Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I purchased this because I wanted a HR monitor that was designed for women and that wasn't incredibly expensive since I wasn't sure how frequently I would be using it. I bought this for $54, however at the time of this review it is advertised at $64.
The design of the watch itself is feminine and fits my small wrist fairly well without sliding around. It's made of a rubber/soft plastic material so it's fairly well protected against sports related bumping hazards and the material is easy to clean and doesn't retain moisture like that of a cotton band. Setting the watch up is kind of irritating but if you follow the directions and have a little bit of patience, it eventually works out. I haven't had to change any of my initial settings, so the annoyance of the set-up is a one time thing and easy to overlook once you actually get the watch into a functioning mode.
After you've completed the set-up the watch works exactly as it's supposed to. Since the screen is fairly small there's a lot of toggling involved to see various readings, but once you figure out the pattern you can easily stick to the screen you're most interested in or flip between the different functions.
The chest strap is comfortable to wear. I've had it on for several hours at a time during a variety of sports (jiu jitsu, kickboxing, running, strength training, Zumba, Pilates) and after the first few minutes I can forget that I have it on. I've made a point to clean the strap after every use and so far I've had no issues with comfort, smell, or function.
When I first started to use the monitor I put the band on before I went to the gym and within the first 5 minutes my heart rate zeroed out and the HR portion of the watch shut off. This drove me crazy until I realized that the electronics in my car interfered with the monitor and as soon as I actually arrived at the gym and exited my car the watch reset itself within seconds and worked as if nothing was wrong. Interesting, but not really an issue.
Overall, I like this product. I'm only giving it four stars because I don't like how much I have to toggle around to see the different screens. For a HR monitor that's on the lower end of the price scale, this is an effective means by which to track heart rate, monitor HR percentages, and stay informed on the calories you're burning. The watch itself is cute, the chest strap is comfortable, and the product works exactly as advertised.
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