most accurate HRM for calorie count?

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AlyAnnesBack
AlyAnnesBack Posts: 44
in Fitness and Exercise
Title says it. In your experience, which HRM has the most accuracy when it comes to calories. Please give suggestions for some quality models under $150 please! thank you! :)

Replies

  • AlyAnnesBack
    AlyAnnesBack Posts: 44
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    Anybody?
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    HRMs don't count calories, they count heart beats.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    All HRMs use algorithms to calculate caloric burn based on measured heart rate. During what activities do you plan on using the HRM? Do you want a watch/strap combo or something that links to your phone?
  • mlizzi88
    mlizzi88 Posts: 12 Member
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    I use a Polar FT7 and I've been extremely happy with it. I was able to get it with my credit card reward points so I'm not sure how much it normally retails for.
  • lauriebeakley1
    lauriebeakley1 Posts: 91
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    I use a Polar FT4 & am extremely happy with it. It was on sale at Best Buy under $100 this past Christmas & it's the watch/strap combo. Works great!
  • AlyAnnesBack
    AlyAnnesBack Posts: 44
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    All HRMs use algorithms to calculate caloric burn based on measured heart rate. During what activities do you plan on using the HRM? Do you want a watch/strap combo or something that links to your phone?

    Yes I know it's based on heart rate, but I've heard of some being wildly inaccurate. I plan on using it for barn work, walking, horseback riding, swimming, boxing, and any other exercise I end up doing. To the second question I'm not really sure. I just want easy access to the stats?
  • AlyAnnesBack
    AlyAnnesBack Posts: 44
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    HRMs don't count calories, they count heart beats.

    -_-
  • AlyAnnesBack
    AlyAnnesBack Posts: 44
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    Thanks all for your replys. :)
  • MMarvelous
    MMarvelous Posts: 1,067 Member
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    I have the polar FT4 actually 2 of them and I love them.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    All HRMs use algorithms to calculate caloric burn based on measured heart rate. During what activities do you plan on using the HRM? Do you want a watch/strap combo or something that links to your phone?

    Yes I know it's based on heart rate, but I've heard of some being wildly inaccurate. I plan on using it for barn work, walking, horseback riding, swimming, boxing, and any other exercise I end up doing. To the second question I'm not really sure. I just want easy access to the stats?

    Even the cheapest ones give decent readings when used as intended ... to track steady state cardio activities such as running, cycling, cross country skiing, walking, etc. It will not give you accurate readouts for barn work or boxing (not sure about horseback riding) because of the erratic transitions those activities produce. Using the wrong tool for the job does not give the results desired.
  • AlyAnnesBack
    AlyAnnesBack Posts: 44
    Options
    All HRMs use algorithms to calculate caloric burn based on measured heart rate. During what activities do you plan on using the HRM? Do you want a watch/strap combo or something that links to your phone?

    Yes I know it's based on heart rate, but I've heard of some being wildly inaccurate. I plan on using it for barn work, walking, horseback riding, swimming, boxing, and any other exercise I end up doing. To the second question I'm not really sure. I just want easy access to the stats?

    Even the cheapest ones give decent readings when used as intended ... to track steady state cardio activities such as running, cycling, cross country skiing, walking, etc. It will not give you accurate readouts for barn work or boxing (not sure about horseback riding) because of the erratic transitions those activities produce. Using the wrong tool for the job does not give the results desired.

    I'm not sure I understand why it wouldn't work? I want one mostly for riding. Riding is comparable to running at full speed combined with weight training followed with brief rests (so this gal can breathe.Lol) and boxing as in hitting the bag in reps. Heart
    Rate stays pretty steady with that. Barn work entails just walking with spurts of more strenuous things like shoveling. If these things don't work then I'm assuming any exercise with rests won't work?
  • AlyAnnesBack
    AlyAnnesBack Posts: 44
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    I have the polar FT4 actually 2 of them and I love them.

    Yes I was reading up on them but I'm actually leaning toward the ft7 because I can input more info like age, gender, weight, and it reads the temp. Do you think I would get more accuracy with these things or its a waste of money?
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    All HRMs use algorithms to calculate caloric burn based on measured heart rate. During what activities do you plan on using the HRM? Do you want a watch/strap combo or something that links to your phone?

    Yes I know it's based on heart rate, but I've heard of some being wildly inaccurate. I plan on using it for barn work, walking, horseback riding, swimming, boxing, and any other exercise I end up doing. To the second question I'm not really sure. I just want easy access to the stats?

    Even the cheapest ones give decent readings when used as intended ... to track steady state cardio activities such as running, cycling, cross country skiing, walking, etc. It will not give you accurate readouts for barn work or boxing (not sure about horseback riding) because of the erratic transitions those activities produce. Using the wrong tool for the job does not give the results desired.

