Crane Heart Rate Monitor (Aldi)

WaterBunnie
WaterBunnie Posts: 1,371 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Does anyone have any experience of these please?

I bought one from Aldi recently and it seems to work really well for heart rate accuracy (1 or 2 bpm away from what the grip sensors give me on the Precor machines at the gym) and the chest band keeps a good transmission with the machine, as long as nobody else wearing one gets too close.

The question I have is about the calorie burn estimation. Does anyone find this too high? Or have the gym machines been giving me too little? The HRM is giving me over double the burn.

I'll be delighted if I really am burning a lot more than I thought I was but need to be able to trust it if I'm to eat back without damaging my deficit.

Any advice very gratefully received :-)
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Replies

  • LazyHairyBear
    LazyHairyBear Posts: 35 Member
    Bump
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,371 Member
    Who are you calling Bump? ;-) Thanks Bear x
  • tadpole242
    tadpole242 Posts: 507 Member
    Gym HRM are always too high. My Crane HRM (aldi £13.99) is always less than MFP but is more in line with the effort I put in, so If I go guts out for a ride, I get a much higher Heart rate, than if I'm just pedeling.
    My calorie burn is 100 or so less than the calculations here or anywhere else on line. But I feel it is the more accurate reading.
    If Programmed right trust your HRM more than the machines or online calculators
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,371 Member
    My HRM is giving me about 2.5 times what the gym machine is showing though.
  • tadpole242
    tadpole242 Posts: 507 Member
    My HRM is giving me about 2.5 times what the gym machine is showing though.
    I'd say your HRM is not programmed right then, or you're not wearing it in the right place, my HR will shoot up if I am not sweaty enough to make a good contact with the chest belt, ot the belt is in the wrong place.
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,371 Member
    Thanks, but the gym machine was receiving the same heart rate - right or wrong - so that can't be it.
  • tadpole242
    tadpole242 Posts: 507 Member
    So the programming Must be wrong. Do you enter the same weight age etc on the HRM watch, as you do on the machine?
  • Brawny71
    Brawny71 Posts: 1
    Gee, I'd like to weigh in on this. Too bad they don't make them for ADULT MALE WRISTS.
  • tadpole242
    tadpole242 Posts: 507 Member
    Gee, I'd like to weigh in on this. Too bad they don't make them for ADULT MALE WRISTS.
    I'm both an adult and male, and the watch fits me must just be your huge wrists.
  • milstaxi
    milstaxi Posts: 2
    Hi, I just bought a Crane HRM (watch style) at Aldi's too. I'm wondering if you guys can help me. I bought this HRM to use while doing many different activities: Walking, running as well as kickboxing, yoga... In the directions it says to measure your stride by counting the steps in a predetermined distance. It seem like this HRM may only be useful if you're using it while running or walking. Anyone know if it would work accurately for the other activities? Thanks in advance :wink:
  • tadpole242
    tadpole242 Posts: 507 Member
    Hi, I just bought a Crane HRM (watch style) at Aldi's too. I'm wondering if you guys can help me. I bought this HRM to use while doing many different activities: Walking, running as well as kickboxing, yoga... In the directions it says to measure your stride by counting the steps in a predetermined distance. It seem like this HRM may only be useful if you're using it while running or walking. Anyone know if it would work accurately for the other activities? Thanks in advance :wink:
    Heart rate monitors are in general only useful /accurate for “steady State” exercises. Cycling Running, rowing, walking and the like, they are not really programmed for calculating activities that involved sudden burst of high heart rate, and then low heart rate, so using one for doing weightlifting and martial arts would not give you a very accurate reading. But They're better than Just guessing, and you can make your work out more intense, by watching how hard your heart is beating and working to keep it at or about 75% to 85% of max.
  • milstaxi
    milstaxi Posts: 2
    Thanks Tadpole for the reply. So even the chest HRM's aren't accurate for the activities I'd like to track? If that's the case then I might as well just keep this one an guesstimate. I thought there were some out there that will track all kinds of activities. If anyone knows which one(s) do please let me know. I don't want to return this one, only to buy a more expensive one that isn't relatively accurate either...Thanks!
  • JoshuaElement
    JoshuaElement Posts: 29
    It's a good watch. I recently purchased it (2013 version) as it has the majority of features a more expensive Suunto/Polar would have. There's a good review I found if anyone else is thinking about purchasing it - I'll link it below.

