Looking into HRM's

tabulator32
tabulator32 Posts: 701 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I keep hearing about Heart Rate Monitors (HRM's) with chest straps and i am interested in looking into one. Can those of you who have used them please post the brand and model and what you liked and disliked about them?

(I'd like something small and unobtrusive, if possible.)

Replies

  • robinskv
    robinskv Posts: 107 Member
    I just got the Polar FT4 based on other reviews and I love it. it is very simple to set up and use. I only wanted one to count the calories burned and my heart rate and it does it just fine. Very comfortable too, I forget it's on.
  • sma83
    sma83 Posts: 479 Member
    I have a Polar FT7 and LOVE IT. Its not super fancy but it does just what I need it to do: it counts calories burned and monitors my heart rate. I had a big problem working out way more intensely than I needed to be and my heart rate was regularly going over 85% of my max. Ive learned to adjust what Im doing to keep my heart rate where it needs to be. The chest strap is VERY comfortable. I would suggest you find out what the strap is made of before you purchase one. Ive heard some straps are made of plastic. I dont think that would be very comfortable.
  • jvpast
    jvpast Posts: 2 Member
    I had a timex ironman. It worked well for about a year then it couldn't read my heart rate anymore. Replacing batteries didn't help. Since then I have been looking online and have found that this is an all to common problem with Timex heart rate monitors. Hope this helps.
  • smor27
    smor27 Posts: 87
    I have the Sportline Duo. It has both the chest strap and the touch option. 8 different levels. I hear the Polar FT7 has a setting that this one doesn't have but it is a little more expensive.
    The Sportline Duo seems to work for what I want to use it for.
  • Gatominx
    Gatominx Posts: 61 Member
    I have a suunto m4. I'm sure I don't know all of it's capabilities, but it reads my hr, calories burned, tracks progress, suggests programs, etc. So far so good, no problems with it. The chest strap is comfortable as well. On amazon they're around $150-170 (Cdn),
  • e_hat
    e_hat Posts: 2
    If you run or bike, I would recommend checking out the Garmin series. That will allow you to program any workout you can think of that's based on time, distance, speed, heart rate, etc. You can also download the data the computer to track HR, speed, distance, etc. It's worth the added cost, imo.
  • mitchshan
    mitchshan Posts: 2 Member
    Polar is the best!
  • tabulator32
    tabulator32 Posts: 701 Member
    Ok, I'm leaning towards Polar.

    Do you have to buy a chest strap separately? Does it come with one?

    Does it need one?

    When I look at the descriptions on Amazon, they say nothing about it.

    Thanks for your help.
  • StephTheBookworm
    StephTheBookworm Posts: 177 Member
    I also love my Polar FT4. It's awesome. My only suggestion... if you get one, make sure you have the strap on high enough. I had it on too low and once in awhile the heart rate reading would get whacko on me. Other than that, it's great! Highly recommend it!
  • madtownjeremy
    madtownjeremy Posts: 249
    I had a Polar for a while when I would go to spin classes and it worked great. However, I use a BodyMedia unit now because I'm more interested in what my body does ALL DAY, not just during one workout.
  • StephTheBookworm
    StephTheBookworm Posts: 177 Member
    Ok, I'm leaning towards Polar.

    Do you have to buy a chest strap separately? Does it come with one?

    Does it need one?

    When I look at the descriptions on Amazon, they say nothing about it.

    Thanks for your help.

    I bought mine on Amazon. It comes with the strap and everything you need.
  • madtownjeremy
    madtownjeremy Posts: 249
    Ok, I'm leaning towards Polar.

    Do you have to buy a chest strap separately? Does it come with one?

    Does it need one?

    When I look at the descriptions on Amazon, they say nothing about it.

    Thanks for your help.

    Most will...grab the model number from Amazon, go to polar's website and double-check. Either way, NEVER buy a HRM without the strap. In my experience it made all the difference in the world.
  • glenr79
    glenr79 Posts: 283 Member
    Mine is 5.5%
  • jsapninz
    jsapninz Posts: 909 Member
    Polars are pretty much esteemed to be the best. I even heard that the brand invented HRMs, but not sure.

    All the ones I have seen come with a chest strap. Yes it needs one to monitor your heart accurately.

    Check out bodytronics.com, they sell them on the cheap and even let you pick colors and size of chest strap.
  • PHS7
    PHS7 Posts: 213 Member
    I just got a Polar FT7. I did a lot of research it does the things I like the best. I especially like that it saves all of your data so you can log it when you get home.

    It all comes together, chest strap and wrist.

    I bought mine on Amazon and saved about $40 vs going to D. .icks Sporting Goods.
  • Masterdo
    Masterdo Posts: 331 Member
    I was also leaning towards Polar, but then I searched for some in depth reviews of Polar and Garmin, and in the end, I'll go with Garmin.

    If you are running or biking, they are really much better I think. They sync with Garmin Connect, SportsTrack or TrainingPeaks, which are all awesome tools to track your progress and workouts.

    www.dcrainmaker.com

    This blog has a lot of reviews, very very in depth. A lot of Garmin devices, some from the other brands : Polar, Suunto, Timex and Motorola.

    For very basic functionnality, Garmin has the FR60, which is really nice. Syncs with Heart Rate Strap and optionnal things like a footpod. It's in the price range of the Polars, without GPS, but it uses ANT+ instead or Polar's W.I.N.D. This means it can link with tons of devices, from scales to any non-Polar HR chest belt on the market, footpods, etc. Also they update their firmwares frrequently, which fixes bugs as they find them and even adds functionality to the watches.

    Good luck with your purchase in any case :) HRM are a wise purchase :)
  • _the_feniks_
    _the_feniks_ Posts: 3,412 Member
    I absolutely love my Polar FT7. The fact that it will store 100 workouts is fantastic. It comes with a chest strap (most, if not all, do) so just make sure you pick the right size. I found that www.heartratemonitorsusa.com has the best prices. That's where I got mine and a friend just got his from there as well. Excellent service. I will definitely be buying a Polar again. I had a Oregon Scientific I bought at a sporting goods store. It was OK but the band would never go back on after I had to change the battery.
  • Emv79
    Emv79 Posts: 245 Member
    If you run or bike, I would recommend checking out the Garmin series. That will allow you to program any workout you can think of that's based on time, distance, speed, heart rate, etc. You can also download the data the computer to track HR, speed, distance, etc. It's worth the added cost, imo.

    This (also fantastic if you hike). I have the Garmin 210 Forerunner and love it as it has GPS tracking. The watch part can be worn as a normal sports watch, it can track your HR with the belt during any activity, you can use it with the foot pod if your running/walking inside (ie:treadmill) and it will give you stats on your pace, laps, etc. Use it outside (no need for foot pod) and you can even track what you did on a map with elevation.
  • DanTTX
    DanTTX Posts: 64 Member
    I have the Polar RS300X :) I bought this one because I could attach a foot pod - a device that calculates the speed, distance and paced run.

    I do find the chest strap a bit uncomfortable =/ I tried to loosen them up a bit, but after I loosen them, they'd fall from my chest =/ So I needed to re-tighten them. Any suggestions?
  • t2kburl
    t2kburl Posts: 123 Member
    I got a very cheap Timex HRM ($9.99 on clearance at BB). All it logs is current HR and times your workouts. You get to do the math for calorie counting and guess at your average HR during the workout. I'm an electrical engineer, so the equation is no big deal to me, but it might freak some people out.
    Like most things, you get what you pay for.

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