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Heart Rate Monitor Buying Guide
Used for years in high-intensity athletic training, the heart rate monitor has worked its way down, in price and usefulness, to the average person who wants to monitor his or her fitness goals and performance. If you think a heart rate monitor would help you achieve your fitness goals, but your head is spinning from the number of brands on the market and the number of functions they perform, Pronto’s Heart Rate Monitor Buying Guide will help you sort through the options available and find a heart rate monitor that’s simple to use and understand.
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the five
What are the five key points I need to look at?
How heart rate monitors work
Heart rate monitors measure and display your heart rate to allow you to exercise at a level beneficial to you. Be sure that the heart rate monitor you choose lets you set a personalized heart rate zone.
Goals
If you’re just trying to get in shape, a basic heart rate monitor that can calculate calories burned is a good choice. Think about your long-term fitness goals when considering more expensive monitors with advanced features and don’t buy more than you need.
Ease of use
Most heart rate monitors use a chest strap and a wrist monitor. The chest strap should be snug, but not too tight. Avoid heart rate monitors that use fingertip sensors, as these can be difficult to use and won’t work at all in some cases. The more features you choose, the more buttons and screens you’ll need to navigate.
Features
Look for alarms that alert you when you go over or under your target heart rate and data storage for several workouts if you’re just starting out. Serious athletes should look for heart rate monitors that track training time, THR duration, average heart rate and hydration levels.
Other considerations
Don’t rely on your heart rate monitor alone to gauge how you’re doing; it’s just as important to listen to your body. Be aware of the possibility of radio interference that can give you false readings. Some heart rate monitors must be sent to the manufacturer for battery replacement, which could interfere with hardcore training schedules.
pronto pick
What product do we recommend?
We like the Polar S410 Heart Rate Monitor, which gives you all the exercise information you want and the means to store and analyze it. The Polar S41 lets you program five exercise routines with target zones, timers and recovery. The wrist display shows heart rate, elapsed time and calories burned and includes a stopwatch function that shows lap and split times. This heart rate monitor download...
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experts say
Runner’s World—“With heart-rate and stopwatch functions on the same screen, the Basix Plus [Acumen Eon] eliminates the need to toggle between them. Other nice benefits are a fitness mode, which measures how quickly your heart rate declines after a workout, and a memory function that lets you compare your fitness from one workout to the next.” Source: Runnersworld.com
BusinessWeek—“Polar's S725X is a great heart- rate monitor, and with the quick installation of a sensor to the front fork of a bike and a magnet to a spoke on the wheel, the watch can gather speed and distance information as well.” Source: Businessweek.com
Outside Magazine—“Not sure if you need a heart-rate monitor? End the debate with [the Oregon Scientific SE102]: It has basic functions (percent of max, calorie burn, and vibrating or audible HR zone alarm, but no lap splits or data storage) in a reasonably low-profile design.” Source: Outside Online
hot buzz
What's the latest in the world of heart rate monitors?
The next generation of heart rate monitors could make coaches obsolete for everything except motivation. Polar’s RS8000sd Running Computer integrates with sensors in compatible Adidas running shoes to measure stride, pace and distance along with heart rate throughout a workout. By analyzing this data, runners can strive for a more efficient pace that improves endurance and efficiency.
Wallet Impact
What can I expect in my price range?
| Price | Description | Good Pick (see all Heart Rate Monitors) |
| $ | Budget heart rate monitors are the best choice for beginners or those who are exercising for fitness rather than competition. Look for displays that can be read in a variety of lighting conditions, timer functions and the ability to calculate calories burned. |
Compare prices at 4 stores $33 - $33 |
| $$ | Midrange heart rate monitors allow you to set several target zones for different types of exercise and track your heart rate for your last several workouts. Look for lap and split timers, alarms that sound when you’re above or below your target zone and filtering features that reduce interference. | |
| $$$ | High-end heart rate monitors are built for competitive athletes who need to measure every aspect of their performance during a workout. In addition to monitoring heart rate, recovery, fatigue and body chemical levels, these heart rate monitors include pressure and altitude sensors as well as the ability to download your workout data to a PC for in-depth analysis. | |
shop talk
What are the terms and definitions I need to know about?
Chest strap
A piece of material worn around the chest that contains the electrodes used to sense your heart rate. Chest straps should be snug to maintain accurate readings.
Cross talk
Interference in a radio device caused by electromagnetic fields (power lines, security devices) or by radio signals picked up from nearby RF sources (garage door openers, other heart rate monitors).
Maximum heart rate (MHR)
The number of times your heart can beat in one minute. This represents the maximum amount of physical exertion you can endure.
Target heart rate (THR)
A percentage of your maximum heart rate that you want to reach during exercise.
Target zone
Your target heart rate +/- 11 heartbeats per minute. The target zone is the range in which you want to keep you heart rate during a workout.
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