Best Heart Rate Monitor Reviews

Best Heart Rate Monitor – How Can You Find One?

admin — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 19:13:41 +0000

Summary: Heart rate monitor is an electronic device that is used to monitor measure and record the heart rate of a person.

The best heart rate monitor would be equipped with useful features like GPS, stopwatch, timer, alarm, etc. The heart rate monitors are available in various forms, but mostly preferred as strapless wristwatches.

Have you ever considered the benefits offered by a heart rate monitor? If yes, then you would definitely like to invest in the best heart rate monitor. A heart rate monitor is an electronic device, which can monitor and measure your real time heartbeat, and even record your heartbeat for a study.

A heart rate monitor consists of a transmitter and a receiver. The working of a heart rate monitor depends on the electrical pulses sent out by the user’s heart muscles. The transmitter in the monitor traps or detects the pulses, and then transmits them to the receiver in the form of electromagnetic signals. The transmitter is generally in the form of a chest strap, and the receiver is a portable device like a wristwatch or mobile phone.

Modern heart rate monitors are generally designed as wristwatch models to enable efficient and easy usage. With the evolution in design, strapless heart rate monitor watches were developed in order to ease out the inconvenience caused due to the chest straps. The strapless heart rate monitors are equipped with sensors and microprocessors that determine and display the current heart rate. Advanced models have the facility to measure other fitness parameters such as breathability rate, heart activity, variability, dehydration, core temperature, speed, distance, etc.

Features of the Best Heart Rate Monitors

When you take a quick look at the heart rate monitors available in the market, you may find the features of all those monitors to be quite similar, and hard to distinguish. Some of the following features can help you categorize a heart rate monitor as the best in its class.

Convenience: A quality heart rate monitor offers you the convenience to use it, irrespective of the weather. The monitor should be water resistant in order to work efficiently even in humid conditions or during a strenuous gym regime. It should be equipped with a GPS, safe workout zone alert, timer, stopwatch and a heart rate recorder.
Clarity: The monitor should be able to project clear results even during a workout or an activity. Genuine manufacturers maintain clarity on the warranty offered on their heart rate monitors.
Configuration: The heart rate monitor should allow you to connect or configure it so that it can work in synchronization with a treadmill or your computer.

How to Select the Best Heart Rate Monitor

Reviews on the various heart rate monitors available in the market will help you in selecting the right heart rate monitor. These help you in identifying your needs and matching them with the best options available to you. In addition to helping you in determining the type of heart rate monitor you need, the heart rate monitor reviews assist in comparing the convenience factor and usability of the top heart rate monitors available in the market.

When you are confident about the features, you desire to have in your heart rate monitor, you can easily compare the top heart rate monitors available in the market. The best heart rate monitor watch provides you all the necessary options needed to monitor your heartbeat along with various other helpful features to aid you. Some of the top heart rate monitor watches include Suunto T6D, Polar FT7, Polar FT60, Polar F6, Timex Ironman, Garmin Forerunner 60 and ePulse2 strapless heart rate monitors.

Suunto T6D Heart Rate Monitor

admin — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 07:07:09 +0000

Suunto T6D

If you haven’t noticed by now, the heart rate monitor watches we choose to review usually are of exceptional quality or price, and many times both. The Suunto T6D is definitely one in the exceptional quality department, not to mention a strap that feels lighter than air when worn. Suunto watches are known for their advanced features and high tech functions that you won’t find in most watches. The T6D honors this tradition with water resistance, dual belt, connection to the PC with top notch software.

The T6D acts much like a super computer with extreme data processing power. When you download the data from the watch to the PC, it will compile a series of data that can paint a clear performance picture for just about any data junkie. It will break down for you the following: heart rate, respiration rate, altitude, distance travelled, times and calories burned. One of the best features from Suunto is the TE (training effort) computation that provides through a series of algorithms and indexes. It gives a fairly good overall indication of your efforts in training. The software is incredibly easy to use and is compatible with both PC and MAC.

In addition to Suunto designs, you can add GPS or foot pod to track various other progress, without having to buy a high end GPS watch. You can easily just choose the pod addition that you would like instead of getting a watch that gives too many features you will never use.

