Buying a HRM

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sdwelk11
sdwelk11 Posts: 825
in Fitness and Exercise
I want to buy an HRM but I have no clue where to begin. What do I look for? What do I need to spend for a good one? Where do i buy one? What features are the most useful? etc..... HELP PLEASE!
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Replies

  • cantjustcant
    cantjustcant Posts: 1,027 Member
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    I got mine yesterday. polar ft4. so far so good...just make sure it has calorie burn...my first one didn't.
  • Brandicaloriecountess
    Brandicaloriecountess Posts: 2,126 Member
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    I got a polar ft4 from Amazon for around $60 and have been very happy with it!
  • digitaldigital
    digitaldigital Posts: 73 Member
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    I got the Polar ft7 it's awesome.
  • DarkAngel525
    DarkAngel525 Posts: 135
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    I think you'll find mostly Polar fans on here, mine is a SportsLine Duo and I really have enjoyed it. Stop by ****s Sporting, Academy, or Sports Authority and hopefully someone there can show you the features of a few :smile:
  • moyafigura
    moyafigura Posts: 140 Member
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    I got the Polar ft4 at Sporting Goods and like it. :)
  • Kany
    Kany Posts: 336
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    I got mine a few weeks ago and I love it. I purchased the Polar FT7. I use it for weight training, cardio and stretching. It is great for tracking total calories burned. It even tells you how many of those calories burned are from Fat burn and Fitness burn.
  • MacSkillz
    MacSkillz Posts: 417 Member
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    I also have the Polar FT4. I've had it for about 3 months now and I get so much use out of it. It's awesome! And the watch it comes with it really nice too. I got mine from Amazon for about $55.
  • MissMaryMac33
    MissMaryMac33 Posts: 1,433 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/the-real-facts-about-hrms-and-calories-what-you-need-to-know-before-purchasing-an-hrm-or-using-one-21472

    That will give you some good information. I read this article and decided to buy a Polar FT7 because of it.
    Unfortunately the FT7 does NOT let you program your V02 Max so I wish I had saved for an FT40 or FT60.

    That said, I love my FT7 -- it was around $75 on Amazon and well worth it. Very comfy chest strap and easy to read watch.
  • eddie8131
    eddie8131 Posts: 600 Member
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    I just ordered the Polar FT7, which I believe is the sucessor to the F6. The F6 (now discontinued) was a good basic HRM which allowed for upload to the web from the watch. However, the F6 didn't require a separate "thing" to do the upload, it transferred via your speakers, sounded like a old style modem. The FT7 you need a $40 Flow Link unit to transfer it. What's cool about the upload is that it goes to this Polar website and automatically logs in your data.

    I liked that it had all the features I needed, calories burned, and was customizable, you put in your weight height sex and age. It will also suggest heart rate zones or you can customize that so it alerts you when you are going too fast. I got both the HRM and the Flow Link thingy for about $120 on amazon.
  • Jamie571
    Jamie571 Posts: 16 Member
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    I bought a Polar FT60 from Amazon and I have had it about 2 months. I love it and they have a personal trainer website that lets you set up goals and keep track of all your workouts. The best part is that it tells you what percentage of your calories are fat burn calories. The watch comes with a nice chest strap. Its not uncomfortable but you still know that you are wearing it. I got the watch in a fushia color. There are a lot of days that I wear the watch because its a nice looking watch.
  • chrisleone
    chrisleone Posts: 15
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    Polar FT7... had it almost a year... use it regularly... no battery change needed yet!! Nice feature... on your birthday the watch shows a birthday cake!! Great surprise! Love the motivation it gives me. Just be sure to update your personal profile as you lose weight so it calculates your calorie burn accurately.
  • silvergurl518
    silvergurl518 Posts: 4,123 Member
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    are HRMs most useful for walking/jogging/running or can they be used for regular cardio too, like doing workout DVDs at home?
  • smily_001
    smily_001 Posts: 135 Member
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    I was thinking about getting one also but want to be able to wear it all the time. Can they work with just the watch or do I need a chest strap?
  • mzjessicab
    mzjessicab Posts: 245 Member
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    Polar FT7!! One of the best fitness investments I've made!!
  • Nichole1981
    Nichole1981 Posts: 65 Member
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    bump
  • milbournosphere
    milbournosphere Posts: 2
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    If you have a smartphone, buy a polar Bluetooth HR sensor. There's an app called CarioTrainer that will interface with it and collect the heart rate data and throw it in with pedometer and GPS data from the phone's sensors. I have an FT7 and love it, but if I had to purchase again, I'd go with just a Bluetooth sensor. I use the app and I like the idea of having all my data integrated on my phone.

    Link for the transmitter: http://www.polarusa.com/us-en/products/accessories/Polar_WearLink_transmitter_with_Bluetooth
  • mleoni092708
    mleoni092708 Posts: 629 Member
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    I got the Polar ft7 it's awesome.

    Me too. Love being able to see my true results.
  • DarkAngel525
    DarkAngel525 Posts: 135
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    I think you'll find mostly Polar fans on here, mine is a SportsLine Duo and I really have enjoyed it. Stop by ****s Sporting, Academy, or Sports Authority and hopefully someone there can show you the features of a few :smile:

    I like that they bleeped out the name of the sporting goods store:
    http://www.****ssportinggoods.com/home/index.jsp

    aaaaaaaaaaand out of the website too LOL
  • DonPendergraft
    DonPendergraft Posts: 520 Member
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    If all you need is a HRM, then I think you can't go wrong with a Polar product. You have received some good advice thusfar on that. You don't really say what you plan on doing with it. If you plan on just using it while doing fitness classes, walking around a track or whatever, then proceed.

    On the other hand, if you go outdoors and like to walk or run all over the place, I would get a Garmin device which also has a HRM but would include a GPS. A great bargain one is the Garmin Forerunner 305 (a little over $100 on Amazon). The Garmin 410XT is about to come out and looks pretty sweet. But it's $400. 20 hour battery life, lots of goodness in a small package. Go the Garmin website to read about their various models.

    Again, if all you need is a HRM, then get the Polar. They know what they are doing on this score, that is for sure. Good luck!
  • sdwelk11
    sdwelk11 Posts: 825
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    If all you need is a HRM, then I think you can't go wrong with a Polar product. You have received some good advice thusfar on that. You don't really say what you plan on doing with it. If you plan on just using it while doing fitness classes, walking around a track or whatever, then proceed.

    On the other hand, if you go outdoors and like to walk or run all over the place, I would get a Garmin device which also has a HRM but would include a GPS. A great bargain one is the Garmin Forerunner 305 (a little over $100 on Amazon). The Garmin 410XT is about to come out and looks pretty sweet. But it's $400. 20 hour battery life, lots of goodness in a small package. Go the Garmin website to read about their various models.

    Again, if all you need is a HRM, then get the Polar. They know what they are doing on this score, that is for sure. Good luck!
    I want one for my workouts at the gym. Thats basically it for now, Eventually I would like to do more outdoors but I really want it to track my progress at the gym

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