Consumer Test: The best heart rate monitors

by TANIA ALEXANDER, Daily Mail

Whether you are trying to lose weight or training for a marathon, a heart-rate monitor is a useful tool.

By measuring your heart rate, you can check the effectiveness of your exercise routine by the number of beats you record per second.

Heart-rate monitors consist of a transmitter worn around the chest and a screen you wear on your wrist, which displays the number of heart beats per minute. Some exercise machines (if they are compatible) will also display the reading from the chest belt.

Read our reviews of five of the best heart-rate monitors available.

POLAR A5, £74.99

If you are just getting into exercising or working hard at losing weight, this is the

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one to buy.

It's by far the simplest to operate, plus it's got lots of useful features, such as a 2km Walk Test to gauge your fitness level as well as a calorie and body mass index (height/weight ratio) display. Compatible with most gym machines.

Stockists, tel: 01926 816177, www.polar.uk.com.

Score: 9/10

CARDIOSPORT EXTREME, £109.99

Designed for competitive athletes and

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serious exercisers, this is particularly good for runners, as one of its many features is a heart rate recovery mode, for use during training.

It takes a while to get the hang of all its features, but it's well designed and the chest strap comes with a lifetime warranty.

Stockists, tel: 01243 528800.

Score: 8/10

TIMEX IRONMAN TRIATHLON T51601, £99.99

Uses Digital FM technology, which

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is supposed to give more accuracy as it's more resistant to electromagnetic interference from sources such as treadmills.

Also, it will not pick up cross-talk from other monitors in the gym, although this does mean it is not compatible with gym equipment. The chest strap feels a bit restrictive.

Stockists, tel: 0208 326 6900.

Score: 7/10

NIKE TRIAX 15, £79.99

The ergonomic shape of this "watch"

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means it is particularly comfortable when moving at speed. But it's the trickiest of all five to use.

There are two programmable training zones, a graph display of your heart rate, plus data on how long you've stayed within your zone and your heart recovery time.

Stockists, tel: 0800 0561640.

Score: 6/10

SUUNTO ADVIZOR, £199.95

This is far more than just a heart-rate monitor - it's a wrist-top computer

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that includes a barometer, thermometer, altimeter and electronic compass.

It's large and chunky, but still light and comfortable to wear. Be prepared to wade through its giant instruction manual.

Ideal if you do a lot outdoor training such as hiking, trail running or cycling and will make use of its other functions, too.

Stockists, tel: 01294 316 306.

Score: 7/10

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