Sports Time: Top 5 Heart Rate Monitors

Suunto M2

Perhaps the most stylish model presented in our top is the M2 from the company Suunto. The heart rate monitor is available on the market in black, light green and pink colours. A nice rubberized strap for attaching to the wrist will allow the device to hold firmly on the hand during even the most intense workouts.

Having a large round display and impressive control buttons, which, despite its size, look very neat, the M2 can also please with a good filling of the most necessary functions. The menu looks in the spirit of the whole M2 design idea — elegant and simple. By logging in, the user will have the opportunity not only to choose a training mode, but also to view the indicators of their previous classes, watching the overall progress.

But the possibilities of the seemingly elementary model do not end there. You can view the number of calories burned not only during the actual workout, but also in the total number for the selected time period. In the watch mode, the M2 looks so nice and harmonious that when you notice them on your wrist, you may think that this is a modern lightweight watch, because the M2 is also traditionally equipped with a stopwatch and an alarm clock.

Returning to the main purpose of the Suunto product, we can say that the chest sensor of the heart rate monitor in this model is inferior to its direct competitors due to the fact that it is wider, and therefore during exhausting physical exertion can cause discomfort. This shortcoming can be forgiven, because the round monochrome display will always display really useful data regarding the pulse rate and the expenditure of energy spent in calories.

An individual training programme is also provided here, as well as the possibility of setting the upper and lower permissible limits of the pulse. The data is analyzed based on the user's age and weight specified during setup.

Polar FT60

Models of fitness pedometers from the company Polar have long won the trust of a fairly large audience of adherents of a healthy lifestyle.

In addition to the basic functions that most relatively low-cost models are equipped with, the Polar FT60 also boasts a calorie counting sensor with the ability to display the percentage of fat burned. An interesting interpretation of the described indicator will be interesting to those who want to get their figure in shape on the eve of the beach season.

You can also find the Own Zone function interesting, which collects the user's personal physical data during the warm-up in order to further build on the results obtained by developing a special intensive training plan, focus on maintaining a rational tone. Thus, it is worth recognizing that most of the mentioned models also have the function of creating an individual training programme, but another thing is interesting: it was on this feature that the creators of the FT60 model emphasized.

A heart rate sensor is also supplied with the heart rate monitor. The features include the presence of female and male models of the device. They differ mostly only in their external design: the men's TF60 model looks more strict, while the women's model is decorated with stylish lines and additional edges along the body, slightly changing the shape of the device.

Given the average price range in which the Polar product is located, the ability to upload the results of classes to the website for subsequent analysis is an attractive addition to the list of functions presented above. Mentioning unpleasant moments, it is impossible not to say that the FT60 will not be able to measure the speed and distance traveled, for this it will have to purchase an additional GPS sensor G1 or its analogue sensor S. Working from a battery, the heart rate monitor keeps the charge for a long time. It is also equipped with the ability to highlight the display, and the clock mode will also give you the alarm clock setting function, in addition to the classic calendar, which almost all other representatives of the selection have.

Garmin Forerunner 220

Unlike the previous model, the Garmin Forerunner 220 can hardly be called a low-cost option, but it is also worth noting that there are good reasons for this. Garmin is famous for the reliability of its products, therefore it is more interesting to consider Forerunner in more detail.

To begin with, perhaps, it is worth mentioning the presence of a built-in GPS sensor, which significantly expands the range of possibilities during training. In addition, this option is configured quite easily, which allows it to be rightfully considered quite useful and applicable in the conditions of real classes. In an open area, errors in recording routes are close to zero, but being in the conditions of the "urban jungle", deviations of 40-50 metres from the real course are noticeable.

The heart rate monitor also synchronizes without problems with both a computer and smartphones on iOS and Andoroid platforms, which means that this aspect can also be safely entered into the piggy bank of the gadget's advantages, because after each run it will save the received data about your speed, distance traveled and pulse changes, analyzing them in its special Garmin service Connect.

