How to Choose the Best Heart Rate Monitor
Heart rate monitors are a tool that numerous people use when trying to get into shape. Most people use a heart rate monitor when they are training for some kind of athletic event, but they also use them to help get back into shape. Heart rate monitors are used by all levels of athletes because it enables each person to know what their heart rate is at a specific moment in time.
When exercising knowing the heart rate is important because it allows a person to get the best workout possible, but also ensures they are getting the proper warm up and cool down. However, before using a heart rate monitor it is important to find out the target zone, which is determined by a person’s current physical and medical condition.
With heart rate monitors there are two basic types that you choose from, but they both do the same thing. One type of heart rate monitor comes equipped with a chest strap. The chest strap is used while exercising to monitor the heart rate, which the chest strap records the information and then it is displayed on a watch.
The other type of heart rate monitor is a watch style heart rate monitor. How these heart rate monitors work is the watch band contains the sensors to record the heart rate and other information rather than using a chest strap. However, like the chest strap models the information is then displayed on the watch face for the user to easily analyze.
Whether a person chooses a chest strap heart rate monitor or a wrist band heart rate monitor the features that need to come with it will remain the same. Like many other products in order to ensure the best product is chosen it must include certain features. Here is a look at the must have features for heart rate monitors.
Must Have Features for the Best Heart Rate Monitors:
- Big Buttons – One of the hardest things to do is to mess around with the display settings while trying to exercise. The small buttons make it nearly impossible. Having big buttons makes it easier to push the buttons while exercising, so there is less of a chance of having to stop what is being done to change the settings.
- Proper fitting chest or wrist strap – People need to have a strap that fits properly because of how important the readings are. Without a proper fitting strap chances are the readings will be inaccurate. Women have this problem more than men, so either buy a heart rate monitor designed for women or purchase a sports bra that comes with a wide hem to hold the transmitter in place.
- Watch Size – The size of the watch face is also important to look at because it can affect how often the heart rate monitor is used. Some models come with slim straps, which might look funny on a full sized man, while others have such a large face that they don’t look right on women.
- Large Display Numbers – Being that the display will be read from a distance the bigger the numbers the easier it will be to read. Choose one that can easily be read at an arm’s distance away. Backlit displays are also useful for evening and outdoor workouts.
- Type of Battery Being Used – Don’t choose a watch that requires it to be sent in to have the batteries changed, it gets expensive fast, plus takes a long time. Choosing a watch that has batteries that can be changed at home saves money on batteries, but also ensures the watch will never be gone for long periods of time.
Knowing about the features to look for in heart rate monitors is important for choosing the best heart rate monitor, but so is knowing about the most popular brands. The most popular brands of heart rate monitors have usually gained this status because they have all of the features that a person needs for a heart rate monitor. These brands have also proven over time to be the most reliable, as well as durable.
When it comes to heart rate monitors the two most well-known brands are Polar and Timex. Polar makes heart rate monitor watches that are considered unisex, but also make some for men or women only. The Polar heart rate monitors provide users with alarms that alert them to when they have reached the target heart rate zone, but alarms also sound if the heart rate strays out of the zone.
Timex, which is known for its high quality is another popular brand because of the various styles that they have to choose from. Currently The Timex Ironman is the most popular heart rate monitor because it seems to come with all the bells and whistles.