Watch + heart rate monitor

career_move

Hi Guys

I'm looking for a good wristwatch that has a heart rate monitor and GPS and has good software. I've never had one before so was wondering what is the best on the market. Price ideally between 200-400

rom

career_move wrote: »

Hi Guys

I'm looking for a good wristwatch that has a heart rate monitor and GPS and has good software. I've never had one before so was wondering what is the best on the market. Price ideally between 200-400

http://www.dcrainmaker.com/ has indepth reviews.

Krusty_Clown

That's quite a budget range. What kind of sports do you participate in?

Kurt Godel

rom wrote: »

http://www.dcrainmaker.com/ has indepth reviews.

I'd suggest reading http://www.kcbrainfecker.com/, its a long thread, but do a search, it is choc full of GPS wisdomy goodness.

career_move

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

That's quite a budget range. What kind of sports do you participate in?

Hi Krusty its mainly for running and using the cross trainer etc

sconhome

career_move wrote: »

Hi Guys

I'm looking for a good wristwatch that has a heart rate monitor and GPS and has good software. I've never had one before so was wondering what is the best on the market. Price ideally between 200-400

You've covered yourself with a big spread on the budget.

My initial thought is the Polar RCX3 around €315 including the GPS unit. With great options on sports profiles, you can create and track your various sports via the watch. The online diary & training tracker is good and the HRM is compatible with most gym machines too and 2 year warranty.

DCRainmaker does a decent review on the unit.

At the lower side of your budget you could get a Polar RS300 with GPS which will provide you with all the pacing & distance information on the watch but does not produce the mapping facility of the RCX3 or any of the Garmin Forerunner units.

Garmin FR110 and 210 will come in around the €150-250 area including HRM. I don't think they have the same features of the newer Polar, to get similar you need to consider the Garmin FR410 or 610.

rom

I got a garmin 610 and the only thing that makes it better than a 305 is that it vibrates and is smaller. For me nothing else justifies the upgrade. It does not find satellites quicker for me but I do like the watch the 305 was grand.

tunney

The new Polar stuff is muck though no?

career_move

tunney wrote: »

The new Polar stuff is muck though no?

Why is that Tunney?

tunney

I have a Polar S210, donkey's years old. Excellent watch. What it does it does excellently.

I moved onto a Polar S625x. Again brilliant watch.

I still use both. Watches that were designed and built by athletes for athletes.

I recently got a Polar RX5. Returned it after 4 days. A watch that looks superb. However the designers never trained, never really tried to use it. It appeared to be designed by committee and it ticked alot of boxes. Unfortunately simple things like creating interval sessions or watch configuration on the watch are not possible. Everything has to be done on the web via a god awful site and downloaded.

For an organisation that pioneered HR training I was also amazed that you cannot enter custom HR zones in the Polar RX5 (ones that persist). No, it insists on calculating things based on a crappy forumula and your max and resting HR.

plus no firmware updates are done by polar so none of these bugs will go away.

(no firmware updates also applies to the power meters too).

I would not swap or sell my S210 and S625x for anything. My wife also likes her RS300 and I've used it the odd time and it was fine.

The RX series though.................

rom

Can say the same re 610. good watch but its like its been designed to get a good review on dcrainmakers site. Garmin HRM's are not great. Biggest problem with most of the watches from them. Hope they move to BT LE soon. Even the 610 (new watch) has an old feel even though it looks nice. When I rang garmin like few months ago about my 305 they said "The 305 is our most popular watch" and so it should be. Its a excellent watch with great value for money.

Krusty_Clown

The Forerunner 405cx and 410 are good value for money at the moment (€166 and €205 respectively, delivered from Amazon.co.uk). These are perfect for outdoor running, but for the cross-trainer, they will only track your HR against time. Unfortunately, Garmin HR straps are problematic, and for most of my runs, I have to disregard the data from the first mile of the run (but it's fine after that). I used to have similar spikes with my old Polar, but they weren't quite as bad as the Garmin.

If most of your running is indoors, you'd probably be better off with a cheap and cheerful Polar, but if the focus is running outdoors, then it's worth investing in a Garmin that has the functionality to grow in usefulness with your running requirements.

ahnowbrowncow

I got the garmin forerunner 410 with the heart rate monitor on amazon last week for €175 delivered last week, think that's great value.

Jaysus, the prices have shot up from last week, what's with that?

