bit better estimates. I only mention it because people use the term 'track calories' as if it's a hugely different thing than just entering your workout in the database.

please advise on which is the best calorie reader. also do u think i should get the one with a chest trap?im a girl. im thinking of getting the nordicTrack CardioTrack Combo Heart Rate Monitor Watch. says it wrks with or without straps cost $190,

You're not going to get a meaningful answer without some more detail about how you use it. Note that all methods of estimating your calore expenditure only provide an approximation, the accuracy of which varies depending on whether you're using it for what it's designed for or not.

An activity tracker like a fitbit or Jawbone is essentially an expensive pedometer, and bases the approximation on step counting. That's fine for all day use, but is vulnerable to inaccuracy if you move your arms a lot, or if you do something that doesn't move your arm a lot like cycling or rowing. Lots of people rave about them, personally I don't see much point.

A Heart Rate Monitor will measure your heart rate and approximate expenditure based on that, the accuracy is best if you're dong a consistent steady state activity, they get less acurate if you're doing something where your HR is fluctuating. I would not recommend something like that for all day use.

In principle the two can be complementary.

Personally I'd advocate an HRM if you're doing a decent level of exercise, but as far as calorie expenditure is concerned, just be aware that it's an approximation.