Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)My background: running since 1985, 8 yrs of XC, 9 marathons. I've been using HRM's for training for years and have tried Nike, Polar, Freestyle and Timex HRM's. I was intrigued by the buzz this watch was getting in some of the running and outdoors magazines, so I picked up the T4. Here are my thoughts:
1. The band looks cool, but that cool white stripe is grey and dingy two months later. It also constantly slips and requires readjustment. Nylon bands also get wet and stay wet until you take them off...a pain if you wear your watch all the time like me.
2. The crystal is not recessed/does not have a rubber buffer around it...as is typical on most running watches. This means the crystal is unprotected and the face is more scratched after two months than many of my older watches.
3. The "coach" function is neat, but it's not that much of a revelation really...probably some simple algorythm that comes up with a training progress rate based on how long you're working out at what heart rate. Good for a beginner, but nothing a serious athlete can't figure out on his/her own based on the principles of HRM training.
4. The HRM itself has been inconsistent...on my last several runs the HR reading has been way below where it should be (ie 90 when it should be at 130...) then, out of the blue, it pops up to a more reasonable reading. Then it freezes without explanation. Not something you want to deal with during an interval workout or hard run where your pace/HR matters.
5. After years of mostly Nike and Timex, it just isn't intuitive or easy to use. The menus are hard to navigate on the fly. This is my fault though, I guess I need to try harder.
6. The split display when the chrono is on is cool...you can choose between a variety of displays: calories burned, HR, time since last split, average heart rate, etc. My only beef with this is that if you stop during a split, and then restart, it shows you your time since you restarted, it doesn't keep tracking your split time. Kind of inconvenient when in the middle of an interval.
Anyway, for what it's worth, those are my thoughts. Nike remains probably the best for running features, although I've had reliability problems with Nike (short battery life and cheap bands), Timex is probably the most reliable for the bucks. I just don't think this one was worth the price tag. On race day I'll probably break out an older, more reliable HRM.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Suunto t4 Watch
When? What intensity? And how long? The t4 watch by Suunto shows the way. Equipped with Suunto Coach, the Suunto t4 adapts to your changing physiology, making an on-target workout plan for achieving your goals. Features: Suunto Coach (adaptive training advisor) Real time Training Effect Current heart rate, average heart rate and maximum heart rate Real-time calories burned Three-tier zone training system with alarms 2 adjustable HR limits with alarms Speed and distance with optional Foot POD, Bike POD or GPS POD Compatible with PC POD Dual time, date and alarm Log memory for 15 workouts Stopwatch with 50 split laps Interval timer User-replaceable battery HR Belt with error-free ANT transmission technology Water resistant to 30m (100 ft) Interchangeable bands
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