Healthy Heart Rate: Suunto T4 Heart Rate Monitor and Fitness Trainer Watch (Black) Review

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.

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Product Description:
Designed for athletes in training, the Suunto T4 wrist-top computer monitors your progress and makes intelligent workout recommendations for frequency, duration, and intensity. The unit is built around the Suunto Coach feature, which generates a five- day plan for improving your aerobic condition. Employing Training Effect technology, it tells you which days to work out with information on duration and intensity. If you accept a recommended workout, the T4 guides you through the session to make sure you receive the proper training load. If you decline a recommended workout in favor of a rest day or non-recommended workout, however, the T4 continues to monitor and adapt by adjusting your five-day plan accordingly.
The unit is also compatible with Suunto's various speed- and distance-measuring pods, including the Foot Pod, Bike Pod, and GPS Pod (all sold separately). Each model offers its own functions: the Foot Pod measures your foot speed in seconds or miles per hour, while the Bike Pod gauges your cycling speed and distance. The GPS Pod, meanwhile, employs a global positioning system to track speed and distance across a wide variety of outdoor activities, including hiking, cycling, cross-country skiing, inline skating, and kayaking. Other T4 details include measurements for heart rate, calories burned, and distance; a three-tier zone training system with alarms; and a wristwatch with dual time, date, and alarm modes.

An ideal training companion, the T4 monitors your progress and makes intelligent workout recommendations for frequency, duration, and intensity. T4 Details:

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.