Heart Rate Monitors: Reviews

It's probably overkill for most exercisers, but the Polar FT60 does much more than simply track heart rate -- reviewers say it's a virtual personal trainer that provides personalized information you can apply to your… workouts. The fitness program included with the FT60 creates target heart-rate zones based on your current fitness level, and it tells you when you are training too hard or too easy. Reviewers say the Polar FT60 is difficult to set up initially, but the various training features and reliable monitoring make it a good buy. Users also say it is easy to review your workout data. Unlike most Polar heart-rate monitors, the FT60 has a user-replaceable battery. However, while many other Polar monitors include a way to upload your workout data to a computer, you'll have to buy an optional FlowLink device (*Est. $55) to get that functionality with the Polar FT60. If you don't need something this sophisticated or don't want to spend so much, we found good reviews for less expensive heart-rate monitors, including the Timex Personal Trainer Heart Rate Monitor and Omron HR-100C.

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The Timex Personal Trainer T5G971 lacks some of the bells and whistles found on expensive monitors, but reviewers say it's a reliable heart-rate monitor for the price. The Personal Trainer tracks heart rate and calories… burned; it also includes an Indiglo backlight and clock. Even though it's a basic heart-rate monitor, the Timex Personal Trainer is the best performer in a recent independent test. Testing indicates that the watch is accurate and easy to use, and owners say it picks up data quickly from the included chest strap. Owners also like the user-replaceable battery and large display. We found a few complaints about reliability, but the biggest downside mentioned in reviews is the user manual, which provides inadequate information about how to use the heart-rate monitor.

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The Omron HR-100C has been a fan favorite for years, mainly because owners say it is reliable and inexpensive. Unlike the Timex Personal Trainer, the Omron HR-100C does not track calorie expenditure. It does cover the… basics, though, including tracking heart rate with a high/low alarm. The Omron heart-rate monitor also performs well in independent testing, but it scores slightly lower than the Timex Personal Trainer. Overall, most users are happy with this heart-rate monitor, saying it is easy to set up, comfortable and relatively durable. However, some owners complain about inconsistent heart-rate readings, especially in a gym. Pricier heart-rate monitors (like the Polar FT60) use a coded transmission from the chest strap to the monitor to prevent interference from other exercisers or gym equipment. The Omron HR-100C doesn't use a coded transmission, which may explain the complaints we saw about inconsistent readings.

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