best HRM/fitness gadget

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  • vjrose
    vjrose Posts: 809 Member
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    I am keen to get a HRM also and was wondering about the actual chest strap that you have to wear - Are they uncomfortable?

    I have to admit that this is the one thing that turns me off getting one, is having to wear the strap!

    I started with a wrist only one, wasn't real happy with interrupting workouts to make sure my calories were accurate. So I purchased the Timex Fitness with chestband and I was very pleasantly surprised, I don't even notice it. I do rowing, strength training (machine circult) and treadmill and it is so not a hindrance or annoyance even when I get sweaty. Lol.

    The Timex also is compatible with most gym equipment that can do that, love it for maintaining my heart rate on the treadmill.
  • snakesandladders2
    snakesandladders2 Posts: 59 Member
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    I got this one recently:

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pulse-Sonic-K920D-Heart-Monitor/dp/B005560PU4/ref=sr_1_63?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1326634648&sr=1-63

    I can't feel the chest strap at all because it's under my sports bra, and it works really well! So far I've used it on runs, cycles, weight training, aerobics...and it never slips or fails to connect.

    I was half expecting it not to work because it was so cheap, but I am so happy with it! Tells you everything you need to know and calculates calories based on your personal data you tell it.

    Good luck! Mine has definitely motivated me to move more. x

    Edit: this one also communicates with gym machines - I noticed this yesterday and was really impressed!
  • ayshamc
    ayshamc Posts: 226 Member
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    and it is so not a hindrance or annoyance even when I get sweaty. Lol.
    The most comfortable chest-straps are the material based ones (like the Polar WearLink), which have the monitor/transmitter in the centre of the chest. The all-plastic ones (e.g. Polar T31) can cut in quite uncomfortably.

    This is exactly what I was wondering, I do sweat quite a bit, and was imagining it being quite uncomfortable under my top!

    Thanks for your comments :smile:
  • ALH1981
    ALH1981 Posts: 538 Member
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    thanks everyone - it appears that the polar FT4 is the most popular... what i want to know is how does it com[are to that new on,e the FITBIT - it looks really good, so small and measures sleep asweel?

    As with dad106 - the FitBit is a totally different piece of kit. Effectively it's a fancy pedometer that will sync with a base-station to track your steps taken (and floors climbed). It will guestimate calorie burn based on your height and weight, but that can be a long way off.

    Equally, the calorie burn shown on the gym machines is well out too as it's based on generic information.

    Best bet is to get a decent HRM, and as others have said, Polar is one of the best to get given their range and price-points. I have Suunto which is also a great bit of kit, but also comes with a substantial price-tag. Too much for someone who just needs to gauge calories.

    The other benefit of Polar is that they will "talk" to a lot of gym equipment so you can see your actual heart-rate without having to hold onto the special handles (not recommended if you're running on the treadmill, it disrupts the bodies natural movement and can cause injury).

    Best combo would be a cheap Polar to track actual calories burnt, and a FitBit to track the exercise periods, then correct the indicated calories with those shown on the HRM. You will need to setup the HRM correctly with your current height/weight/sex & age to have it correctly calculate the calories. It's also worth checking the setup every couple of weeks if your weight changes so that the correct data is being used.

    I'm a Personal Trainer, and have a few of my members working with this combo. The HRM keeps them honest in the gym, and the FitBit motivates them the rest of the time.

    WOW I am a bit confused... What i'm looking for is an accurate measurement of calories burnt when I'm exercising. Ideally whatever gadget i buy would track my time as well.... i liked the idea that the fitbit measured sleep but if it does not track calories burnt when exercising then thats not what i'm after.... I don't want to wear the thing all day, just during excersisie..

    As small as possible would be great.

    Help again - what of all these things will meet my needs best...????
  • ALH1981
    ALH1981 Posts: 538 Member
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    also, i just looked them up,.... there are hundreds of POLARS!!! what to get?
  • lacroyx
    lacroyx Posts: 5,754 Member
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    http://www.polarusa.com/us-en/products/product_finder
  • stubbysticks
    stubbysticks Posts: 1,275 Member
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    Bodymedia Fit activity monitor. My favorite gadget by far. www.bodymedia.com

    I wear it 24/7 apart from when I shower & it does all the work for me. All I have to do is be active, then in the morning I can connect it to my computer & it tells me the total calories I burned the previous day. It doesn't matter if I exercised, went shopping, slept, cleaned house, or sat on my butt all day, it tells me how much I burned doing it.

