Need Feedback on Decent HRM's

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ChantiC
ChantiC Posts: 137
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi, I have been looking into a getting a HRM and don't know much about them. So I thought of getting some awesome feedback from you all on MFP :) So are they really helpful, or do you think they are a waste of money? Also I am not looking to spend a large amount of money on one either. So any feedback on reasonably priced ones would be great. I thought about getting one to keep track of my heart rate obviously but also to accurately calculate my cals burned during a workout. I noticed that some dont calculate your cals burned. Thanks in advance :happy:

Replies

  • myironlungx3
    myironlungx3 Posts: 4 Member
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    I have the polar ft4 and its pretty good
    tracks your heart rate and calories burned. I think the more expensive polar watches have like gps but i don't really need it for that and this watch serves its purpose. I need to get a new strap though as i've lost mine
    when i got mine a year ago it was about £60 on ebay
  • squankmuffin
    squankmuffin Posts: 130 Member
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    Seconding the FT4. It's basic, but it works.
  • MIM49
    MIM49 Posts: 255 Member
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    If you want to read a LOT on this topic go to the line above the posts: Home Recent Posts My Topics Settings Search Click on "search" type in HRM or Heart Rate Monitor and you will get 50 pages of responses to read.
  • ChantiC
    ChantiC Posts: 137
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    Thanks! will do :)
  • Sheila_Ann
    Sheila_Ann Posts: 365 Member
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    Seconding the FT4. It's basic, but it works.

    I have the same and LOVE it!
  • DoingitWell
    DoingitWell Posts: 560 Member
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    Yeah I have the FT4 too, I figured I wasn't going to use the more advanced options on the most recent HRMs.
  • waytogoraus
    waytogoraus Posts: 38
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    I love my Polar FT4. It keeps time, heart rate, & calories burned. It's really simple to use, easy to maintain, & thus far has been really accurate.
  • BrenBringman
    BrenBringman Posts: 20
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    I LOVE my HRM!! I have the Polar FT40. (womens green one) I works while swimming also! I don't have a lot of money, so I bought mine off of craigslist for $50. :D
  • newcs
    newcs Posts: 717 Member
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    I have the Polar FT7...probably would have been just as happy with the FT4 but can't say for sure as I've never tried that one.

    I use it about 5x a week and it's really easy to use, not uncomfortable (I was worried about the chest strap but it's not noticeable) and it tells me how long my workout was as well as my calories burned. It also syncs with a lot of the cardio equipment at my gym so I can see my heart rate without having to put my hands on the sensors or look at my watch. I usually keep the display set to calories burned so it's cool to have calories on the watch and HR on the machine.

    I've had mine for a few months now with no problems. I like that the transmitter pops off the strap so I can wash the strap. It saves my workouts up to a certain number (forget how many) but I just use it to log my exercise into MFP and never really look at that day again. I figure as I get more fit, I'll us it more to get/stay in my target HR zones.

    ETA: I got mine on heartratemonitorsusa.com and used a coupon code I found by googling. Came out decently priced (just under $70) but it's actually on sale now for $69.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    Anything from Suunto, Garmin or Polar will be good. Just find the one that has the options you want.
  • Thesoundofwolf
    Thesoundofwolf Posts: 378 Member
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    Yep. Polar. They're solid and affordable.
  • mwest11
    mwest11 Posts: 89 Member
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    I bought a women's New Balance N4 a couple months ago and I love it. The watch and chest strap are comfortable and I guess what you would call low profile. I didn' want anything bulky. Here are the specs from online. Purchased from Target for about $65-$70.

    •Watch works in conjunction with the included chest strap to provide continuous heart rate monitoring during your training runs
    •Heart rate monitor mode measures total time, percent of maximum heart rate, calories burned, time in zone, maximum heart rate, lowest heart rate and time of day
    •Features 3 preprogrammed intensity levels based on your maximum heart rate; you can also create custom heart rate zones
    •Preprogrammed fitness zone (55 - 70% of maximum heart rate) is ideal for people on a low- to moderate-intensity program
    •Preprogrammed endurance zone (70% - 80% of maximum heart rate) helps burn calories and strengthen the cardiovascular system
    •Preprogrammed training zone (80% - 100% of maximum heart rate) is intended for fitness enthusiasts engaging in intense aerobic activity
    •Visual and audible alerts help you keep track of your heart rate in relation to the selected heart rate zone
    •24-hr. chronograph lets you time your workouts
    •Watch stores data from 9 previous runs; data recall shows date, total time, time in zone, calories burned, percentage fat burned, maximum beats per min. (BPM) and average BPM
    •View your workout information in low light via the electroluminescent backlight
    •Standard watch functions include time, day, date, 12- or 24-hour time, and daily alarm
    •Watch can be set to show units of measure in metric or English

    Water resistant up to 50 meters, too. Also, very easy to set up and I am terrible at being able to figure these type things out.
  • Chinadorian
    Chinadorian Posts: 200 Member
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    Polar FT4 all the way. the white one is pretty cute too!
  • vjohn04
    vjohn04 Posts: 2,276 Member
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    polar ft4.
  • hubkal
    hubkal Posts: 125 Member
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    I have the Polar FT7...probably would have been just as happy with the FT4 but can't say for sure as I've never tried that one.

    I use it about 5x a week and it's really easy to use, not uncomfortable (I was worried about the chest strap but it's not noticeable) and it tells me how long my workout was as well as my calories burned. It also syncs with a lot of the cardio equipment at my gym so I can see my heart rate without having to put my hands on the sensors or look at my watch. I usually keep the display set to calories burned so it's cool to have calories on the watch and HR on the machine.

    I've had mine for a few months now with no problems. I like that the transmitter pops off the strap so I can wash the strap. It saves my workouts up to a certain number (forget how many) but I just use it to log my exercise into MFP and never really look at that day again. I figure as I get more fit, I'll us it more to get/stay in my target HR zones.

    I would say the exact same thing!! I wear mine all year long as a watch! It helps you push though and burn the calories you need. Sometimes you think you are burning it up and look down and see 78 calories!! or you think..ah, not too hard and see 200 calories!
  • crystalflame
    crystalflame Posts: 1,049 Member
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    I've got a Polar RS300X and I love it. It's more expensive than the others because of the added features, but it's worth it to me. If you're interested in one I definitely think it's worth having - I've been able to improve my workouts by speeding up or slowing down to stay near my target heart rate. Knowing more accurate calories burned is nice too.
  • pfgaytriot
    pfgaytriot Posts: 238 Member
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    I use the Polar FT4, too, and I have no complaints. It tracks your calories burned and that's mainly what I was interested in. I've been using it for a few months and it seems pretty accurate.
  • Codefox
    Codefox Posts: 308 Member
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    I've got a Polar RS300X and I love it. It's more expensive than the others because of the added features, but it's worth it to me. If you're interested in one I definitely think it's worth having - I've been able to improve my workouts by speeding up or slowing down to stay near my target heart rate. Knowing more accurate calories burned is nice too.

    At this point, if you're a runner (and that's the only reason to buy the RS300X over another Polar monitor) I wouldn't buy that model as its fairly old. The RCX3 is basically the replacement for the RS300X and the RC3 GPS is probably the best one for runners at this point. The RCX5 is the best for triathletes.
  • ChantiC
    ChantiC Posts: 137
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    Thanks everyone:)

    really appreciate your feedback!
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,650 Member
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    Polar FT 4 or FT7. Hands down the best and most recommended on here. I have the 4 and hubby has had the 7 for over a year.

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