Omron HR-100C Heart Rate Monitor Watch

Suggested Retail Price: $59.99

Rating: 7/10

Top Features

• Contains target heart rate zone indicator with alert
• Chest transmitter belt can transmit to the watch at a distance of nearly 100 feet (30 meters)
• Transmitter belt battery can be replaced by user

Product Specs

• Displays heart rate and exercise time
• Full clock and stopwatch function with alarm
• Includes mounting bracket for treadmills and bikes
• Includes zippered storage case
• 1 year average battery life
• 1 year limited warranty

Disadvantages

• You have to program your own target heart rate zone
• Interference from other heart rate monitors or equipment can be problematic
• Does not store data

Review

The Omron HR-100C is a simple to use multi-function heart rate monitor.  It's marketed towards people that don't need an incredibly fancy monitor with a dizzying amount of extra features, but who still want to improve their athletic or physical condition.  If you don't need to do any intense, competitive training, this is a solid and inexpensive heart rate monitor for biking, running, or doing just about any type of physical exercise.

While there are few advanced functions to be found on the Omron HR-100C, there still are a number of helpful basic features.  As you would hope, it can accurately measure your heart rate, as well as provide a heart rate zone.  When your pulse is not in the ideal zone, the HR-100C will beep to alert you to either increase or decrease your intensity.  The downside of this feature is that you have to program in your own zone, as it will not calculate it for you, so it may take some research.  Some other features for this heart rate monitor are clock and stopwatch function as well as a backlight.

One aspect that really improves the value of this heart rate monitor is that you can change the battery on the chest strap transmitter by yourself.  Many other monitors require you to ship them to the manufacturer for a battery change, which is both inconvenient and costly.  Also, the Omron HR-100C increase its value by coming with a storage case and a mounting rack, which is useful if you plan on using it for biking or on an exercise machine.

The biggest downside for the HR-100C, besides the lack of extra features, is that interference from other heart rate monitors can be an issue.  If you're nearby other people with heart rate monitors, it may cause your monitor to work intermittently.  Another way this model is lacking is that it can not store data or provide any type of computer support.  So if you want to record your data for analysis, you'll have to write it down yourself.  Despite these negatives, the Omron HR-100C is still a good, yet more basic heart rate monitor.