advice on what heart rate monitor i should buy?

I have never really thought about buying one until I joined this site.  I've read lots of posts by people who wear them when they workout.  I love working out and think it would be cool to buy one.

Can someone recommend one to me?  Do you all just use them to see how many calories you burn during a workout or are there more benefits to them?

Hey Jes,

I have a Polar F4 HRM and I LOVE it!! I use it to calculate calorie burn during my work outs and to figure out time spent for each as well as my time in my burn zone. If you check out the website, you can see what it's capable of....the F6 model is pretty cool, too, and I may need to upgrade to it!

I've heard folks LOVE their Polar 4's and 6's...

Now I can rave about the Polar f11, too!!!

I DON'T know HOW I did without it...??!!!

Mine came from a Great seller on Ebay... so I went with the f11. It does a Fitness test that really encouraged me, too. I usually don't use the extra features it has.

Hope you get one and enjoy it, too!

I really like my Nike triax c3.  Reasonable price.

What kind to get depends on your budget and goals.  I have a Polar F11 that I've used for a couple years now and love!!  I can't imagine working out without it.  When I first started on my journey I had a basic polar that only did heart rate no watch no cal burn etc.  It was good for a beginner but as I progressed in my fitness I wanted more bells and whistles.

 

The f4 and f6 are basic and reasonable The F11 has a bit more features and costs a bit then there are other polars that are designed more for runners or bicyclists so you may want those kind.

I have a Polar and a Timex. The Timex has GPS functionality, which is great/highly recommended if you workout outside. Tells you your miles per hour or minutes per mile, projected finish time (if you set it up).

 The Timex heart rate strap fell apart on mine though, so I've been without heart rate for over a year (easy to buy a new one, just haven't). The GPS has been good enough feedback for me as far as comparing each workout's pace, etc.

 If you have the spare change (and do workouts outside), I'd seriously consider looking at a GPS/heart rate unit. Good luck.

 PS - The Polar will probably more compatible with the standard gym equipment (treadmills, ellipticals, etc). There are plenty of sites that you can plug in your GPS trail and keep a log of all your workouts.

One Word....

 

POLAR!!!!

 

thanks for all your replies!!  I will definitely be looking into buying one in the VERY near future :)

I have a Sunnto T1, it was affordable, counts calories, does the zone training, but unlike Polar, I can wear it for everyday purposes becuase it doesn't look like a HRM.