What HRM is on your wrist?

[e.e.cummings]

Mine is a Polar FT60. Happy with the size, ease of use, big readout of time and heart rate. Love that it is waterproof and that I can wear it throughout a triathlon. Love the training software, it acts like my personal trainer, keeps good track of my workouts. Like that it is wearable as a regular watch. Don't like that while heart rate is displayed, time cannot be read (or maybe it can but I have not figured it out). Would like it if it had a gps built in, don't really want to use the optional gps piece, which I find too big, don't really want to wear something on my arm.

I gave my husband the Garmin 305 for Christmas, based on a recommendation from a friend. He likes it for the gps, being able to see where he has run or cycled once he examines his workout on the computer. Lots of information about his workouts. He find the readout too small, not as large as my Polar. Doesn't like that it is not waterproof. Finds it large on the wrist.

[divingbiker]

I've got a polar f7. Not sure if it's the same for all polar hrms, but on my f7, when you hold the watch up to the chest transmitter, it will tell you the time of day. Give it a try.

I also have a garmin forerunner 305 which I like for knowing distance, but I don't use the hrm on it.

Usually I wear both.

[OakLeaf]

He should be able to change the data fields to as few as one per screen if necessary - that would give a VERY large display.

Even I can see four fields on my Garmin 310XT, which has the same screen size as the 305 in a smaller case (also it's waterproof). And as I said in the other thread, I need reading glasses to see my food when I eat....

Really the 305 did everything I needed, but it was so large it would never have fit on my tiny wrists. The 310 is great for me.

[colby]

I have the Polar RS800CX. I like a lot of things about it, and given the choice, I'd probably buy it again. Notes:

• sometimes the flexible strap stops reading my heart rate, I need to figure out best where to place it and how tight to make it
• the separate GPS unit is sometimes a pain, but I didn't have one to begin with so it's kind of a nice to have. It's frustrating when it can't measure, the spot measurements aren't always accurate (of course), and it is a separate unit but I strap it to my bike/camelbak if I'm running/riding distances.
• occasionally my GPS measures pace but doesn't track distance, sometimes it will show distance at the end in the software that it wasn't showing on my wrist (frustrating when running specific-distance repeats)
• I wish the GPS had a recharge mechanism rather than using batteries (though I'll just use quality rechargeable batteries), runs out in probably 15-20 hours of activity
• the software is nice, but I wish it did better analysis of distance with incline/elevation, a la map my ride or sport tracks or something like that.
• It would be super awesome if the software let me push to Training Peaks (or other sites/software) without having to upload manually.
• I wish there were more/different out of the box display modes, though the ones that are there are really nice. I find myself toggling between the HR view and the distance view when I've got GPS, so it'd be nice to have HR, pace, and distance, on one page.
• would be nice to have an auto-clear mode where it would delete the oldest workout, or confirm to do so, rather than just running out of memory and not reading anything anymore.
• the IR transfer can be frustrating, but I don't know that there's a better way without exposing contacts or being expensive/less common.
• love seeing my entire workout review in the software - I have used this to compare intervals to each other, compare how I performed through intervals (start out strong, finish strong - OR NOT ), track my long distance running/cycling, see how I performed over terrain I know exists, etc

The display is nice, it's easy to read/use, it's waterproof, still watch-sized (though it's big for my small wrist, it's not uncomfortably so), I like cycling through the different types of displays, I use it for much more detail than my old super-basic Polar, the software has been useful, and the GPS is nice to have though I'm thinking the footpod and something cycling-specific are the most accurate ways to go.

Whew, that was a lot for just a heart monitor. I toiled over the decision to upgrade and whether to go Garmin or Polar, and I really like my Polar unit (I mostly chose it because heart rate is most important to me over the GPS features and I could leave the GPS behind and use it as a basic heart monitor), but I don't know that I would have been unhappy going the other way.

[e.e.cummings]

Even I can see four fields on my Garmin 310XT, which has the same screen size as the 305 in a smaller case (also it's waterproof). And as I said in the other thread, I need reading glasses to see my food when I eat....

I was reading about the Garmin 310XT - sounds like you are happy with it? Is it large - does it feel big on your wrist when you are swimming (or do you swim with it on?) I have a small wrist...

[OakLeaf]

I'm quite happy with it. I don't swim (that may change in a couple of weeks ) but if I did I'd replace the strap, which is pretty uncomfortable and also a pain to take on and off.

I wear a wristband under it just so the watch doesn't smack the bone on the outside of my wrist (what is that thing called???). As much as anything, that's because of the strap, and also because it's a habit I picked up when my old Garmin 301 started bruising that bone on runs over two hours. Obviously I couldn't wear that swimming.I think the 310 would be fine without a wristband if I had a different strap.

I just measured, my left wrist is 14 cm/5.5 in.

You might want to specifically ask triathletes and swimmers though. I know the HRM sometimes loses contact when I'm sweating very heavily, so I don't know how it would do in the water. And I know from people's comments that no GPS is really any good in the water... it may be that it's just a glorified stopwatch for the swimming leg, worn on your wrist so it doesn't get stolen from the transition area.