We have found the best price for Suunto T6D at Amazon - click here to check it out.

Features:

The special dual belt offers one the most comfortable heart rate belts in existence.
It is extremely easy to use for such an advanced product.
100 meter water resistance for all swimmers out there.
Very stylish comes in black and fusion red trim.

Cons:

Backlight is a bit dim, and could use some improvement.
Manual is lacking detailed information. However most people tend to figure it out on their own.

The Reviews:

“Having had this watch and foot pod for more than a year now, I use them when running at least 3 times a week. So far the watch is amazing. I no regrets would definitely buy this again. Belt and foot pod is easy to setup and simple to calibrate. I found them reliable and extremely accurate. It is easy to use when running and reading at the same time. I especially like how the custom display is setup. The watch and heart rate belt is very comfortable, so much so I forget it’s there some of the time.”

“A very good large display fitness with with functional and practical heart rate monitoring. The altimeter is a great addition.. I love the black and yellow (black flame) appearance. Not that big so it doesn’t get in the way. Very solid watch, I am satisfied with the purchase.”

A great sale on at Amazon, both black flame and black fusion versions available while supplies last.

We have found the best price for Suunto T6D at Amazon - click here to check it out.

Related Heart Rate Monitor Reviews:

Polar FT7 Heart Rate Monitor

admin — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 07:00:05 +0000

Polar FT7

Over the years the Polar brand of heart rate monitor devices has earned itself a good reputation for bringing out newer and better ones with every coming year and the new Polar FT7 lives up to this very well indeed. Since its recent launch it has proved to be a hit with both men and women users. With its latest feature known as the EnergyPointer is a huge hit with all users as it allows them to know if they are actually burning off fat during their exercise program – cleverly it also tells users if they have made any general improvement in their overall fitness. The whole process of following any progress that a user is making, storing in the diary or any other information that will be valuable to them for future reference, can be stored right in the watch unit and the screen is wonderfully easy to see and view. We have found the best price for Polar FT7 at Amazon - click here to check it out. Features:

Calorie counter is very accurate and useful for walking, swimming or strength training.
Target heart rate graph can be used to see where you are in your progress.
Extremely user friendly so that anyone can set it up.
Capacity to store all useful files from your training. It’s helpful to look back on previous sessions.
Water resistant.
Backlight – a handy little feature that sometimes comes in useful.

Some other points worth noting about this heart rate monitor is that the design is a vast improvement on some of the older models. For instance the chest strap is definitely a lot more comfortable to wear during exercise. The device has the capacity to reduce interference from wireless devices in the area a lot more efficiently. They appear to have resolved the issues they were having with the batteries, in short users don’t have to send off to Polar for a replacement. Cons:

There are a couple of minor drawbacks to an otherwise great heart rate monitor and these are that the watch is a little on the quiet side when it comes to beep indicators.
Also, in order to download workouts a user is required to buy a separate Polar device.

The Reviews:

“Like to keep an eye on my heart rate when I am working out and wanted something that wasn’t too heavy to wear. This HR is great to use and wear. Very comfortable to wear – easy to read the screen, so far I really like it.” “Thought it was time to start using one of these things so checked out with some buddies who said that Polar were the best in town when it comes to heart monitors. I am a lorry driver by trade so need to get as much exercise as I can get to keep myself in shape is really vital, my friends recommended this gadget, I bought it and I am very happy with it.” On sale at Amazon, it usually better priced compared to other online retailers. The market place always offers great deals if you don’t mind used products. You can potentially get free shipping along with a great refund policy. We have found the best price for Polar FT7 at Amazon - click here to check it out. Related Heart Rate Monitor Reviews:

Polar F6 Heart Rate Monitor

admin — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 06:51:41 +0000

Polar F6

When it comes to buying the best heart rate monitor you have to decide when and where you will be using it most. If you intend exercising in a busy area the chances are that they will be a lot of people out there who are using wireless training aids. These aids can really interfere with your heart rate monitors signal making it unreliable.

The Polar F6 comes with a feature that has a coded transmission which prevents this type of interference (crosstalk) from happening ensuring that your heart rate monitor works perfectly no matter where you are training or exercising.

We have found the best price for Polar F6 at Amazon - click here to check it out.

