In this price range, a heart monitor has many extra features you can use to track your workouts. You must decide which features are the most useful to you and then shop for the monitor that suits you best. Examples of features are personal heart zones with alarms, stopwatch, interval timing, splits, calorie tracking, fitness testing, and computer link.
1. Polar F11 Heart Rate Monitor
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ConsumerSearch.com rates the Polar F11 as the best heart rate monitor overall. It determines your OwnCal calorie burn and OwnZone heart zones and determines your fitness level with the Polar OwnIndex. Then it puts you on a workout program, determining what intensity and duration of exercise you need. You can upload your data via the Polar SonicLink to their web site to track your workouts.
2. Timex Race Trainer Kit
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The Timex Ironman Race Trainer is an exercise heart rate monitor and full featured Ironman sports watch. Coupled with the TrainingPeaks web site to download and view your data and get training programs, this is a system that anyone can use for race training, or simply tracking diet and exercise. You can view your heart rate with the time of day and while using the chronograph and timer. I found it easy to move between functions with the Race Trainer. It has a large number display and a night light. While I found the lower model, Road Trainer, to be good, I loved the online functionality of the Race Trainer.
3. Polar RS200 Heart Rate Monitor
The WearLink™ Coded transmitter chest strap is made from soft, fabric material. The electrodes, which pick up heart signals, are integrated into the strap for flexibility and comfort. OwnCal™ counts the calories and fat that you burn and OwnZone™ automatically determines each day's target zone. You can also buy this in the RS200sd version that comes with a footpod that measures speed and distance.4. Timex Ironman Bodylink System
This system combines a GPS speed and distance monitor with a great sports watch and a heart monitor strap. Track your speed, distance, and heart rate with great accuracy to view during and after your workout. An optional Timex data recorder can save it all for viewing on your computer.5. Garmin Forerunner 305
The Garmin Forerunner features a wrist GPS/watch unit as well as a heart rate monitor strap. You can get true outdoor speed and distance as well as heart rate.
