Heart monitors.

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Ovie

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 25, 2011
Messages
493
Location
Sioux City, Iowa.
Anyone know of a good heart monitor that's reliable? I'm in the market for one but don't know if I'm over paying for something I can get cheaper and it be the same, or paying too little for something that isn't accurate, I'm talking about the wrist monitor too btw, I get it mixed up if it she same thing or not. I'd like it for my workouts to stay on the safe side.

Links, brands, prices I'd be greatful!

Thanks.

PS- sorry if this is in wrong area :confused2:
 
I am using a Omron HR-100C Heart Rate Monitor


Good basic unit, Options go up with prices. Higher options include being able to down load the info to computer after workout to see how you did. I have this one just to watch rate while working out.

It is on Amazon for around $35. It has a strap around your chest and then the wrist band device. Many of the machines in the health club I go to pick up the signal from the chest strap, so I do not have to wear the wrist band there.
 
I've had good luck with only the Polar line of monitors. My pacemaker makes many of the monitors go crazy, but the Polar monitors always seem to work dependably. They have various price levels with varying features. Usually available at the chain sporting good stores.

P.S. The machines at my fitness center pick up from the chest strap, too, so I do not wear the wrist monitor. I can read it out on the control panel of the machine.
 
Re: Heart monitors.

I use a Polar bluetooth chest strap for heart rate. It connects easily to my Samsung smartphone, but they also sell dedicated wrist monitors for it.
Just the other day I also got a Rossmax blood pressure wrist monitor (half price at the local pharmacy). Seems good, but I don't know how accurate it is.
 
I did not have any luck with the wrist only monitor, because of my pacemaker, I guess. I have to use one with the chest strap. I too, use Polar.
 
Ovie,
I have had really good luck with the Polar Heart Monitors. I'm on my 2nd Polar unit-- the first unit lasted approx. 10 years which I thought was great. Also,
all of the exercise equipment where I work out at receives signal from the Polar and displays it on the TM which is nice.
Good luck!
 
I've got a Timex Ironman heart rate monitor. Pretty bullet-proof, but it occasionally does go wacko around high voltage power lines.
Mark
 
FWIW: I have read that wrist monitors are not as reliable as the cuff.
I also have Omron cuff that has the memory, second person reading and 'guest' capabilities.
 
Sounds like most use chest monitors here, is it because you have to or just more reliable?

Also what is a cuff?

I see that many of these devices go through the workout machines, I wouldn't have the first clue how to use that, and would be ineffective with free weights, basketball, sports etc.

I was walking around Best buy the other day and they were selling Nike monitors for $150. I know Nike is overpriced but maybe it's alright? I'd like to be able to use it this summer also when I'm playing softball so I need something sturdy. I don't need anything that downloads to my computer or anything just a simple reading that's accurate. I'm not opposed to a chest monitor if that seems to work best. Ill check some of these ones you mentioned online.
 
I have a polar heart rate monitor.

I can't recall the model, but it certainly wasn't the top line model.

It has a chest strap, and you wear the monitor like a watch, and the chest strap sends signals to the "watch" and it displays your current heart rate, and also shows maximum, minimum, average etc.

I wear it swimming, free weights, body combat, spin cycle, running, whatever, wherever.

The only problem I had was in the month or so after surgery my chest scar caused some discomfort with the chest starp, so I didn't wear it then, but its fine now.

I bought it on line a couple of years ago, and it was about $120 dollars australian...(I think that now equates to about $1,500 dollars US....just joking ...just joking....I remember the time when $1 Australian was only worth 45 US cents....but boy, the USD has taken a battering over recent times)


Anyway, I love it, and for me it was the key to my fitness and weight loss....honestly, it made a world of difference.

I was walking and walking, and exercising, thinking I was doing a reasonable job, but I found out that my heart rate was just staying that little bit too slow to be doing me much good, so when I got the monitor, and the exercise physiologist gave me a target heart rate to try and achieve during exercise (based on my age and weight etc), I improved out of sight...honestly.

