What To Look For
Strapless heart rate monitors are easier to throw on as you head out than their chest-strapped counterparts. Most of these heart rate monitors, or HRMs, look like standard wristwatches. One of the newest features in 2010 in HRMs is foot pods in your shoe that measure your distance to help relate that to your heart rate. The best strapless heart rate monitor watches have a metal plate to take your pulse. The brand most looked to for strapless HRM watches is Timex; the Ironman collection is extremely popular and well-regarded.
Common Pitfalls
Make sure you know what features you need in a heart rate monitor before you go out to buy. It's easy to look at the array of options and justify the extra $10 for the calorie counter or the extra $20 for the GPS tracker. But if you don't need these features in your HRM, you're wasting money that you could spend on other fitness gear to improve your workout.
Where To Buy
You can find heart rate monitors at almost any store that carries fitness equipment, but your best best is to visit a sporting goods store such as Dick's Sporting Goods or REI. They will have the widest range of styles and features available, and you're more likely to find what you need from the best strapless heart rate monitor watches.
Cost
The price of strapless HRMs varies with the brand, style and features. If you go to a sporting goods store such as Dick's Sporting Goods, you will spend a minimum of $60 on a regularly priced model. A high-end strapless HRM watch at a specialty sporting goods store such as REI can quickly price out at $400 to $500. All figures are based on 2010 pricing.
Insider Tips
HRMs without a chest strap have always had a reputation for not being very accurate. The newest models are doing better with accuracy, particularly the models with a metal plate for your finger. However, the best thing you can do is to ensure that you wear your HRM watch the same way, the correct way, each and every time you use it.
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