Which HR Monitor

SimonRobertsLMG
SimonRobertsLMG Posts: 7 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Looking for some advice about the best HR Monitor for MyFitnessPal? I have an iPhone...

Replies

  • linaj1988
    linaj1988 Posts: 33 Member
    Any heart rate monitor with a chest strap would be the most accurate. Not sure the types that would sync with an iPhone. I have a polar FT7 it's pretty good!
  • ScubaSteve1962
    ScubaSteve1962 Posts: 609 Member
    The Polar H7 sensor will link with your Iphone and MFP through the Polar Beat and Polar Flow apps. What activities are you using it for?
  • tiggerlove
    tiggerlove Posts: 225 Member
    I love the A300 with the chest strap H7 from polar. it uses polarflow to synce and it connects to MFP. Chest straps are more accurate. The A300 also cks your sleep, steps and all the excersises are programed in the watch. Check out polarusa.com and they have many more to choose from. Let us know what you decide..Good Luck.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    SimonRobertsLMG wrote: »
    Looking for some advice about the best HR Monitor for MyFitnessPal? I have an iPhone...

    Broadly it depends what you want from it, and what sorts of activities you want to use it in support of.

    ECG type chest straps are indeed {i]most consistently accurate[/i] but that accuracy may be meaningless if you're using it in a way that accuracy is less important than anything else.

    Optical devices are now pretty good, and the differences are now negligible, it becomes more about how you want to use it as a tool.

  • SimonRobertsLMG
    SimonRobertsLMG Posts: 7 Member
    Thanks guys! Really helpful and encouraging! Any suggestions re wrist-worn ones?
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    Personally I'd go for a Schoche Rhythm sensor paired with a Garmin 920XT, but that would suit my purposes.

    Care to offer a clue about what type of training you do and what you want to get from an HRM?
  • Masugimoto
    Masugimoto Posts: 11 Member
    I love my Polar M400 with a chest strap. I have a friend that wears Basis and finds it to be the most accurate HR monitor that doesn't require a chest strap. HTH
  • SimonRobertsLMG
    SimonRobertsLMG Posts: 7 Member
    MeanderingMammal wrote: »
    Personally I'd go for a Schoche Rhythm sensor paired with a Garmin 920XT, but that would suit my purposes.

    Care to offer a clue about what type of training you do and what you want to get from an HRM?

    I'm new to this, only had MyFitness a week, but already I'm seeing the benefits. I wanted an affordable wrist-worn device to gauge the calories I'm using up in the gym, not so much in the cardio sessions, but more in the weights programmes so I can keep accurate tabs on what I'm achieving in the gym. Thanks in advance for any feedback!
  • SimonRobertsLMG
    SimonRobertsLMG Posts: 7 Member
    ScubaSteve1962 wrote: »
    The Polar H7 sensor will link with your Iphone and MFP through the Polar Beat and Polar Flow apps. What activities are you using it for?

    Cardio (primarily spinning) and weights programmes, with a view to using it for jogging if I get a place on the London Marathon next year..
  • SimonRobertsLMG
    SimonRobertsLMG Posts: 7 Member
    linaj1988 wrote: »
    Any heart rate monitor with a chest strap would be the most accurate. Not sure the types that would sync with an iPhone. I have a polar FT7 it's pretty good!

    Are there wrist monitors that don't need a chest strap?
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    edited September 2015
    SimonRobertsLMG wrote: »
    not so much in the cardio sessions, but more in the weights programmes so I can keep accurate tabs on what I'm achieving in the gym.

    An HRM won't give you a reliable indicator of calorie expenditure for resistance training. They're designed around steady state, aerobic, CV work. Your best bet for resistance work is just to log it by time in MFP.

    Noting your comment above about running, personally I'd veer towards some form of GPS tracking for that, rather thanyour HR. Calorie expenditure is a function of mass and distance, so establishing your weight and distance is far more accurate than using HR to indicate.

    There are a number of apps for the phone, personally I'd recommend Endomondo, Strava or Runkeeper. I use a Garmin Triathlon watch and send the GPS based data to Endomondo and Strava.
  • ScubaSteve1962
    ScubaSteve1962 Posts: 609 Member
    edited September 2015
    SimonRobertsLMG wrote: »
    linaj1988 wrote: »
    Any heart rate monitor with a chest strap would be the most accurate. Not sure the types that would sync with an iPhone. I have a polar FT7 it's pretty good!

    Are there wrist monitors that don't need a chest strap?

    They may not be as accurate

    http://www.heartratemonitorsusa.com/heart-rate-monitors-strapless.html
  • SimonRobertsLMG
    SimonRobertsLMG Posts: 7 Member
    MeanderingMammal wrote: »
    SimonRobertsLMG wrote: »
    not so much in the cardio sessions, but more in the weights programmes so I can keep accurate tabs on what I'm achieving in the gym.

    An HRM won't give you a reliable indicator of calorie expenditure for resistance training. They're designed around steady state, aerobic, CV work. Your best bet for resistance work is just to log it by time in MFP.

    Noting your comment above about running, personally I'd veer towards some form of GPS tracking for that, rather thanyour HR. Calorie expenditure is a function of mass and distance, so establishing your weight and distance is far more accurate than using HR to indicate.

    There are a number of apps for the phone, personally I'd recommend Endomondo, Strava or Runkeeper. I use a Garmin Triathlon watch and send the GPS based data to Endomondo and Strava.

    Thank you!

  • MamaHokie
    MamaHokie Posts: 36 Member
    I looooove my scosche rhythm plus. Read reviews on Amazon and Google. It's really accurate and comfortable (no chest strap!). I use the mapmyfitness app on my iPhone to connect with it.

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