Since I started jogging, I’ve been wondering if I should purchase one of those nice heart rate monitors.

I already own one (TCM = Tchibo) which my father gave to me, because he did not use it. The display did not show anything when I took it out of the packaging a while ago, so I went to the city on Saturday to have the battery replaced. The display seemed to work fine again after replacing the battery, but when I returned home, I noticed that I could press whatever button I liked - none would work, the display would always show the same. So, I think I will put it to rest and buy a new one. I don’t know if TCM is good enough in such electronic devices, anyway.

Having thoroughly searched Amazon.de, I came to the conclusion to either buy a Polar [de] or a Suunto heart rate monitor, but I am not quite sure which brand and model to take.

Here is one product of each company that I think could be nice:

The Polar F11 seems to be a very nice device. Features: WearLink®, OwnZone®, OwnCal®, OwnIndex®, OwnCode®, Keeps U Fit Program, Complete HR, Clock, WebLink- and UpLink-tool.

Quoting from the Suunto website, “the new coded Suunto t1 combines precision technology with contemporary style for an easy-to-use yet sophisticated device. Perfect for walking, cardio training at a gym, cycling, running, or any number of fitness activities, the new coded Suunto t1 is a great aid to making your training.”

Personally, I think that the Suunto t1 is a little more stylish (I guess you could also wear it as a normal watch), whereas the Polar F11 seems to have a lot of features.

On the other hand, a big advantage of the Suunto t1 is that you can replace the battery yourself!

If you have experienced one of these products, I would be happy about a short advice / comment. Thanks!

[Update from 2008-02-09]
I decided to purchase the Suunto t1 at SportScheck in Hannover for 79,95 € today.