LIDL Heart Rate Monitor

Temporary Dub

I was looking at the LIDL brochure this week and see they have a heart rate monitor for under 25 euro, basically, is this
i) a go?

or

ii) no go?

I just would like to keep a track of my heart rate during training, to make sure I'm pushing myself etc. Also I am on a limited budget atm that's why this offer appeals to me.

Hail 2 Da Chimp

I have one and find it great, better than spending ~€150 on a Polar watch, it also works on all the cardio machines in my gym...

Brian?

Hail 2 Da Chimp wrote: »

I have one and find it great, better than spending ~€150 on a Polar watch, it also works on all the cardio machines in my gym...

+1.

Although I find the chest strap eats batteries.

cowzerp

you can buy cardio sport basic watches for 50 euro and there top quality, im sure polar have a similar price for the basic model..

the lidl 1 would do, but the others would be better quality, like dunnes runners are fine but adidas are better!!

flywheel

Temporary Dub wrote: »

I was looking at the LIDL brochure this week and see they have a heart rate monitor for under 25 euro

thanks for the heads up...

does anyone know if the strap / watch are 'coded' to stop cross transmission between other nearby straps / watches? (no mention in specs)

also, what type of batteries does the strap take?

flywheel

cowzerp wrote: »

you can buy cardio sport basic watches for 50 euro and there top quality, im sure polar have a similar price for the basic model..

yeah i looked around a lot for a good price on a polar in town (Dublin) and irishfit.eu had the best deal on them I could find (40 for the FS1, uncoded; 50 for the Fs2c, coded)

ended up getting one of the models with the Wearlink Transmitter as the strap is made out of matrial so really comfortable and easy to wash...

cowzerp wrote: »

the lidl 1 would do, but the others would be better quality

i'd like to check it out in the shop, that's some price compared to the others... and as long as the straps and connectors are made ok looks like it would do the job... maybe Hail 2 Da Chimp can comment... also hearing it works with gym equipment is pretty good too (is that equipment with a 'Polar' label on the console?)

Hail 2 Da Chimp

I've had no complaints with my Lidl one - as stated I did have to change the battery in the chest strap but that was after about a year of heavy use.
I have 2 of the Lidl ones (I thought I'd broken the first one I had but it's actually working again ) both of them are different models but both work on Polar type Cardio machines.

Strap is elastic and rubber, as above - you can detach the elastic and wash.

Here's the link to the product.

dioltas

Are the heart rate monitors with the chest straps generally better than the ones without?

Argos have two for the same price I think without chest straps. Here they are: linky.

Which would be better the lidl one with the strap or one of these? I assume the strap would be better?

Brian?

dioltas wrote: »

Are the heart rate monitors with the chest straps generally better than the ones without?

Argos have two for the same price I think without chest straps. Here they are: linky.

Which would be better the lidl one with the strap or one of these? I assume the strap would be better?

I think the ones with straps are better, i.e. more accurate.

Khannie

briankeating wrote: »

I think the ones with straps are better, i.e. more accurate.

At least for the same amount of money. I think you can get decent wrist-ey ones, but they're ching ching.

cowzerp

dioltas wrote: »

Are the heart rate monitors with the chest straps generally better than the ones without?

Argos have two for the same price I think without chest straps. Here they are: linky.

Which would be better the lidl one with the strap or one of these? I assume the strap would be better?

Save your money, there really poor and hard to use if your jogging or anything like that, the strap ones are best by miles-i had 1 of them on trial and it would of been the biggest waste of money ever.

Hail 2 Da Chimp

^ Second that, I have one of those strapless ones, which requires you to press your index finger off a sensor for about 30 seconds while it measures your heart rate. Highly unaccurate, impossible to do while running / weights/ doing anything physical.

Edit:
Also they only track your heartrate for that 30 seconds, where as the monitor with a strap will constantly display the correct HR.

Temporary Dub

Ok cool, thanks guys, now all I have to do is get in early so they're not all gone:D

arybvtcw0eolkf

Temporary Dub wrote: »

Ok cool, thanks guys, now all I have to do is get in early so they're not all gone:D

Search the cycling forum for Lidl HRM's, so far as I can remember there's a few threads there on 'em.

Speaking from personal experience I'd go with Cowzer for advice on HRM's and their use.

I've stated this before, I trained for twenty years without one until finally getting one last summer and my training changed overnight. If I could advise anyone starting out my recommendation would be to get themselves a good HRM.

Best of luck with which ever you choose, if you take your training seriously your going to love it.

And if you can afford a few more quid (and if the Lidl model doesn't offer it) I find my CardioSport's additional features like workout summary invaluable, for example..

