Heart Rate Monitors/Watches

jennegan1
jennegan1 Posts: 677 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I keep on reading to invest in a HRM or Watch for more accurate reading on calories burned....Which ones work best? Do they all track calories? Unlike Pedometers not all of them do if I remember correctly

Replies

  • lucyloutoo
    lucyloutoo Posts: 522 Member
    Interested to see replies...hear so much conflicting advice on what to use
  • amandarawr06
    amandarawr06 Posts: 251 Member
    I have a Polar FT4 which I would recommend. It comes with a chest strap and a watch and the chest strap is actually really comfortable, I cant even feel it. But HRM's are only good for when you are working out. If you are looking to wear something all day, you are better off with a pedometer of sorts. I hear the Fitbit is good and I believe is also tracks calories.
  • rhondatime2chg
    rhondatime2chg Posts: 92 Member
    I have a Polar FT4 which I would recommend. It comes with a chest strap and a watch and the chest strap is actually really comfortable, I cant even feel it. But HRM's are only good for when you are working out. If you are looking to wear something all day, you are better off with a pedometer of sorts. I hear the Fitbit is good and I believe is also tracks calories.

    This - I have the Polar FT4 and absolutely love it. But am looking to buy the Fitbit Force because that will be something I can wear all day long, and tracks sleep. I will use both, if I do get a Fitbit. The Polar FT4 was very much worth the $62.00.
  • tbresina
    tbresina Posts: 558 Member
    I have the polar ft 4, not a huge fancy one but does exactly what I need it to do and I love it
  • alexandraaah
    alexandraaah Posts: 29 Member
    I have a Polar FT7 heart rate monitor which tells you your calories burnt and how long in your workout you were in the fat burning zone of your heart rate as well as what your highest and average heart rate was during the work out. It also stores your training files so you can look back and see how many you burnt on certain days for example. I wear mine to the gym and gym classes but not during the day when I am walking around etc. A pedometer may be better for determining calories burnt during the day when you're walking round.
  • jennegan1
    jennegan1 Posts: 677 Member
    Im only looking for one to wear while I work out in order to make sure if MFP accurately does track the right amount of calories. I keep reading that its off usually that alot of ppl over estimate. So Im wondering if I do the same as well
  • skyegsd
    skyegsd Posts: 14
    I have the Polar FT4 that i've only had for a week, but I would say it's pretty accurate. I'm not new to working out or counting calories so I had a somewhat accurate guess on some of my home workouts, but now the guessing game is over. It add's a whole new element of training that I've never used before, and quite frankly I'm kicking myself for not buying one of these things years ago. I know when to exert myself and when to pace myself based on the ideal "Zone" provided. After you plug in all of your stats the HRM will determine this for you.

    Also looked at the Timex HRM, read really bad reviews as far as the accuracy of the calorie counting. From everything i've read the Polar line of HRM's have a reputation for being accurate.
  • jennegan1
    jennegan1 Posts: 677 Member
    I have the Polar FT4 that i've only had for a week, but I would say it's pretty accurate. I'm not new to working out or counting calories so I had a somewhat accurate guess on some of my home workouts, but now the guessing game is over. It add's a whole new element of training that I've never used before, and quite frankly I'm kicking myself for not buying one of these things years ago. I know when to exert myself and when to pace myself based on the ideal "Zone" provided. After you plug in all of your stats the HRM will determine this for you.

    Also looked at the Timex HRM, read really bad reviews as far as the accuracy of the calorie counting. From everything i've read the Polar line of HRM's have a reputation for being accurate.

    Thanks, thats where my wondering is coming from cuz I work out in my house. Dont got that extra money to be spending on gyms. Im not new to working out really cuz Ive done so off and on over the years but new to counting calories and wondering am I really burning the right amount to loose weight
  • runningonvegetables
    runningonvegetables Posts: 14
    I love my Polar FT7, it is super motivating!
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    Im only looking for one to wear while I work out in order to make sure if MFP accurately does track the right amount of calories.

    What kinds of workouts? HRMs have God Status here on MFP, but most people are using them incorrectly and/or inappropriately and ending up with inflated calorie burn estimates.

    You have to understand that HRM does not measure calorie burn - it measure heart rate. And then it does a bunch of math roughly equivalent to what MFP does to estimate calorie burn.

    ETA: I am an HRM user myself.
  • Kevalicious99
    Kevalicious99 Posts: 1,131 Member
    Love my Polar FT4. But yes .. for things like walking I don't go by the FT4 calorie readings. But most other things I use the calories burned as a guideline. I have cut back my exercise calories burned by like near half.
  • mo7882
    mo7882 Posts: 12 Member
    Are you looking to track all day calories or just for when you exercise?

    For just exercise you should look at Polar heart rate monitors and watches.. If you are looking for all day calorie tracking then get a Fitbit.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    I have a Polar FT7 and I absolutely love it.
  • phoenixtoohot
    phoenixtoohot Posts: 5
    I believe the Fitbit just estimates calories based on your number of steps and assumes you are walking. I went back to my old Omron pedometer which counts steps, but also counts aerobic steps. Aerobic is when your "step rate" is greater than 60 per minute, and so it uses a higher calorie burn rate for your aerobic steps. In that regard, I think it's superior to the Fitbit, but of course it has no recording capability, which I'm not interested in anyway.

    The thing that has amazed me, with either the Fitbit, or any other pedometer, is the motivational aspect. My wife and I compare counts late afternoon, and we will do almost anthing to get up to 10,000 steps for the day.

    The heart rate monitor is much better for calorie burn for me, as I do a lot of cycling, rowing and tennis, and it helps me to stay in my target zone.

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