Purchasing a Heart Rate Monitor...Help?

Can't go wrong with polar. Depending on what you want, you can spend s real wad of cash. Got one this summer off of eBay for 30 bucks. Brand new. Look there.

Get the simplest Polar you can. Works great, lasts forever.

Or, if you want to measure your long runs (and spend a little more than $100), I can highly recommend the Garmin Forerunner 305, which includes an HRM.

You can get a basic Polar for about $60 new (sometimes cheaper online, but I wouldn't risk it... stick with a reputable dealer). However, those cheap Polar units are the old style, which means hard (re: uncomfortable) straps that you cannot change the battery once it dies.

Spend the extra few bucks and for about $100 you can get something from Polar (RS100 is the best bet, but FT4 or 7 work too) or Garmin (FR60). Personally, I would go with the Polar if you just want heart rate, and the Garmin if you want more advanced features like downloading data and measuring distance (the Garmin has accessories you can buy that do these things... Polar does not until you get the more expensive models).

Timex makes some decent models (road trainer is the most common, race trainer adds some features). These are nice because they work just like the tried and true Timex IM watch, so if you are not the most tech-saavy and want something comfortable, it's a good option. Overall, they don't have all the bells and whistles that you would get for an equally priced Polar or Garmin though.

Before you make a purchase of a device, try reading a good heart rate training book. I personally like Joe Friel's books, and his HR Training book (I forget the exact title) is very good. There is also a book called "Heart Rate Training for the Compleat Idiot", by John Parker that is both very readable and very informative. If you know exactly how you plan to use the device, you can be in the best position to decide what features you will need and be able to buy a device that suits those needs the best.