I want to get a heart rate monitor..any suggestions??

[Ren the devils trailboss]

I want a wireless one that I can wear on my wrist. Are any available that work off of pulse or do you always have to wear the chest strap.?

any advice or brands I should look at??

Thanks

Ren

 

[bob bowie]

Back a few years ago, a lot of guys I knew really liked the Cateye brand monitors. They make a model #HR-20 that you might like. www.cateye.com.

 

[maximus otter]

I can't be of much help, as my experience is way out of date. That having been said, I went for an HRM by Polar:

http://www.polarusa.com/consumer/cycling/products.asp

(I'm assuming that you want it for use during cycling...)

Mine is a basic one that I used to use on the treadmill.

I've been very happy with it.

maximus otter

 

[bladefixation2]

All the ones Ive seen that provide a constant heart rate reading need a chest strap.

Chest straps are fairly easy to get used to, if youre exercising hard enough to need a heart rate monitor youre probably not going to notice it.

I wear one all the time I'm on my exercise bike. They are great for not over stressing yourself so you can get a longer workout.

Polar are pretty much the market leaders

The heart rate strap just sits under those man tits

 

[pcnorton]

Just saw one in a magazine that doesn't use a chest strap. I'll try and find it.

Does suunto's need a strap?


Paul

 

[newknifeguy]

Hey,
I have used many, and they pretty much all need chest straps. There are some out there that don't use a chest strap, but you need to place two fingers from the opposite hand on the watch (makes it hard to use while exercising.) Depending on what you are using it for I recommend Timex or Polar. Timex has awesome customer service if things break, but the better Polar models have the option of setting them to show percentage of predetermined maximum heart rate which is excellent for training purposes. The straps are pretty easy to get used to. Josh

 

[SharpByCoop]

Ren,

Most folks will point you to Polar. They are the reknowned leaders in this field. Lots of models and exposure. But, I won't.

After a year when the battery in the chest strap dies, you have to send it back to Polar for a new one. Every model. Real convenient... :jerkit:

That said, look at the offerings from CardioSport. Replaceable chest strap batteries and a MUCH better price point. That's what I use.

Coop

 

[Spydiefan04]

Yet another vote for POLAR, I recomment the F11 model it has a lot of cool features not on the cheaper models.

 

[bandaidman]

Ren,

Most folks will point you to Polar. They are the reknowned leaders in this field. Lots of models and exposure. But, I won't.

After a year when the battery in the chest strap dies, you have to send it back to Polar for a new one. Every model. Real convenient... :jerkit:


Coop

coop that is incorrect. i have had a polar m61 for years that has a replaceable strap battery. i will agree that if you use a HRM a lot, it is mandatory to get a strap with a user serviceable battery. i also prefer a fabric type strap vs one of the more rigid plastic ones

the key thing is ...what do you want the HRM to do?

if you just want a HRM...buy a cheaper one as long as the chest strap is comfortable to wear. dont pay for exta features. do note that some of the watch straps suck on cheaper models. even some of the expensive suunto watches in the past have come with pretty lousy bands

most hrm have way more features than people use. they often have non-intuitive controls as well

if you are serious about zone training (training based on heart rate zones) this is where hrm really shine. if you know your heart rate max (usually people use 85%-90% as max) you can monitor your excercise by keeping your HR in a light/medium/heavy zone. better watches will allow you to set these zones up and will have alarms to keep you there. it will also help keep you from redlining in the >85% zone.

my old polar can calculate the 85% "max hr" which is a helpful feature if you have not had it calculated by a trainer or medical test.

many of the more expensive watches can have a ton of other features including

altimeters, barometers, gps pods, stride pods, bike computers etc. when they develop a hrm watch with a bike puter, altimeter, and inclinometer i will buy one

also note that if you use computerized or online training programs that many of the better watches allow downloads directly to your computer. i have never used such things but keep in mind most of them are pc-based only and many non-polar watches are not compatible with some popular online "coaching sites"


oh and i do like polar

 

[Eric1115]

Ren,

Most folks will point you to Polar. They are the reknowned leaders in this field. Lots of models and exposure. But, I won't.

After a year when the battery in the chest strap dies, you have to send it back to Polar for a new one. Every model. Real convenient... :jerkit:

That said, look at the offerings from CardioSport. Replaceable chest strap batteries and a MUCH better price point. That's what I use.

Coop

We've carried Polar HRMs for years at my bike shop, as well as others on and off. The Polar's have been by far the most reliable and user friendly. As several have said, they are the leaders in the category. It is a deserved reputation.

The chest strap batteries are rated to 10,000 hours of use. That's two hours a day, five days a week, for two years.

A WearLink 31 chest strap with a changeable battery goes for $50 or so.

If you're on a budget, I'd look at the F6. It has most of the features that most people want, including a coded transmitter, for $120.

If you want to go all out, the S725X is a sweet one. It's got all the heart rate features you could want, as well as all the features you'll find in a cycling computer (speed, distance, cadence, etc.). It comes with the WearLink chest strap. It costs $360, so it's not cheap, but if you want one unit to keep track of all your workout info, plot HR vs. speed vs. workout time vs. cadence vs. whatever on your computer, it's the way to go.

There are also a bunch of others, but those are probably the two that we sell the most of. That doesn't mean that they are the best ones for you, but it's a good couple of HRMs to start looking at.

As an aside, if anyone needs any info on cycling related stuff, I'm more than happy to help.

 

[John R. Fraps]

I have had one for several years by MIO.
It is a wrist watch and doesn't give a constat heart rate. to check your rate, you need to place the tips of 2 fingers on contacts on the face of the watch for a few seconds and it gives a heart rate.
I don't work out enough but this thing does a good job when I use it.
might try www.miowatch.com
or local bike/exercise equip. store

 

[mwerner]

I had one of those Cateye bike-computer-HRMs. Mounted right on the bike. Had it for about ten years, on several different rides; very reliable.

 

[InsuranceGuy]

I just picked up a heart rate monitor from GNC. It is their own brand. The chest strap battery is replaceable..

 

[comet]

Garmin have one out with a GPS in it. My brother has it and loves it.

 

[Ken C.]

Garmin have one out with a GPS in it. My brother has it and loves it.

That would be great to have. We would be able to easily find his body when he dies of a heart attack while on his bike run.

 

[C L Wilkins]

One question, what type of training are you doing where you need one? I am a cyclist as well. I only use it for VO2 and interval training and sometimes at the velodrome "just to see".

On my regular rides, I have found where it may hinder me when I see it at a certain point and believe it or not, it has a negative psychological affect. So, during my regular rides, I leave it off. Just yesterday for example, there were three of us, going hard for 55 miles. I felt it was high but would've slowed way down if I would've known what it was...funny how that works.

I NEVER wear it when I am racing...

By the way, I have an el cheapo no brand monitor. Heart rate is all I get.

Craig