Heart Rate Monitor Watch
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Category: General Chat
Forum Name: General Chat
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URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=41990
Printed Date: 26 August 2025 at 3:23am
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Topic: Heart Rate Monitor Watch
Posted By: jazzy
Subject: Heart Rate Monitor Watch
Date Posted: 05 May 2012 at 8:50am
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Does anyone use a HRM when exercising?
What brand do you use & does the chest strap bother you? |
Replies:
Posted By: Buntingsmum
Date Posted: 05 May 2012 at 11:03am
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Hi Jazzy
I used to use Polar - the chest strap was fine (I'm not that big in the top half IYKWIM!). The system is fine but I found the battery life was TERRIBLE and if you don't send it back to polar to get it replaced (at a massive cost) then they void the waterproof warranty (I was using mine swimming as well) which was a bit useless. Really great to use one though if you are targeting a specific heart rate whilst training. ------------- [URL=http://lilypie.com][IMG]http://lb2m.lilypie.com/OCHup13.png][/URL] [URL=http://lilypie.com][IMG]http://lmtm.lilypie.com/sz8Fp12.png][/URL] |
Posted By: jazzy
Date Posted: 05 May 2012 at 2:33pm
Thanks Buntingsmum I am looking at the Polar FT7 http://www.polar.fi/en/products/get_active/fitness_crosstraining/FT7 - Polar FT7 I am big on top & have seen you wear them below bra.
Bit of a worry about battery life, have heard they are both meant to last a yr so wonder if yours had a fault...will be asking shop & taking it back if problems. I am wondering if you need to order the chest strap the sz you want. |
Posted By: kernowexile
Date Posted: 05 May 2012 at 4:38pm
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I use a Polar too. The battery life on both of my mine have been pretty good. The first only died because I had bashed it around so much (swimming, cycling, sailing, running). Replacing the battery via Polar in AKL isn't too dreadfully expensive. I think about $40 and then mine lasted as long as the original one had - about 2.5 yrs depending on how much I used it. Plus having them replace the battery and the seals meant I could swim with it again quite safely.
I do have a bit of a problem with chest straps, but think that is just me as I am rather large chested and when wearing a sports bra, a tri top with another built in bra and the chest strap it all gets a bit crowded! The chest strap is adjustable so will fit most people. I found that the static from some of my running t-shirts would send the reading a bit screwy - I would be at max heart rate when walking - so natural fibre t-shirts were better. No problems with my tri tops though. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Buntingsmum
Date Posted: 05 May 2012 at 7:41pm
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That's great that others haven't had an issue with the batteries. I used mine heaps though (sometimes twice a day). I must have been ripped off with the battery replacement - it was a few years ago but $80-$100 rings a bell!
It was reliable though. Have fun training! ETA - ohhh the red one looks lovely .... would be enough to get me running more ... ------------- [URL=http://lilypie.com][IMG]http://lb2m.lilypie.com/OCHup13.png][/URL] [URL=http://lilypie.com][IMG]http://lmtm.lilypie.com/sz8Fp12.png][/URL] |
Posted By: Shelt
Date Posted: 05 May 2012 at 8:19pm
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I have a Polar one too and I haven't found the battery life to be too bad. I think I've had it for about 6 years and only replaced the battery twice (and I did ironman so it was used a lot in the first two years!). I have found the chest strap fine but I am not big on top either. Though I did loose a bit of skin on ironman day as I wore the chest strap all day and I was wet (it rained) and the strap rubbed and took my skin off. But I'm sure that's not exactly normal circumstances!
ETA because I realised the first time I changed the battery I paid for the polar dealer certified one so it was waterproof, the second time I just got a normal jeweller to replace the battery but I haven't had any trouble with the waterproofness. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: jazzy
Date Posted: 06 May 2012 at 7:53am
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What Polar ones are you both using?
I came across a sports bra with the strap built in
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Posted By: Buntingsmum
Date Posted: 06 May 2012 at 2:02pm
I don't even know where mine is 
Used it a lot in 2006/2007 so no doubt it's completely obsolete now! Yeah, the straps in the bras sound like a good idea. I do remember my strap being really comfortable and stretchy. Never had any chaffing  ------------- [URL=http://lilypie.com][IMG]http://lb2m.lilypie.com/OCHup13.png][/URL] [URL=http://lilypie.com][IMG]http://lmtm.lilypie.com/sz8Fp12.png][/URL] |
Posted By: kernowexile
Date Posted: 06 May 2012 at 4:56pm
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I use a Polar F6. Fairly simple, but easy to use. I think the FT models are the one which has since replaced it.
If I did get chaffing, it was usually from the sports bra rather than the chest strap. The chaffing was usually cured by a liberal application of Vaseline before exercise ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Shelt
Date Posted: 06 May 2012 at 7:58pm
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I have the RS200 but I'm pretty sure they don't make that model anymore. I've always found it pretty easy to use but I don't do anything very techincal with it, I've never even bothered to download the data to my computer. I just like to monitor my HR zones while I'm running and I use the stopwatch a bit when I'm doing intervals. I also like the backlight (easy to turn on when I need it) as I run very early in the morning and for most of the year that means running in the dark. I always meant to get the footpod so I could measure the distance run more accurately but I never got around to it.
I would be very careful using Vaseline anywhere near the electrodes on the strap. I don't know what the new monitors are like but with the old ones the contacts need to be kept clean and then you have to wet them before you use the strap. Any vaseline on the strap can cause the electrodes to stop working and then the watch will fail to pick up the heart rate. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: kernowexile
Date Posted: 07 May 2012 at 3:53pm
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Ah, yes. I should have said the Vaseline goes on the sports bra and not the HRM chest strap. Doh! I tend to just lick the chest strap to get a good connection. But I do find that some of the power poles here make the readings a bit bonkers at times. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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