Heart Rate Monitors...

ecronick
ecronick Posts: 289 Member
edited October 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Does anyone have a suggestion on which heart rate monitors are good? I'm looking for not to expensive.

Thanks!

Replies

  • mamashatzie
    mamashatzie Posts: 238 Member
    Make sure you get one that (a) allows you to input your height and weight, and (b) has a chest strap.

    Monitors that do not input your height and weight are guessing based on statistics, so it's calculating calories burned based on someone else's stats--not yours.

    Monitors that do not have a chest strap rely on the pulse at your wrist, and are generally considered less accurate. I don't know all the details on that. ;)

    I have a Polar FT5. It uses a chest strap and then has a separate watch that shows me my target heart rate, calories burned, amount of time I've been working out, etc. It allows me to input my height and weight for best accuracy. it was a little expensive but I saved some money buying it on ebay. And imo, it's better to spend more money on a more accurate one, than to get a cheaper one that's going to give you the wrong information.
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    Make sure you get one that (a) allows you to input your height and weight, and (b) has a chest strap.

    Monitors that do not input your height and weight are guessing based on statistics, so it's calculating calories burned based on someone else's stats--not yours.

    Monitors that do not have a chest strap rely on the pulse at your wrist, and are generally considered less accurate. I don't know all the details on that. ;)

    I have a Polar FT5. It uses a chest strap and then has a separate watch that shows me my target heart rate, calories burned, amount of time I've been working out, etc. It allows me to input my height and weight for best accuracy. it was a little expensive but I saved some money buying it on ebay. And imo, it's better to spend more money on a more accurate one, than to get a cheaper one that's going to give you the wrong information.

    Let me expand on this.. you need all of your info(age, weight, height, and gender) for an accurate calorie estimation. A chest strap is a must too.. without, your only getting heart rate transmission when you touch the watch, and thus it bases the calorie estimation off of when you touch the watch.

    I personally have a Polar FT7, love it.. easy to use/set up. comes with a chest strap.

    Polar FT4/FT7 are the most popular right now.. The F4/F6/F7 people mention, have been replaced by the two I mentioned.

    I've also never never heard of a Polar FT5...
  • sweebum
    sweebum Posts: 1,060 Member
    I have the Polar Ft7, bought it for 75$ on Ebay :smile:
  • mamashatzie
    mamashatzie Posts: 238 Member
    I've also never never heard of a Polar FT5...

    It must be an FT4 then. It's been awhile since I bought it. :)
  • sgrinavi
    sgrinavi Posts: 80
    I have an ft7 & garmin 305, the wife has the ft4 - in all honesty the ft4 does everything that I would have needed it for - the gamin is good for the bike as it has a GPS and cadence sensors
  • rachelleahsmom
    rachelleahsmom Posts: 442 Member
    On a similar note, here is another question about heart rate monitors -

    For people that have high blood pressure, are the readings likely to be inaccurate?
    Thanks!
  • rachelleahsmom
    rachelleahsmom Posts: 442 Member
    bump
  • ecronick
    ecronick Posts: 289 Member
    How do I bump it?
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