What to look for in Heart Rate Monitor?

[dreamyjeanie]

I just got done reading the heart rate monitor post and am very interested in getting one. I just looked at several websites and now am more confused then ever. There are so many to choose from. What do you look for when deciding which one to buy? Are certain brands better than others? Are you happy with the one you have or are there features, you wish you would have gotten?

thanks,
Jean

 

[NicoleP]

I would make sure that when you purchase a hrm that it shows your heart rate continously. I have seen a few that you have to stop and push some buttons to get your hr..... that is something that would really bug me. I have just a basic polar hrm that I really like. Hopefully you will get more imput on hrm Good luck!!

~Nicole

 

[andtckrtoo]

I like the calorie count. Okay, so it's not 100% accurate, but it gives you a good idea which workouts more intense than others. You might be surprised at the results. I know I was. Some of the ones I thought were killer burned less calories than the ones I thought were rather tame.

 

[Imafitnessfreak]

I would go with one that uses a chest strap, they come with, versus one that you stick your thumb on the watch part. Chest straps are not as uncomfortable as they sound. They totally hide under workout clothes.

Polar is a great name. I like the calorie counter. You want one that you can enter personal information...age, gender, weight, etc. to get a more accurate calorie count.

I have the Polar a5 which is pretty basic ($79 I think). It suits my needs. However, my next one will be an upgrade...for luxery, I really have all I need right now. I like that once I "stop" mine after a workout, I can pull up a file that includes my exercise time, calories burned off, average heart rate...awesome information when you keep track!

Keep firing the questions and we'll get you set up!

 

[rjroubi]

Jean,
I also love my HR monitor which is an older model Polar i650. I've had it for well over 3 years.

It really depends on what you want in a heart rate monitor. I wanted one that I could download onto my computer and update on a daily basis so this really suited me. It counts my calories usuage per week and per exercise...give me fit tests and my Vo2 max. I program all my information into it (age, weight etc..) and it even sets my heart rate limits. I have a calandar with all my exercises on it with updated software from Polar. I can pull up any exercise and see how many minutes I was in which zone and how many calories I burned for any day of the month or year. I can also graph and compare exercises. (I can also swim with the monitor on.)

I don't even use the monitor to it's full capabilites (stop watch, intervals etc), but I love it and I'm sure they even make better ones now.

HTH,
Robin