Suunto X3HR Heart Rate Wrist-Top Computer Watch with Altimeter, Barometer, and Thermometer

Ask any outdoor enthusiast what manufacturer they''d trust when it comes to precision instruments and the answer would probably be Suunto. Their slogan is "Replacing Luck" and that''s very true when you see how accurate their instruments are. Case in point: I recently bought the Suunto X3HR and went hiking up a mountain with a few friends. We reached the summit and hiked to the trig beacon to get an "accurate" indication of how high we were. The X3Hr was spot on (to the metre) while the GPS unit we carried was out by quite a few (and there wasn''t a big tree above us or cloudy conditions to affect the GPS signal). Apart from the accuracy of the altimeter, what makes this watch even more useful is the fact that it has a heart-rate monitor, barometer and thermometer. That''s in addition to the obvious functions like stop-watch, back-light, etc. If you enjoy spending time outdoors and want to get the most out of it, I''d highly recommend this watch. It takes a little while to get the hang of the functions, but once you do it really opens up a wealth of knowledge as to your performance.

For myself the watch has almost everything I need. When I''m training for runs the heart-rate monitor is incredibly handy and I didn''t realise how much it can be an asset to measuring performance. The watch will show you your max heart-rate over the run, the average heart-rate, and the highest altitude you reached. The only drawbacks are that if you want to measure your split times over a long run, the 10-split memory isn''t really enough and if you''re not yet used to the watch buttons you might press the wrong one and comprimise the data you''ve gathered. But for the price you''d pay for the X3HR, you''d be hard pressed to find another make of watch that can do the same things. If you are looking at something more advanced, the X6HR might be worth looking into. I was sorely tempted to go for that model when I tried it out in the shop. Self control sucks sometimes.

I''ve tried a few different types of HR watches by Timex and Polar...Polar was really expensive for the features that I wanted, along with a non-replacable battery unless you send it to the company...Timex just wouldn''t work unless I had been sweating profusely because I have a very hairy chest and the chest strap couldn''t make a proper connection unless it was drenched. I''m pleased to report that this watch works just fine, no pre-wetting on the chest strap contacts is required. The chest strap is comfy and unencumbersome and it is able to accurately record my HR through my mat of chest hair. It also stores 6 workouts, splits included, in the memory which is convenient if you forget to record a workout in your logbook.

Here are my criticisms for the watch:

-The watch is a bit bigger than "normal" watches (about the same as a Polar, I''d estimate) and it makes for a very readable face even when sprinting, so if you looking for a sleek, small, sexy watch this isn''t for you.

-Too much info: The watch is able to show the current temperature, pressure, and elevation...which I found useless, but if your into climbing or backpacking it may prove to be more useful.

-There are three main menus, TIME, TRAINING, and MEMORY and if you do push-ups or bend you watch wrist back 90 degrees you will press a button to change the menu display (but I''ve never been too interested in my HR while doing push-ups).

-To make the indiglo/night display show up you have to press and hold down a button for 3 seconds, so it doesn''t give the quickest feedback for night runs.

Given all of those criticisms you''d think that I hate this watch. But, I love this watch and I will probably keep it for the rest of my life. It is sturdy, solid, water-proof, easy to use, the display rocks, and it works for hairy people.

*A quick tip if you buy through Amazon, get $30 off if you apply for the silly credit card, I did that and got the blue watch for $70, promptly chopped up the card, and got a great deal for a rock solid HR watch.

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The watch does exactly what it is supposed to do according to the product description. Looks cool as well, although the picture doesn''t give a perspective how big the watch actually is; it is a bit bigger than I expected; but they had to pack into it a barometer, HR monitor and thermometer.

One has to be aware of the following facts: The altitude is computed from the barometric pressure, so the precision changes with weather and time of the day so one has to set the reference point often to get good results. The temperature that the thermometer shows is something between the body temperature and the outside temperature, since when the watch is on a hand, it''s too close to the body. So to get a precise outside temp, one has to take the watch off and wait for about 10-15 minutes. But this behavior is expected and inevitable in this kind of a device.

Overall, I''m totally satisfied with this watch, and would recommend it to anyone needing a sports watch and a heart rate monitor for running/workout.

Read Best Reviews of Suunto X3HR Heart Rate Wrist-Top Computer Watch with Altimeter, Barometer, and Thermometer Here

The watch is of good quality and does the things it says it will do. When I purchased this item, I was under the impression that it calculated altitude. It actually displays altitude based upon barometric pressure. The user must give the watch a baseline altitude for it to function correctly. Also, somewhat significant weather change can cause your altitude to display incorrectly. Perhaps this is a common way of measuring alititude, I don''t know. I suppose for the utmost accuracy you''ll need to go with a GPS enabled model. Overall, this watch is still a great product for the price, just be aware of how the product works.

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I had been looking for an altimeter with heart rate function. This one works very nicely and is comfortable to wear without the bulk, that so many of the multi use watches, seem to have. Has accurate altimter, reliable heart rate readout, with nice multi memory storage, as well as temprature and barometric pressure. All in all, a great value!!