# Portable Heart Monitor

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portable-heart-monitor/613267>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 18, 2012, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portable-heart-monitor/613267 "2012-02-18T20:08:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portable-heart-monitor/613267/1 "2012-02-18T20:08:59Z")

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I like to workout on my treadmill, but the built-in heart monitor is a pain to use and is hopelessly inaccurate.

I have tried a wrist-watch style monitor, but it broke after a few months and I had to hold down two buttons for 30 seconds in order to get a reading.

Is there a portable heart monitor, preferably battery operated, that I can wear on my arm or chest, with a constant display, that I can place on the treadmill? I want to monitor my heart rate through my hour-long workout without have to push any buttons to get a ready. And I’m looking for a device that will last for years and is easy to use…

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**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portable-heart-monitor/613267/2 "2012-02-18T20:20:36Z")

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there are units with chest sensing and watch-like readout. treadmill or stationary bike makers will market ones with their name on.

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**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portable-heart-monitor/613267/3 "2012-02-18T20:28:28Z")

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> [@johnpost](#):
>
> there are units with chest sensing and watch-like readout. treadmill or stationary bike makers will market ones with their name on.

Seconded. Some machines are also set up to receive signals from Polar brand chest strap models so you don’t need the watch portion at the gym.

Any chest strap model is the way to go.

Garmin also makes a line of bike or run specific GPS models with a heart rate monitor.

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**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portable-heart-monitor/613267/4 "2012-02-18T23:20:00Z")

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Thanks everyone. Ingorance fought.