**Item: **Timex Ironman Heart Rate Monitor Watch w/ Chest Strap
Price: $39.99
Shipping Options: $5 Standard
Condition: New
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Check out this review/tutorial
[youtube=t2Je4XAqG3Y][/youtube]
Do not even consider this watch. At any price.
I have owned two. On the first, the ring surrounding the crystal fell off while I was walking down the street, leaving the start/stop button to spin in circles until it fell off. One side button also fell off.
I bought another so I could use the same dongle for downloading data. It has lost two side buttons. Even if you find them, you can’t get them back on.
These were used only while cycling and at the gym. No rough treatment, just watches that lose their parts. Buyer beware.
I have had this watch for a little over two years now and I have only needed to replace the battery in the chest strap. It is small, light, and compact. The only gripe I have is that the chest strap needs to be wet prior to putting it on to get a solid read on your heart rate.
I’ve used it for a variety of exercises including running, mountain biking, and swimming and have not had any problems with it.
For the price they are offering it for, I think it is well worth it.
If you really want a heart rate monitor, get a Polar. They cost more but are totally worth it (like the one that was on sale yesterday). The chest straps are infinitely more comfortable, the signal is EKG accurate and recognized by many third party equipment, and the watches have great functionality and build quality. Get a Polar.
You must be thinking of a different watch. There is no dongle to download data with this watch. Are you sure this is the watch you wore?
I’ve been running and using HRM’s since 2002 and I run every day. I used Polars for years and had to buy a new one annually due to battery issues, so I tried others. After several more failures, I bought this one at Academy Sports three years ago. It’s great and accurate and still working. I bought one here to have on hand in case the one I have ever stops working. Highly recommended.
Does sweat give it enough moisture to get a good read? Thanks for the review!
I already have enough HRM’s (I think), but I am tempted to buy this one simply because of the great “Iron Man” parody. Brilliant!
I’m a thin bony girl and I’ve had a hard time getting these things to work. I’ve never been able to get a single HRM to actually detect my heart.
Just something to consider if you’re also a very thin person. I don’t know if it’s just me or what…
I’ve had this exact model for almost three years now. I wear it constantly. In the pool, shower, rain, working out, whatever. The HR strap doesn’t work in the pool though. Aside from the band breaking after about a year (I snagged it on a door at work and popped it off while carrying a couple cases of vodka) I’ve had zero problems with it. The replacement band cost 10 bucks and was easy to install. I wonder if I should get another one at this price just to keep as a backup because I like this watch so much.
Yes, you can also lick the sensors to jumpstart the process if you’re sweat free when you put the strap on. Yeah, it sounds gross but it’s just your own sweat and you’re supposed to wash it off after you wear it anyway.
I have the cheaper version of this watch (actually, I paid about $5 more than this price, but that was a year ago, so I don’t feel ripped off :). It works great, so I assume that this upgraded version works just as good.
As for sweat being enough to get the HRM going, it is enough, but you have a decent amount of sweat or else you’re not going to get a good reading. What I do is put the strap on and then run my fingers under the water and then run my fingers across the contacts on the chest strap (basically, the whole underside of the front of the chest strap). That gets it going every time (we have hard water in our faucets, so I don’t know if soft water works as well).
BTW, I use my HRM for my Insanity/Tapout XT/Les Mills Combat/P90X workouts along with hikes, bike rides, and lawn mowing (when I want to go fast). It works great for all those.
Yet another small item that won’t ship to my state.
can you link this device to a computer to see heart rate over time?
Nope. It will keep track of your average HR, Max, and Min though if you want to create a spreadsheet and log your info daily. Too much work for me personally.
I tend to sweat a lot, but when I wear a HRM on my bike, the pulse starts getting picked up within 2-5 minutes, depending on ambient weather, what I’m wearing and how hard I go on the warm up. Another thing I’ve been known to do is give the chest strap a lick just prior to putting it on and it starts working almost immediately. Probably TMI, but if you’re going to need the HRM, you’re likely going to need a shower after words anyway…