I want an HRM watch/band....help?

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becomingittybittyme
becomingittybittyme Posts: 23 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm in the market for an HRM to help me get an idea of how many calories I actually burn at work instead of going off mfp's suggestions (considering that they tend to be a bit off). I'm working on saving for a fitbit or something of the sorts but financially, it's not possible right now for me. Does anyone know of a cheap-ish activity tracker (not just step/pedometer)? Maybe in the $50 and under range? I just need something to get me by until I can get a nicer one! Help please! (: ♥ Thanks in advance.

P.S.: I'm headed to work so I won't be replying this morning. Please leave me some suggestions! I'll be checking in when I get off sometime between 1pm and 3pm (central time)

Replies

  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    edited January 2015
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    Activity trackers are mostly pedometers with extra features. If you want the HR feature, they can get pretty expensive.

    Right now Garmin VivoFit is $79 on amazon without the HRM. The bundle with the HRM is $130. Or if you get the VivoFit and HRM separately its around $122. Although, right now Garmin is having an issue with their software. The device itself works great, but their site is having a load of issues the past couple days.

    If you just want a cheap HRM for workouts until you can get something better, then you might want to consider the Plye Sports HRM. Its around $30. Has a chest strap. Settings involve age, weight (kg), and VO2max. It is only a HRM though and doesn't have any features that devices like Fitbit or Garmin VivoFit have.

    There is also the Polar FT4, which is around $53. It is generally highly recommended here on MFP. Again though it's just a HRM and nothing more.
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
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    Check out the Misfit Flash. Similar to Fitbit; in my own opinion and for my wants/needs a little bit superior. Around $49 most places, both online and in stores.
  • a_candler
    a_candler Posts: 209 Member
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    I have a garmin I bought refurbished thru Walmart for $89. Still has warranty even though refurbished. I love the features and that it uploads automatically. My only complaint is the hrm band is too big. I'm not petite and I have it sinched all the way and it loosens after a bit and next use have to recinch. Well worth the $ imo
  • martyqueen52
    martyqueen52 Posts: 1,120 Member
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    Honestly... wait for the iWatch. Don't buy something subpar, because unless it has a HRM, it's crap... and even still they are not 100% accurate.
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
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    I got a Jarv heart rate monitor from a groupon for $19.99. With a coupon code it came out to $15. It is just a chest band (no readout) that syncs by bluetooth with RunKeeper (and, I'm sure, other apps). I like it because RunKeeper just added a stopwatch mode. I turn that on while I'm on the treadmill and can see my heartrate climb into the different ranges without having to grip the handles. I earn about 10% more calories based on the HRM synced with RunKeeper than I would if I entered the information manually into RunKeeper. I do not know how RunKeeper's numbers compare with MyFitnessPal's estimates.

    Honestly, it's a toy. You don't need an exact calorie burn to lose weight. If all else is the same (food, daily calorie expenditure) and you're working out and losing too quickly, then you're burning more than you realize. If you're losing too slowly, then you're burning less than you realize. If you get your food accuracy up, a ballpark estimate of your calorie expenditure is more than adequate.
  • kimtober
    kimtober Posts: 52 Member
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    I got the Misfit Flash for Christmas and I've been really happy with it so far. It's pretty basic, but it can go in the swimming pool which is my main form of working out and that really limited my options. It comes with a wrist band or a clip. It seems like it's been pretty accurate and it syncs nicely with MFP. It's $25 on their website right now http://store.misfit.com/products/flash.
  • CM9178
    CM9178 Posts: 1,265 Member
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    Honestly, it sounds like you are talking about two different things and may be a bit confused. You said you want a HRM so you can see how much you burn while at work, but then mentioned an activity tracker. They are two different things. something like Fitbit is a pedometer - it counts your steps and then uses an equation to give you a number of calories burned for the day (which is still an estimate).
    An HRM measures your heart rate during activity and tells you how many calories you've burned. It isn't really designed to be worn all day to give you a TDEE number. It should be used when riding a bike for example, to tell you how many calories you burned.

    If you want to know how many calories you are burning at work (guessing for a normal day), I think you need something more like a Fitbit. Fitbit is now coming out with the HRM included, which is the best of both worlds.

    I have the Fitbit one, which I use to calculate regular daily burn, and then I have the Polar FT4 that I wear when working out to calculate the extra burn. The two combined seem to work well.
  • amec488
    amec488 Posts: 1 Member
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    With the release of the FitBit Charge HR and the Surge, there's a combo option. Both offer activity tracking with a HRM. If you're looking for both, I'd go with one of those- but the Charge HR is the less expensive option.
  • missADS1981
    missADS1981 Posts: 364 Member
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    i have and love my polar ft7, i have tried out many and like this one best

    i have this one
  • shurleec
    shurleec Posts: 99 Member
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    I have had a polar ft7 for years now and love it. If you are just looking for a heart rate monitor and calorie burn polar ft4 is a little cheaper and will do that. I just ordered the Fit bit charge hr, so I'm eager to see how the calorie burn during my work outs compare to my ft7. Good Luck deciding!
  • Thing13
    Thing13 Posts: 3
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    I have the Polar FT7 also and it works well. The watch part keeps track of your past I think 10 workouts. However I've heard about one by UnderArmour called the Underarmour 39 which is supposed to be much more accurate, but is pretty expensive.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    edited January 2015
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    CM9178 wrote: »
    Honestly, it sounds like you are talking about two different things and may be a bit confused. You said you want a HRM so you can see how much you burn while at work, but then mentioned an activity tracker. They are two different things. something like Fitbit is a pedometer - it counts your steps and then uses an equation to give you a number of calories burned for the day (which is still an estimate).
    An HRM measures your heart rate during activity and tells you how many calories you've burned. It isn't really designed to be worn all day to give you a TDEE number. It should be used when riding a bike for example, to tell you how many calories you burned.

    If you want to know how many calories you are burning at work (guessing for a normal day), I think you need something more like a Fitbit. Fitbit is now coming out with the HRM included, which is the best of both worlds.

    I have the Fitbit one, which I use to calculate regular daily burn, and then I have the Polar FT4 that I wear when working out to calculate the extra burn. The two combined seem to work well.

    There are actually options out there that do both now.
    • Garmin VivoFit/VivoSmart + HRM Strap (syncs directly to the VivoFit/VivoSmart)
    • Fitbit Charge HR - Built in HRM
    • Fitbit Surge - Built in HRM + GPS
    • Microsoft Band - Built in HRM
    • Samsung GearFit - Built in HRM
    • Basis Band - Built in HRM
    • And more....

    All of these options have both HRM functions and Activity Tracker functions. However, none of them fall in the OP's budget of $50 or less.

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