HRM chest strap necessary?

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  • beckylawrence70
    beckylawrence70 Posts: 752 Member
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    It really is necessary for the most accurate readings........
  • TourThePast
    TourThePast Posts: 1,753 Member
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    HRMs aren't accurate (strap or no strap types) for all day wear. If you're looking for that kind of feedback look into a bodybugg, bodymedia or fitbit device.
    I may be wrong, but I think the point was there the strap is comfortable enough to wear all day, if you want to keep it on so you can use it during periods of exercise during the day, eg if you go for a walk.
  • bluefox9er
    bluefox9er Posts: 2,917 Member
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    If you want something to wear all day, get a fitbit.

    a fitbit wont give any accuracy for cardio workouts on the agressive side.
  • LovelyLibra79
    LovelyLibra79 Posts: 569 Member
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    Yes..the chest strap helps deliver more accurate data
  • amandamkarl
    amandamkarl Posts: 3 Member
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    I have the Boddybug they are made to wear all day! They work great! i have had about 3 family memembers use them as well in the past. They are tested and are 95% accurate!
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    Have you tried the strap??? I dont even feel it when its on. It goes directly under your bra strap, its made of cloth, and you wont even know its there.

    I wouldnt recommend purchasing one without the chest strap.

    Agreed. I'd rather spent more money and have it be accurate than only spend $65 and never know if it actually works.

    yup I agree as well. I have a polar ft4 and use it with fitbit as well. luv it!

    Ditto - Polar ft4 for exercises that aren't walking and my fitbit for walking/running and wearing all day (and night to track sleep). Love it!
  • markklug
    markklug Posts: 4
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    the RS100 works good for a watch hrm, you need to get it wet to make good contact with your skin for it to be accurate.
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
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    If you want something to wear all day, get a fitbit.

    fitbit isn't a heart rate monitor.
  • deadbeatsummer
    deadbeatsummer Posts: 537 Member
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    The actual heart rate monitor IS the strap on your chest - it is monitoring your heart rate. The watch is just a device for the HRM to feed information on your heart rate to so you can see how you are doing. The watch doesn't do any of the work - it is just the 'screen' so to speak.

    I thought it seemed a bit equipment heavy before I got my Polar FT4 but it's no big deal.

    Also HRM are not suitable/accurate for activities where your heart rate is below the fat burning zone.

    I think a 'FitBit' device would be more suitable as it is an all day long piece of equipment.
  • AngelikaLumiere
    AngelikaLumiere Posts: 862 Member
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    I have a HRM with a strap and I almost wish it was noticable when I had it on because it is so easy to forget it is on and forget to turn it on.:ohwell: I had a calorie counter without a strap before and it was more of a guesstimate. With the strap I know that it is basing it''s calculations on my actual bio-metrics.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    I'm looking into buying a hrm. I prefer a watch only with no chest strap. There are some continuous read watches, one is Polar RS100. I want to be able to wear it when I'm not exercising too. Why? Because I just want to know about calories burned and hr during my daily activities.

    Since you are interested in accuracy, forget wearing it all day. HRM formula's for calorie burn are only valid in steady-state aerobic exercise, meaning HR between about 90-160 generally.
    Anything outside that is very inaccurate, and useless info.
    That means daily activity on the low end, and weight lifting or HIIT which is anaerobic exercise on the high end.

    Here is calculator based on study that Polar sponsored, with link to study for that reference.
    http://www.braydenwm.com/calburn.htm
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    I have the Boddybug they are made to wear all day! They work great! i have had about 3 family memembers use them as well in the past. They are tested and are 95% accurate!

    Accurate for daily non-exercise activities. Not exercise.

    This study is on the Sensewear, the maker of BodyMedia and BodyBugg.

    And since you still don't select what type of activity a workout is - they have not applied specific algorithms. They have them though!

