Heart Rate Monitor thingy for running.

[MadameCastafiore]

Does anyone have one and are they worth buying?

Is DHs birthday very soon and I am at a loss to what to get him.

He likes running - goes about 4x a week and he has the Nike+ thingy - after a kind lady on here recommended it a few years ago. So thought maybe a heart rate monitor would be a good thing to get him?

If you have one, what make is it and would you recommend it?

No one?

I bought DH a Garmin Forerunner 405 with heartrate monitor for Xmas (paid less than £200 though)

He thinks it's fab for working out speed/distance/whatever, and is quite anal about downloading his data He's very into his gadgets...

You can't go wrong with a (much less expensive) Polar heartrate monitor - I used to use one years ago when I was fit, and found it v useful.

My husband just got a Polar one www.polar-heartrate-monitors.com/polar_rs-400.htm. It takes a bit of set up time but he really likes it and did some serious on-line shopping and research before taking the plunge.

Yes, the Garmin one. I got DH one last year. He is in luurve with it. It does heartrate as well as distance, calaries etc etc etc.

They have a range all doing slightly different things at different prices. I paid about £84 for the one I got.

DH adores his. He had one that was useless and got a much better one and he's always wittering on about it and the strange mystical numbers it pumps out. I nod wearily. His is a polar one. I can't be more specific as it puts me into a heartrate monitor induced boredom coma.

I think DH just likes the act of getting all dressed up with his fancy machine. It's practically the key thing that keeps him running!

Men and their toys eh?

Oooohhhh do any of your guys have a Nike+ thingy though that tells you calories and speed etc - DH has and that is the thing - can't work out whether it is worth getting him one - having GPS on your wrist sounds cool to me though!

It's totally worth it - that's what DH has although his is a Garmin one. He loves that it tracks him, tells him exactly how far he's gone (and where - it's a little map thing) as well as calories, average speed, average heart rate etc. It can also do training programmes the works.

It appeals to every part of his personality, not least of which that god forbid he should just go running with a vague plan - he likes to have a computer tell him what to do!