Heart Rate Monitors

[gavintc]

My daughter has a med condition. She monitors her HR using 2 fingers and a watch. It works pretty well for her - cheap as well.

 

[screenman]

My daughter has a med condition. She monitors her HR using 2 fingers and a watch. It works pretty well for her - cheap as well.

I agree that system works well, but there are certain times on a bike where it might be slightly difficult.

I used Polar for over 20 years, now it is a Garmin.

 

[gavintc]

I agree that system works well, but there are certain times on a bike where it might be slightly difficult.

I used Polar for over 20 years, now it is a Garmin.

I agree, but that was not the original question. He wanted to measure HR through the day. A 6 sec check gives you a quick feel as to whether things are a problem.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

I agree, but that was not the original question. He wanted to measure HR through the day. A 6 sec check gives you a quick feel as to whether things are a problem.

No, the OP wanted to measure calories derived from Heart Rate accurately, something that cannot be done

 

[martint235]

I've been thinking of getting one, was looking at the Fitbit Surge.

I've been diagnosed with something that I can't remember off the top of my head but is basically an irregular heartbeat. I'm waiting for the 24 hr BP test and the 24 hr ECG plus a heart scan but I'm kind of curious about what an HR readout would look like over a typical day.

 

[Andrew_P]

I thought most if not all commercial HR monitors use software to smooth out the data anyway. The Polar RS800CX was one that can or does record continuous raw data. http://beatloneafib.blogspot.co.uk/p/how-to-monitor-your-heart.html

 

[screenman]

I agree, but that was not the original question. He wanted to measure HR through the day. A 6 sec check gives you a quick feel as to whether things are a problem.

Apologies, I did read the OP but instantly forgot it.

 

[Citius]

I thought most if not all commercial HR monitors use software to smooth out the data anyway

Smooth out what data? Most HRMs simply count the number of beats in real time and convert it into whatever type of screen display you happen to request, in real time.

 

[cyberknight]

Can anyone recommend a watch based monitor without the strap ?

 

[BRounsley]

Hopefully this makes sense and is useful!!

There’s three parts to the questions. A) How you gather the information. B) How you view the information. C) When are you gathering the information.

A) It sounds like you want to gather the information while exercising so you have two main options. One is the chest strap. The other is optically skin sensor (shines a light through the skin, normally a green light and looks at the veins pulsing. Invented by Philips I believe). The chest strap is worn around the chest! The optical one is typically worn on the wrist (or built into a watch).

There are some cleaver apps that can take a reading other ways, but you can’t use while exercising. Such as the “Philips Vital Signs” that looks at the change in colour in your face.

B) You typically pair the monitor to a reader. A reader could be a bike satnav (Garmin), a phone or a watch. Sometimes the monitor and reader are the same device (watch using the optically skin sensor).

C) You may want to just view your heart rate while exercising. You may want to record the heart rate and use the information (e.g. Calories burn). You may want to record you heart rate over the day for base reading, like resting heart rate. Or all three.


The cheapest would be a cheap watch and chest strap, but typically all you get is a reading while exercising.

A very good cheap option for exercising is a Bluetooth HR Chest monitor paired to a smart phone (on the assumption you have a smartphone and it’s got Bluetooth 4.0).

If you want a wrist monitor not a chest strap them MIO were first to the market. They do a reader only (Mio Link about £70) and all in one watch (Mio Alpha about £110).

You could go the heath tracker route. Someone talked about the FitBit HR. That’s the optically skin sensor.

You have the smart watch option. The apple watch (you’d need a recent iphone) has the same optically skin sensor and does all of the above.


I have an apple watch but for cycling I use a Wahoo chest strap and connect it to my iPhone and Strava

 

[bozmandb9]

Funnily enough, I just posted a thread about my Garmin 235. It does exactly what you want. It monitors pulse 24/7 (optical heart rate monitor on the back of the watch), and provides charts, low, high and average, plus resting heart rate, 7 days, plus 4 weeks. It also tracks calories burned, based on heart rate plus GPS, great cycle and running apps. It also interfaces with MyFitnessPal, into which you can enter the food you eat, to accurately track your calories ingested.

Oh, it tells the time too! Plus smartwatch functionality, such as call and text, plus social media notifications.

Early days for me with this model, but I love it so far, and from past experience, I think it's really useful, especially if you're looking to achieve health goals through tracking calories burned against calories consumed.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Calories based on HR is a misnomer. No device capable of sensing HR can in any way accurately tell how many calories you have burned per hour/session/day/week etc.

It simply cannot be done..

 

[david k]

I have a TomTom Multisport Cardio. I can't vouch for accuracy but the results are always consistent.
Syncs to smartphone using Bluetooth - TomTom Mysports app, then uploads to Srava automatically.

I like the look of that, what's your feedback please and did you buy online

 

[david k]

I've been thinking of getting one, was looking at the Fitbit Surge.

I've been diagnosed with something that I can't remember off the top of my head but is basically an irregular heartbeat. I'm waiting for the 24 hr BP test and the 24 hr ECG plus a heart scan but I'm kind of curious about what an HR readout would look like over a typical day.

Me too, irregular heart rythem which goes in and out, they missed mine on a 24 hour test but got it eventually

I think measuring heart rate is helpful if you know your usual rate and nothing wrong with a gadget to add nterested to rides and exercise etc.

 

[david k]

I've been thinking of getting one, was looking at the Fitbit Surge.

I've been diagnosed with something that I can't remember off the top of my head but is basically an irregular heartbeat. I'm waiting for the 24 hr BP test and the 24 hr ECG plus a heart scan but I'm kind of curious about what an HR readout would look like over a typical day.

I had a Fitbit charge and the strap fell apart quickly, lost confidence in them now

I like the look of the Tom Tom after reading this thread