HRM buying advice please - UK

tj5000
tj5000 Posts: 69 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all,

Think my "cheap" HRM has died on me so I need to get a replacement. Please can anyone advise what make and model I should get. What is a fitbit? I do some walking and jogging and general aerobics etc.
thank you in advance.

Replies

  • cgirly
    cgirly Posts: 56 Member
    Hi

    I live in the UK and bought a Polar FT4 based on lots of comments from MFP users. (I found the cheapest price on the Halfords website). It does what I need, I can swim in it, and the machines at my gym can pick up the readings from it (they are Life Fitness ones) - you can also use the online polar personal trainer with it, although you need to type in your results - it doesn't automatically upload.

    There was a another thread about this a couple of days ago (try doing a search)- I don't have a Fitbit, but from the thread I understand they are more like a glorified pedometer - so great if you do lots of walking but not if you are going to do cardio/ weights.

    Hope this helps :)
  • mazzaj
    mazzaj Posts: 1 Member
    Hi!

    I am ususally a very private person and dont write on any of the forums. How ever my life has so been transformed when I purchased my Fitbit Ultra (there is a newer Fitbit One out now) This is nothing like your run of the mill pedometer as it counts everything from the stairs you climb, the calories you burn and the sleep you sleep or don't sleep if you are one who struggles at night. It is NOT cheap although the Ultra has gone down in price on Amazon to £57 since the launch of the new one which simply has the addition of a vibrating alarm to wake you when you set it. The webiste coupled with MFP and the Fitbit is second to NONE. Visit the site www.fitbit.com and see for your self. It is revolutionary as far as I'm concerned and I can't reccommend it highly enough.

    I also have a heart rate monitor I have several, started with the basic Polar monitor for £40 but left it strapped to static bicycle at the gym. purchased a much cheaper one to replace it called Target was basic and did the job. lost that one found one in Tesco over the Christmas but the screen was just too busy and too many bells and whistles on it found it abit off putting. luckily found my good old faithful Target monitor under the bed a few weeks ago cost jus £20 (I think! ) from Argos.

    good luck!
  • nuttyduffy
    nuttyduffy Posts: 255 Member
    I second the Polar FT4 too, I love mine! I use it for both cardio (Insanity) & weight lifting.

    Think it depends what you want from it as like mazzaj said a fitbit gives you an overview of your calories burned throughout the day. I know a couple of people on here that have them but they still use a normal HEM for logging their exercise calories.

    HTH :happy:
  • tj5000
    tj5000 Posts: 69 Member
    Great thank you for the replies. I will have a look at both the fitbit and the polar ft4. It would be interesting to see what I burn throughout the day but I also like to see what I get from an individual workout.... Decisions, decisions! :0)
  • MikeInAZ
    MikeInAZ Posts: 483 Member
    Gadgets like the fitbit and body media//body bugg are NOT heart rate monitors. If you want to know your HR then you need a chest strap HRM period. Polar is the most popular brand. Most quality gym equipment will also sync with the Polar devices. There isn't much difference between the FT4 and FT7. So unless you need more storage, get the FT 4 to save a little money.

    My sister and brother in law both have fitbits, they like them. The problem is they are so small they keep losing them, and at $100 each it gets costly. Both have lost 2 each.

    You can get the Polar device which syncs via Bluetooth so you can hook it to you phone. There are a ton of Apps which it will work with. But you need to have your phone on you while you exercise, The plain old FT4 is just a watch you wear with the chest strap. In my opinion , that's better , who wants to whip out their phone to see their HR while jogging.

    Of all the gadgets I recommend the body media fit link device. It costs about $150US or less on sale. It's very accurate on the calorie burn and the information it provides is very good. But it still doesn't tell you your HR.

    Good luck, decide what matters more to you, HR or steps? BTW I have a Polar FT7 for fitness training and a Nike Fuel Band just for fun.
  • abbyy182
    abbyy182 Posts: 56
    Hi there,

    I'm in the South, just outside of London. My husband bought me a Wahoo Fitness Heart Rate monitor and it's been amazing. It comes with a chest strap. You pair it up to your phone (I have an iPhone) via bluetooth, and it displays your HR, workout time, history of workouts etc, everything for running, cycling etc ! If not, use a Polar, I have heard great reviews :smile:
  • JAT74
    JAT74 Posts: 1,081 Member
    I'm from the UK but am now in Spain. I bought a Polar FT7 around a week ago and its really helped get a more accurate reading of what I'm burning. For instance I took it on my dog walk this morning and I burned 320 cals which is great but as I'm going out for dinner and a few drinks tonight I know I need to burn off at least 250 more so will do some more exercise in the gym later.

