Heart Rate Monitor

[gdw]

Does anyone make a simple monitor which just displays your heart rate.... something along the lines of the old Polar Beat? A friend is using cycling to stay in shape while recovering from a running injury and just needs a simple monitor to help her maintain her current level of fitness so the the 1001 other functions that the newer units offer aren't needed.

[christian]

Why not get a Garmin 305. It's only around $120 and offers great functions for running once she's back at that. And you can turn off the gps and just have it display heart rate, too.

[gdw]

Good suggestion but she already has a Garmin and wants a basic unit which just displays her current heart rate. The bigger the display the better.

[Pete Serotta]

POLAR still makes one that I saw in Performance CYcle under 100. it is simple :D

there are others out there also. You need to determine your "wants" if anything more complex than seeeing what is on the screen. ie what is stored, if it down loaded, how is it published etx.......what are you going to use it for and view after the exercise.??

[regularguy412]

http://www.amazon.com/Cardiosport-Go-Heart-Rate-Monitor/dp/B000BWC5EQ

I got one of these for a friend of mine who is just starting out with HR training. The chest strap and watch both have user-replaceable batteries - which is a nice feature.

Mike in AR:beer:

[Alan]

This monitor works great and comes w ANT+ connectivity. It is similar to the other Garmin watches but no GPS. You can easily upload to garminconnect to see your workout graphically. You can change the battery yourself unlike the Polars.

Well worth $98 on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-Fitness-Watch-Heart-Monitor/dp/B001S2RCXC/ref=sr_1_3?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1326668098&sr=1-3

Alan

[gdw]

Thanks folks. She is starting off on a stationary trainer and will be inside for three or four weeks so GPS and the other stuff isn't needed. The Cardiosport looks good and the newer Polar Unit is worth checking out.

[Don49]

I would suggest the least expensive Timex HRM, about $30.

http://www.amazon.com/Timex-T5G941-Heart-Monitor-Watch/dp/B000F5WB66/ref=sr_1_4?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1326671652&sr=1-4

[regularguy412]

http://www.amazon.com/Cardiosport-Go-Heart-Rate-Monitor/dp/B000BWC5EQ

I got one of these for a friend of mine who is just starting out with HR training. The chest strap and watch both have user-replaceable batteries - which is a nice feature.

Mike in AR:beer:


One more point I forgot to add-- I have a Cardiosport Limit model that I use occasionally. The chest strap transmits on the same frequency (non-coded) that my old Polars use. Having used both the Polar and the Cardiosport at the same time on my bars, I can say that the Cardiosport is usually within one beat +/- of the Polar and it updates the display at the same rate that the Polars do,,, FWIW.

:)

[commfire]

Having used both polar and garmin I would say the garmin is definitely worth the money. The HR strap itself is very comfortable and the ant+ stuff just works.

[christian]

I still fail to understand why she can't just turn off the GPS on her Garmin and set the display to only show HR. It's like 5 clicks of the buttons, total.

[dvs cycles]

I've found several older Polar favors and the like on E-bay for as low as $10.
Sometimes they need a battery but it's not that hard to do.

[xjoex]

I have been using a Polar RS100 for 9 years. You can find them for less than $100. It has heart rate, calories and a stop watch.

I use the heck out of it, it gets my recommendation. I wore it this morning on the spin bike and rowing machine.


-Joe