heart rate monitor vs. arm band?

[ShirleyJ84 19]

Everyone seems to wear a heart rate monitor (at least from what I've been reading) but does anyone have one of the fitness trackers that you wear on your upper arm? (such as the body bugg) I am very interested in which one to invest in to help me on my journey.

Any advice is going to be greatly appreciated!

[B-52 7,113]

I wear the strap around my chest...it is what comes with the monitors I own, and it works with all the fitness machines in the gym....never tried the other

[jenn9585 39]

ive been wondering the same thing about the body bugg or they have a new one called body media these are both expensive but im wondering if it would be worth it?

[Redesigned_Curves 312]

I have the body bugg and am not a big fan. Not only do you have to purchase the "bugg" but you have to pay for a subscription to the website to download the information into, so it is not a one time purchase and it is not cheap to begin with.

I recently purchased the UP by Jawbone and LOVE it! It tracks your steps and sleeping patterns.

http://jawbone.com/up

[jenn9585 39]

thats what the body media is suposed to do as well how much did the jawbone cost if you dont mind my asking

[jenn9585 39]

so the body media costs more and i kinda like that the jawbone goes around ur wrist instead of you arm it looks more like a braclet! i hear a really early birthday gift coming my way!

[forensic6 89]

Fitbit all the way. It has a much more compact design and will do everything but monitor your heart (sleep, stairs, calories, steps). Also it syncs with Myfitnesspal and adjusts your available calories for the day based on your activities. Also I highly recommend the Fitbit Aria scale which is WiFi also syncs with MFP.

[Terry Poperszky 2,784]

They do two different things. A HRM measures your heart rate over a specific period time. I use a Garmin model that also will measure steps, cadence, elevation, record tracks and give me a fairly accurate estimate of calories burned. My wife likes to kid me that "if I don't have my garmin on, then the exercise doesn't count. I can track my exertion levels on the same course to give me objective evidence that my fitness level is improving. I have a record of every ride and hike I have taken in the last couple of years.

The body monitors on the other hand are supposed to be worn all day long and to give you an idea of how active you are. I wouldn't know how accurate tehy are since they don't measure heart rate and so they don't take into account how hard what you doing is.

I actually see the body monitors working together with a good HRM to give you both big picture and detailed picture of your activity.

[Redesigned_Curves 312]

so the body media costs more and i kinda like that the jawbone goes around ur wrist instead of you arm it looks more like a braclet! i hear a really early birthday gift coming my way!

My UP was $129 at Best Buy. They carry the Blue & Black in the store. If you want one of the other colors you have to go online I think. The app is free and it plugs right into your phone so you can sync it any time to see where you are at. You can also build teams for support if you know other people who have it. If you get one let me know and we can team up!

I looked at the fitbit, but was afraid I would loose that to easy.

[taysidebell 176]

I have the fitbit and love it it clips onto my bra and has never worked its self loose. Would recommend but it's just another. Tool to help you stay focused.

[ShirleyJ84 19]

Thank you for all the recommendations! I now have some research to do to find out which is going to be best for my needs.

[ShirleyJ84 19]

Darn, if the jawbone already had the Android app up they would be my clear victor. Guess I will just watch whenever it comes out.

[CHEZNOEL 4,061]

I use FItBit and love it! Very motivating.

[brannewmee 103]

SJarome can you post some prices when your done with your research please.

[Jendkopp 62]

I have both a polar heart rate monitor and a bodymedia armband. I feel like the bodymedia armband may be overestimating the amount of calories I'm burning. Plus, the armband costs much more than the polar heart rate monitor.