most accurate heart rate monitors

nancyrom · June 2013

Does Anyone Have Suggestions On Heart Rate Monitors , I Have A New Balance But Its Not Accurate At All So Im I Looking To Buy A New One

pwcarswell · June 2013

I want to purchase one so I'm interested in what others think.

jdp9130 · June 2013

I picked up a Polar FT7 to replace my old F6 and it seems to be doing a good job.

faceoff4 · June 2013

IMO polar is the best on the market and I have tried every single brand out there. Make sure you have the correct settings on your user information as that is incredibly important. If you just need a basic model, the FT4 or FT7 are great for their price points. The higher end Polar's are great too and have things like fitness tests for vo2 levels, etc, but that is usually overkill for most. But Polar always gets my vote.

nancyrom · June 2013

I Was Looking At Those Thanks For The Info , How About That Mediafit Arm Band ?

_Waffle_ · June 2013

I Was Looking At Those Thanks For The Info , How About That Mediafit Arm Band ?

If it doesn't have a chest strap to measure your heart rate then it probably sucks. That's pretty much all there is to it. Does a doctor listen to your wrist to hear your heart?

LN2004 · June 2013

I have the Polar FT60 and I love it. It does have a chest strap and a personal fitness coach which is motivating for me. I also use bodymedia fit which is the armband that you wear all day. I find that the heart rate monitor is more accurate than the armband when working out so I wear both when exercising, especially on a stationary or spinning bike, plus you can't wear the bodymedia fit while swimming. Hope that helps.

simplyciera · June 2013

I just bought the Polar FT7 & love it. I'm not a super athlete & it's easy enough for me to train at my level without overwhelming me with stuff that I don't need. The great thing is that Polar has different versions of HRM's that help people that want to see or know different things.

The only reason that I didn't get the BodyMediaFit was that it wasn't around the chest. I wanted to see my heart rate & make sure I was working hard. It didn't make sense for the thing to be around my arm. And I certainly didn't buy other devices like the Fitbit because it was nothing more than a glorified pedometer. I learned that most devices other than HRM's do the same thing as MFP; they take your height/weight and then guestimate what you're burning based on that information and steps taken. A HRM guestimates based on heart rate & estimated energy output which inclined me to get an HRM. I'm very happy with my decision.

HypersonicFitNess · June 2013

bump; mine is cr@p It rates me at 44, 47 while sprinting uphill and 220 while strolling (not always, but you get the point). MIO motiva petite

pastryari · June 2013

davispunx · August 2013

Just in case you weren't aware of this feature, when you go to the message boards section, there is a button called search and you can type in a keyword (ex: HRM or heart rate monitor) and you can see the threads that have already been created on the topic. Good luck! :flowerforyou:

This reply is just as obnoxious as not using the search function!

seliinac · August 2013

I Was Looking At Those Thanks For The Info , How About That Mediafit Arm Band ?

If it doesn't have a chest strap to measure your heart rate then it probably sucks. That's pretty much all there is to it. Does a doctor listen to your wrist to hear your heart?

If the doctor wanted your pulse, he/she would probably take it from your wrist. They listen to the heart to hear heart sounds, not to count the heart rate.

TeaBea · August 2013

I Was Looking At Those Thanks For The Info , How About That Mediafit Arm Band ?

If it doesn't have a chest strap to measure your heart rate then it probably sucks. That's pretty much all there is to it. Does a doctor listen to your wrist to hear your heart?

If the doctor wanted your pulse, he/she would probably take it from your wrist. They listen to the heart to hear heart sounds, not to count the heart rate.

Well .... this isn't exactly how a heart rate monitor works.

A chest strap is better than a wrist (or arm) model because it is measuring electrical activity ..... not your pulse. A chest strap model is a constant measure ..... where as a wrist model measures from time to time. There are also wrist models that are less accurate when you are moving ......go with a chest strap if at all possible.

http://www.heart-rate-monitor-watches.com/types-of-heart-rate-monitors.html

Katzakeen · August 2013

I used to have HRM that took your wrist reading but it NEVER worked right and I hated it. I recently got a Polar FT4 and LOVE it!! It has the chest strap (feels like part of my bra, not uncomfortable at all), alerts me when Im in or out of my target zone, and it was decently priced (amazon.com). Its really easy to use and I find that I love checking to see where my heart rate is at. It helps alot when Im doing intervals on the treadmill.
I have one and the hubbs does not, but he has really like the performance of mine so I imagine he will be getting a Polar one here soon!

bahadiraktug · November 2013

Heart rate is not most important thing in loosing weight... Long and 5-6 time walk in week... Thats it...

morkiemama · November 2013

I will put my vote in for a Polar (I personally have an FT7 and LOVE it).

I just wanted to leave a bit of information here for those who aren't well-versed in HRMs:

HRMs are for tracking steady state cardio only. It is important to note that HRMs are not accurate for weight lifting and will not give you an accurate burn. They are also not meant for HIIT. Temperature extremes and daily burn tracking (e.g. I wear it all day to find out what I should be taking in) are also inaccurate. HRMs are for steady state aerobic exercise only!

This is a helpful blog post for understanding HRMs:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/the-real-facts-about-hrms-and-calories-what-you-need-to-know-before-purchasing-an-hrm-or-using-one-21472

If you are looking for a daily burn tracker, I would recommend looking into the Bodymedia Fit. I just ordered a LINK myself and I am excited to get it.

most accurate heart rate monitors

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