The colour screen makes the control and adjustment of individual physical parameters (gender, age, height, weight) much more pleasant and aesthetic. Already thanks to these additional functions, this product can at least arouse genuine interest.

Speaking of design, we can note both the interesting concept of the case and pleasant colour solutions, as well as the internal interface of the Forerunner 220. The chest heart rate monitor, working together with a pedometer, does not cause much discomfort, but the strap is still slightly stiff, therefore it is worth carefully examining it before purchasing.

Continuing the topic of the mentioned positive qualities of the heart rate monitor, it is impossible not to mention the presence of a modern and powerful Bluetooth sensor, which is logical in view of the available chest pulse metre. The category of "pros" will also include traditional water resistance, vibration as reminders or warnings and excellent operating time on a single charge. This model of a heart rate monitor from Garmin will provide its owners with a rich set of functions, allowing it to be used harmoniously in everyday life.

Garmin Forerunner 610

The creators of this heart rate monitor assure us that with the arrival of their product on the market, you can train much more intelligently. The secret, as always, is quite simple: Forerunner 610 offers its users to set the boundary values of heart rate indicators. At the same time, Garmin assures that they have taken care of the rest of the vital things for any high-quality pedometer.

And don't let the fact that this model hit the shelves back in 2011 bother you, because it has everything you need for comfortable classes. The capabilities of this model can also include the installation of alerts-signals that are designed to monitor readings and inform their owner. Thanks to a special chest sensor, which is fixed with a special elastic belt, it becomes possible to track not only the heart rate in real time, but also to pay attention to the size of the intervals between contractions.

Forerunner 610 series has a special menu that will help you set up the device, show the history of the results of past workouts, switch to your main active mode and navigate the terrain thanks to the GPS module. In general, the variability and flexibility of the settings of this heart rate monitor will impress even sophisticated athletes, because it is able to take into account the mode of movement (running or walking), conduct analytics on the number of laps and distance traveled, as well as review the results and your progress on a special website. Such multilateral support really helps to improve their own records, as promised.

Powering its charge from the battery and having a good minimalistic design with ergonomic controls, the Forerunner 610 model deservedly claims to become your personal assistants in sports. In addition, in the traditional clock mode, a calendar will be available along with a stopwatch.

Suunto Ambit2

About Ambit2, we can only say that it is the older brother of the M2 model. In addition to excellent design solutions and pleasant colour schemes, with an additional white, which we have already told about when considering the Suunto M2, the Ambit2 model is the embodiment of all kinds of useful features among all heart rate monitors.

The build quality is simply excellent, so you can not be afraid to damage the device by accidentally hitting any extraneous object with it. Unlike most models, this pedometer is equipped with a battery, which affected not only the ease of charging (carried out via a USB cable), but also the total weight of the device — as much as 89 grams.

The ability to connect and synchronize with a computer is vital, since Ambit2, being an expensive heart rate monitor, is equipped with a very useful GPS tracking function. The developers also promise to please users with useful updates.

Speaking of Ambit2 as a device with a GPS module, it is worth bearing in mind that this product won the most international awards last year, which unconditionally noted its exceptional quality. The filling allows you to set the nature of running: whether it's running over rough terrain or indoors. We have not found such a deep study of details in any of the presented models. Needless to say, in Ambit2 you can also measure your running speed, pulse and view history without any problems.

The additional Track Back function will help you not get lost while running, for example, through a wooded area, because using GPS navigation, it will show you the point from which you took your start. Using this heart rate monitor, you can easily choose exactly the option of classes that will be appropriate for you personally, adjusting the pace of running depending on the time intervals. Included with the device itself is also a chest strap designed to deliver more accurate results, but, by the way, even without it, users have the opportunity to measure the number of steps taken and the total distance. Being actually an perfect solution for athletes, the Ambit2 remains a fairly expensive model, which, in truth, fully justifies its price.