Heart Rate Monitors??

I am in the market for a heart rate monitor and to be honest I think I could come to the same conclusion by simply banging my head against the wall! There are so many of them with endless reviews going both ways. I currently have one that has always been a bit of a pain. I don't think completely stopping for up to a minute in the middle of a workout is very effective! Does anyone have one that they have been using for awhile that they love? I'm not asking for much here I just want to know how many calories my workouts are burning. :)
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Replies

  • ChangingJosh
    ChangingJosh Posts: 37 Member
    I'm a HUGE fan of the Polar FT4 :) It's high end enough to give you a good calorie burn count yet low end enough that the price is very affordable. I got mine on Amazon for $60 I think... comes in Gray and Pink.
  • Sweigartk
    Sweigartk Posts: 6 Member
    Thank you. Do you ever have trouble getting a reading?
  • MrsSenecal
    MrsSenecal Posts: 312 Member
    Ive had three Polar HRMS. I had a FT4 a FT7 and a FT40F which I LOVE! They are worth every penny. I know many people who have stuck with the FT4 and they love it. Im just a geek who loves fitness gadgets so I keep upgrading.,

    If you wet the strap a little where the sensor is on the chest strap you will never have a problem getting readings.
  • UrbanLotus
    UrbanLotus Posts: 1,163 Member
    I'm a HUGE fan of the Polar FT4 :) It's high end enough to give you a good calorie burn count yet low end enough that the price is very affordable. I got mine on Amazon for $60 I think... comes in Gray and Pink.

    2nd this! I have the pink one, love it
  • Flab2fitfi
    Flab2fitfi Posts: 1,349 Member
    Another polar F4 user here (plus Hubby has one too). Love mine. The only thing I've had to replace in the last 15 months is the battery in the strap. Very reliable and easy to use.
  • Silver_Star
    Silver_Star Posts: 1,351 Member
    got my Polar FT4 last week :happy: i love it to bits already!

    i thought i was burning 270 cals (stoopid treadmill) ...today the HRM said i burned 328 cals..woot!

    mine is the pink one. Got it from Amazon for $60 and free shipping. the strap fits perfectly..comfy fit. M-XXL size ( thats the standard size they ship.


    *edited for typos due to my over-excitedness at my new Polar..lol
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    I have the Polar FT7 and it's pretty good. Just a tip: do -30% to the calorie burn given before recording it to MFP to account for inaccuracies.
  • norahwynn
    norahwynn Posts: 862 Member
    I purchased a Polar FT 7 about a week ago and I love it. I haven't had any problems with it and it was super simple to set up (took like 5 minutes_).
  • runningagainstmyself
    runningagainstmyself Posts: 616 Member
    I use a Garmin that syncs up with my Forerunner 210 watch. I love it. It gives really accurate readings and I have yet to see any sort of abnormal activity from it. :)
  • Sweigartk
    Sweigartk Posts: 6 Member
    Awesome! Thank you all so much! :)
  • In my opinion, Polar is the best... Ive used them for awhile. I have a ton of clients and friends that use them they love them :) Also inexpensive...Good Luck!
  • Blessedbythebest1
    Blessedbythebest1 Posts: 971 Member
    Polar 4t owner for about a year And LOVE IT! Best purchase ever along with my FITBIT!
  • xjoseyx
    xjoseyx Posts: 74
    I have the Polar FT4. I use it for walking and being in the gym. I used if for the first time this morning whilst swimming laps. Had no issues at all with it getting a reading in the pool.
  • leanne0605
    leanne0605 Posts: 183 Member
    I got my Polar FT4 last week. LOVE IT!!!
  • I'm a HUGE fan of the Polar FT4 :) It's high end enough to give you a good calorie burn count yet low end enough that the price is very affordable. I got mine on Amazon for $60 I think... comes in Gray and Pink.