    http://www.elementwellbeing.com/tech/crane-gps-watch-review/
  • VeganAmandaJ
    VeganAmandaJ Posts: 234 Member
    Hello! I just purchased this from Aldi and using it now in fact and used it last night. It seems to work just fine, heart rate wise however the calories burned have got to be some kind of joke! it's giving me twice the amount of the machines and MFP, I mean, it would be great if true but just from the time I slept until now with sleeping and working over 10 hours of not any serious physical activity and it's telling me i've burned 776.05 cals!!! Then there is Fat which says 223.88, not sure what that is. Basically, i'm not going to follow the cals and wait to get a better HRM like next year when I can afford it or maybe Black Friday! Also, I REALLY want a FitBit, those seem to work really well from what I've heard.
  • DanaT81
    DanaT81 Posts: 18 Member
    I just bought this watch yesterday. Sorry to hijack your post! This may be a really silly question but how do I get my total calories burned reading?
  • sweetestchick13
    sweetestchick13 Posts: 1 Member
    I got one today and can't figure out how to get to the calories burned part on the watch. Anyone care to help?
  • krysiebarnes
    krysiebarnes Posts: 1
    for yoru calories burned you click mode until you get to work then clicken select until at the top it says cal. my question is how do you input your walking pace? i am so confused
  • icha3x
    icha3x Posts: 54 Member
    hey gang, just picked one up as well. seems to work great and helped big time in the water consumption. am using the timer set every 15 min to remind me to drink, best part of that is it resets itself until you turn it off.
    question though on the heart rate too.....having trouble getting it to read one. what is the trick?
    thanks,
  • violetvixxen137
    violetvixxen137 Posts: 2 Member
    I just came on here hoping to find the answer to the same question- or work out if you can program it with your actual weight ect. (lost the instructions shortly after purchase lol). I think the calories are probably too high- I burned a few just putting my runners on this morning. I never eat back calories anyway, but it would be good to get a better picture of what you're doing. I guess if its consistently innacurate, you can get a measure to compare different workouts, but if its off generally, we're stuffed ;)
  • cbuggin22
    cbuggin22 Posts: 121 Member
    Glad to see all the positive posts. I just bought this and was unsure if i wanted to open it. But for less than $20 it cant be too big a mistake. Thanks!
  • tyglily
    tyglily Posts: 1 Member
    I wanted to respond to the original question. I've been ecstatic thinking I was burning 1500 cal, yes, I'm an idiot. The main setting were on metric. Not sure how everything is going to change now, or what standard unit "sp" is. If you look at ur watch under calories and it says dl, ur using metric too. But I LOVE THIS WATCH ! WISH I could find another one to buy for my sister!;/
  • LaLaLovely76
    LaLaLovely76 Posts: 73 Member
    Thanks, but the gym machine was receiving the same heart rate - right or wrong - so that can't be it.

    I have this one as well and I was leery of the readings as well. I did a comparison of the same machine at the Y and the crane is always 200-300 more calories burned than the other readings.....
  • LaLaLovely76
    LaLaLovely76 Posts: 73 Member
    Hello! I just purchased this from Aldi and using it now in fact and used it last night. It seems to work just fine, heart rate wise however the calories burned have got to be some kind of joke! it's giving me twice the amount of the machines and MFP, I mean, it would be great if true but just from the time I slept until now with sleeping and working over 10 hours of not any serious physical activity and it's telling me i've burned 776.05 cals!!! Then there is Fat which says 223.88, not sure what that is. Basically, i'm not going to follow the cals and wait to get a better HRM like next year when I can afford it or maybe Black Friday! Also, I REALLY want a FitBit, those seem to work really well from what I've heard.

    This was my thoughts. I got it on discount for $12.99 so I can't really be too upset..I really want the Polar FT4. I'm just sooo leery of those calories burned....
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    So the programming Must be wrong. Do you enter the same weight age etc on the HRM watch, as you do on the machine?

    This!^

    Calorie burns depend upon many factors: height, weight, age, gender, and exertion level (and more). HRMs compare your resting heart rate against your heart rate while working out to estimate the exertion level.
  • Destynee13
    Destynee13 Posts: 7 Member
    The calories burned is actually pretty accurate. I was told at my gym that they machines are not That accurate and the rather the low end then someone working out and think they are burning to much. Also.. this goes by your heart rate that which is measuring you constantly. Everyone works at different levels. I loooove this watch! I use the chest band .
  • pcdoctor01
    pcdoctor01 Posts: 389 Member
    Me too!

    I loooove this watch! I use the chest band .
  • mmadden30
    mmadden30 Posts: 1
    Just got it. Question tho . .. is there a app that will sync and log my efforts?
  • saraklose3
    saraklose3 Posts: 1
    I have just bought this watch and have lost the instructions. I think I've set my max heart rate too low (150) and that's why its telling me that I"m burning so many cals more than the gym equipment. I need to change it to about 170, but I can't find the instructions and a Google search is not getting anything. Could someone who has this watch please scan and email me the page for changing max heart rate? nysremeathotmaildotcom Thanks!
  • emceerands
    emceerands Posts: 1 Member
    When you're all referring to the calories burned and thinking it seems too high, as one said, the hrm said she burned 1500 in a day.. realistically, that around spot on for sedentary activity. You want to see that hit at least 2000 in a day since you should be eating 1200-1500 calories a day minimum. It's not just monitoring the excess burned, it's monitoring it all, less the consumption of food.
  • trvd1707
    trvd1707 Posts: 1
    I like this heart rate monitor. I'm wondering if I can connect it with myfitnessPal iPhone app.

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