    It is small & although they tell you to wear it on your arm, I wear mine on my leg & I hardly ever even notice it's there. Nor does anyone else since I rarely wear anything above the knee.

    If you only care about what you burn through exercise, then go with a HRM. But if your non-exercise activity varies & you want to know what you burn, you can't beat the BMF. I've burned more calories in a day of running errands than I have on a workout day, & I never would have known that without this thing.

    It's a little spendy, ~$180-$200 up front, then after 6 months or so there's a $6.95 monthly fee to continue accessing the data via their website, but in my opinion the data I get from it is more than worth $7 a month.

    I've been wearing it for a year & a half & am considering upgrading to a newer version since I love it so much.
  • ALH1981
    ALH1981 Posts: 538 Member
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    wow thanks everyone! i think i just need an HRM - is there one that connects into MFP like fitbit?
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
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    wow thanks everyone! i think i just need an HRM - is there one that connects into MFP like fitbit?

    No, none of the HRM's connect into MFP. You need to enter their info manually.

    It's really not that hard or that much of an inconvenience.

    Some of the Polars(FT7 and up I believe) do upload to their website via the optional flow-link adapter.
  • Redladystl
    Redladystl Posts: 351 Member
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    Bodymedia Fit activity monitor. My favorite gadget by far. www.bodymedia.com

    I wear it 24/7 apart from when I shower & it does all the work for me. All I have to do is be active, then in the morning I can connect it to my computer & it tells me the total calories I burned the previous day. It doesn't matter if I exercised, went shopping, slept, cleaned house, or sat on my butt all day, it tells me how much I burned doing it.

    It is small & although they tell you to wear it on your arm, I wear mine on my leg & I hardly ever even notice it's there. Nor does anyone else since I rarely wear anything above the knee.

    If you only care about what you burn through exercise, then go with a HRM. But if your non-exercise activity varies & you want to know what you burn, you can't beat the BMF. I've burned more calories in a day of running errands than I have on a workout day, & I never would have known that without this thing.

    It's a little spendy, ~$180-$200 up front, then after 6 months or so there's a $6.95 monthly fee to continue accessing the data via their website, but in my opinion the data I get from it is more than worth $7 a month.

    I've been wearing it for a year & a half & am considering upgrading to a newer version since I love it so much.


    Thanks for posting this. I was hoping someone would mention the bodymedia. Its the one I want and I'm glad you gave a positive post about it.
  • waskier
    waskier Posts: 254 Member
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    One question for you is the activities in which you plan to use your HRM. I have a Polar FT80 and a Polar RCX5. The FT80 is great for general cardio and weight lifting. The RCX5 is great for biking, running and swimming (Most HRMs cannot be used in water). As others have already pointed out, Polar has a great product finder to help you with your sports.

    As far as strap comfort, I purchased my wife Polar sports bras that have the strap built into them. She seems to like them even though she has to be a bit more careful making sure the strap is moist for good reception.
  • cyndyv
    cyndyv Posts: 18
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    Polar is fantastic and some even work in the water if you like to swim. I used to swim with mine and I loved it so much. still do but my husband got me an iphone one. I'm hoping to use it tomorrow. Good luck!!
  • ALH1981
    ALH1981 Posts: 538 Member
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    One question for you is the activities in which you plan to use your HRM. I have a Polar FT80 and a Polar RCX5. The FT80 is great for general cardio and weight lifting. The RCX5 is great for biking, running and swimming (Most HRMs cannot be used in water). As others have already pointed out, Polar has a great product finder to help you with your sports.

    As far as strap comfort, I purchased my wife Polar sports bras that have the strap built into them. She seems to like them even though she has to be a bit more careful making sure the strap is moist for good reception.

    this is great - i mostly run, elliptical or aerobics classes... would you recommend the Polar RCX5.

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