Suunto t6d review

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Nov 082011
 

With its extensive set of data and its versatility, the Suunto t6d is clearly targeted at people who take their training seriously. In fact, all of that data can be intimidating at first, but the Suunto t6d offers two completely customizable displays that allows you to select what he wants to see or not. The ability to configure two such displays is also of great help when changing between two activity types. The data set one would want while running might be different than the one desired while cycling. With this flexibility it is not surprise that the Suunto t6d is used by many professional triathletes.

Suunto went out of its way to provide deep physical data for the t6d. Not only can you see the usual heart rate and calories burn, but you can also see real time EPOC (Excessive Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption) and the Suunto Training Effect. This measure provides real time data on the intensity of your current training session based on your body metrics (age, weight, and height), fitness level expressed as activity class and the data gathered during your current training session. This helps make sure that your current training session is suited to your training plan and that you do not over exert yourself or under train.

To provide speed and distance information, the Suunto t6d can be paired with the Suunto Foot Pod Mini, Suunto Bike Pod or the Suunto GPS Pod. Pairing these devices is easy and the data they provide can be added to your customizable displays.

Another great tool provided with the t6d is the connector allowing you to easily upload your data to Movescount.com, Suunto’s online community training diary. This helps not only share your training information but also analyse said information by providing great visual feedback and detailed graphs.

All in all, the Suunto t6d is a great product offering a lot. The amount of informtion provided can be a bit intimidating at first, but the customizable displays make it easy to filter through all that data to see only what you want to see.

Pros:

  • Lots detailed of information about your training
  • Easy to connect to various PODs to extend functionality
  • 2 easily customizable displays
  • Easy connectivity to movescount community

Cons:

  • Amount of data can be confusing for new users

Rating 9/10

 

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Garmin Forerunner 405 review

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Nov 052011
 

As most people know, Garmin have been in the GPS business for quite some time. It should then come as no surprise that when it comes to GPS equipped heart rate monitor their products is top of the line.

The Garmin Forerunner 405’s integrated GPS unit is great at tracking the distance and speed as well as provide a detailed route of any of your session. The versatility of the GPS technology also means that you don’t have to switch accessory if you are a multi-sport enthusiast who practices running, biking and other activities.

The Garmin Forerunner 405 has all the features necessary to track your heart rate and calories burned. However, the heart rate monitor belt is sold separately which means that out of the box, the Garmin Forerunner 405 can’t really be used as a complete training assistant.

Like many other manufacturers of heart rate monitors, Garmin has created its online community called Garmin Connect. While it can log your heart rate and calories data, their focus there is to share routes and track the distance you traveled during your training sessions. The keyword here is “share”. Garmin connect makes it easy to share your training session with your friends.

Garmin stayed true to their speciality with this product. The GPS unit is top notch but the training data this monitor provides can sometimes be limited especially when compared to that of other manufacturer. This makes the Garmin Forerunner 405 a product especially suited to those who practice multiple different activities or who train in places where mileage and distance can be harder to evaluate.

It should be noted that compared to other heart rate monitors, watches that have a GPS unit tend to drain the battery much faster.

Pros:

  •  Easy to use GPS unit
  •  Uploading data to Garmin Connect is easy
  •  Top of the line GPS unit

Cons:

  •  band is a bit short.
  •  GPS use drains the battery
  •  heart rate monitor belt sold separately
  •  limited training zone information
Our rating: 7/10 (would be 8/10 if the HR monitor belt came with it)
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Polar FT80 Review

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Nov 052011
 

The Polar FT80 is a great monitor for people of any fitness level who want to combine cardiovascular training with weight training. Its integrated fitness test and adapted training program are great tools that help tailor your training to provide the best benefit possible.

While it provides the standard set of training data (heart rate, real time calories burned, etc), the Polar FT80 differentiate itself with its weight training feature and its graphical guidance. When doing weight training, the Polar FT80 will guide you through your set identifying with an easy to understand graphic. This will help you get the most out of your workouts by optimizing your lifting and rest periods.

For people focusing more on cardiovascular training, the ability to connect the Polar FT80 to the Polar S1 Foot Pod or the Polar G1 GPS Sensor is a great addition. These tools can provide feedback as to the distance and speed of a particular training session.

While some users of the Polar FT80 have reported that the model with the black screen had poor contrast and was hard to read in bright light, the model we tested was the traditional black on white display and we had no problems reading the display even when training outside.

More and more, heart rate companies put the focus on online diaries or communities. Polar is no exception and the FT80 comes with a tool to easily transfer your training data to polarpersonaltrainer.com to create a personal training diary. Sites like this can be a great source of motivation and tool to help you keep on track with your training program.

Overall, the Polar FT80 is a great product for fitness enthusiasts. It really shines with its fitness tests and adapted training program and its weight training features is a big differentiator.

Pros:

  •  Integrated fitness tests and training programs
  •  Weight training features
  •  Ability to connect to GPS and Foot pod add-ons
  •  2 years warranty

Cons:

  •  Hard to read display on the white on black model.

Our rating 9/10

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Suunto M1 review

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Nov 032011
 



Suunto M1The Suunto M1 is the typical “entry-level” heart rate monitor. While its feature set is pretty limited, it is still a good product for someone who is just starting a training program and is hesitant to invest a big sum on a heart rate monitor.

The Suunto M1 provides real time heart rate, calories spent and average heart rate but not much else. This means that for professional athletes or people who train more seriously, the Suunto M1 is probably not the best choice. The plus side of this is that the learning curve to use the M1 is pretty small.

The display has a nice contrast and is easily readable in most well lit environment. A design decision that baffles us though is the lack of a back light. This means that using the monitor for training outside after sunset is next to impossible. This is a pretty slim inconvenient for people doing the bulk of their training in gyms but can be annoying for people who love running after sunset.

While some other heart rate monitor have uncomfortable belts, the one supplied with the monitor is pretty comfortable and after a few moments of wearing it, it is easily forgotten. The 2 years manufacturer waranty is top notch and we never had any issues in our communications with Suunto. The sleek design and user replaceable battery are also nice touches.

Despite the fact that it doesn’t sport a list of feature as extensive as some other heart rate monitors, the Suunto M1 is a good heart rate monitor for anyone who wants to start getting in shape or exercising more regularly.

Pros:

  •  Simple to use
  •  Easy learning curve
  •  Low price range

Cons:

  •  No backlight
  •  Limited feature set

Our rating: 7/10

If you have experience using this product or have an opinion about this review, please do not hesitate to leave a comment!

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