Help choosing a heart rate monitor?

healthyfoxx
healthyfoxx Posts: 104 Member
edited November 12 in Fitness and Exercise
Hello everyone! This is my first post, and I'm hoping you folks can help me out. I just began running a few weeks ago (Couch to 5K program), and I want to continue on this path once I have completed my first 5k. I'm currently running on a treadmill for various reasons,but I want to begin out-door running in the near future. Because of this, I'm looking into a heart-rate monitor. But there are so many options! Chest strap? Wrist-type of monitor? Prices? Brands? I'm new to it all! I tried looking up a few sites about choosing one the "right" one, but they didn't help much.

Any help/suggestions for this total newbie to fitness-tech? :)

Replies

  • NittanyLion95
    NittanyLion95 Posts: 65
    I'm looking for suggestions too...too many options!
  • butterflyliz32
    butterflyliz32 Posts: 124 Member
    Hello everyone! This is my first post, and I'm hoping you folks can help me out. I just began running a few weeks ago (Couch to 5K program), and I want to continue on this path once I have completed my first 5k. I'm currently running on a treadmill for various reasons,but I want to begin out-door running in the near future. Because of this, I'm looking into a heart-rate monitor. But there are so many options! Chest strap? Wrist-type of monitor? Prices? Brands? I'm new to it all! I tried looking up a few sites about choosing one the "right" one, but they didn't help much.

    Any help/suggestions for this total newbie to fitness-tech? :)

    I bought one about a year ago at Academy. I got the watch/wrist typebecause it was what I could afford. I have been very pleased with it. Here is the one I bought: http://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_10051_119130_-1?color=Pink&N=619959795
  • Reckabek
    Reckabek Posts: 487 Member
    Always get one with a chest strap, they say! And i got the Polar brand and love it! Polar seems to HIGHLY recomended on here! Mine was bought at target for 93$ but i believe amazon has them for like 30$ less! Thats the wtg if ur not an impulsive spender like myself
  • healthyfoxx
    healthyfoxx Posts: 104 Member
    Hello everyone! This is my first post, and I'm hoping you folks can help me out. I just began running a few weeks ago (Couch to 5K program), and I want to continue on this path once I have completed my first 5k. I'm currently running on a treadmill for various reasons,but I want to begin out-door running in the near future. Because of this, I'm looking into a heart-rate monitor. But there are so many options! Chest strap? Wrist-type of monitor? Prices? Brands? I'm new to it all! I tried looking up a few sites about choosing one the "right" one, but they didn't help much.

    Any help/suggestions for this total newbie to fitness-tech? :)

    I bought one about a year ago at Academy. I got the watch/wrist typebecause it was what I could afford. I have been very pleased with it. Here is the one I bought: http://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_10051_119130_-1?color=Pink&N=619959795

    Thanks for the link! That is really affordable. I think the non-chest straps one will be more my style, but even those kinds have so many options. Is there anything you don't like about your monitor?
  • fatboypup
    fatboypup Posts: 1,873 Member
    Go Polar or go home!
  • janjan369
    janjan369 Posts: 98 Member
    Bump as I am looking for one too.
  • Classalete
    Classalete Posts: 464 Member
    buydig.com is having a sale on the FR60...Pretty popular model.
  • kaybrose730
    kaybrose730 Posts: 143 Member
    Bought the Polar FT4, I love it! bought it off Amazon for about $65
  • katiej122
    katiej122 Posts: 125 Member
    Ones with chest straps are definitely more accurate, I have a Polar f4, and its been really good :) super useful and never any technical problems
  • healthyfoxx
    healthyfoxx Posts: 104 Member
    Always get one with a chest strap, they say! And i got the Polar brand and love it! Polar seems to HIGHLY recomended on here! Mine was bought at target for 93$ but i believe amazon has them for like 30$ less! Thats the wtg if ur not an impulsive spender like myself

    Are the chest straps comfortable? It seems like it would be a little distracting, but that could just be because I have never worn one before. $30 for one is certainly affordable, but I'm so worried I will hate wearing it.
  • jsapninz
    jsapninz Posts: 909 Member
    This may be a stupid question, but do they all track calories lost, or just heart rate? I have been thinking of getting one too.
  • fasttrack27
    fasttrack27 Posts: 324
    Probably about a million posts in MFP with this same question - might want to search the site for that info.