Features:

One main feature is that it allows user to uplink and transmit diary information from wrist unit directly to Polar’s web service wirelessly. Excellent for monitoring improvements over time and seeing how you are progressing. The OwnZone function allows you to effectively calculate workouts within varying BPM Zones or user can set these themselves. The Polar F6 can monitor high or low energy expenditures by way of an alarm and arrows. There is also a diary function allows user to view stored workout sessions individually.

Zone Pointer: Visible/ audible feature displays your heart rate – showing target heart rate zone and where current heart rate is within that zone.
Polar OwnCal: This feature shows energy expenditure during a single exercise session as well as accumulated kilocalories during several exercise sessions. Allows user to set daily/weekly goals.
Polar OwnZone: Guides user through appropriate warm-up routine. Automatically determines safe and effective heart rate zone.
Polar OwnCode: This technology blocks unwanted signals from other heart rate monitors that may be in the vicinity of where user is exercising or training.

More Features:

Some other great aspects of the F6 is that it displays the heart rate, exercise time and average heart rate during an exercise program.
The 24 hour clock is a nice feature and has a stopwatch.
The screen is very user friendly and easy to read.
It is water resistant to a depth of 30 metres (100’) and the battery has an average of one year’s life in it.

The only real drawback about the F6 is the bad reputation they have when it comes to replacing the battery. It may deteriorate faster than others, and there have been many complaints. Although the replacement is very simple and easy to do.

The Reviews:

“I just bought this and so far so good, has a nice feel to it and it comfortable to wear when exercising. Only used it a few times so will let you know if things change.”

“Bought this when it first came on the market – very pleased it works really well would recommend this to anyone who is serious about exercising. Very easy to check out heart rate on watch screen and nice and simple to set goals out. Very happy with F6 think it is value for money.”

We have found the best price for Polar F6 at Amazon - click here to check it out.

Related Heart Rate Monitor Reviews:

Polar FT60 Women’s Heart Rate Monitor Watch (Purple)

admin — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 06:37:26 +0000

Polar FT60 Women’s Heart Rate Monitor Watch (Purple)

Perfect for both men and women, the Polar FT60 is one of the most popular Polar heart rate monitors out there. It can guide you through any training regimen; all you have to do is input your usual training habits and it can assist you in setting goals and achieving them. The Polar FT60′s Polar Star Program can give you weekly training targets to keep you motivated. The Polar FT60 can be like your personal trainer, minus the pressure and stress.

The big thing about the Polar FT60 is that it is a very precise device. It keeps track of your heart rate in impeccable accuracy and shows it in a number of ways including bpm (beats per minute), as a percentage of your maximum heart rate, and as a graph with target zone indicators. Aside from this, the ft60 can also compute your energy expenditure for both single and accumulated training exercises.

We have found the best price for Polar FT60 Women’s Heart Rate Monitor Watch (Purple) at Amazon - click here to check it out.

Features:

Innovative training assistance features. Intuitive to your actions and able track your calorie activities specific to your conditions.
The easy tap functions allows access to different modes and displays without complex button combinations. Extremely useful when you are ‘on the go’.
G1 GPS sensor is sold separately and is quite useful. This add on is a great addition for those that need location tracking
Excellent heart rate display makes your progress easy to see with squinting.
Personalized Polar Star program for regular feedback and training target set-up.
Water resistant up to 30 meters for the swimmers out there.

The Polar FT60 is a heart rate monitor from Polar Electro which was released in 2008. It was developed to further assist people (not only athletes) in keeping to their specific training programs through several innovative features.

Although some people might not notice it right away, the Polar FT60 can take charge of everything within your exercise or training program. For example, if you trained too hard this week, it will automatically adjust your training schedule based on all the data it gathered about your exercise sessions so that you can slow down the next week or take a day off for some recovery time.

One disadvantage of the FT60 is that the interface is difficult to see clearly unless you are in well-lighted areas. While the product does have a night-light feature, it only changes the text color into green and is not very reliable. The font size may be too little for some people as well. Other than these, the FT60 is undeniably a exceptional heart rate monitor.

