It works, but if you don't like reading instructions, please don't buy this. 3 stars

I like this watch. Here are the cons:
The chest strap doesn't adjust small enough for a women less than 34 inches around. (tuck it up under a sports bra, ladies.)
Static zaps the watch and makes the screen go blank, so you have to take out/reset the battery and set your settings all over again.
Last winter this happened to me 3 or 4 times, so I became an expert at setting it! It's not as bad as they say, but the directions aren't very good. I just had to play around with it. The watch just got zapped last night before a spin class, and I had it up and running in time for class. It's only a problem for me in the winter with the dry air and static.
I got my watch from REI and it was about 20 bucks more, this is a good price. Get it while you can.
I love it because it's not HUGE like all of those Polar watches, and it has a lot more features than Polar's women's model that is smaller. The battery lasts about a year. When it starts to not pick up the signal as well, it's time to replace. I think the battery is 5 bucks or so.
Another con is that you have to set the resting heart rate by getting yourself to that rate and setting it while you're wearing the strap. It would be a lot easier if you could just enter in the number.
I use the watch primarily for the calorie count, the heart rate monitoring, and the review mode where you can go back and see your high and low heart rates and how long you were in your zone.
It may seem like there are a lot of cons, but I wouldn't trade this watch for any other. A cardio session without it seems incomplete. 5 stars

Even using the instruction manual with the watch causes frustration. Very difficult to use. I have used similar products from polar and garmin which are much more user friendly. 1 star

Great size and more than enough features. I've used this monitor for 8 months now and am quite happy with it. True, the directions are a bit tricky, but c'mon folks...are you adults capable of basic intelligent thought or not??? Tricky yes, insurmountably difficult, not even close! The monitor works super and unless you're very near somebody else wearing a monitor, no interference. Display is clear and visibility is good. Dim light will require you to hit the backlight button. Very comfortable strap and easily adjustable. I purchased this model vs. Polar because I can replace the batteries myself, a task that must be done patiently and carefully as there are some delicate parts. But for 15 minutes of my time, beats the heck out of mailing it to some service dept. for a new battery! Overall, I recommend this unit highly. 4 stars

I am college educated, and for me this was very hard to program. Following the manual, the functions did not do what the manual said they would do. I had to forget the manual and try to figure it out myself. Also, which is just as much my fault, the buttons are on the left of the watch, making it extremely difficult for right-handed people to switch between modes while on the go. I am disappointed in this product. I don't think they tested it out before they put it on the market. 1 star