    You'll see that my opinion is similar to the majority: Get a Polar w/ chest strap.
  • healthyfoxx
    healthyfoxx Posts: 104 Member
    Probably about a million posts in MFP with this same question - might want to search the site for that info.

    You'll see that my opinion is similar to the majority: Get a Polar w/ chest strap.

    I'll do that as well, thanks!
  • lucycaz
    lucycaz Posts: 191 Member
    HI

    I would recomend the Garmin Forerunner range..... Mine has GPS and HR moniter (With a chest Strap)

    It is great for running as it measures distance (Tracked via stalite) intervals, pace, HR, training zones and loads of other stuff I have not yet worked out....

    I Love Mine....

    Lucy
  • Danpellizzari
    Danpellizzari Posts: 130
    I use the Garmin forerunner 110. It is very basic and does exactly what I need. You also can use it to connect with the Garmin Connect website which gives you maps and various other data to help you with your training and it allows you to see improvements.
  • Danpellizzari
    Danpellizzari Posts: 130
    This may be a stupid question, but do they all track calories lost, or just heart rate? I have been thinking of getting one too.

    Its not stupid. When you set it up you input a profile and it calculates calories burned based on that information.
  • ellybeann
    ellybeann Posts: 122 Member
    I have the polar, and I love it. From the research I did on them, Polar had the highest rating in quality and customer satisfaction. I found it also said to use one with a chest strap for the most accurate reading. I thought it would be uncomfortable, but its not. Ive even worn it to work ( I pull 12 hrs shifts) and forgot it was there. The one I bought was about $110.00.
  • montana_girl
    montana_girl Posts: 1,403 Member
    Bought the Polar FT4, I love it! bought it off Amazon for about $65

    Ditto!

    Mine just came last night so I only had a chance to play with it for a few minutes, but I already love it! :happy:
  • healthyfoxx
    healthyfoxx Posts: 104 Member
    I use the Garmin forerunner 110. It is very basic and does exactly what I need. You also can use it to connect with the Garmin Connect website which gives you maps and various other data to help you with your training and it allows you to see improvements.

    Very cool! I like the idea of getting maps and such to go over and review. Most are around $130 - $150, which isn't *too* bad, if I use it all the time. I'd have to save up for it, though, but I like what I quickly looked up on that model. :)

    Edit: It looks like with the heart rate monitor, it's more like $180 or so... Is that accurate? That's too pricey for me, but maybe someday!
  • chiv123
    chiv123 Posts: 36
    I got a Garmin Forerunner 110 about a month ago and I love it. I also was making the transition from treadmill to outside. I did a lot of research, and because of the praise on here, I initially set out to get a polar model.

    I ended up with my Garmin mostly because of the GPS function. Yes, the watch is kind of big, but that's because is is also a satellite! GPS is more accurate than a footpod, as your stride can change on varied gradient and terrain. I ran in a biological preserve loaded with trees and had no problem with satellite interference.

    In general, I would say definitely go with a chest strap and consider what your goals are when looking over features. I like that I can upload data from my runs and see information about incline, speed, etc- all on a map. Neat stuff! Its also nice having a watch and chest strap that you don't have to send to the manufacturer to replace the batteries. My watch is chargeable and I can replace the strap battery myself with a coin.