The Reviews:

“I have been looking to improve my health and start working on getting fit for a few years now. Although heart rate monitors may not be an item you have to have during training, they can serve as great motivators. The ft60 gave me just that and more. The watch was very easy to use and has assisted me to adjust my pace accordingly whenever I fall below or beyond my target zone. For someone wanting to lose weight, get this hrm. You can check out how many calories you burn right after you train! A wonderful product!”

“The polar ft60 is the best exercise trainer I have ever used! It definitely works better than having a human trainer. It keeps track of absolutely everything and makes me want to try harder to reach my goals efficiently. I love it!”

We have found the best price for Polar FT60 Women’s Heart Rate Monitor Watch (Purple) at Amazon - click here to check it out.

Related Heart Rate Monitor Reviews:

Timex Ironman Heart Rate Monitor

admin — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 06:29:46 +0000

Timex Ironman Heart Rate Monitor

As with all Timex heart rate monitor watches, the Ironman Road trainer is another trusty reliable device for any dedicated athlete. This watch has quite a few technical features for data tracking and display. If you want to use it you can, if not you stick to the basics.

From a consensus of many users, this watch is extremely accurate and easy to use. The onscreen display is intuitive and easy to program even for someone who’s never used an HRM before. The watch is slightly older to date, but it’s reliable to the end. Especially at the price it’s selling at, it’s no wonder it’s a favourite among many athletes. As with many watches you can toggle the display between split/lap time, as well as percentage of maximum heart rate or actual heart rate. All with a touch of a button, you can easily switch as the functions are very intuitive. The Indiglo light gives great readability in the dark. In addition, it’s a great looking watch that you wouldn’t mind wearing.

This watch has a maximum heart rate monitoring features. It has a recovery heart rate timer, which is set to measure your heart rate after a pre-determined time. The watch also sets 5 training zones automatically based on calculations it makes during your work outs. You can input 1 zone manually yourself. It has a simple data transfer function that is easy to use by many. You don’t need to be a tech wizard to transfer the data from your watch to the computer. It is compatible with Data Recorder software. In addition to recording data, it also works well with your treadmill and other exercise equipment. It is fully optimized to prevent from cross talk interference.

We have found the best price for Timex Ironman Heart Rate Monitor at Amazon - click here to check it out.

Features:

A water resistant hatch for quick and easy battery changes anywhere
lap and split options with 100-hr. chronographs
Average heart rate per lap calculations with 50-lap memory
100-hr., 2-mode countdown timer
Owner-Replaceable Battery
Scratch resistant mineral crystal

One of the obvious draw backs is that this heart rate chest strap is a bit small for larger men. If you have a chest larger than 48”, it might be a bit tight.

Reviews:

“I have used heart rate monitor devices for over 30 years and this is the best one to date. It is easy to use, easy to read and very simple to program. I have to give the Timex Ironman men’s road trainer heart rate monitor watch a thumbs up 100%. At a great price that’s much better than other retail outlets I’ve seen. Of all the heart rate monitor/trainer equipment I have used in over 30 yrs. This monitor is to date the best.”

“I like everything about this watch even though I bought this mostly for the heart rate monitor. This HRM does a great job for my workouts. It takes a couple of minutes to show the data accurately but once it starts it records very accurately. The target heart rate zone and calories burned function is great. In addition , the dual time zone feature is a big plus on my recent trip. A single touch of the button and it was back to regular time. Overall, I am very happy with this watch.”

Amazon has a great price and amazing return policies. Most people go here because they offer such great service with their products you won’t find anywhere. In addition, there are some great products from the market place where you might be able to find slightly used products. Amazon provides really easy return shipping labels so it did not cost me anything.

A great sale on at Amazon, better priced compared to ebay.com or other stores, right now you can get it used for a great price and the return policy is superb. The market place always offers great deals if you don’t mind used products.

We have found the best price for Timex Ironman Heart Rate Monitor at Amazon - click here to check it out.

Related Heart Rate Monitor Reviews:

Garmin Forerunner 210 Heart Rate Monitor Watch

admin — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 06:23:16 +0000

Garmin Forerunner 210

The Garmin Forerunner 210 is a classic-style GPS watch aimed at providing you with easy to access information during and after your workouts, created by one of the most reputable GPS watch-making companies out there. So, read below for the low-down on the Forerunner 210.

