Review: T3C Suunto Heart Rate Monitor vs. T5C401 Timex Heart Monitor

Shopping for a good heart rate monitor is not as easy as you might expect. An internet search will quickly turn up dozens of options with a wide range of features and prices. Even if you stick to only reputable brand names, every brand has several different models available. Timex heart monitors have at least ten models, for example, while Suunto heart rate monitors have over a dozen models in their lineup. Even if you try to narrow down your search to just the heart rate monitors that have the features you need and are in your price range, you'll still have several options to choose from. At this point, what can really help make up your mind are customer reviews. What did other people like you think of the product they bought? Was it worth the price? This article will review and compare two such products: the T3C Suunto Heart Rate Monitor, and the T5C401 "Ironman" Timex Heart Monitor.

Timex Heart Monitor: T5C401

The T5C401 "Ironman" Timex heart monitor has fewer features than the T3C Sunnto heart rate monitor. Of the features they both share, however, the Timex usually handles them better. The T5C401 Timex heart monitor displays current and average heart rates and calories burned. The Timex's workout memory is longer, for example, and it remains waterproof at a deeper depth. One feature the Timex heart monitor has that the Suunto does not is a "recovery heart rate timer," a feature that measures your heart rate after a timed cool-down period after your workout. Although customer reviews had little bad to say about this product, one recurring criticism was its lack of long term durability. This Timex heart monitor seems to have a lifespan of only three or so years. Keep in mind, however, that it is significantly less expensive than the Sunnto heart rate monitor, and you only get what you pay for.

Suunto Heart Rate Monitor: T3C

The T3C Sunnto heart rate monitor is packed with features. Its most advanced features is its "Training Effect" function. Rather than relying on a predetermined program to determine your rate of effort, it uses a combination of information measured from your own body to calculate how hard your body is working. This is helpful because the "one formula fits all" approach is not terribly accurate. Everyone's body and athletic ability is different, from marathon runners to sedentary parents trying to loose weight.

Other than that, the features of the T3C Sunnto heart rate monitor are fairly standard, although there are a lot of them. It displays your current heart rate, your average heart rate, and your calories burned, all in real time. This Suunto heart rate monitor has a 15-workout memory. When full, the workouts can be uploaded to Sunnto's Training Manger software on your computer rather than erased. It has timer and heart rate alarms, a back light, a button lock option, and is water resistant. It also has a user-replaceable battery and a low battery indicator. The only consistent complaint that appeared in customer reviews of the T3C Suunto heart rate monitor is that the display screen is made of cheap plastic that can very quickly get scratched up beyond use.

Which heart monitor you should get depends on your needs and your budget. If you are a serious athlete, training regularly, who needs a durable watch with long-term tracking ability, then the T3C Suunto heart rate monitor, despite its higher cost, may be your best investment. If you are just a average Joe, jogging three times a week to stay in shape, then the T5C401 Timex heat monitor will provide all the functionality you need at a more reasonable price.