Running Watch Reviews » Batteries

Suunto t4c Heart Rate Monitor and Fitness Trainer Watch Black Frost

Running Watch Reviews — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:40:34 +0000

Suunto t4c Heart Rate Monitor and Fitness Trainer Watch (Black Frost)

The Suunto t4c Heart Rate Monitor and Fitness Trainer Watch enables you to create and track the very best training program for your body.

The Heart rate monitor allows you to track just how intense you’re workout is through its built in heart rate monitor functionalities. You would be able to see if your body is getting the burn it needs from the work out that you are doing. It provides data for real-time heart rate; calories burned, and even heart rate alarms.

Aside from simple monitoring the Suunto t4c Heart Rate Monitor and Fitness Trainer Watch even has built-in training software. It has the Coach software that enables you to know how to long and how intense to train each day. It even adjusts the rest of your ten-day cycle to ensure you get enough exercise during each phase of training.

With all of these features, the Suunto t4c Heart Rate Monitor and Fitness Trainer Watch is a great training partner for people looking to get the best for their body.

User Ratings and Reviews

2 Stars excellent but you have to praid for function works
this watch is excellent but mine works really bad, i bought it 3 weeks ago and never works on calories burned.. for example, I did 40 min of a hard spinning class and the watch said that I burned 30kcal at 84% average,,, poor watch… if you can buy a polar! i realized that a lot of users have severals problems with T series, pls find differents forum on the web and see them….

1 Star Useless!
I loved the look, feel, and the features this heart rate monitor provides, and I so wanted to keep it. However, if you use it while you move your arms around other than a stationary position you will lose your HR and therefore not have an accurate picture of your workout. I replaced the batteries in both the belt and the watch, paired the belt to the watch but it continued to lose the HR if my wrist went behind my back or over my head. I even returned it and bought it from a different store hoping to correct the problem. Both watches experienced the same situation. In desperately wanting to keep it, I researched and found this to be a common problem with Suunto. I have been a long time Polar user, but HATE the look of every single one of them, so I really was looking for the same quality. Unfortunately,Suunto isn’t the one.

5 Stars perfect HR m.
SO I bought this watch, in need of a heart rate monitor and since I already owned a Suunto watch I thought I would love this one too. I LOVE IT! It’s comfortable, it’s easy to use once you figure out all the little applications, it’s a good size for women. I’m still finding cool little things out about the watch. I suggest you buy the wireless PC Pod too and it will also log your RPMs if you buy a bike pod or even distance if you buy a GPS pod or foot pod. The PC pod will log all your workouts on your PC. I am about to purchase that. The coach on the watch give you the option to follow it but it does not punish you if you don’t. The training effect is confusing at first but when you log your workouts it gives you a range to categorize each workout. I love this watch/ HRM and would recommend it to active women who are into gadgets.

4 Stars Suunto T4C
I have had the watch for a little more than a month now. I would say it is a very large step up from my Polar RS100. However I have a few complaints:

1. The backlight only works some of the time.

2. The screen scratches very easily

Other than that the watch is awesome.

5 Stars I Lovit I Lovit I Lovit I Lovit
This is a sweet piece of gear. I’ve been using it for about a month now. It works great and gathers a lot of data.

The watch itself is comfortable the band works especially well, (mine is the black volcano). A friend has a Suunto T4C as well, (his is the black frost), but his band is a little different. I will agree with other reviews that the face is prone to scratching. With this in mind I use mine only for workouts. The interface isn’t too difficult to figure out. Had it totally figured out after about 4 workouts. I saw a lot of reviews complaining about the complexity however with all the things this thing does the 5 buttons are easy enough to work with. My Timex was about as difficult to figure out.

The chest strap is OK. About as comfortable as a chest strap is going to be. It took a week or so to figure out exactly where to place the strap on my chest and how tight was tight enough. Once the chest strap placement is determined this thing rarely loses heartrate once it has captured it.

I could take or leave the coach function. It usually tells me to do long low intensity workouts or to rest. I haven’t really done much with the coach function as a result.