This great GPS watch has been made with simplicity in mind. The focus from Garmin is on your workout, so there are no complicated features for you to get confused over. If you want a watch that you can pretty much just “plug-and-play”, then the 210 is the one for you. A simple charging session, followed by a connection to the satellites and then some easy question and you’ll have it on your wrist and working out in no time.

This great watch will provide you with all the basic knowledge you’ll need after your run or workout. With a vast array of complementary attachments, this really could be the last GPS watch you’ll ever purchase.

We have found the best price for Garmin Forerunner 210 at Amazon - click here to check it out.

Features:

Premium Heart Rate Monitor – allows you to set alerts and zones for different rates
Interval training setting – set and monitor bespoke training sessions
A simple interface – enables you to better track your performance
Easy to use 4-button control system – easy access to the data whilst exercising

The Forerunner 210 is designed for runners in mind, hence the name, and can be used indoors as well as outdoors. One of its greatest features is the ability to set up and customize your own personal interval running sessions. Couple this with the possibility of measuring your cadence (foot speed) throughout and after your workout and you’ve got yourself a winner! That’s not to say that you couldn’t use all the other great features for non-running exercises, for example measuring your heart rate during your weights or rowing sessions in the gym.

If you’re looking for a non-complicated GPS watch, then the Forerunner is most definitely a great purchase even if you’re not planning to do a lot of running. Plus, if you’re concerned about how many calories you’ve burned so far, you can opt for that information to be displayed in the simple to use interface.

This could really be the last GPS watch you buy if you consider adding in the brilliant Foot Pod accessory, which is a very lightweight and small pedometer that can attach to your shoelaces or in your shoe, perfect for measuring cadence and fully analyzing your movements.

Pros:

Highly customizable for interval training
Easy monitoring reports for better training
Possibility of buying extra features
Simple and easy to use interface
Good battery life – can last for a full week if used for approxiamtely 40 minutes per day
Lightweight – extremely light compared to other GPS watches
Multi-use – acts as a casual day-to-day watch as well as a GPS-workout watch
Good GPS connection – consistent and decent speeds to the satellites

Cons:

Primarily designed for running, so might not be suitable for everyone
Data connector not generic and isn’t easy to connect

Almost all of the feedback for the 210 is positive, which isn’t surprising at all.

The Reviews:

“My previous sports watch was too big and too heavy, over-complicated and hard to use. I then discovered the Garmin Forerunner 210 and was elated to read that it did all the basic things brilliantly, being exactly what I was looking for. It really is so simple to use and the information displayed is very easy to understand. The distance traveled is right at the top, time elapsed is situated right in the middle and finally the pace shows down at the bottom of the screen. At the end of the day, it does all the little things perfectly and is lightweight. If you’re like me and became frustrated with the touch-bezel models and confused over the complicated interfaces, then this is the watch you’re looking for.”

“This GPS watch acquires satellites quickly and easily, even indoors. The band is very sturdy and I can’t see it breaking easily. Overall, it’s a really great watch.”

Click here to read more Garmin Forerunner 210 reviews.

The Garmin Forerunner 210 is very simple to use, with it’s basic but informative interface and easy to press buttons. It should suit all your running needs with the customizable training planner and ability to monitor your heart rate, cadence and calories burned.

We have found the best price for Garmin Forerunner 210 at Amazon - click here to check it out.

Related Heart Rate Monitor Reviews:

Garmin Forerunner 60 Heart Rate Monitor Watch

admin — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 06:17:42 +0000

Garmin Forerunner 60

The Garmin Forerunner 60 has been specifically designed to be used for multiple forms of exercise, meaning whether you’re a runner, swimmer or cyclist then this brilliant GPS watch will really aid you in your training. Read on to see why the Forerunner 60 really is an awesome watch.

In a nutshell, the Garmin Forerunner 60 is a GPS fitness watch. If you look at all the features it possesses, then you’ll soon realize that it’s more than just a GPS fitness watch. It contains an easy-to-use fitness tool that enables you to track the essentials during your training session, such as: duration, heart rate and calories burned.

The great thing about a Garmin watch is the wide range of accessories that you can use in conjunction with the watch itself. One of these is the wireless foot pod. Add this to your watch and the Forerunner 60 will track your speed and distance, inside and out, via its advanced accelerometer technology.

