Good HRM

I've had 2 HRMs. Details below but in summary, for accurate calories you have to spend big bucks and you don't get reliability for the price.

I started with a Polar FT60 (for $199 at the time, but now ~$139). It was incredibly accurate for calorie burn numbers, and really just a wonderful HRM to use all around, WHEN it worked. Which was for about 6 months, followed by repeated battery changes, sending it in for warranty service that they still charged >$20 for, and it came back still broken. Eventually I threw it out before it cost me any more money. I still debate whether it was worth the high price for the short time it worked.

I really really missed it when it was gone because it was extremely motivational, so about 6 months later after a lot of research, I bought a $60 Timex Zone Trainer Digital HRM. Just as the reviews promised, it's a great HRM, but the calories are completely wrong. Reported as almost double what I actually burn (960 in 50 minutes, I wish). I still wear it and do the math myself since I can ballpark it at around 50-60% of the reported number, having learned my true rates from the old HRM.

Too bad there's no secondary market for used ones (so we could buy fancy used ones). They don't last long enough to resell.

Bottom line, UNLESS it customizes the calories to your weight and gender (expect to pay well over $100 for this), the calories will be COMPLETELY wrong. But HRMs are motivational!