If I pushed myself really hard today I could kid myself into thinking that maintaining a heart beat of 160bpm was working to my optimum, but anything can throw that out of kilter and drop your HR down, loss of concentration being the biggest for me. Well when you do the workout summary you might then find that you've only averaged 70% (or less) of that 160bpm - so what your really aiming for is a higher over all average daily & weekly not once off's (if that makes sense?).

With the cheaper watch's you usually don't get this luxury, so in spending less you really are selling yourself short.

flywheel

Samir Savory Elbow wrote: »

And if you can afford a few more quid (and if the Lidl model doesn't offer it) I find my CardioSport's additional features like workout summary invaluable, for example

the Lidl product info says it has:
Actual, average, minimum and maximum heart rate

sfag

and it worked fine. watch strap breaks after a couple of years though. The target rs with gym treadmills ok.
personally i wouldnt bother with expensive ones unless you need the elaborate programmes.

arybvtcw0eolkf

DubFit wrote: »

the Lidl product info says it has:
Actual, average, minimum and maximum heart rate

Sounds perfect for someone working on a budget so.

googlehead

Samir Savory Elbow wrote: »

Sounds perfect for someone working on a budget so.

what limititations do you see with it? I am thinking about getting a HRM. well i was told to get one to help me with my cycling, recently I have started running, but I am unsure to what they exactly do.

flywheel

googlehead wrote: »

I am thinking about getting a HRM. well i was told to get one to help me with my cycling, recently I have started running, but I am unsure to what they exactly do.

check out these links for some information on how a Heart Rate monitor can help with your cycling (and other) training, especially when working with your lactate threshold heart rate, explained in the links... (a power meter would be something to look into also in relation to cycling, but more expensive / in depth, depends how far you want to get into it)...

Heart Rate and Training [Joe Friel, Online article link]

Quick Guide to Training With Heart Rate, Power and Pace [Joe Friel, PDF; Free]

The Cyclist's Training Bible, 4th Ed. [Joe Friel, Book £15 amazon.co.uk]
(Table of Contents and an excerpt [PDF])

Heart-Rate-Based Training eHandout [Arnie Baker, PDF eHandout; $4 online]
(Also included in his High Intensity Training eBook)

Precision heart rate training [Edmund Burke, Google Books link]

Hope that opens up some more info for you, or post back if you have any more Qs...

Hail 2 Da Chimp

Samir Savory Elbow wrote: »

Sounds perfect for someone working on a budget so.

googlehead wrote: »

what limititations do you see with it?

I'd be interested to know what you mean here too, are you using one of those fancy HR monitors that graph your HR for the duration of your workout as opposed to just giving an average, min & max number?

arybvtcw0eolkf

googlehead wrote: »

what limititations do you see with it? I am thinking about getting a HRM. well i was told to get one to help me with my cycling, recently I have started running, but I am unsure to what they exactly do.

Tbh at that price the only limitation I'd have on it is my confidence in buying from Lidl - which is probably totally irrational since I'm bought all my cycling clothing from them and its stood the test of time (and winters).

Seriously for €25 and for my first HRM I'd buy one.

.

Owen

I just bought one. Lidl in Mayfield in Cork have around 20 left.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Just looked at it online, for that price I might buy one for training in work.

Looks like a good buy.

Khannie

None in the lidls on Thomas street today.

gaeilgegrinds

I can't get mine to work...

googlehead

DubFit wrote: »

check out these links for some information on how a Heart Rate monitor can help with your cycling (and other) training, especially when working with your lactate threshold heart rate, explained in the links... (a power meter would be something to look into also in relation to cycling, but more expensive / in depth, depends how far you want to get into it)...

Heart Rate and Training [Joe Friel, Online article link]

Quick Guide to Training With Heart Rate, Power and Pace [Joe Friel, PDF; Free]

The Cyclist's Training Bible, 4th Ed. [Joe Friel, Book £15 amazon.co.uk]
(Table of Contents and an excerpt [PDF])

Heart-Rate-Based Training eHandout [Arnie Baker, PDF eHandout; $4 online]
(Also included in his High Intensity Training eBook)

Precision heart rate training [Edmund Burke, Google Books link]

Hope that opens up some more info for you, or post back if you have any more Qs...

Thanks very much. very useful

googlehead

Samir Savory Elbow wrote: »

Tbh at that price the only limitation I'd have on it is my confidence in buying from Lidl - which is probably totally irrational since I'm bought all my cycling clothing from them and its stood the test of time (and winters).

Seriously for €25 and for my first HRM I'd buy one.

.

bought one this morning.