The data that the T4C can store is pretty extensive. There is detailed workout data available for the 14 most recent workouts. This data includes duration, training effect, average heart rate, peak heart rate, calories burned, and lap times (if using the lap timer). I don’t have the PC interface but transfer the infomation manually to a spreadsheet every few days. Long term data is available (totals) for the current week, the previous week, current month, and the previous 11 months. This data includes the number of workouts, total workout time, total running distance (Foot Pod), total bike distance (Bike Pod), total GPS distance (GPS Pod), and total calories burned.

I don’t have the Foot, Bike, or GPS POD paired devices.

I’ve found it most helpful when lifting. I’ve set heartrate targets for starting my next set so my weight workouts remain in a cardio zone. Prior to having the watch I’d just wait until if felt like my heartrate had dropped enough. Now I have hard data to start the next set.

Spent a lot of time researching before buying. I recommend buying something really cheap that you won’t mind throwing away when it fails/battery dies or buy something decent. This is something decent. Things that drew me to the Suunto T4C is a coded system. You won’t get crosstalk in a spin class with others using a monitor. With the Suunto you can change your own batteries. Most of the Polar monitors have to be sent back to the manufacturer for battery replacement, (read the reviews). The only other monitor that I considered was the Garmin Forerunner 305. Picked the Suunto T4C based on word of mouth of a friend, and I have no regrets.

That’s about all I have to say about that.

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Sports Instruments Fit 3 Heart Rate Monitor

Running Watch Reviews — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:06:14 +0000

Sports Instruments Fit 3 Heart Rate Monitor

The Sports Instruments Fit 3 Heart Rate Monitor is a good choice for anyone looking for a training tool for keeping fit and staying healthy.

The Fit 3 Heart Rate Monitors provide runners with a way to track their training data. They would be able to see their Heart Rates, track their distance travelled, and even learn about their pace during their training. It even has 3 separate training zones to ensure that you can find the proper training intensity that your body can handle.

The Fit 3 Heart Rate Monitor also features a chart mode that can help people track their previous work-outs. It would display results and you would be able to see if you are improving your running times through training.

The Sports Instruments Fit 3 Heart Rate Monitor also has a zoom feature that makes the display easier to read. This makes all your data much more easier to analyze and handle.

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User Ratings and Reviews

3 Stars nice HRM but the case breaks
nice HRM but the case breaks

i think they quit making them too

the ears that hold the band on, break

i have had 5 of them so far!

no, i am not doing anything special to make them break

on the other hand it is a very good HRM

you can just exercise and later see how much time you spent

in 3 separate zones

the zones are not changeable

they are

50-70% max

70-80

80-up

i like that better than having to set ‘training zones’ like all other HRMS

this one is different

i like the way it works better

if the cases were any good

they aren;t

both batteries are user replaceable

battery life is good

wle.

5 Stars Best HR monitor yet
I’ve been using the Sports Instruments Fit-3 Heart Rate monitor for about a month now and it’s proven to be great. I especially like the ‘zoom’ feature, making it easier to read. The ‘chart’ mode is great also as I can keep a record of past work-outs. I previously used another brand of HR monitor that was good, but this unit is great!

2 Stars Sports Instruments products were produced in 2003 or earlier
Sports Instruments (SI) was a Utah based company with 3-4 employees that was sold to Bell Sports in 2004 (and Bell Sports was later sold to Easton Sports in 2006). SI’s activities had slowed, and it is reasonable to believe that Sports Instruments Pro, Fit and ECG Heart Rate Wristwatches were last produced in 2003 or earlier. Products were made in Asia by a reputable factory.

Designer and competitive masters athlete Bill Corliss created products with an intelligently designed user interface that was easy to use. The Pro 7 and Pro 9 Hear Rate Wristwatches provided detailed and valuable data for the serious athlete. The Fit and the earlier ECG Fitness Heart Rate Wristwatches had fewer advanced features. The chest transmitter should work with most fitness equipment designed to work with the Polar standard.

If you buy an SI watch, you should know that the original batteries are at the end of their shelf life. Unless the seller has recently replaced batteries, you will quickly or immediately face the burden and cost of dealing with battery issues.