    THIS
    It works very well.
  • brattyworm
    brattyworm Posts: 2,137 Member
    i use one with the garmin 610. i like it a lot... only issue i have found is if there is more then one hrm within 3 feet when you turn it on, it doesnt know which one to choose.
  • spectralmoon
    spectralmoon Posts: 1,179 Member
    I had a Polar FT4, and moved up to the Polar FT40. There's a few more functions that I use on the new one that the other didn't have, and the strap on the FT4 doesn't compare to the FT40. No more missed readings or screw ups!!
  • norahwynn
    norahwynn Posts: 862 Member
    i use one with the garmin 610. i like it a lot... only issue i have found is if there is more then one hrm within 3 feet when you turn it on, it doesnt know which one to choose.

    Once you do have it synced, do you have any issues with staying with your readings, or does it veer off and start reading someone else s?
  • RunFarLiveHappy
    RunFarLiveHappy Posts: 805 Member
    I use a Polar FT4 HRM for intentional exercise logging & a Jawbone UP activity monitor to calculate TDEE. I love them both.
  • surfrgrl1
    surfrgrl1 Posts: 1,464 Member
    I have a small wrist, so the unisex ones are too big for me. I have the New Balance N4 women's HRM with chest strap. It was purchased new in Jan 2012. Once in a while I have to reset it completely because it will pick up some interference from a transformer in the area where I would walk, but its been super.

    I bought mine at Target and probably paid $69 on sale. I have the white watch, but they have other colors now, I bought a berry colored one as a backup, but it's still in the box waiting for the other one to crap out.
  • technobunny
    technobunny Posts: 131
    I have the Polar H6 Bluetooth HRM that connects to the PolarBeat app. Your iphone becomes the HRM and it auto uploads to the online database to see your progress. I had the PolarFT4 and then the FT40, but settled on just the strap since I do everything and anything on my iphone. it is only $56.93 on Amazon. (be advised that the H7 strap has really bad reviews so don't go with that one) have yet to come across any issues with the H6 though.
  • USMCnetty90
    USMCnetty90 Posts: 277 Member
    I'm a HUGE fan of the Polar FT4 :) It's high end enough to give you a good calorie burn count yet low end enough that the price is very affordable. I got mine on Amazon for $60 I think... comes in Gray and Pink.


    I have this and love love love it - best Christmas present ever.
  • fh1951
    fh1951 Posts: 441 Member
    i recently applied for a job helping women adjust their hrm belts - still waiting to hear
  • mebepiglet123
    mebepiglet123 Posts: 327 Member
    polar F11 for me
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    I'm a HUGE fan of the Polar FT4 :) It's high end enough to give you a good calorie burn count yet low end enough that the price is very affordable. I got mine on Amazon for $60 I think... comes in Gray and Pink.

    2nd this! I have the pink one, love it

    I also have an FT4 and for a long time I loved it and relied on the numbers it gave me. I was stuck in a plateau for almost 6 months. SO, I bought the Bodymedia Link and discovered why...the HRM was WAYYYYY off and I was eating at maintenance for all that time. Since I got the Bodymedia Link I have eaten at a 400 calorie deficit (like I thought I was doing before) and lost 1.5 pounds in 2 weeks (exactly as it should be).

    My thoughts: don't trust the HRM - get a bodymedia link instead.
  • gsop22
    gsop22 Posts: 84 Member
    My vote is for the FT4 too. Just got it about two weeks ago. So far I think it's great. Don't think you need anything with more options to start. Good luck in you HRM hunt.
  • Aliviuum
    Aliviuum Posts: 67
    I've heard great things about the FT4 and the reviews pretty much speak for themselves. I'm planning to purchase one soon!
  • georgina1970
    georgina1970 Posts: 333 Member
    I recently upgraded to the FT4 from an older model that I've had for about ten years. It's still going strong. I wanted the additional functions, so upgraded. It's fantastic.
  • Morgan_Mack
    Morgan_Mack Posts: 22 Member
    I also have the polar FT4 and its fantastic!! It's extremely easy to use!
  • iWalkEveryday
    iWalkEveryday Posts: 8 Member
    got gifted a Polar FT4. I haven't yet figured out how to use all the functions but the ones I need - Calories burnt , duration, etc are perfect. I'd recommend it