    I'm not sure I understand why it wouldn't work? I want one mostly for riding. Riding is comparable to running at full speed combined with weight training followed with brief rests (so this gal can breathe.Lol) and boxing as in hitting the bag in reps. Heart
    Rate stays pretty steady with that. Barn work entails just walking with spurts of more strenuous things like shoveling. If these things don't work then I'm assuming any exercise with rests won't work?

    It's a matter of steady state aerobic activities vs intermittent and anaerobic activities. HRMs and the formulas they use are only made for steady state cardio activities. They don't even do a good job of calculating caloric burn at rest in most cases ... that simply isn't what they are designed to do.
  • alpine1994
    alpine1994 Posts: 1,915 Member
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    All HRMs use algorithms to calculate caloric burn based on measured heart rate. During what activities do you plan on using the HRM? Do you want a watch/strap combo or something that links to your phone?

    Yes I know it's based on heart rate, but I've heard of some being wildly inaccurate. I plan on using it for barn work, walking, horseback riding, swimming, boxing, and any other exercise I end up doing. To the second question I'm not really sure. I just want easy access to the stats?

    Even the cheapest ones give decent readings when used as intended ... to track steady state cardio activities such as running, cycling, cross country skiing, walking, etc. It will not give you accurate readouts for barn work or boxing (not sure about horseback riding) because of the erratic transitions those activities produce. Using the wrong tool for the job does not give the results desired.

    I'm not sure I understand why it wouldn't work? I want one mostly for riding. Riding is comparable to running at full speed combined with weight training followed with brief rests (so this gal can breathe.Lol) and boxing as in hitting the bag in reps. Heart
    Rate stays pretty steady with that. Barn work entails just walking with spurts of more strenuous things like shoveling. If these things don't work then I'm assuming any exercise with rests won't work?

    It's a matter of steady state aerobic activities vs intermittent and anaerobic activities. HRMs and the formulas they use are only made for steady state cardio activities. They don't even do a good job of calculating caloric burn at rest in most cases ... that simply isn't what they are designed to do.

    Expanding on this, I would instead recommend the FitBit Flex or similar type of device that you wear all day/night like a bracelet and it calculates your calories burned as you're going through your daily activities. They are around $100 and usually have phone apps that they connect to so you can see all of your info. There are a ton of different makes/models out there.
  • AlyAnnesBack
    AlyAnnesBack Posts: 44
    Options
    All HRMs use algorithms to calculate caloric burn based on measured heart rate. During what activities do you plan on using the HRM? Do you want a watch/strap combo or something that links to your phone?

    Yes I know it's based on heart rate, but I've heard of some being wildly inaccurate. I plan on using it for barn work, walking, horseback riding, swimming, boxing, and any other exercise I end up doing. To the second question I'm not really sure. I just want easy access to the stats?

    Even the cheapest ones give decent readings when used as intended ... to track steady state cardio activities such as running, cycling, cross country skiing, walking, etc. It will not give you accurate readouts for barn work or boxing (not sure about horseback riding) because of the erratic transitions those activities produce. Using the wrong tool for the job does not give the results desired.

    I'm not sure I understand why it wouldn't work? I want one mostly for riding. Riding is comparable to running at full speed combined with weight training followed with brief rests (so this gal can breathe.Lol) and boxing as in hitting the bag in reps. Heart
    Rate stays pretty steady with that. Barn work entails just walking with spurts of more strenuous things like shoveling. If these things don't work then I'm assuming any exercise with rests won't work?

    It's a matter of steady state aerobic activities vs intermittent and anaerobic activities. HRMs and the formulas they use are only made for steady state cardio activities. They don't even do a good job of calculating caloric burn at rest in most cases ... that simply isn't what they are designed to do.

    Expanding on this, I would instead recommend the FitBit Flex or similar type of device that you wear all day/night like a bracelet and it calculates your calories burned as you're going through your daily activities. They are around $100 and usually have phone apps that they connect to so you can see all of your info. There are a ton of different makes/models out there.

    :/ I researched those and I'm under the impression they won't work for me since they are solely based on steps? If that's true then it wouldn't do for riding.
  • AlyAnnesBack
    AlyAnnesBack Posts: 44
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    Anybody else have any input?
  • A_Fit_Mom
    A_Fit_Mom Posts: 602 Member
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    I have the Polar ft4 and love it. I won't workout without it. It was $75-80 at a Best Buy. You can input age, height and weight. And it is very easy to use.
  • chasetwins
    chasetwins Posts: 702 Member
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    The others are correct in that a HRM will not give you accurate results for what you want it for. As much as I dis like this brand - maybe the body media. Mind you I only dislike it because there is monthly fee for it!! Otherwise I have used it and it seemed quite accurate. I also dis like anything on my arms - not sure if body media came out with anything different lately.
    For what you want - I would say that is your best bet.
    I only wear my HRM during actual aerobic workouts - I have the fitbit and use that as well however the majority of those are just for steps & stairs.

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