Anyway, see how you go tracking down a polar heart rate monitor. I totally agree with Steve Epstein, and I highly recommend it.
 
The Polar unit I use is one of their most basic models. Cost was well under $100 at one of the sporting goods stores. The only drawback to the Polar brand is that when the battery for the chest strap transmitter goes out, you have to send it back to them to replace the battery. By the time you get done with their charges and shipping costs, you may as well just buy a new unit. Works well until it quits, though.
 
epstns brought up a great point about the heart monitors and the battery replacement process.
With my first Polar Heart Monitor-- model T31-- I could not replace the battery myself. It needed to be sent in to Polar. (The T31 cost $50 and did last 10 years with the original battery)
With my 2nd Polar Heart Monitor --the FT4--I can replace the batteries myself which is a huge plus! The FT4 cost more ($100) but has extra features.
Good luck and have fun shopping!
 
I looked on the back on my polar heart rate monitor today...I've got the Polar RS100, and it was about $120 australian a few years ago, and you can open it and replace the battery quite easily on this model. I'm not sure if its still available, but I really like it, I find it easy to use, and I like having a few features to use sometimes, as it just helps with the boredom while on the treadmill etc...if you enter your age, and height, and weight etc, it will calculate some figures, and will show calories burnt etc, but you don't have tyo use those features, you can just use it to show heart rate, and you know its locked its signal onto your chest strap because it has a little outline around the flashing heart, and many exercise machines will also pick up the signal from your chest strap so its good to use at the gym as well...anyway, it works well for me. It looks like you can still buy it on line.
 
I have a Polar Edge model that I got in 1993; 20 years ago, and it still works okay. But the battery in the chest strap (i.e., transmitter) unit went out a long time ago and I replaced it with a Cardiosport chest strap unit, which works fine with the Polar and has a replaceable battery. Otherwise, with the Polar everytime the battery in the chest strap unit goes out a new chest strap unit is required. The Polar wrist (i.e., receiver) unit has a replaceable battery, but the chest strap unit did not. A good source for heart rate monitors, including Cardiosport chest strap, is www.sarkproducts.com
 
So it sounds like polar is the way to go, how does this chest strap work? I mean is is pretty noticeable with wires and what not going from the strap to the watch? Also I read that someone was swimming with it? Are these waterproof or just that model?
 
The chest strap functions as a transmitter unit. The wrist unit functions as a receiver. So, there is not a wire going between the two units. Both units have batteries that have to be changed every so often. The chest strap is noticeable if you are not wearing a shirt, otherwise it is not noticeable. The Polar chest unit without the removable battery is immersible in water, but the wrist unit is not, so do not recommend using while swimming. Chest straps that have removable batteries are not immersible in water. But the wrist units are not immersible in water so its a moot issue.
 
Ovie said:
So it sounds like polar is the way to go, how does this chest strap work? I mean is is pretty noticeable with wires and what not going from the strap to the watch? Also I read that someone was swimming with it? Are these waterproof or just that model?
Click to expand...

Just chipping in late here my wife had problems getting a chest strap that regularly got a good signal when she was doing any torso twisting, so that may be an issue for you too. Her breasts kept the unit a bit far down her chest. (Just to be blunt about it)

As to waterproof, I've never seen one for swimming myself.
But google has http://www.sportstek.net/heart_rate_monitors.htm#swimming
 
The other thing that may confound chest strap transmitters is if you have a pacemaker. I have one since surgery, and the ONLY brand (of the 4 or 5 I tried) that would work and sense both natural and pacemaker pulses is the Polar. When I called the manufacturer of my pacemaker and asked them which monitors worked, they recommended Polar - and they also told me that most users found that the strap got a more consistent signal if it was work upside down. Not sure what that does, but it works for me.
 
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