    I have also ordered an Omron Pedometer from Amazon UK after reading reviews as I'd like to try and walk more. Will use this when I'm not training throughout the day at home and try and use the stairs more and generally try and move more than I do now.
  • tj5000
    tj5000 Posts: 69 Member
    Thank you, a reasonably accurate cal burn would be great. I already have an omron pedometer which I use every day. I also use map my run when out and about.
  • GemskiB
    GemskiB Posts: 95 Member
    Another vote for the FT4, got mine on Amazon and I love it :-)
  • nchrty
    nchrty Posts: 57 Member
    I thought you needed a cheap gift for the king or queen:happy:
  • orangesmartie
    orangesmartie Posts: 1,870 Member
    I also have a polar FT4 and find it great. i don't use any of the online features though. i just set it rnning when i start my work out and record it here. I got it from amazon.

    I did have a cheaper one which i bought online from lloyds pharmacy, but it packed up on my after about 6 months.
  • Super_Cee
    Super_Cee Posts: 12 Member
    I thought you needed a cheap gift for the king or queen:happy:


    That's very, very funny! :laugh: I think her Maj would get on with a Beurer, perhaps...:wink:
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,078 Member
    As good as the Polar FT4 is...it doens't last long, mine started having problems after about 8 months. Sent it to Polar twice for repair, it still doesn't work. :angry:
  • richym
    richym Posts: 11
    Hmm looking for the same got a FT7 in the amazon basket already but difference is £15 so keen to hear more votes for the FT4 - I may chance it anyway as seems to be plus voted enough on here already
  • Lmezz11
    Lmezz11 Posts: 619 Member
    I love my Polar FT4!
  • andiechick
    andiechick Posts: 916 Member
    Hi, I've been using my Polar FT2 for around 1 1/2 yrs now and I love it. Bought it brand new for £20 off ebay (was still sealed in packaging) and I wear it for walking, strength training, dvds and swimming and it gives me an accurate calorie burn based on my own heart rate. My friend on here bought a fitbit but has ended up selling it...she said it estimates your day's total based on any exericse you've done say in the morning. Alright if you're on your feet all day but if you're like most of us where you fit in exercise sessions as and where you can I'd go for an HRM and Polar seems to be the most popular on here x
  • Athena53
    Athena53 Posts: 717 Member
    I've got both an FT7 and a Fitbit Zip. My company wellness program awards points that get us a substantial discount on health insurance premiums for, among other things, workouts, but they have to be electronically recorded. The FT7 started failing intermittently after 2 months (would say that my heart rate was zero in the middle of a workout, or it would stick at 94 for 20 minutes and then go to 160). A new chest strap seems to be working better, but I've had it only 2 months. I'd gotten a FitBit Zip for my husband and it's simple, straightforward, and works every time. I put it in my sock when riding a stationary bike so it captures the motion. I still like to know what my heart rate is when I'm exercising, but now if the FT7 fails, I get credit for all my hard work anyway as long as the FitBit shows 10,000 steps for the day.
  • trud72
    trud72 Posts: 1,912 Member
    hi polar ft4 is the cheapest "decent" one i could find waterproof too just incase! on amazon for £47.00 :bigsmile: about 2 weeks ago! free postage!
  • caitsknox
    caitsknox Posts: 6
    im in favour of the ft4 ! got it for my birthday in january and literally love being able to see how much i have burnt and it totally pushes me to carry on
  • MikeInAZ
    MikeInAZ Posts: 483 Member
    As good as the Polar FT4 is...it doens't last long, mine started having problems after about 8 months. Sent it to Polar twice for repair, it still doesn't work. :angry:

    What kinds of problems? I've had to replace my battery a few times. Also I finally had to replace the chest strap. Now that I have the "NEW KIND" all my sync problems are gone.

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