    Feel free to message me if you have any specific questions, and good luck!
  • kit_katty
    kit_katty Posts: 992 Member
    Garmin is great for running and cycling, BUT as I recently found out, calories are based (in some models) on distance, not heart rate so it's useless for counting calories for other types of exercise such as lifting weights or fitness DVDs. However I have one that I use for running and love that it tells me my pace, calories, a timer, the time, and distance!
  • lorimcgi
    lorimcgi Posts: 2
    Hey there !
    My trainer suggested on that has the chest strap and wrist watch. It works with some types of treadmills and bikes
    so there's no more holding the bars to get your heart rate for you, it's all right there in front of you and it
    reads on the wrist part when not on the machines. Mine is a Polar FT7 and I think it was around $100.
    Hope that helps ! Good luck !
  • usmcwifeb15
    usmcwifeb15 Posts: 470 Member
    I love my POLAR HRM!!!! It's fantastic! I use it everyday and I've had it for 4 years. It still works great. I have a Polar F6 which I don't believe they make any more but any Polar HRM is what you want. Definitely worth the money!
  • healthyfoxx
    healthyfoxx Posts: 104 Member
    I got a Garmin Forerunner 110 about a month ago and I love it. I also was making the transition from treadmill to outside. I did a lot of research, and because of the praise on here, I initially set out to get a polar model.

    I ended up with my Garmin mostly because of the GPS function. Yes, the watch is kind of big, but that's because is is also a satellite! GPS is more accurate than a footpod, as your stride can change on varied gradient and terrain. I ran in a biological preserve loaded with trees and had no problem with satellite interference.

    In general, I would say definitely go with a chest strap and consider what your goals are when looking over features. I like that I can upload data from my runs and see information about incline, speed, etc- all on a map. Neat stuff! Its also nice having a watch and chest strap that you don't have to send to the manufacturer to replace the batteries. My watch is chargeable and I can replace the strap battery myself with a coin.

    Feel free to message me if you have any specific questions, and good luck!

    Thank you SO much, this helps a ton. Very good points about the GPS function. I live in Utah, so we certainly have a lot of mountainous areas with trees, so I'm happy to hear it shouldn't be an issue. I'm currently focusing on calories/time in a workout, but later on, I want to focus on the distance I am covering.

    It looks like I am torn between the Polar models, and GPS functions!! But at least I am getting closer.
  • courtneymal17
    courtneymal17 Posts: 672 Member
    Hey guys :) I spent the better part of a month researching hrms. Here's my input. 1. Figure out if there's things you absolutely need in one. For me, I swim a lot so I definitely wanted one that's waterproof. 2. Chest straps will give you a more accurate reading. However...some people can not STAND things around their chest, so unless you're closely closely monitoring (like if you eat back your exercise calories!) your cals, and you hate the idea of a chest strap, the non-chest straps will do ok. I ended up getting a chest strap one, I like the idea of having one more accurate and the one I wanted came with a chest strap. If it were up to me again, I'd still go with a chest strap. I didnt like the idea of having something strapped around me, but honestly, I hardly notice it. 3. The good ones can be a bit pricey. But in all honesty, it's one of the most vital pieces that I've used in the last 3 months to help me lose weight. For me, it was worth the cost to get a really good one. You need to weigh the cost of one (mine was a bit more than $100) with your budget. You can find some cheaper on amazon, etc. All that being said, I ended up going with a polar ft7. I was going to get the ft4, but when I got to the store there was only $20 difference, and the ability to store a TON more workouts in it justified the extra cost. I totally LOVE LOVE LOVE mine...like I said I researched hrms for the better part of a month, and honestly, I got to the point where I just said screw it and bought the one that seemed to be the overwhelming favorite. I love my polar ft7, so I'm glad I just went and got it.
  • courtneymal17
    courtneymal17 Posts: 672 Member
    Always get one with a chest strap, they say! And i got the Polar brand and love it! Polar seems to HIGHLY recomended on here! Mine was bought at target for 93$ but i believe amazon has them for like 30$ less! Thats the wtg if ur not an impulsive spender like myself

    Are the chest straps comfortable? It seems like it would be a little distracting, but that could just be because I have never worn one before. $30 for one is certainly affordable, but I'm so worried I will hate wearing it.

    I barely ever feel mine...it goes right under my sports bra and sits basically along the line. I know you can also get sports bras with the little attachment on there that you basically attach the little panel to your bra and skip the strap all together
  • blueeyedcristi
    blueeyedcristi Posts: 304 Member
    bump to save
  • Blessedmommy_2x
    Blessedmommy_2x Posts: 419 Member
    POLAR brand is highly recommended.... I have a PolarF4 with a chest strap & I LOVE it!!!
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