Reebok Women's Fitwatch 10S Strapless Heart Rate Monitor Watch

Suggested Retail Price: $79.99

Rating: 5/10

Top Features

• Checks pulse rate with the touch of a button
• Programmable heart rate zone with audible and visual alarms
• Estimates calories burned

Product Specs

• Displays heart rate
• Lightweight and slender design for women
• Full clock and calendar function with 100 hour stopwatch function
• Water resistant
• Comes with a complete walking and exercise guide
• 1 year limited warranty

Disadvantages

• Some reliability issues
• No chest strap transmitter belt support
• Few extra features

Review

The Reebok Fitwatch 10S is a strapless heart rate monitor that is designed specifically to me used by women, though men can use it too if they so desire.  It has an attractive, feminine appearance, and the wrist band is somewhat smaller than a normal monitor.  And unlike most heart rate monitors, this one does not use a chest strap transmitter, but instead functions by using Reebok "pulse technology".  This works by pushing down on a button for a short while, and then your pulse rate will be displayed.

If you really don't like wearing a transmitter belt, then you may enjoy this Fitwatch 10S.  Some people find the chest belts uncomfortable or have trouble getting them to fit right, so a heart rate monitor than can be operated without one is a welcome development.  Realize, however, that there are some downsides to not having a transmitter belt for your heart rate monitor.  You won't be able to get a constant measurement of your heart rate, only a snapshot, so you don't know what your pulse is unless you are actually pushing down on the button.  This can be an inconvenience for many types of exercises, where you might have to slow down or stop before taking your measurement.  Likewise, if you have to slow down to take your heart rate, then it's possible your pulse has already decreased a bit.

There are some extra features for the Fitwatch 10S, though nothing is to fancy.  You can program in a customized heart rate zone into your monitor, and it will alert you both visually and audibly if you are not in the range.  It also guesses your calories burned, though it can only give you a rough estimate, since it doesn't factor in your vital statistics, like weight or age.

A lot of people really like this heart rate monitor despite its downsides, though they're the lucky ones who don't run into reliability problems.  Some people find that the Fitwatch 10S can only take their pulse after several attempts, or that the readings are clearly inaccurate.  Although most people won't run into these problems, it remains a concern, though the one-year warranty does provide some insurance.  If you want a more reliable strapless heart rate monitor, you may want to look at the Reebok Hybrid Plus or the Polar A4.