Buying a Heart Rate Monitor

cyoung0317
cyoung0317 Posts: 31
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone!

I was looking into purchasing my first HRM, but I am getting overwhelmed! I am a college student, so I'm looking for something affordable, or maybe I will splurge, as long as it is a reliable device. I've done my research and many articles have posted that the Polar brand HRM are the best value. But, I have also heard that the Timex Trainer series is a good start for a beginner's first HRM.

I guess my question is: if you have purchased a heart rate monitor recently, which did you buy, how do you like it, and how accurate has it been for you?

Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • luckydays27
    luckydays27 Posts: 552 Member
    I have a Polar FT60 and love it. I feel as though its been accurate in helping me with the type of workouts I do (as well as my fitbit).

    BUT for the money, I would have gotten the FT4 or 7 and saved about $60 or more. The reason for this is the FT60 and higher end models include a workout planning program and I dont use it. The lower models do everything I need (measure heart rate and spit out a calorie burned number). Had I known this at the time I would have saved the money.

    I dont regret my purchase but when my sister was looking for one, I told her this same info. She is buying the FT7.
  • Jollybeard
    Jollybeard Posts: 38 Member
    I second the recommendation for a Polar FT60. Inexpensive and durable. I've had mine for a couple of years. As long as you let it dry out between uses, it will last for a long time. As a precaution, I change out the batteries in the watch and the chest transmitter every 6 months if only to forestall moisture damage to the terminals.
  • SpiffyMom87
    SpiffyMom87 Posts: 22 Member
    i have the ft7 reasonable for what it does
  • jaz141
    jaz141 Posts: 32
    I have the polar ft4 and I really like it. Only complaint is the band that goes around the chest has cut into me a few times on my long runs (10-12miles) but I may not have it adjusted properly.
  • billyswife0516
    billyswife0516 Posts: 55
    I as well have the Polar FT4 and love it.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    I'm on a budget too, so I shopped around and researched a lot of reviews before settling on either a Polar or a New Balance N4. I searched eBay for both HRMs, looking for new items with sellers that had good feedback and allowed returns in case of a problem. The New Balance came up first (I think I got it for around $28?), so that's what I've got, and it's worked great for me for about three years now.

    The eBay route might take a little patience with waiting for the right item at a good price, but if you want to save money it's a good way to go. I bought my Fitbit Zip on eBay as well in December - got it for $38 - also works great!

    Good luck!
  • edvsoreos
    edvsoreos Posts: 21 Member
    I have the FT7, but the FT4 would have been fine. Picked mine up on Ebay for $40. The higher end HRMs have features most folks won't use.
  • justinproulx1
    justinproulx1 Posts: 335
    waste of money
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    Think about what you really want to track before buying a HRM ... it simplifies the process a lot. If you just want to track heart rate and calories burned during cardio, the lower end Polars, Timex, and New Balance meet your needs. If you want the fitness testing, you'll need a higher end model (VO2 max info improves accuracy of the calculations). If you run and want to link heart rate and GPS in one device that limits your choices to a subset of Polar and Garmin watches or a bluetooth HRM linked to a smartphone.

    I have the Polar H7 strap linked to my phone ... music, GPS, cadence, HRM all in one device.
  • kellymac518
    kellymac518 Posts: 132 Member
    I purchased the Polar FT7 recently, and I love it! I hear it is very accurate with the calorie count and it always seems to be reading my heart rate accurately too. easy to set up and use as long as you read the manual that comes in the box. the only thing is i could have probably gotten the one that is a level lower because I don't really pay attention to the screen that tells you if you are in fat burn or fitness... i mostly just pay attention to heart rate and calories burned. but like i said, i love it! definitely worth spending a few extra bucks to get a good quality HRM. also it has user replaceable batteries so you don't have to send it back to the manufacturer when they die. the strap is super comfortable, i forget i am even wearing it! just make sure you run the plastic part of the strap under water before putting it on, as that is where the electrodes are (you would see what i am referring to when you receive the device) because that is supposed to make it more accurate in tracking your heart rate.

    good luck with your purchase!

    also, check out this site which lets you compare the different things each heart rate monitor does side by side, which i found very useful when narrowing down to which polar model i wanted to buy
    http://www.heartratemonitorsusa.com/

    don't buy from that site though, buy it from amazon or a website like that where you will find a lower price... shop around a bit once you decide on a HRM to find the best price
  • amyst92
    amyst92 Posts: 9 Member
    I bought the Polar FT4 about a month ago from Amazon, and I love it! It gives me all the info I need...heart rate, calories burned, and duration. It also stores your last 10 workouts, so you can go back and log the exercise into MFP later. The chest strap is not uncomfortable, and it's really accurate.
  • ashleysarvi
    ashleysarvi Posts: 66
    I am still trying to understand HRM do they all have to be strapped to your chest? Are there any that i can just use on my wrist? would it still be accurate?
  • slimjame
    slimjame Posts: 128 Member
    My Polar FT7 was my favorite Christmas present this year. I had done a lot of research beforehand. I heard a lot of good things about a bunch of different brands, but it seems as though there was a huge following for the Polar branded heart rate monitors. If you haven't done so already the company's website has a great comparison chart for each of their models. This was such a great help to me because it explained not only what each had, but what everything meant too. After going back and forth between the Polar FT4 and the Polar FT7 (there is only a slight increase in price) I had decided that for the extra money I would splurge on the newer model. A lot of my friends have the FT4 and they love it, though. This is the model that I am going to be getting my mother for her birthday in March since I love mine so much. I have had no issues with mine and it has been a huge aid in my weight loss journey. Right before getting the HRM, I was losing about .5-1lbs each week. I learned after using the HRM a few times that I was severely over calculating my exercise calories, thus the low loss each week. I have been consistently losing 1-4lbs a week and have lost 3lbs the past two weeks. I cannot express how impressed with and in love with my Polar FT7 that I am. Everyone kept telling me that it is a great tool to help you, but I didn't really understand how much it does help until I had one myself. I have not had any issues with mine yet so far in the last 2 months. It is very easy to use and the instructions and interface are very user friendly. Also, both the watch and the chest strap are comfortable. I was very concerned that I would not enjoy wearing the chest strap, but I forget that it is on most of the time :). Good luck!
  • luckydays27
    luckydays27 Posts: 552 Member
    I am still trying to understand HRM do they all have to be strapped to your chest? Are there any that i can just use on my wrist? would it still be accurate?

    You can get HRM that do not have a chest strap but they are considered inferior because you have to keep touching the watch to get a heart beat measurement. the wrist mount ones do not have sensors to measure your pulse on your wrist. Or if they do, its not as consistent/accurate as the chest strap one.

    You get used to the strap. The Polar strap is a stretchable cloth material and is not bad to wear. I wear it next to my skin, under my bra strap so I barely even notice it.
  • jjking54
    jjking54 Posts: 113 Member

    I guess my question is: if you have purchased a heart rate monitor recently, which did you buy, how do you like it, and how accurate has it been for you?

    Polar H7 ... I love it. It pairs with my smartphone so there's no need for the watch part. I use the Polar Beat app at the gym and when the weather improves I'll use it with Endomondo/Strava to track my cycling.

    I've had various HRMs over the years, generally cheap ones with the strap and watch. They work just as well. Basically, as someone else said, determine what you want the HRM to do for you, and purchase accordingly.

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