The new Runner's World talks about some features of some HRMs out on the market today.

Might be worth looking at.

I had a Polar and use a Garmin 305 now. I love it.

Namaste,

Obi M

If you are looking for a pure HRM, then get a Polar.  If you also want to track distance and pace, then nothing beats the Garmin Forerunner 305.  I have both a Polar S625X and a Forerunner 305.  I never use the S625X.

Victor


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www.competitiverunner.com[/URL" target="_blank">

The Garmin is great - I own one too.

But the 625x is outdated. The rs800 and rs400 give the Garmin a run for it's money. The rs series is a watch that can be worn all the time. The Garmin is not.

For me the rs800 allows me to track HRM and speed/distance both inside and outside via GPS or footpod and can be worn all the time as my primary watch.


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LL Cool Racer[/URL" target="_blank">

I have a Polar S625sx which is what I use unless its batteries are getting replaced. I got a FR305 to use in the interim, and it seldom gets used, other than maybe for total distance occasionally. Since I do a lot of hill work, I like to get a reasonable estimate of the amt climb on a run. The 625 with its barometric altimeter does that. The FR305 is waaaaay off - like indicating 500 ft of climb on a flat route. The FR also tends to lose lap data unless I download after each run - at least mine does in SportsTracks.

More importantly for hr data, the Polar software provides a much better summary of the data. And I've never found a way of getting the FR data into there.

What I'll typically use on long runs where I want reliable data is my Polar hrm, then stick my Garmin handheld GSPmap 60CSx in my pack to log miles, stopped time, and a 2nd estimate of elevation change (barometric altimeter tied in with gps).

But a lot depends on what you want to do and how you train. It sounds like you might be more interested in a gps unit if you're primarily interested in pace and only calculating avg hr.

Garmin 305

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Find a Race

suunto is too expensive for what you get, software that comes with it is inferior to the polar, as is the garmin

if you actually want an HRM to train with, polar is the choice

if you're into this for gadgetry, get the garmin

if you want to look cool for people at work and act like you train and have the money to blow, get a suunto