Heart Rate Monitors - what works well/what doesn't?

[T in YVR]

I know there's a bunch of stuff on the internet on heart rate monitors, but I was interested to find out if anyone here is using any devices or applications that they really love for monitoring your heart rate during aerobic exercise. I was interested to hear of any experiences that this group have with it. I started using one pre-op (in the waiting room) and now post op - and will probably always use one now.

I have tried 3 of them but they all have their issues -

- Polar H7 Bluetooth chest strap + Digifit application for my iPhone. Works great (love the app), but its a bit bulky carrying an iPhone around when you jog. Better for biking, but I still use it when I run because it works so well.

- Polar H7 Bluetooth chest strap + iPod Nano/Nike+ heart rate monitor. Takes way longer to pick up your heart rate on the Nano than it does on the Digifit (which works every time), and using it on the Nano can be a bit flaky (easy to accidentally turn it off or pause it when changing songs etc.). It also doesn't have very good data (max and avg heart rate, time, but not much else). Its nice and small though.

- Polar H7 Bluetooth chest strap + Polar Loop Activity Bracelet/Polar Flow web app. Works ok, pics up my heart rate right away, but also doesn't capture too much data. The web site is a bit clunky for uploading your results. The batteries also need to be charged pretty often.

I'm hoping to find out if anyone here has any others they love and which work well.

Cheers,
Tony

 

[pellicle]

Hi

I know there's a bunch of stuff on the internet on heart rate monitors, but I was interested to find out if anyone here is using any devices or applications

I've got a Suunto and a cheapie. To be honest I prefer the cheapie because its simpler to use. Both bands have similar issues with capture of heart rates, and as it happens I can register the bands between each of the watches.

I end up using the cheapie all round because I just happen to like the fit.

Both bands need me to put some wetness on the band at where its sensor touches my chest and both work fine when I'm sweating enough.

Both slide down and need read justment. I use them as a guide and don't bother with wasting money on "recording bluetooth join to my phone track my run life bands" because I'm a privacy nutter.

 

[AZ Don]

I have a Sportline Duo which I really like. It works well with a chest band and can also take heart rate without the band by touching the outside of the watch for a few seconds. I use it as my primary watch and add the band when I'm working out, though not as much as I used to. I don't use it with any apps but it does transmit in bluetooth.

 

[epstns]

I'm just a minimalist. Like pellicle, I use a simple monitor that doesn't connect to anything except its own watch device. My unit is an old Polar F1. I chose it because it was the one that seemed to work best with my pacemaker.

I keep a daily exercise journal, with distances, times and maximum heart rate reached, along with general notes about anything affecting my activity (unusual time of day, weather, work conditions, etc.). I don't keep cumulative logs or worry about charts or other nanny devices. I just keep a log so that if anything in my exercise tolerance changes, I have something to compare to.

 

[SumoRunner]

I could never use one.
1) chest too hairy to make a good contact
2) pulse too irregular at times.
But then, I was running for decades before HRMs were invented and I just know what feels right.

 

[river-wear]

I've always liked my Polar monitor - it's a simple one with just a strap and watch.

My husband is an avid road cyclist and switched from Polar to Garmin, but I think the main driver was to pick up data from his PowerTap wheel. The other nice thing is that it has a removable module that snaps off the chest strap to wash it, and the battery can be replaced.

 

[ski girl]

If you like data, the Garmins are great. I like data! If you want to know what kind of data you can get, PM me and I'll send you one of my training runs. The HRM with the Garmin works great for a couple years and then seems to spew out weird readings, but you can change the battery.

 

[epstns]

Good point about batteries!

With the Polar units, you cannot replace the battery yourself. You need to send the unit to them. By the time you pay the cost of the battery and the shipping and handling fees, you may as well buy a new device - which is what I've done before.

 

[njean]

Moved to "Heart Talk".

 

[mcsf]

Very timely. I use a Garmin device for my bike and and it pairs well with a heart monitor. Garmin, generally, makes great products. On Friday I bought a Garmin vivofit because I was tired of carrying my bike computer in my pocket for all other activities. What a mistake. The vivofit is set-up to sync with a heart monitor. After hours of troubleshooting I could not get the heart monitor feature working. The reason I bought the product. Bummer.

 

[Lsimon]

I've had a bunch of heart rate monitors. Haven't used them for years and then started again after my surgery. I was looking for something without a chest strap when I first got home and ordered one but it didn't work well so I returned it.

For the chest strap items go cheap. The expensive fancy units have tons of features that you won't ever use and the more complicated controls make it much harder to use the basic functions. My favorite is a Timex Digital Fitness Heart Rate Monitor. It is a nice watch with very basic and easy to use HRM features. Second to that I'd recommend one of the very basic Polar units. The benefit of the cheap polar units is that the chest strap will work with gym type fitness equipment that if it has a receiver and about 1/3 of the machines they had in Cardiac Rehab has these. A decent basic HRM runs around $50 to $70 on Amazon. Some of the cheaper units are around $40 but I like one that at least has a watch on it.