We have found the best price for Garmin Forerunner 60 at Amazon - click here to check it out.

Product Features and Specification

Water resistant – up to 50 meters so perfect for you swimmers out there
ANT+ technology – connects heart rate monitor and speed cadence sensor wirelessly
Multi-use – easily used for cycling, swimming and running due to the GPS technology

Thanks to the easy-to-use interface and buttons, the Forerunner 60 is perfect for you if you’re a beginner or a professional, giving you all the information you would need to enhance your training and track your progress.

If you’re looking for greater utilization from your watch, then the wide range of accessories will help you allowing you to collate all your data on your computer wirelessly whilst you’re out on your run, jog or swim. Data such as lap times and average speeds can be analyzed for you to work out areas where you’re struggling. You can then use the Virtual Partner feature to race a virtual assistant to give you a target on your pace.

If you’re more into cycling, then try out the speed/cadence sensor. Attaching simply to your bike, it measures your pedaling cadence and wheel speed as you carry out your training session.

Pros:

Great wireless connection – transfer data to your computer for data analysis
Possibility of buying extra features – the foot pod is a necessity!
Simple and easy to use interface
Lightweight – male version weights a mere 1.6 ounces. 1.4 ounces for the women’s
Multi-use – perfect for all cardiovascular exercises such as running, cycling and swimming
Good GPS connection – consistent and decent speeds to the satellites

Cons:

Watch strap – not very hard-wearing so liable to break
AMT+ technology – it’s advanced so some gyms might have the ability to connect

Not surprisingly, the Garmin Forerunner 60 is receiving brilliant reviews.

The Reviews:

“The Forerunner 60 does everything my previous watch, the Polar RS800CX, did but at a much lower cost. The display area and the UI are so much easier to use and the foot pod is so lightweight. If you’re looking for a watch that will give you all the information you need, get the FR60″

“Thanks to the water-resistance, I’ve been able to use this in my triathlons. I use the foot pod and the speed and cadence sensor to aid my in my training and they work brilliantly. The Garmin Forerunner 60 is a great GPS watch”

Click here to read more Garmin Forerunner 60 reviews.

The selling point of the FR60 is its ability to be used for most sports. Like all of Garmin’s watches, accessories such as the foot pod and cadence sensor make the Garmin Forerunner 60 a great GPS watch for your training needs.

We have found the best price for Garmin Forerunner 60 at Amazon - click here to check it out.

Related Heart Rate Monitor Reviews:

Garmin Forerunner 310XT Heart Rate Monitor Watch

admin — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 06:11:21 +0000

Garmin Forerunner 310XT

With up to 20 hours of battery life, the Garmin Forerunner 310XT is the ultimate GPS watch to aid you with your training and is perfect for triathletes thanks to its water resistance. Take a look out our Garmin Forerunner 310XT Review to see if this watch will suit your needs.

Garmin have labeled it as the first waterproof GPS watch on the market giving it a swimproof tag and stating that it’s waterproof up to depths of 50 meters. This makes it highly useable if you’re into your swimming, enabling you to time and track your progress whilst in the water – great for training purposes or during your competition.

What makes it brilliant is the ability to move it from your wrist to your bike frame, ensuring the smooth transition from bike to water in the triathlon. The Garmin Forerunner 310XT has easy-release mounts so you can change its fixed position from wrist to bike and back to wrist again for the final running leg.

After you’ve finished your competition or workout, the ANT+ technology can be used to transfer data wirelessly to your computer for further analysis. Also, if you want to share your progress with others, then all your info is easily uploaded to Garmin’s varied online services, such as Garmin Connect or Garmin Training Center.

All the data that’s collected from the Garmin Forerunner 310XT will be useable to track your progress and help you shape your future training to improve performance. The GPS connection on this GPS watch is brilliant, being able to record distance, pace, heart rate and more. Garmin are famous for their ability to connect your GPS watch to accessories to further enhance your tracking, such as the foot pod, heart rate monitor and cadence sensor.

Read more reviews for Garmin Forerunner 310XT at Amazon - click here to check it out.

