my gf is looking to get a heart rate monitor for using during her gym sessions. she doesn’t want one with a chest strap though, because she’s rather well-endowed and even if she found one that would fit, it would most likely be very uncomfortable. and just to pre-empt the obvious, i won’t be providing any photographic evidence…

so, yeah- not too expensive HRM without a chest strap, that works reasonably well/accurately. what are her options?

This thread is worthless without…..

i won’t be providing any photographic evidence…

oh 🙁

http://www.heartratemonitor.co.uk/strapless_heart_rate_monitor.html

Has she tried a chest strap? Mrs Grips has a fair bit up top and finds the Polar fabric ones fine. Someone (maybe Polar) does a bra with a built in one too I think.

no, i don’t think so- i think she’s just assumed it’d be futile. i’ll suggest those cos the ones on woody’s link look okay but probably not that practical for gym use since they only register rate “on demand” when you touch the contacts on the watch itself.
ta.

They go under your breasts and are quite soft and comfy. The only issue is if you have something with wires or some other structural components meeting in the middle it can foul the centre box part a bit – but this might not be an issue depending on the bra.

AFAIK the strapless ones are rubbish, which is why people put up with straps.

Erm, obvious question, but she does know they, er, go *under* the funbags, yes? at about the same position as the lower part of a sports bra.

Mrs MW has a selection of sports bras that the chest strap fits into so that it just becomes part of the bra. Can’t see how that’s gonna be uncomfortable.

This is the sort of thing although she’s not got this brand:

yeah, i suppose i’ll ask her exactly why the chest strap is a no-no.

The ones without the straps are generally crap.

My Mrs has a Polar one & its fine under the fun bags.

she just said she assumes it would be uncomfortable either way. hmm.

she just said she assumes it would be uncomfortable either way. hmm

You’re trying to have a rational conversation with a woman concerning something she wears?

no!

My wife is well endowed too, pointless her getting a monitor though as she has no heart

Only thing I’ve ever seen that doesn’t require a chest strap, but works well during exercise (ie. If you are moving your body around) are 3 wire electrode ecg units. They are a lot more hassle than a strap – you have to stick electrodes over your chest. They are also very expensive (we have a cheap one, costs 600 quid, and a medical grade one, costs 15 grand).

There are touch ones (which suck) , finger clip ones and ones in headbands using infrared blood flow monitoring, they are also a bit useless during exercise.

She should try a chest one before deciding they will be useless – we’ve fitted various forms of hr monitoring to loads of variable sized people, including fat male celebrities and page 3 girls (some pr stunt), both of whom I’m pretty sure had larger chestal areas than the average, with no problems.

Slight hi-jack..
What HRM are you ladies using? I’m looking at getting one for my sister.