Who wears a heart monitor strap?

[Curlygurly2]

I'm wondering how these feel when you're running, do they stay put? Can your breath properly? Are they sweaty? Ladies - how do they work with a bra, my Shock Absorber is quite low down my body...

Thinking of getting a new watch...

[Curlygurly2 Graduate]

Thank you at the moment I have a wrist based heart monitor and it seems very consistent. I want to trade my watch up and get one that does stride length and other stuff, you need either the strap or a dynamics pod that you attach to your shorts, I'd be sacred I'd forget that and put it in the wash!

[Ant50 Graduate]

Never tried a heart monitor strap, just use my Fitbit and my Jabra sport earbuds which also have a heart rate monitor built into them, both seem quite good, they differ by about 5bpm in terms of their average bpm over the same run. As for stride length I just set that via each devices app. Over a 5km run I find they both say I have hit 5kms within a few metres of each other. Certainly good enough for me. The Jabra app is quite good as you can set it to tell you various bits of info whilst you are running (if you want) so quite good to have a verbal indicator whilst running, without trying to view a watch/Fitbit screen.

[FestinaLente Graduate]

A considerable time ago when the Polar chest strap was first introduced I used one for cycling. Recently I have started wearing one for running - my Fitbit was giving some unreliable readings. The only time that I am aware of wearing one is when I first put it on - it is cold! I experience no problems with breathing or sweat - I forget that it is there.

I am not of the female persuasion so I have no knowledge of the bra factor, but women seem to use them.

[McGeechs]

I wear watch and Polar HR belt. Both have similar readings. I put my HR belt on first then bra. Sits fine, often forget about it and readings are good. As someone else said, it the watch is more consistent for weights work but the belt has always been fine for running.

[Curlygurly2 Graduate]

My FR 35 will work out average stride length over i KM, I'd like to see how it changes with cadence.