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15126727

    When a generalized proprietary algorithm was applied to the data, the SenseWear Pro Armband significantly underestimated total energy expenditure by 14.9 +/- 17.5 kcal (6.9 +/- 8.5%) during walking exercise, 32.4 +/- 18.8 kcal (28.9 +/- 13.5%) during cycle ergometry, 28.2 +/- 20.3 kcal (17.7 +/- 11.8%) during stepping exercise, and overestimated total energy expenditure by 21.7 +/- 8.7 kcal (29.3 +/- 13.8%) during arm ergometer exercise (P < or = 0.001).
  • MissKTMc
    MissKTMc Posts: 49
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    HRMs aren't accurate (strap or no strap types) for all day wear. If you're looking for that kind of feedback look into a bodybugg, bodymedia or fitbit device.

    If you're completely against a chest strap to get a HRM that is pretty accurate you're going have to invest more that $65. In that price range if you're going to get any accuracy get one with a chest strap. For most people, myself included, the chest strap is hardly noticeable after a short time of wear.

    Totally agree with the bodymedia idea!! I'm an exercise scientist currently working in energy expenditure measurement and I use the bodymedia SenseWear Pro 3 armbands! There is a new model out which looks even better (my dept just can't afford them)
  • MissKTMc
    MissKTMc Posts: 49
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    I have the Boddybug they are made to wear all day! They work great! i have had about 3 family memembers use them as well in the past. They are tested and are 95% accurate!

    Accurate for daily non-exercise activities. Not exercise.

    This study is on the Sensewear, the maker of BodyMedia and BodyBugg.

    And since you still don't select what type of activity a workout is - they have not applied specific algorithms. They have them though!

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15126727

    When a generalized proprietary algorithm was applied to the data, the SenseWear Pro Armband significantly underestimated total energy expenditure by 14.9 +/- 17.5 kcal (6.9 +/- 8.5%) during walking exercise, 32.4 +/- 18.8 kcal (28.9 +/- 13.5%) during cycle ergometry, 28.2 +/- 20.3 kcal (17.7 +/- 11.8%) during stepping exercise, and overestimated total energy expenditure by 21.7 +/- 8.7 kcal (29.3 +/- 13.8%) during arm ergometer exercise (P < or = 0.001).

    As you can see form my post above, I work with SenseWear on a daily basis. When you open the analysis package you can select activity types based on timestamped activities. The algorithm applied from there is based on the Ainsworth tables, so it's as accurate as the information you supply!!
  • Kara_xxx
    Kara_xxx Posts: 635 Member
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    YES /.endthread

    :laugh: :drinker:
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    http://www.amazon.com/Polar-Cardio-Sports-Bra/dp/B001RIIITE Bra with HRM sensor built in
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    I have the Boddybug they are made to wear all day! They work great! i have had about 3 family memembers use them as well in the past. They are tested and are 95% accurate!

    Accurate for daily non-exercise activities. Not exercise.

    This study is on the Sensewear, the maker of BodyMedia and BodyBugg.

    And since you still don't select what type of activity a workout is - they have not applied specific algorithms. They have them though!

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15126727

    When a generalized proprietary algorithm was applied to the data, the SenseWear Pro Armband significantly underestimated total energy expenditure by 14.9 +/- 17.5 kcal (6.9 +/- 8.5%) during walking exercise, 32.4 +/- 18.8 kcal (28.9 +/- 13.5%) during cycle ergometry, 28.2 +/- 20.3 kcal (17.7 +/- 11.8%) during stepping exercise, and overestimated total energy expenditure by 21.7 +/- 8.7 kcal (29.3 +/- 13.8%) during arm ergometer exercise (P < or = 0.001).

    As you can see form my post above, I work with SenseWear on a daily basis. When you open the analysis package you can select activity types based on timestamped activities. The algorithm applied from there is based on the Ainsworth tables, so it's as accurate as the information you supply!!

    Wow, too bad the BodyMedia and BodyBugg don't allow you to do that. Why won't they bring that to the other units, since it's really a matter of the website anyway just analying the data?

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