Healthy Heart Rate: Suunto t4c Heart Rate Monitor and Fitness Trainer Watch (Black Frost) Review

I have had my t4c for just 3 weeks, but I already love it. I am a veteran runner, used to wearing a GPS watch to track speed and distance, but this is my first HRM. It not only tells me my real-time heart rate, average and peak HR, but it has a nifty "training effect" function. I do not believe this to be "wildly inaccurate" as another reviewer has said. It will give a 1.0 to 5.0 numerical value for the difficulty of your workout. It shows a countdown to the next level, as well. When it tells me I have achieved, say, a TE level of 4.2 and it's 6 minutes until I reach the next level, I can of course increase or decrease this time by slowing down or speeding up, changing my level of exertion -- is this the "bouncing around" the other reviewer saw? But this is simply measuring the changed effect of a changed pace! At a steady pace, it counts steadily to the next level of Training Effect.

I wanted a heart-rate monitor because, in the depths of winter, I'll switch from running my rural dirt roads to the YMCA's treadmills; I was hoping that HR would offer a way to correlate my indoor workouts with my outside ones, since treadmills are different from running in the great outdoors. The t4c's training effect is a built-in answer to my need!

The manual is not so clear as to make everything easy. Oh, you'll be able to take your t4c out of the box and set it up easily; even I could do that. Going back and adjusting the settings was a bit more of a head-scratcher. The manual seemed to skip a step or two, as if it were all obvious. To the manual-writer it is; to me, though, it has required a few trips down button-pushing blind alleys to get where I want to go. But that's a small price to pay for the overall joy of this gem.

The fabric chest strap is quite comfortable; I don't even notice it. Both the watch and the strap have consumer-replaceable batteries (which I hope not to change for a long time yet!), which is better than sending the device away to Polar when the battery dies.

I wear it all day as my main watch. In the 3 weeks I've had it (while I wait for the plastic shield) it has suffered no scratches. I may not even apply the plastic thing! I would definitely recommend the Suunto to anyone looking for a quality HR monitor watch.

The only minor complaint I have is that the thing is set up for HR zones as straight percentages of max HR. You'd think the Suomi folks at Suunto could go with their fellow Finn, Karvonen, and allow one to calculate zones based on his method: as a percentage of HR range between resting HR and max HR. Well, the work-around is to set the zones to percentages that match your Karvonen numbers; you just have to do the math.

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Product Description:
How long should you run? How fast should you pedal? How quick you should move? Answer these questions and more while receiving all the training guidance you need with the Suunto t4c heart rate monitor watch. The t4c employs a Suunto Coach feature to evaluate your athletic performance via a personalized five-day training program. Rather than spending weeks tweaking your workout regimen, the Suunto Coach quickly gets you on the right track by making intelligent training recommendations for the frequency, duration, and intensity of your workouts. And this, in turn, helps you get in great shape without wasting a ton of effort. Plus, if your schedule suddenly changes, the Suunto Coach will adapt by making a new plan that advises you which days to train and how, as well as when to rest.
The t4c also tracks your real-time Training Effect, a quick and accurate measurement of how hard your body is working at any given moment. By knowing your Training Effect, you'll enjoy a more intimate understanding of your body's workout "sweet spot," an essential tidbit if you want to achieve your targets without setting yourself back by under- or over-training. The Training Effect works intuitively: The watch first notes the info from your personal fitness profile, and then analyzes your physiological progress and translates the data into a simple one-to-five scale. For example, if you want to improve your aerobic fitness at a moderate tempo, you should exercise until your TE meter reads between 3.0 and 3.9, two to four times per week. To improve your aerobic condition more rapidly--but without the risk of over-training--you should push yourself harder once or twice per week, so your TE meter reads 4.0 to 4.9, with a few recovery sessions in the TE 1.0 to 2.0 range. The Training Effect is relative to each individual. While a novice runner might achieve a TE of 4.0 on a four-mile jog, a professional runner might have to complete an uphill marathon to get the same reading. In other words, both runners will have to exercise hard to achieve a TE of 4.0.
The Suunto t4c also offers interference-free digital ANT transmission, making it easy to pair your heart rate monitor with the included Suunto comfort belt. You can also use this secure connection to monitor your speed, distance, or cadence by pairing your Suunto t4c with an optional Suunto training pod. Training pods are small units that attach to such items as a running shoe or a bike to calculate your speed, distance, and even pedal revolutions per minute while you exercise. Pods are ideal for athletes who aren't satisfied with half-hearted training efforts, but really want to monitor their training routines down to the last detail. Finally, the t4c is equipped with an integrated training logbook that compiles your progress and personal stats. You can even conduct a more thorough analysis of your workouts by using the Suunto Training Manager Lite software.
Specifications:

Manufacturer's Warranty
Two-year warranty
About Suunto
Suunto was founded in 1936 by outdoors man and a keen orienteering enthusiast, Tuomas Vohlonen, who had long been bothered by a problem: the inaccuracy of traditional dry compasses and their lack of steady needle operation. Being an engineer with an inventive turn of mind, he discovered and patented the production method for a much steadier needle, better readings, and a new level of accuracy. By 1950 the company was exporting compasses to over 50 countries around the world, including Canada and the United States. In 1952, Helsinki was hosting the Olympic Games, and the torches carried to light the Olympic flame were Suunto products. The next step was improving the stability and accuracy of marine compasses. The first marine compass, the Suunto K-12, was launched onto the market in 1953. In 1957, Suunto started manufacturing hypsometers, which measure the height of trees.
In the 1960s, the compass range grew further and Suunto introduced its first diving compass--initiated by the divers themselves. A British sports diver attached a Suunto compass to his wrist and found that the device also worked underwater. Thanks to his feedback and initiatives, the new business category was found. Suunto's exports and business grew steadily and Suunto then focused on combining its strength in precision mechanics with new skills in electronics. Accuracy, reliability, and ruggedness have been Suunto's key values from the very beginning of the company history.
Today, Suunto is a leading designer and manufacturer of sports instruments for training, diving, mountaineering, hiking, skiing, sailing, and golf. True to its roots, Suunto is today the world's biggest compass manufacturer. Prized for their design, accuracy and dependability, Suunto sports instruments combine the aesthetics and functionality of watches with sport-specific computers that help athletes at all levels analyze and improve performance. Headquartered in Vantaa, Finland, Suunto employs more than 500 people worldwide and distributes its products to nearly 60 countries. The company is a subsidiary of Helsinki-based Amer Sports Corporation with the sister brands Wilson, Salomon, Atomic, Precor, and Mavic.

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