HRM Advice

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lijparsons
lijparsons Posts: 258
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all! I am going to purchase a HRM, and was hoping everyone could give me their opinion on which one to buy? Have you noticed a certain model to be more accurate than others? Is there a certain style I should look for? One that is more "user friendly"? Any advice you can give me would be appreciated. I am in Canada, so I don't know if that may affect the availability of certain brands. Thanks ! Lisa

Replies

  • leomom72
    leomom72 Posts: 1,797 Member
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    most will say polar are best..i have a polar ft4, and i love it..get one with a chest strap, as they are more accurate, no matter which brand you choose..best of luck
  • ramius
    ramius Posts: 91
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    I have a polar RS300x and love it.. the chest strap is very comfortable and it has the ability to upload your workouts to the polar website etc..
  • Minnie_Moo
    Minnie_Moo Posts: 239 Member
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    I would suggest getting one with a chest strap as they are better to calculate an accurate HR.


    Don't know if this will help you any but...........Here is a link that was posted in another thread with a lot of information on HRM's.
  • mmcgille
    mmcgille Posts: 60 Member
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    Like the last post - definitely get one with a chest strap! I also have the polar ft4. I love it, and it's very easy to use. I originally debated between the polar ft4 and ft7. It seemed like the only difference was being able to synch your workout data online. I figured that I could do that manually and save $20. However, the inner geek in me is starting to come out - that would have been a pretty cool feature! I'm still really happy with the one I got, though.
  • jreese5226
    jreese5226 Posts: 328 Member
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    I just got a New Balance N4 from Target for around $70 and I like it. Easy to use and the watch face is designed for women, so it's not huge and bulky. And the chest strap is comfortable.
  • nancymmorris
    nancymmorris Posts: 310
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    I have the timex personal trainer 5g971 and it is only $55. It was rated "best buy" by Consumer Reports, for its accuracy and easy to use.
  • Angie80281
    Angie80281 Posts: 444 Member
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    I have a Polar FT4 and I love it! You definitely want something with a chest strap, no matter what you go with. The one thing I've heard time and again is to generally steer clear of the cheap HRMs that you can find at discount department stores. Nancy, has the right idea, if you're going to go cheaper, check Consumer Reports or read some online reviews first.
  • nlhawthorne
    nlhawthorne Posts: 34
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    Love my Polar FT7. The FT4 seems to be slightly cheaper but there doesn't seem to be much difference between them so if price is an issue that one would probably be great too.
  • lijparsons
    lijparsons Posts: 258
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    Thanks everyone...I'm going to do some online investigating and see what I can find. I'm not sure if I need to sync online, but can see how that would be a cool feature.
  • amber_hanners
    amber_hanners Posts: 388 Member
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    I also have the polar ft4 i love it the chest strap i dont even notice and the watch is pink. lol i got mine brand new on ebay for $70 and i must say even though our family of five is on a very tight budget it was worth every penny
  • BrandNewMia
    BrandNewMia Posts: 461
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    I have a Polar FT7 and I LOVE it! I take water aerobics on a regular basis, and I can swim with this model. It is incredibly easy to use and I don't even notice the chest strap anymore.

    I asked around before I bought mine, not just on MFP, but at my gym, as well. Polar was the most recommended.
  • TNH76
    TNH76 Posts: 47 Member
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    I have a Polar FT7 and I love it.
  • cath1024
    cath1024 Posts: 79 Member
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    I am also in Canada and if it helps I got mine its a Reebok with chest strap at National Sports on clearance for $35 marked down from $89 so check out your local National Sports if you have one close by.

    They also had the Polar but they were upto $150-$200 - not sure what model of Polar they were but the cheapest was $159.
    They also had the Polar at Canadian Tire if Polar was the route you wanted to go.

    I orginally bought a Sportsline one at Walmart - it didnt have the chest strap and also didnt input any weight, age or height and i found it not very accurrate and had to place my finger on the watch sensor each time i wanted to check my heart rate.

    The chest strap is definalty the way to go.
  • cath1024
    cath1024 Posts: 79 Member
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    I just noticed you are in Ajax - I am in Courtice/Oshawa area so we are neighbors LOL
    The National Sports i went to was in Oshawa and it was unfortunitly the last one but check out another one and maybe they are clearing them out also and have some left - i think there is one in Whitby or Ajax.
  • FreeToBeMeIn2014
    FreeToBeMeIn2014 Posts: 14 Member
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    I like my Sportline Duo 1010. 69.99 at my local sporting goods store. Works great and easy to use. (and it has a chest strap)

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