[GLC1968]

I wear a Timex Ironman brand HRM now. I loved my old Polar (725i) but it never worked right again after 'service' when the strap transmitter died the second time. I loved it for 4 years though, so I can't really complain.

I tried using my Garmin Edge 305 and while the HRM function always worked, the chest strap hurt and now the GPS is wonky. It's too big for wrist wear anyway. Plus, the speed/cadence feature only works every once in awhile. Really, it's horribly unreliable and has been a pretty big disappointment for me.

Now I'm wearing the Timex just for HRM and stopwatch features. It's a base model and it works great. I wear it on the swim for timing, but I don't use the chest strap. I was wearing the chest strap during my tri, but I never bothered to look if I had any HR data during that time period and I've since erased the session. I've heard that the coded Polar straps will work in water but none of the other makers do. I was not a swimmer when I had my Polar, so I can't say for certain.

Over the weekend, I just ordered a Forerunner 305 to use for running ($125 from Amazon!). I don't know if I'll use it on the bike or not, but it's mostly going to be a training tool...not for racing.

Honestly, I'm *this close* to just sucking up the cost and buying another fancy Polar. I really liked it, it was really reliable and now that I do all three tri sports, it would make a lot of sense to have it. I do really like the GPS feature for running though as I often run on trails that are not mapped so I can't be very accurate with distance without it. Adding the GPS to the Polar makes the price practically astronomical and I really can't justify it.

I guess I'm still looking for the perfect solution for my needs!

[colby]

Now I'm wearing the Timex just for HRM and stopwatch features. It's a base model and it works great. I wear it on the swim for timing, but I don't use the chest strap. I was wearing the chest strap during my tri, but I never bothered to look if I had any HR data during that time period and I've since erased the session. I've heard that the coded Polar straps will work in water but none of the other makers do. I was not a swimmer when I had my Polar, so I can't say for certain.

I clicked on a few different models (not just the RS800cx) and Polar says:

Swimming with Polar RS800 / RS800CX

The running computer is water resistant. However, heart rate measurement does not work in water. You can use the running computer under water as a watch but it is not a diving instrument. To maintain water resistance, do not press the buttons of the running computer under water.

I might try mine in the pool and see how it goes. I have worn my other Polar through triathlons but never had the ability to go back in detail like I do now.

[OakLeaf]

https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?t=8629

ANT+ wireless connections have a range of only 5 cm underwater. So if you put your ANT+ watch in your bra it should work , otherwise not.

[e.e.cummings]

For anyone interested in the Garmin products, like the 310xt, which I am considering, I found a web site that has very in-depth reviews with lots of photos: http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2007/01/product-reviews.html

[colby]

https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?t=8629

ANT+ wireless connections have a range of only 5 cm underwater. So if you put your ANT+ watch in your bra it should work , otherwise not.

That sounds... uncomfortable?

Mine definitely didn't work underwater. As soon as I got in the pool the HRM went beep beep, can't find you. I admit I didn't think to try them 5cm apart

[GLC1968]

That sounds... uncomfortable?

Mine definitely didn't work underwater. As soon as I got in the pool the HRM went beep beep, can't find you. I admit I didn't think to try them 5cm apart

Thanks for the confirmation! That's good to know and it may save me $$ in the long run.

That part you quoted from Polar's site is almost identical to what my Timex instructions say about the watch working in the water and not pressing the buttons while submerged. How can you brand something "Ironman" and then let it be ineffective in the water?

Swimming with your watch in your bra is one thing...but I want to see the struggle in T1 as you are trying to get it out and on your wrist while removing cap/goggles and getting helmet on. THAT would be a serious test of coordination!

ETA: I was just doing some reading over at PolarUSA. They've changed their products quite a bit in the past few years! My old HRM (the 720i, not the 725i) did transmit HR underwater if you had a good contact. The new W.I.N.D. transmitters do not. That is a step down in my opinion, but whatever. I know a lot of people hated that you couldn't change the transmitter battery yourself, so they probably made a smart move from a business perspective. I'm disappointed, but I honestly don't see a HRM from polar that will do all the things I want, so I'm still without the perfect solution. Figures.

[colby]

ETA: I was just doing some reading over at PolarUSA. They've changed their products quite a bit in the past few years! My old HRM (the 720i, not the 725i) did transmit HR underwater if you had a good contact. The new W.I.N.D. transmitters do not. That is a step down in my opinion, but whatever. I know a lot of people hated that you couldn't change the transmitter battery yourself, so they probably made a smart move from a business perspective. I'm disappointed, but I honestly don't see a HRM from polar that will do all the things I want, so I'm still without the perfect solution. Figures.

I'm also frustrated that I can't use the WIND transmitters at the gym with gym equipment that is Polar-compatible to get my heart rate up on the monitor. I wish they'd have come up with a way to solve both of these problems before I dropped upwards of $400, but I really couldn't train another season without buying something new.