How accurate is a HRM with a chest strap?

reese1206
reese1206 Posts: 229
edited October 2 in Health and Weight Loss
How accurate are they?


I have a PolarF6. I ask because it says I burn between 1100 and 1300 in 1hr 30/45min. I want to make sure its pretty much on track so I don't log it in wrong.

Replies

  • papastu
    papastu Posts: 737 Member
    i would like to think mine is spot on :happy:
  • sandhillcrane
    sandhillcrane Posts: 301
    What kind are you using?
  • pa_jorg
    pa_jorg Posts: 4,404 Member
    pretty accurate and after doing some research it seems that Polar is the most accurate of all brands.
  • gatorflyer
    gatorflyer Posts: 536 Member
    Pretty darned accurate. Polar is the best!
  • eeeekie
    eeeekie Posts: 1,011 Member
    I've never read up on the accuracy but I have one and I'm gonna assume that since the piece is near my heart and taking my pulse while I exercise that it's pretty spot on...just a guess though

    I've checked my HRM against machines at the gym and it seems pretty right on
  • luv2ash
    luv2ash Posts: 1,903 Member
    I absolutely love mine. I have a Polar FT4 with strap and would rely on it only! I never rely on those machines or what MFP tells me.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    More accurate than one without a chest strap - and it's because you're getting a constant read on your heart rate. I'm not sure if they're all the same but I think with the watch ones, you have to actually touch them to get a heart rate reading so it's not consistent.

    Of course brand does matter. I've had two Polars and loved both - F6 and FT4. They're a bit pricey but I can tell you that I've been eating the exercise calories that I burn throughout my weight loss journey and haven't had too much trouble with losing. To me, that says they're pretty accurate.
  • reese1206
    reese1206 Posts: 229
    I have a PolarF6. I ask because it says I burn between 1100 and 1300 in 1hr 30/45min. I want to make sure its pretty much on track so I don't log it in wrong.
  • aprilslusher
    aprilslusher Posts: 127 Member
    I have the Polar FT4 and it is the only thing I rely on. The calories that are given on the Treadmill and MFP are so far off on the "calories burned" it is ridiculous. My Doctor even recommended getting a Polar HRM. :smile:
  • reese1206
    reese1206 Posts: 229
    Edited
  • reese1206
    reese1206 Posts: 229
    bump
  • reese1206
    reese1206 Posts: 229
    anyone else???????
  • sgpaschak
    sgpaschak Posts: 39
    They are very accurate. I would say your calories burned make sense for the length of your work out. I can burn about 600 - 700 calories in one hour based on my FT4, so I would say the 1.5 - 1.75 hours of your workout 1100 - 1300 seems reasonable. Especially if it is a challenging cardio work out.
  • AnninStPaul
    AnninStPaul Posts: 1,372 Member
    They are very accurate. I would say your calories burned make sense for the length of your work out. I can burn about 600 - 700 calories in one hour based on my FT4, so I would say the 1.5 - 1.75 hours of your workout 1100 - 1300 seems reasonable. Especially if it is a challenging cardio work out.

    My FT4 logs ~300 for a 1/2 hour cardio workout, so your numbers would track for cardio. My circuit workout comes in around 350 for an hour.
  • pa_jorg
    pa_jorg Posts: 4,404 Member
    I have a PolarF6. I ask because it says I burn between 1100 and 1300 in 1hr 30/45min. I want to make sure its pretty much on track so I don't log it in wrong.

    That does seem pretty high. Yesterday someone on my feed mentioned problems with theirs and another person responded and said to wet the sensors on the chest strap (which I often forget)...could that be the problem?
  • kimmrdodge
    kimmrdodge Posts: 190 Member
    Sounds right to me, I burn about 1200 calories for a hour and 20 min workout. I push myself extremely hard so my guess is you are pushing yourself hard too. I don't eat my excursive calories though it I guess to me it's no more than a gauge of how much I pushed myself that day. I just add a protein shake onto my 1300 calories on the days I work out rather than worrying about how many exersize calories to eat.
  • hottottie11
    hottottie11 Posts: 907 Member
    I have a FT4 with a chest strap and I would say that is about accurate. In 120 mins, I can burn between 1000 to 1100 in high intensity workouts.
  • papastu
    papastu Posts: 737 Member
    I absolutely love mine. I have a Polar FT4 with strap and would rely on it only! I never rely on those machines or what MFP tells me.

    same here :noway:
  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
    How accurate are they?


    I have a PolarF6. I ask because it says I burn between 1100 and 1300 in 1hr 30/45min. I want to make sure its pretty much on track so I don't log it in wrong.

    That's in line with my Polar. Though I doubt I personally could maintain the intensity required to burn 1100-1300 in 90-115 minutes! I do regularly burn 10 per minute now that I'm more fit than when I first started using my HRM.
  • DrewD2011
    DrewD2011 Posts: 66 Member
    Just burned 1202 in 88 minutes of intense tennis (AVG HR of 143 - 83% of my Max HR). Seems like we are in line!
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    It definitely depends on what you're doing in that 1-2 hour span of time but it sounds about right for fairly high intensity workouts. On the weekends when I get in a 2 hours walk/run (mostly walking where heart rate is in the lower end of the range) I can burn about 900 calories. If I was to run more, I'm sure I could burn about what you do.
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