Forums >Gears and Wears>Heart Rate Monitors
What would be a decent Heart Rate Monitor ---- strapless? And how much would one cost - approximately???
Thinking about using one but don't know much about them...
Champions are made when no one is watching
http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2013/02/monitor-bluetooth-smartant.html
Check out DC Rainmaker's review of the Mio Alpha. At $200, it's not cheap.
Is the original question, "strapless vs. strap, pros and cons"? Or were you specifically limiting it to strapless versions? The Mio Alpha that zonykel mentioned looks pretty amazing. I was very surprised to see that the HR plots could be that clear from a strapless, wrist-based sensor. (I've only used ones that have the strap.) But the author makes an obvious point in the article:
"Where I’m conflicted is the price point. At $200, it’s just really darn expensive for something that doesn’t even record data or otherwise have any functionality of even a basic $15 Target/Walmart watch."
You can probably pick up a somewhat decent HRM with a chest strap in the $30-$60 range. If you find you don't mind wearing the strap, you can get a lot more features for a lot less money. Maybe try one of the $15-$25 Walmart versions first -- if you hate the strap, at least you haven't spent a ton of cash. (Some straps are more comfortable than others, and there are "tricks" on how to get them to sense HR well.) If you don't mind the strap, you might decide to upgrade to something like the Garmin Forerunner 210 and have GPS and HRM for about $250.