Heart Rate Monitor Recommendations

Pikashel
Pikashel Posts: 61 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
What are some Heart Rate Monitor recommendations for someone just starting to exercise and lose weight? I read that the wrist based HRMs are not very accurate so I'm looking into the chest ones. I'm female and the circumference under my bust is about 45 inches? Will they fit or will they just roll off anyway?

I'm currently using a fitbit flex to track calories but who knows how accurate that is.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Replies

  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    I'd suggest a Polar H7 for a few reasons:

    (1) It's affordable, at about $40 on Amazon.
    (2) It'll pair with your phone, so you don't have to buy extra equipment to use it.
    (3) It's comfortable to wear.

    You'd have to check the sizing but chest straps are adjustable and elasticy.

    Some wrist HRMs are better than others, but chest straps are almost always more accurate and responsive. Chest straps also measure HRV which you can't get accurately at the wrist; this allows you to do advanced stuff down the line if you want to.
  • _Waffle_
    _Waffle_ Posts: 13,049 Member
    How much are you wanting to $pend? What exercises are you tracking with this? Do you want a step counter too?
  • Pikashel
    Pikashel Posts: 61 Member
    edited May 2016
    _Waffle_ wrote: »
    How much are you wanting to $pend? What exercises are you tracking with this? Do you want a step counter too?

    Not much since I'm starting out. Probably around $50. If I wanted to I could invest in a better one in the future.

    Right now I'm doing DDR (dance game) and I get pretty exhausted after 30 min so I'm wondering how many cals i'm actually burning. Planning to work my way up to elliptical then running.

    I have a step counter (fitbit flex)
  • _Waffle_
    _Waffle_ Posts: 13,049 Member
    The Polar FT4 is probably the cheapest model you can get with a HRM.

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