Heart Rate Monitor?!

crazyellybean
crazyellybean Posts: 999 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Help!! I've been looking at a Heart rate Monitor to accompany my Body media... and to have to compare with...

These are the models I am looking at that are in my price range...

FT4
FT7

Garmin Frontrunner 60


Any thoughts?

Replies

  • mmk137
    mmk137 Posts: 833 Member
    there is another thread pretty much exactly like this.

    i have have ft4, it's great, but if i were to upgrade i'd get the ft7 or the ft80

    just depends on how much you want to spend.
  • crazyellybean
    crazyellybean Posts: 999 Member
    do you have the link to the other thread?
  • nafroese
    nafroese Posts: 122 Member
    Hey Elly, I have a an FT7, it tracks my training sessions i believe it can transmit information and I know it transmits my heart rate to my elliptical or whatever machine I am using. If i am not sure of what my burn is from the day before I can go back and check my data. it also tells me how much time I spent in the fat burn zone and how much time i spent in the cardio training zone. Love my FT7.
  • hagamivida
    hagamivida Posts: 129
    If that is the garmin fr60 then I approve that one. I like it, easy to use. No idea of accuracy but I imagine it is. Got mine used on amazon :-)
  • phrutter
    phrutter Posts: 1
    I've got the Suunto M4 and that is a simple, smart looking Watch to use.

    Works with Precor Cardio machines (not tried it with any others yet).

    I only use it for Calories and Heartrate. Got a Garmin Frontrunner with GPS for outdoor activities.
  • jimmie25
    jimmie25 Posts: 266
    What nafroese said! i have a ft7 and i looove it.

    A lot of people keep saying that polar isn't accurate for women, but i dont see why they say that, it seems to be pretty accurate for me.. i've been losing weight just fine with tracking my hrm's cals and eating exercise calories back..
  • janf15
    janf15 Posts: 242 Member
    Both Garmin and Polar are two reliable brands. I have used both.

    As for using it for calories burned. Use it as a guideline - it can vary with as much as 20%. The best way to find out how accurate it is (and that applies for all brands and models) is to do a VO2 max (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VO2_max) and see how much off your HRM is.

    I don't see anything wrong using the HRM for calorie burn, but it will be different from other places like MFP for a number of reasons.
  • mofireman
    mofireman Posts: 13
    I recently purchased the Polar ft7 at our *&@#'s Sporting Goods, and I'm really liking it so far. It has met or exceeded all of my expectations so far. I was fortunate enough to find it for less than $60, brand new, so it was definitely the right place at the right time. The only "slight" concern that I may have is the calories burned, and just how accurate it is?!?! I'm not saying that it's not, I'm just curious. I'm doing Insanity, and only on Day 4, and the other day it said that I burned 680 calories during the 35 to 40 minute workout. Maybe that's accurate, I don't know, but it seemed a bit high to me......but like I said, I'm kind of new to it all.
  • 4flamingoz
    4flamingoz Posts: 214 Member
    I have the FT7 and really like it. The chest strap in very comfortable, and I like that I can look back on fitness days to track my calories burned, fat burn and fitness burn. Good Luck!
  • rllillis
    rllillis Posts: 12 Member
    None of these seem to talk to iPhones (ESP polar which is what I have now). Anyone use it with their iphone? Also are there any without chest straps? I hate those things!!
  • jrich1
    jrich1 Posts: 2,408 Member
    I love my Polar FT7.
  • Elle_Jamaicangirl81
    Elle_Jamaicangirl81 Posts: 418 Member
    i have the FT4 .. i LOVE it
  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
    My BF uses the Polar FT7 and love it. I haven't tried one yet... Trying to figure out what will work best for me!
  • nuttytart770223
    nuttytart770223 Posts: 43 Member
    I have the FT7 as it can be used for swimming and aqua!
    i love it
  • Tyke2806
    Tyke2806 Posts: 5
    You will need a chest strap to get good readings from a watch. Otherwise try a FitBit, they are very accurate and easy to use and don't need a chest strap. I have tested FitBit against the measurements from a watch and heart rate monitor and it is remarkably accurate.. Personally I use both a FitBit and a Polar FT80 and they are both great pieces of kit.
  • dewaynechapman
    dewaynechapman Posts: 14 Member
    I have recently started using the Polar FT7 and love it. The chest strap is very comfortable and I would recommend it but it is also the only HRM I have used so I am kind of biased.
  • b417adriana
    b417adriana Posts: 56 Member
    i have the FT4, Love it. i think the only difference between the FT7 is memory. FT7 would hold more memory, but they both work the same.
  • RAFValentina
    RAFValentina Posts: 1,231 Member
    None of these seem to talk to iPhones (ESP polar which is what I have now). Anyone use it with their iphone? Also are there any without chest straps? I hate those things!!

    You can get HRM to work with iPhone if it is AMT compatible but most require an additional device for iPhone...however a loit of the coded chest straps can be adapted to work with iPhone with a little gadget.

    HRMs without a chest strap aren't worth their weight. A chest strap delivers accurate and rleiable and constant readings to the HRM computer and any decent HRM won't work without one. There are softer chest straps like the polar wearlink ones which are made of fabric and I don't even notice mine. In fact, if anything it just feels like it's my sports bra there. Plus no messy gels or anything, just run under water to get the electrodes which are smart fabric to activate...if you use hot water it won;t be a horrible experience putting it on. In addition you can wash the chest strap in the washing machine if you remove the transmitter part and the chest straps work in the swimming pool too with the watch. Best HRM I have had is the Polar RS300X so much you can do with it for so very little money, accurate for a HRM and reliable, multi sport, multi function and as it takes in to account a lot more bio data than most, you can use it to calculate calorie burn roughly even at low intensities as it takes into account your RHR and ACTUAL Max HR so therefore your heart rate reserve and training potential and on top of that will calculate a pretty reliable figure for your VO2 max (my reading, even though the built in fit test is sub maximal, came out with the same figure as my maximal VO2 max score from a maximal test-the bleep test/multi stage fitness test) It also take in to account your height, weight gender and general activity level which is most useful!
  • fabulousby45
    fabulousby45 Posts: 65
    I just bought the Fitbit and I'm still learning...really need advice if someone has one! Inbox me please!

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