I am a walker, not a runner, but I wanted a heart rate monitor to help make sure I'm walking fast enough to get an aerobic workout. It's hard to tell if you're walking fast enough without one. I also wanted it as a motivation tool. I'm very happy with it and it meets all my needs. I use it every day and am very happy I bought it!

It keeps track of multiple items in your workout session: length of time, your average heart rate, your lowest and highest heart rates, calorie counter.

I read through some of the other reviews people have posted and I don't know why they are having trouble getting readings. Maybe they have a faulty unit and should send it back. The chest strap is snug but not uncomfortable at all. I slightly dampen the two sensors as the manual suggests before I put it against my skin. Everything works like a charm. I find the fastening system very easy to use. It's not much different than a bra strap although it's even easier since the clasps are just left or right of center -- you can choose which one you want to use. The hard sensor piece is in the very front and only about 6 inches long or so. The strap is stretchy elastic and can be washed, which is a nice feature since you put it against your skin each time.

I did quite a bit of research before I decided to buy this HRM unit. There were a lot of choices out there. Some very expensive. I think most people would be happy with this unit. It's nice and sturdy -- from a brand you can trust (Timex). The watch is a little chunky for a woman to wear when not working out, but I think it's just fine for a workout setting. Most of the HRM watches are a little chunky because of all the electronics contained in that little watch. If you go to [...], you can see "women's" versions of this same watch that appear to be a little thinner and in more feminine colors. Amazon has sellers that carry these versions on occasion. You might want to do a search if you're wanting a watch you can wear all day.

Please note that this HRM unit is just the watch and the strap. I was confused when researching watches because some of them come with a speed and distance GPS unit that you wear on your arm. And those units cost a LOT more. At least $100 and often up to $300. You only need the GPS piece if you are interested in finding out things like: your pace, your average pace, your best pace. It measures your real-time speed and tracks your total distance. I'm not at the workout level that I need this information. I'm fine with knowing my time and making sure I'm keeping my heartrate in the target zone that will help me lose weight. You don't need the GPS version unless you are interested in the additional data features I just mentioned.

One other thing, the watch automatically comes set to beep if you are not within your heart rate zone. But you can turn off the beep and just monitor your heart rate visually on the watch. I found the beeping very annoying. During warm up and cool down you are not going to be in your target zone so of course it will beep. I couldn't find that there was a way you could temporarily silence the sound. I think you only have options of on or off. I just leave the beeping turned off and I'm very happy. I don't see that it's very useful, but maybe some people like it.

So, overall, I think it's a great product and I'm very happy with my purchase. Good luck with your decision making! 5 stars

I love this watch. It's easy to use and has everything you need including stop watch, countdown timer, calorie counter, and a review of your highest, lowest, and average heartrates through your workout. I don't go running or work out without it. 5 stars

This is probably the monitor the President used to determine his heart rate is that of an elite athlete because I can't seem to record more than 35 bpm (in spite of having a resting pulse of around 60). Well, except for the time it told me my resting heart rate was 135. I tried applying vaseline as others have mentioned but still can't seem to get an accurate reading. Recommendation for the manual says to make sure the strap is snug but it has to be uncomfortably snug for me to get a reading at all. I've tried all sorts of tricks and re-read the manual several times but appear left with a bulky (thick) digital watch. 2 stars

Delivers exactly what it advertises. Just barely larger than the women's ironman watch, it doesn't look clunky. Easy to set up the Max heart rate, and it automatically sets all the zones for you. Strap is very comfortable, and instructions are easy to read. 4 stars

I just got this watch the week before Christmas and I've used it for 3-4 workouts. I used to own a polar so it took me a lil' while to learn the features, but it does seen to work very well. The lap options are cool. I also like the fact that it measures your heart rate even when you are not excercising, whereas the polar HRMs only measured if the HR was above a certain number of beats per minute. My only issue is that the calories seem too high. E.g. I'm a 148 pound woman and ran 3.5 miles and the watch says I burned 478 calories, which seems pretty high... It might be that it keeps measuring when I'm cooling down; the fact is that the calories burned don't seem to add up right... 3 stars