Pros and cons of that model? I currently have a basic Polar and was wanting something that displays HR and chronograph, preferably at the same time
I’m interested to see what others use too. I’ve been looking for a while now, but will only pull the trigger on a ST approved HR monitor.
Garmin 405, the current pace function only works good if you have nothing over head, and u have to hold still till it obtains a signal, but its nice to know my mile splits when i dont have another marker so i can judge if im goin out too fast or too slow, HRM is really good, and its nice that i can hop off my 705 equipped bike and strap the watch on without having to change HRM chest straps
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Polar S625x w/footpod and bike speed/cadence sensors.
Best HRM out there. The footpod is more than accurate enough for me, and the bike sensors work great.
Altitude is great. It really helps understand some of the spikes and dips in HR.
The Polar software is pretty good too. Nice charts, and it makes a good training log.
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x2 on Garmin… still prefer the comfort of the Polar ‘fabric’ strap, however, so can’t wait til the Garmin upgrade strap becomes more widely available & not just a ‘virtual’ accessory listed on their website
Polar S625x w/footpod and bike speed/cadence sensors.
Best HRM out there. The footpod is more than accurate enough for me, and the bike sensors work great.
Altitude is great. It really helps understand some of the spikes and dips in HR.
The Polar software is pretty good too. Nice charts, and it makes a good training log.
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i had the same watch, i liked it too, but u need to recalibrate the pod about every 90 days so it stays accurate, its usuall acurate wo within .05-.1 miles
The Polar WearLink and WearLink+ straps are the best, and the WearLink transmitters have a user replaceable battery.
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garmin forerunner 305, its only been a week but i like it.
I replace my shoes more often than that 
jaretj
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Garmin ForeRunner 305.
Been loving it for years.
-Jot
Polar S625x w/footpod and bike speed/cadence sensors.
Best HRM out there. The footpod is more than accurate enough for me, and the bike sensors work great.
Altitude is great. It really helps understand some of the spikes and dips in HR.
The Polar software is pretty good too. Nice charts, and it makes a good training log.
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Maybe the Polar guy that hangs out here can chime in, but does anyone have a laymens explanation as to what the differences are between the Polar S625X and RS800CX Multi are?
Michael
The RS800CX uses Polar’s WIND transmitters, which I think are 2Ghz, but don’t work under water.
IIRC, it also has some new features like adjusting the calibration while running.
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After more than a decade with Polar’s and my at least perceived decline in quality (shorter battery life, gives more erratic readings, etc.) I switched to a Timex Road machine a few months back. It only cost me $80 delivered and it is very easy to use. Like it much better than the last couple of Polars I have had.
I know it’s in the manual, but I gave up on my Polar 625 footpod because of the calibration issue. Those of you that don’t seem to be bothered by the frequent need to recalibrate, what specific methods/steps/techniques do you use to recalibrate?
Garmin Forerunner 310xt , brilliant for what i need and then more!!!
I’ve got a well-worn 625x as my daily driver and raceday watch. I also use a Garmin 305 on occasion.
I gave up on the footpod after it cut thru one of my bungee laces on a run one time (it wasn’t terribly accurate before getting launched, likely due to said bungee laces). Not even sure I have it anymore…
I’ve found the altitude and vert gain functions seem to be pretty accurate - or at least, pretty repeatable.
Temp reading gets skewed a bit by my body temp it seems.
The one thing I like about the 625 vs. the 305, is that when you hit the LAP button, it tells you the split time, AND the avg HR for that lap split.
With the 305, you can only find that out afterwards. Also, when reviewing after a workout, you get avg and max HR for each split - again, Garmin doesn’t do that (or I haven’t found where they hide it if it does).
The foot pods for the 625X and RS600 are different as well. The RS600 pod can tell you run cadence, stride length, and pace vs. pace only on the 625x. There are other differences as well in the watch functionality. the RS600CX also has the ability to capture GPS data with the GPS arm pod (sold separately.)
I’ve got a well-worn 625x as my daily driver and raceday watch. I also use a Garmin 305 on occasion.
I gave up on the footpod after it cut thru one of my bungee laces on a run one time (it wasn’t terribly accurate before getting launched, likely due to said bungee laces). Not even sure I have it anymore…
I’ve found the altitude and vert gain functions seem to be pretty accurate - or at least, pretty repeatable.
Temp reading gets skewed a bit by my body temp it seems.
The one thing I like about the 625 vs. the 305, is that when you hit the LAP button, it tells you the split time, AND the avg HR for that lap split.
With the 305, you can only find that out afterwards. Also, when reviewing after a workout, you get avg and max HR for each split - again, Garmin doesn’t do that (or I haven’t found where they hide it if it does).
it does if you use software like WKO+ to track ur workouts
I also have a Polar S625X. Had a great time with it. That being said, I have always been a Polar guy. I use the footpod on all of my training runs. I agree with the accuracy issue being off by 5% +/-. I am ok with that so I only re-calibrate about once a year. The funny thing is, I don’t think it makes much difference. I guess I am not that anal.
Still love my Forerunner 305 after 2.5 years.
Pro’s:
-Data is download-able as a HR vs time graph, not just total time, max and avg HR (low end Polar)
-can add the rear wheel speed / cadence sensor, which is wireless and gives you speed on a trainer.
-can use up to 3 separate cadence sensors mounted on different bikes (not at the same time, but without re-scanning)
-can customize display pages with as much or as little data as you’d like
-preset pages for running, biking, or another activity plus 2 common pages
-Multisport function.
-That whole GPS thing is kinda nice, too
-SportTracks is the bomb…
Cons:
- HR strap is a lot of plastic and some elastic. Never been a problem for me, but some people are picky like that
- looks a bit bulky on the wrist. Again, never bothered me, but small wristed people may not like that.
- Only comes in one color
- (Rechargable) Battery only lasts 10 hours, which is more than enough for a MOP’er to finish a HIM.
- Not built to the same water-resistant standards as a Rolex submariner. (1 meter for 30 minutes)