polar rs300x V Garmin

jfh

hi all,
i would welcome your opinion on which heart rate monitor to buy.
from reading posts on this forum, i know this is a very debatable topic, and it would depend on the usage etc.
well i've done 2 marathons and want to improve, so what i'm looking for is something to help me training over the winter for a spring marathon. i would like to know what pace i should be running for different runs. So if there's anyone out there like myself, who bought a HRM and swear by it, i'd really appreciate it if you could give me some feedback.
thank you

Krusty_Clown

If you just want a HRM, then I would go with a Polar (they did invent the HRM, back in the 70s). I still have, but don't often use my Polar F6, and it's incredibly accurate (and a damn site cheaper), certainly in comparison to my Garmin. If you want a GPS-based watch, then a Garmin is an arguably better buy.

Garmin make GPS watches with heart rate monitors. Polar make heart rate monitors, with GPS.

tunney

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Garmin make GPS watches with heart rate monitors. Polar make heart rate monitors, with GPS.

Perfectly said. If only they would colaberate.

elvis jones

how good are they at working out distance.

I want to do routes i can't measure with my car and that is one of the main reasons i'm looking at one of these.

tunney

elvis jones wrote: »

how good are they at working out distance.

I want to do routes i can't measure with my car and that is one of the main reasons i'm looking at one of these.

At the risk of offering an uniformed and stupid opinion on this:

Garmin - GPS Solution
Pretty damn accurate

Garmin - Footpod Solution
Accurate(ish)

Polar - GPS Solution
Accurate when it can get a GPS lock which it tends to loose easily

Polar - Footpod solution
Accurate(ish)

If the goal is simply Speed and distance I'd look at a Garmin GPS device.
If its more HR I'd look at a wind based Polar footpod solution or a Garmin GPS device.

elvis jones

I think its the footpad solution i'm looking at.

catweazle

Discussion moved to PM's

elvis jones

Jebus what i have i walked into the middle of:eek:

Group hug.......

jfh

hi guys, thanks for taking time to respond, that's a very concise answer tunney, exactly what i was looking for, by the sounds of it the polar foot pad is what i'm looking for, didn't know about this, thanks again

tunney

jfh wrote: »

hi guys, thanks for taking time to respond, that's a very concise answer tunney, exactly what i was looking for, by the sounds of it the polar foot pad is what i'm looking for, didn't know about this, thanks again

There are two polar footpods - the WIND one and the S1 one.

The S1 one is accurate(ish) but its quite large and you may be better off either looking at the WIND one.

If you run in Nikes the Garmin FR60 is pretty nice actually, don't know why I forgot this one. Cheap (relative), footpod based and the new garmin footpods are TINY, and if you run in nikes they go in the Nike+ pocket.

What I would do is look at the prices of the FR60 and the Polar offerings and then look at the size of the footpods.

Actually
Garmin Fr60 + Footpod + HR strap < 200 euro (130 gbp here, should be less than 200 euro in LBS)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Garmin-Wristband-Forerunner-Heart-rate-monitor/dp/B002CR9MM6/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1259664452&sr=8-5

polar RS200SV 205 euro

http://www.cyclesuperstore.ie/shop/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=0&idproduct=9798

Given you have to go way up the Polar chain to get the WIND footpods its a no brainer. Garmin FR60 if all you want is a footpod based watch that does some HR work.

Polar

jfh

just had a quick look at that on amazon, that s1 looks a bit bulky, the garmin package looks reasonable for my needs. i have an idea of the milage on the roads, so can live without GPS it's mainly to try train better, thanks for that tunney, it has fast tracked my decision making.

robinph

tunney wrote: »

Actually
Garmin Fr60 + Footpod + HR strap < 200 euro (130 gbp here, should be less than 200 euro in LBS)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Garmin-Wristband-Forerunner-Heart-rate-monitor/dp/B002CR9MM6/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1259664452&sr=8-5

polar RS200SV 205 euro

http://www.cyclesuperstore.ie/shop/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=0&idproduct=9798

The 405 is just under 200GBP on Amazon at the moment, price will change a bit once you select Ireland in the shipping options. The exchange rate is still not too bad for us and Amazon do now ship to Ireland for most things which they didn't when I got my 405 from them.

Jip

Just to add the Forerunner 305 is now also on Amazon for only £129.99, bit of a bargain me thinks, I took the plunge and bought one for myself.

jfh

hi jip, i saw that, it looks reasonable too, you'd favour that over the 405?
had the fr60 on my xmas wish list but 305 is not much more with GPS. confused, tend not to think about these too long,

Jip

Despite the 405 being a little smaller than the 305, the 305 is bigger than your average sportswatch I don't think there's an additional £65 worth of features in it, plus I'll only be wearing it out on the road anyway so the looks won't bother me at all. Some still prefer the bigger screen of the 305 too.

Take a look at the comments in the Runners World review of the 405 here
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/kit/rw-review-garmin-forerunner-405/3320.html plus on Amazon there reviews of the 305 are pretty much all 5 star.

There's another comparison here
http://www.runnerplus.com/forum/topicpage-158-1021-garmin_forerunner_405_first_impressions_and_review-1

I know what you mean about musing too long about what to get, I first looked into getting one a few months back but decided I couldn't really say no at the current price.

RedB

Jip wrote: »

Despite the 405 being a little smaller than the 305, the 305 is bigger than your average sportswatch I don't think there's an additional £65 worth of features in it, plus I'll only be wearing it out on the road anyway so the looks won't bother me at all. Some still prefer the bigger screen of the 305 too.

+1 (Awaiting delivery of a 305 but they are chunky )