Heart Rate Monitors - UK

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Kat78956
Kat78956 Posts: 27 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi

I'm thinking of investing in a heart rate monitor. Does anyone have any suggestions?
I typed "heart rate monitor" into Amazon and now I am overwhelmed by all the different options!!
Ideally I want something that
  • I can look at when I am exercising so I know whether I need to step it up a bit and get my heart rate up or not. Preferably not too expensive either.
  • I dont need GPS tracking or any other bells and whistles
  • I don't mind if I have to have it or something linked to it strapped onto me (though preferably not)
I've heard of Fitbit - but can anyone tell me how that works? Is it worth it? Does it give you an accurate heart rate reading when you exercise or do you have to download something later?

Thanks everyone!

Replies

  • tomnev1
    tomnev1 Posts: 184 Member
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    I was looking at the same things. I think it might be worthwhile just buying a really cheap on for 10 quid and see how you get on. I'm not an elite athlete and I'd just be using to see what my heart rate got up to during stressful exercise and then to see if it came back down when resting.
    I have a heart rate monitor on my phone (Samsung Galaxy S5) but find that the stress of having to keep still when measureing it is probably counter productive.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    Kat78956 wrote: »
    I can look at when I am exercising so I know whether I need to step it up a bit and get my heart rate up or not. Preferably not too expensive either.

    If that's all you're after then the Polar FT4 is cheap, the polar strap can also be received by the monitors on many ellipticals etc.
  • Sam_Hain
    Sam_Hain Posts: 68 Member
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    Get a Fitbit Charge HR. It has a fairly accurate heart rate monitor that uses green LED's to help the sensor see your capillaries. You basically hold the button when you want to start exercise and hold it again to end. You can then sync it with a PC or smartphone and it'll give you stats. I wear mine all day and can even sleep with it. It'll track your calorie burn all day. I found out that my average calorie burn without exercise is about 2700 which about 400 calories lower than what most websites/calculators were telling me for someone my age/size. Check the website and online reviews.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited April 2015
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    What for?

    A fitbit will track your step-based activity and is a great motivator to walk / run / move more
    - I would absolutely say not the Charge though, I have yet to be convinced of the point of wearing a HR monitor all day unless you're monitoring your HR only due to arrythmia etc. The basic Zip is plenty and you don't have to wear it round your wrist.

    An HRM will give you a calorie estimate for steady-state cardio and I'd recommend a Polar FT4 and chest strap
  • kalamitykate83
    kalamitykate83 Posts: 227 Member
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    I've got the Polar FT4F and it's really good! Measures heart rate and calories. It's a watch a band you strap around your chest but it's so comfortable you don't notice it at all. They're about £50 on Amazon so pretty reasonable too compared to some things out there!!
  • Sam_Hain
    Sam_Hain Posts: 68 Member
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    Guess the expensive part kind of rules out the Fitbit depending on your budget. Being US military station in the UK I keep forgetting how much more expensive things tend to be on the UK economy compared to US prices.
  • Kat78956
    Kat78956 Posts: 27 Member
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    thanks all! Looks like the Polar FT4 is the way to go. Will that still measure my heart rate when I am using the TRX and doing squats etc do you know?
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    edited April 2015
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    Kat78956 wrote: »
    thanks all! Looks like the Polar FT4 is the way to go. Will that still measure my heart rate when I am using the TRX and doing squats etc do you know?

    It will but HR is irrelevant to those exercises and calorie burns would be terribly exaggerated.

    BTW - for a basic HRM also worth looking at the FT7, purely because the watch is nicer (IMO) than the FT4.
  • Kat78956
    Kat78956 Posts: 27 Member
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    thank you! So far I havent been including any estimate calories from "strength" work as I figured I had no idea and any extra burn would be a good thing!
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    You're welcome.

    Just using the MFP entry for "strength training" (under the cardio section) would be fine, it will probably only give you a small amount as it's not a big calorie burner. Unfortunately!
  • fatjon73
    fatjon73 Posts: 379 Member
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    Kat...I have a Charge HR......its good for data.....if you like data get one if you can stretch to £120.....I am an Engineer so I live for Data...lol.......but they do not measure strength work...only cardio.....if your only wanting step counts, then the zip or something similar will be enough.....
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    HRMs cannot accurately estimate caloric burn from lifting. If that is what you're hoping for, save your money.

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