 

[dornole]

I have a Garmin (chest strap with watch) that syncs to my computer. I haven't had any others so can't compare, but a couple things I like are -- easy to set my target zones and see where I am -- and, I love having the workout records on my computer. It graphs my heart rate throughout the workout and I like seeing the reassuring, totally normal looking response of my heart to different intervals. Also, if I put in the workload I was doing (if on a treadmill), I can compare what that set workout did to my heart rate and see if I am doing better, the same or worse than formerly. I like that this will give objective data about that part of my heart function and hopefully an early alert to becoming symptomatic. . . so that I neither say "hey I'm fine" when I'm slowly losing function, nor get paranoid when I'm fine.

 

[T in YVR]

Thanks for everyone's input/favorites thus far - I may give the Garmin or Polar watch a try. Will research them some more. I do like the Polar H7 chest strap that I have been using - super comfortable, never slips down, detachable unit, Bluetooth support etc. I'll see which watches will work with it (most, if not all, of the Polar watches should).

But then, I was running for decades before HRMs were invented and I just know what feels right.

Yeah, I am the same way. I can usually guess my heart rate within a couple beats per minute while exercising, based on how I am feeling/how hard I'm breathing. I like the HRM data though

 

[coffeelover]

I really like my PolarF4 heart rate monitor.Bought it at REI.Simple to use, not too expensive and plenty of data for the average athlete.With this F4 model I can replace the battery myself. Have fun with your new gadget!

 

[R1Phrankey]

I am using the Garmin edge 510 on my bike together with the Garmin chest strap. If I am correct, the measurement unit can also be used on the Polar chest strap, same connection points.
I have also a Sigma bike computer and corresponding chest strap.
Both work flawlessly. The Garmin is using the ANT+ protocol for communication.
Advantage from the Garmin is that the chest strap can be put in the washing machine. The Sigma does not have this possibility, since the measuring unit cannot be removed from the strap.

 

[triff]

Great post, exactly what I dropped by to ask

I've never used any of these devices and just starting to do some research, but I'm looking for something I can use to record any palpitations or irregularity in my heartbeat in addition to normal exercise/sports use (I'm active), would these be suitable for that or do they record sparser data like min/max/average heart rates?

I currently use a bunch of different methods for recording any heart-related events, Google Calendar for irregularities and aura migraines/other vision stuff, Sleep Cycle for, err, sleep and nothing yet for heart rate, ideally I'd like to centralise as much of it as possible in one of a couple of apps to make patterns/triggers easier to spot. I'm doing the same on the Warfarin side too and moving to self-testing to get more resolution of what affects my INR, basically using myself as a wee science project.

 

[SumoRunner]

The problem with irregular pulse and HRMs is that they aren't designed to capture separate beats. They average the time span between beats over a couple seconds which at high pulse rates can be several beats. I have a pulse meter on my dreadmill and what happens is that the reading jumps all over the place. I'll see something like: 156-156-144-64-231-180-156..., so one premature beat can make the numbers look very odd for several samples. The only device that will capture fine resolution of individual beats is the Holter Monitor

 

[AZ Don]

The problem with irregular pulse and HRMs is that they aren't designed to capture separate beats. They average the time span between beats over a couple seconds which at high pulse rates can be several beats. I have a pulse meter on my dreadmill and what happens is that the reading jumps all over the place. I'll see something like: 156-156-144-64-231-180-156..., so one premature beat can make the numbers look very odd for several samples. The only device that will capture fine resolution of individual beats is the Holter Monitor

Exactly. I had a couple bouts of AFib and during these episodes, about 1/2 the time my watch would fail to display any heart rate. The other 1/2 of the time it would show 140 - 160.

 

[dornole]

So AZ Don or SumoRunner - if one sees weird HRM readings like that in the normal course of working out, is that a reason to consult my cardiologist if it hasn't happened before, maybe trigger a test with a Holter?

I have this persistent idea that I will have AFib and not know it. . . .

 

[AZ Don]

So AZ Don or SumoRunner - if one sees weird HRM readings like that in the normal course of working out, is that a reason to consult my cardiologist if it hasn't happened before, maybe trigger a test with a Holter?

I have this persistent idea that I will have AFib and not know it. . . .

My first thought is that if you see a weird HRM reading to double check it by taking your pulse manually. Occasionally my HRM will have difficulty getting a reading and once or twice it has shown a high reading that was unexpected, and quickly confirmed to be an aberration. If you have AFIB you are likely to feel it. I used to have brief palpitations and Afib felt like that only it kept going. It felt a little like my heart was dancing in my chest. Not especially uncomfortable, but noticeable.