Product Features and Specification

Great GPS – tracks position for running and cycling and your distance traveled and pace
AMT+ technology – easy upload to computer and Garmin’s services for further development
Easy to use display – large and clear for view whilst training
Good battery life – up to 20 hours of continuous use plus easy to recharge
Waterproof – ideal for use in triathlons or swimming on its own

Although the Garmin Forerunner 310XT was designed for triathletes in mind, this isn’t to say that non-triathletes can’t benefit from its great features. If you’re a pure runner or a cyclist, or even just into gym work or hiking, then the 310XT will be perfect for you. All the features can be used be all sports with distance, pace, heart rate and tracking all needing focus for all disciplines.

Pros:

Great battery – safe in knowing you won’t lose data
Lightweight – won’t feel heavy on your wrist
Reporting – upload wirelessly to computer or website
Accessories – for further monitoring of performance
Clear, large screen – great for “on the fly” viewing
Good connection – locks onto GPS satellites faster than older and newer models
Vibrates – indicating a lap completion so no need to constantly check the watch

Cons:

GPS in water – there are reports that the watch won’t connect via GPS whilst in water

The Reviews:

“Despite the GPS issue with swimming, this is the best GPS watch for triathletes. I didn’t have to re-read the manual to become accustomed to its features, unlike previous GPS watches I’ve had.”

“I found the Garmin Forerunner 310XT easy to set up and use. The ability to customize the display and the features were a must for me and this watch does it all and more. The addition of being able to track calories burned and heart rate make this perfect for beginners and professionals alike.”

Click here to read more Garmin 310XT reviews.

Being great for all disciplines and packed with a houseful of features makes the Garmin Forerunner 310XT one of the best GPS watches out there on the market. You’d be foolish to overlook the 310XT.

Read more reviews for Garmin Forerunner 310XT at Amazon - click here to check it out.

Related Heart Rate Monitor Reviews:

Top 3 GPS Heart Rate Monitors

admin — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 05:58:20 +0000

Top 3 GPS Heart Rate Monitors

When hitting your target heart rate zone is important, nothing can help you out like a heart rate monitor watch. One of the advanced features in modern HRMs is the built in GPS functionality. It adds an extra dimension to your training and hiking activities. These devices range greatly in price and features. While typical GPS watches are on the higher end of the price spectrum, you can find a few that will fit your budget. A GPS is not a must have when it comes to training, but if you want a more complete watch or you have extra cash to spend, then the following are some of the top choices when it comes to performance and reliability. Here’s a quick overview of my top 3 choice for heart rate monitor watches with GPS functionality.

1. Garmin Forerunner 910XT

This watch is due to hit the shelves just before the Thanksgiving holiday. It is built for serious training with a triathlon or high-endurance exercise in mind. This piece comes with GPS on board to easily determine your speed, distance traveled, heart rate, cadence, power, swim metrics and even your optimum altitude with on board altimeter.

We have found the best price for Garmin Forerunner 910XT at Amazon - click here to check it out.

2. Polar RCX5

This heart rate monitor was designed with runners, cyclists, and triathletes in mind. It comes with on board GPS as well and keeps track of your speed, distance and traveled route. With an sensor, you can also track your cadence. This device is especially recommended for runners as it does an excellent job of tracking speed, distance, pace, and lap information.

One of the cool features here is the Zone Optimizer. This allows you to see 5 different optimum heart rate targets at once so you can easily see if you are meeting your goals or missing your target completely.

We have found the best price for Polar RCX5 at Amazon - click here to check it out.

3. Timex Ironman Run Trainer

This watch also has a GPS feature installed. It also allows for up to 5 target heart rate zones to be loaded and monitored as well as calorie counter, coded chest strap, interval timers that can be custom set, a recovery heart rate timer, and data transfer to a Mac or PC with the optional Data Recorder device accessory. This is a great watch monitor for anyone training for an event or just trying to meet and beat their best times.

No matter what your goal is, a heart rate monitor watch will be an aid you will soon wonder how you lived without. A GPS heart rate monitor is a great addition to your training arsenal. If you want to have a complete all in one package, GPS is a must have for the travelers and hikers.

We have found the best price for Timex Ironman Run Trainer at Amazon - click here to check it out.