Running Watch Reviews » Time Training

Suunto t4c Heart Rate Monitor and Fitness Trainer Watch Black Volcano

Running Watch Reviews — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:05:41 +0000

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

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.

Specifications:

Color: Black volcano
Stopwatch: Yes
Max number of split times in memory: 50
Timers (interval and warm-up): Yes
Average heart rate: Real time
Training effect: Real time
Calories: Real time
ANT digital coded signal: Yes
Memory capacity: 15 logs
HR limits and HR zones: Yes
Suunto heart rate belt: Compatible, sold separately
Suunto comfort belt: Included
Suunto memory belt: Compatible, sold separately
Water resistance: 100 feet
Selectable metric/imperial units: Yes
Menu-based user interface: Yes
Dot-matrix display: Yes
Backlight type: Electro-luminescent display
User-replaceable strap: Yes
Software: Suunto Training Manager Lite
Low battery warning: Yes
User-replaceable battery: Yes
Suunto Coach personal training program: Yes
Button lock: Yes
Compatible with pods: Yes
Watch: 12/24 hour
Calendar clock: Yes
Dual time: Yes
Daily alarms: 1

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User Ratings and Reviews

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.

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….

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.

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.

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Suunto t3 Heart Rate Monitor and Fitness Trainer Watch Black Polished

Running Watch Reviews — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:20:49 +0000

Suunto t3 Heart Rate Monitor and Fitness Trainer Watch (Black Polished)

Overall Rating:

Retail Price: $199.99

Amazon Price: View Sale Price

Customize your training according to your needs with the Suunto t3 Heart Rate Monitor and Fitness Trainer Watch.

The Sunnto T3 features a built-in training effect programming that provides you with an accurate training routine that matches your personal fitness level. Using its chronograph and heart rate monitor, it gathers enough personal fitness data such as calorie burn and heart rate and tries to determine how intense the runner’s training should be.It also has computer analysis through the included Suunto Training Lite software!

Now you have a guide as to whether you should go for a full out competitive training program or just take a leisurely stroll around the park.

You can even pair your heart rate monitor with the HR belt and an optional Suunto training pod to make it more suited for the kind of training that you want! The built-in interference free ANT transmission in the Suunto T3 ensures easy connection with all optional devices.

Despite all of the loaded features, the Suunto t3 Heart Rate Monitor and Fitness Trainer Watch is very easy to carry around. The lightweight but durable plastic used in the housing and the included chest strap ensures that you won’t have to worry about the watch interfering with your training.

Specifications:

Color: Polished black
Stopwatch: Yes
Max number of split times in memory: 50
Timers (interval and warm-up): Yes
Average heart rate: Real time
Training effect: Real time
Calories: Real time
ANT digital coded signal: Yes
Memory capacity: 15 logs
HR limits and HR zones: Yes
Suunto heart rate belt: Yes
Suunto comfort belt: Compatible, sold separately
Suunto memory belt: Compatible, sold separately
Water resistance: 100 feet
Selectable metric/imperial units: Yes
Menu-based user interface: Yes
Dot-matrix display: Yes
Backlight type: Electro-luminescent display
User-replaceable strap: Yes
Software: Suunto Training Manager Lite
Low battery warning: Yes
User-replaceable battery: Yes
Button lock: Yes
Compatible with pods: Yes
Watch: 12/24 hour
Calendar clock: Yes
Dual time: Yes
Daily alarms: 1

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User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Used or Brand New
I purchased a used T3 (from a retail store) with a dead battery, scratches on the face and no manuals. After replacing the battery, I downloaded the manuals from the American Suunto website (www.SuuntoWatches.com) and found it was easier to understand by looking at the pictures in the user manual while reading the quick start guide. The features are advanced enough to track multi-disciplined or complex training sessions.

The HR monitor will not work very well without inputting your personal stats: height, weight, DOB, gender. I kept the activity level at 5, which is the default setting. “PolyWatch” creme removed all of the scratches. Then I put a Zagg (www.zagg.com) protective film over the face to prevent future scratches.

My T3 looks better than brand new. It was worth taking the time to learn how to use it.

1 Star I don’t recommend this HR Monitor
I do not recommend this product. I have used several Polar Brand HR Monitors over the years and found them to be extremely beneficial for my training efforts. This product has been a problem from the start. I finally figured out that the battery in the chest strap was bad and replaced it. It is till showing clearly bad numbers for the Heart Rate. The watch is difficult to set up and the numbers are hard to read. Sadly I discarded the original packaging so I can’t return it to Amazon and am forced to deal with Suunto’s warranty program.

3 Stars Decent HRM
I have used this several times and it works well, I like knowing where my HR is and how many calories I’ve burned. In my opinion, it’s not very intuitive, so be prepared to use the manual, and the face does scratch pretty easily. I have had issues in my kickboxing class where the watch cannot find the belt, I’m guessing because of interference with other HRMs. It also doesn’t fit under my (boxing) gloves, which is a hassle, I’ve given up using it during class and have just been using it for biking.

2 Stars Very Disappointed
I purchased the Suunto t3 because it indicated it could be used for swimming.

“Your Sunnto t3 is water resistent up to 30m/100ft and the transmitter belt to

20m/66ft according to ISO 2281 standard.”

My primary use was to be for my swim training and it also has the Lap time so I thought it would be a useful training piece for my ‘technical arsenol’.

It does NOT track HR while in the pool – in fact, pretty much the second my chest was submerged, it lost contact.

Returning product and going back to Polar!

1 Star Terrible User Guide
I returned the watch within 24 hours because I could not understand the user manual and coordinate set-up or on going functions . Also, tried calling customer support and was informed that they were experiencing long wait periods. Waited over 20 minutes, hung up and decided the watch was not for me.

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Suunto T3 Running Pack T3 Heart Rate Monitor and Foot POD

Running Watch Reviews — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:47:17 +0000

Suunto T3 Running Pack T3 Heart Rate Monitor and Foot POD

Now you can have all the tools you need to be able train in the best way possible with the Suunto T3 Running Pack T3 Heart Rate Monitor and Foot POD.

The Suunto T3 running pack includes the T3c wrist top training computer, the foot POD and Comfort Belt heart rate belt ensuring that you have the perfect range of equipment necessary for tracking your running data.

Simply wear the wrist top computer, attach the POD to the laces of your shoes and they would wirelessly communicate, allowing you to easily know details about your speed, distance traveled and other pertinent running information.

The Suunto Running pack will easily provide you with real-time information about the benefits of your workout. It utilizes the Training Effect system to give you a more thorough review of how you are doing.

Best of all, this Suunto Running Pack heart rate monitor package would not hinder your movement during training. Because it is built with light-weight materials, the gears would not be noticeable even while you are in the midst of heavy training.

Other features of the Suunto T3c Running pack include:

Real-time Training Effect
Current heart rate, average heart rate, and maximum heart rate
Real-time calories burned
Three-tier zone training system with alarms
Two adjustable heart rate limits with alarms
Dual time, date, and alarm
Log memory for 15 workouts
Stopwatch with 50 split laps
Interval timer
User-replaceable battery
Heart rate belt with error-free ANT transmission technology
Water resistant to 30 meters (100 feet)
Interchangeable straps

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