Krusty_Clown

ahnowbrowncow wrote: »

I got the garmin forerunner 410 with the heart rate monitor on amazon last week for €175 delivered last week, think that's great value.

Jaysus, the prices have shot up from last week, what's with that?

Yeah, that's true. I got a mail from Amazon last week that it was £136. Probably worth waiting around until the price drops again.

sconhome

tunney wrote: »

The new Polar stuff is muck though no?

A bit harsh.

I got the RCX5 early last year, making the move back to Polar from my Garmin 305 and found it suited my training well. As a tracking device it performs very well and the wireless hookup with auto sync makes it very user friendly.

Mr T, I know you don't like it and it does miss a few of the advanced features that the RS800 has but then it was never designed to replace that unit, its a Polar multisport watch for triathlon / adventure racing. Its doesnt pair with the power pedals and lots of gripes about that but again the CS600 gives the best results there for data management. The default HR zones is a pain but they still work as guidelines to training and indicator to training load.

Mrs, who wouldnt be a fan of training data, recently got the RCX3 which is so uncomplicated to use its actually being used. Worth the look as a good training watch for tri.

tunney

amphkingwest wrote: »

A bit harsh.

I got the RCX5 early last year, making the move back to Polar from my Garmin 305 and found it suited my training well. As a tracking device it performs very well and the wireless hookup with auto sync makes it very user friendly.

Mr T, I know you don't like it and it does miss a few of the advanced features that the RS800 has but then it was never designed to replace that unit, its a Polar multisport watch for triathlon / adventure racing.

Its doesnt pair with the power pedals and lots of gripes about that but again the CS600 gives the best results there for data management. The default HR zones is a pain but they still work as guidelines to training and indicator to training load.

The wireless is a slightly inferior version of ANT+ sticks.
Some fairly basic ones are missing!!!
Its at the same price point as the Garmin XT ranges and it just isn't at the races with them. If its targeted at beginners and the entry level then an entry level price point would be more appropriate!!

rom

tunney wrote: »

The wireless is a slightly inferior version of ANT+ sticks.
Some fairly basic ones are missing!!!
Its at the same price point as the Garmin XT ranges and it just isn't at the races with them. If its targeted at beginners and the entry level then an entry level price point would be more appropriate!!

Bluetooth Low Energy seem to give the best data for HR but are expensive currently especially watch/phone to read it. Watch this space

tunney

rom wrote: »

Bluetooth Low Energy seem to give the best data for HR but are expensive currently especially watch/phone to read it. Watch this space

Perhaps however..........
name one company that has a BLE watch out,
Polar only has a BLE strap out. It hasn't put its money where its mouth is.

Plus the standard is not defined.

rom

tunney wrote: »

Perhaps however..........
name one company that has a BLE watch out,
Polar only has a BLE strap out. It hasn't put its money where its mouth is.

Plus the standard is not defined.

Wahoo also have a strap that has 60+ iphone applications with compatibility. Its a really good strap. Its is also compatible with the motorola motoactv which can be used as a watch (though its puck ugly). I know I will move to BT LE as soon as I can get a receiver/watch that I like.

tunney

rom wrote: »

Wahoo also have a strap that has 60+ iphone applications with compatibility. Its a really good strap. Its is also compatible with the motorola motoactv which can be used as a watch (though its puck ugly). I know I will move to BT LE as soon as I can get a receiver/watch that I like.

Yeah - I was 100% behind BLE and Polar until I tried their new offerings. Timex and Garmin are ANT+. Polar will be the champions of BLE and based on, what I have seen recently, its going to be still born.

ahnowbrowncow

£135 for garmin forerunner 410 with heart rate monitor

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0046BTK14/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&m=A193VU0C7ATURW

Chaineri

Good deals to be had on the Garmin forerunner 305. Had one a year and rate it. Transfers with quick release starp to bike and wrist for the running. Good on line analysis on " Garmin Connect".Only downside is its a bit largish for daily wear and no good as a watch... There are newere but more expensive garmins that are more " watch like" to be had with similiar features.

Krusty_Clown

Forerunner 410 with HRM is back down to ~ €170 (£135 sterling) delivered from Amazon.co.uk. That means it's cheaper than the 205, 210, 305, 405, etc.

Chaineri

That is a good deal on the 410 with HRM. I noted Currys,PC World and Dixons are doing similiar on-line prices on this.

E bay has some good deals on new Garmins also,305 FR £72.00 at the mo with 4hrs left. !!!:cool: