iPhone Compatible Heart Rate Monitor Options?

[otolith]

So, to do this it looks like I would require:

Compatible monitor/transmitter
Dongle
App

Total cost ~£115

I would mostly be interested in getting a more accurate estimate of calories burnt than I can get just from a GPS based cycling app or the utter nonsense our cheap cross trainer comes up with, and along with walking those are the activities I would be particularly interested in measuring.

Any experience? Any thoughts on the accuracy versus something just using GPS data, activity and weight? Is it even worth bothering?

[shouldbworking]

From my experience of using a polar bluetooth hrm with an android phone, id say its still not worth it in terms of estimating calorie consumption. For example riding my commute at a sedate pace will result in endomondo saying 350 calories by its estimation, if i go balls out it will show maybe 375 despite being at least 15bpm faster all the way throughout the ride.

That said, it is interesting data if you dont get hung up on the calorie estimation and just look at it in its own right.

Possibly there could be more accurate apps out there but I wouldnt hold your breath

[Burrow01]

I'd buy a polar HRM watch and chest band, probably much more accurate - also works with most Gym kit

You can upload the data to the web from most of the mid range upwards Polar watches

[otolith]

Burrow01 said:

I'd buy a polar HRM watch and chest band, probably much more accurate - also works with most Gym kit

You can upload the data to the web from most of the mid range upwards Polar watches

That is another option - I just like the idea of connecting a chest band to the iPhone (which is all the kit really does) and then having a range of GPS-enabled software to choose from.

[otolith]

shouldbworking said:

From my experience of using a polar bluetooth hrm with an android phone, id say its still not worth it in terms of estimating calorie consumption. For example riding my commute at a sedate pace will result in endomondo saying 350 calories by its estimation, if i go balls out it will show maybe 375 despite being at least 15bpm faster all the way throughout the ride.

That's interesting - what does it estimate with the GPS only and no HRM connected?

[shouldbworking]

otolith said:

That's interesting - what does it estimate with the GPS only and no HRM connected?

About 350

The app clearly doesnt weight heart rate very highly in its calculation, but then thinking about it I imagine it would be quite difficult to make one that rates it to any degree of accuracy... thinking about it you'd need min + max heart rates, age, build, average exercise, weight, how regularly you perform that activity, and of course an actual benchmark for calories burned obtained by measuring weight before and after a ride whilst reintroducing into the body the same weight that you sweated out during.

[otolith]

Interesting.

We're currently using MapMyTracks, which uses activity + GPS data + weight. I'm sceptical of its ability to give anything meaningful because we're using mountain bikes on a mixture of country lanes, cycle paths and off road tracks. It has a cycling function, which I suspect represents a road bike on a road, and a mountain bike function which I suspect represents hurling yourself over the Yorkshire Dales. Neither of which I think are likely to be close to reality.

We've also got a cheap cross trainer with some electronics built in which appear to be fked. I did 30 mins at lunchtime, maximum resistance, got off wibbly and literally dripping on the carpet, and it estimates 80 cals - I'd burn more than that walking.