Replacing the watch batteries is too difficult for most consumers. Even a professional repair person must use care to maker certain that the parts are precisely returned to the original positions to maintain water resistance. Expect to pay $9-20 to have the watch battery replaced, and tell your repair person you want the product to keep its water resistance. The battery on the wireless chest transmitter may be less drained than the watch’s and is user replaceable, a nice feature. The chest transmitter’s CR2032 3-volt lithium battery should be available for under $4. Total outlay for 2 batteries: $13-24.

The Sports Instruments Pro, Fit and ECG products are closeouts with manufacturing dates of 2003 or earlier. If you are willing to deal with battery replacement issues, make certain that you get a good enough price to justify the added repair burdens … and that you get good information about how to obtain warranty service from a brand that is no longer produced.

4 Stars Works like charm
I have really enjoyed this product. As some have mentioned on this page i also experienced some issues with battery life. I sent in the product to the mfr (the warranty is for 2 years from purchase)the bater was replaced and I got it back within 2 days. Their service department was greatIt now works like a charm and I couldn’t be happier. I use it 5 times a week and have yet to see another monitor with the same features for the same amount of money.

1 Star DO NOT BUY THIS ITEM
Beware, I received this watch and it did not work, when I sent the inquiry to Infitinate Surplus, I never received a response. Wish I had read all the reviews prior to ordering and realized it had been manufactured in 2003!! The watch arrived DOA! Now Amazon says Infinite_Surplus has a policy that once an item has been opened, they will not take it back (Amazon should be ashamed of themselves for making people read the fine print of their re-sellers for shipping a product that doesn’t work, how are you supposed to find out it doesn’t work unless you open it????) In any event, this watch came in a box that had obviously been opened before and taped back shut. Now I think Amazon AND Infinite-Surplus are a huge rip-off

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Armitron Womens Instalite Black Digital Sport Watch 45 6962SIL

Running Watch Reviews — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 06:21:10 +0000

Armitron Women's 45/6962SIL Instalite Black Digital Sport Watch

Overall Rating:

Retail Price: $24.99

Amazon Price: $14.99

The Armitron Womens Instalite Black Digital Sport Watch gives active women everywhere a simple yet stylish sport watch to wear while training or following their exercise programs.

When it comes to intense training, wearing watches that are stylish are usually frowned upon as they are more prone wear down due to the stress of continuous physical movements. The Armitron Easy to Read sports watch changes that by being constructed from highly durable materials that can withstand all sorts of movement from your training. It is even waterproof for up to 50 meters (165 feet).

This durability does not compromise the Armitron Women’s Instalite Black Digital Sport Watch’s elegant design. It still comes in an elegant black and silver tone bezel design, and has an easy to read digital display that illuminates at the touch of a button.

Despite the functionality and durability, the Armitron Womens Instalite Black Digital Sport Watch still maintains the beauty that you want your sports watches to have.

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User Ratings and Reviews

1 Star Do not buy this watch
This watch is very pretty for a women’s digital. It is easy to set and the numbers are easy to see and the light makes it just perfect! However, when I received it yesterday, the date function worked but the time function did not. It kind of makes me wonder if this is the same watch that keeps getting shipped out to other customers….or if it truly is a bad design…..

2 Stars Doesn’t work
I received it but didn’t have time to figure out how to set it, etc. When I went back to it a few days later, it wasn’t working at all. I’ll be returning it, which is a shame because it is so hard to find a small digital watch for women.

5 Stars i tell the truth
if you’re looking for a cute, teeny weeny, digital watch. this is for you. myrna in rego park, new york.

4 Stars HAS CHANGEABLE BATTERIES BUT ONCE YOU TRY TO CHANGE THEM IT WON’T WORK PROPERLY
Hello: I have had several Armitron digital watches over the past 5 years. The batteries will work for about a year then peter out which is to be expected, I guess. I bought new batteries, opened the back took out the old battery and put everything back as it was found but the watche(s) never ran properly after that. I took one to the watch counter at Walmart and they changed the battery for me but with the same result. Bottom line….. Expect to have to buy a new one of these every year. I keep returning to them though because as one of the other reviewers said, it’s hard to find a small, un-clunky looking digital watch for women that’s shock and water resistant. This particular model does not have an alarm either which is one feature I miss.

5 Stars outstanding watch
Keeps good time, easy to see, seems relatively durable. What more can you ask for?

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