Timex T5J031 Unisex Digital Fitness Heart Rate Monitor Watch

I bought this watch in June to help me with a running program that required a heart rate monitor. After reading reviews on Amazon for a number of watches, I bought this one and have been thrilled with it -- so much so that I bought one for my wife and talked my sister into buying one as well as she trains for a 10 mile race. This one does all of the basic functions that you want in a heart rate monitor -- tracking your heart rate with minimums and maximums, giving you 6 heart rate zones to choose from, warning you when you are outside of your target zone, etc. I used it within hours of unpacking the box. What it doesn't do is allow you to download your workout onto a computer after you are done, and it doesn't really have a good interval function that automatically takes you through a cycle of intervals -- you can get both of those functions on other watches, but for the price this one is does all of the basic stuff at a very good rate. I've lost 10 pounds in six weeks just using this watch, so I'd highly recommend it.

I was looking forward to using this for running. I liked the combination of features, the style, ease of use. I jumped in the pool after my second run with it. When I got out there was water in the crystal. I hadn't pushed any buttons while in the pool and was never more than a couple feet under. My previous Timex's never had this problem.

This is the best fitness gadget! I love it! I only recently started exercising again, and have found the HRM to be invaluable. When I first started jogging, I could only manage 20 mins before I felt like I was going to collapse! With the HRM, I immediately saw that I was over doing it. I was able to ease back on my speed until my rate dropped back into "the zone". Consequently, I could go for 45 minutes (burning more calories in the process!). I also love that it calculates the calories I'm burning off. I don't know if it's an accurate number, but it gives a great guide to which activities work best for me. Oh, and I find the strap is perfectly comfortable.

I knew nothing about heart rate monitor watches before I bought the Timex T5J031. I did a little research and was amazed at how many were on the market. After reading some of the reviews for this watch I bought it. I am very happy I did.

I am not a technical wizard, but I had no problems figuring out all of the features on this watch the day it arrived. It certainly has everything I need. I walk every day and the HRM has been great for helping me to guage my pace and distance. I have used it evry day for over a month and the original batteries are still going strong.

If all you want is a solid and easy to use HRM, then this is the watch for you!

I can tell that since I purchased this heart rate monitor watch my workouts have been more strenuous because I anxiously await the end of them to see how many calories I burned and how long I was in the zone. Speaking of zones, I am not sure why, but if I work out in Zone 2 one day then Zone 5 the next, I get two completely different calorie burn readings. My heart rate chart says that I should max out at 175, but that's high for someone like me to reach who has a resting heart rate of 53-59, so I keep it in Zone 2, which is for calorie/fat burn. I think the calories burned that it shows for that zone are realistic.

The only other thing is that the watch is small, so it's kind of hard sometimes to click one side of the watch to set something without pushing the opposing button at the same time. You have to rest your thumb on the side of the watch to push the button on the side, but when you do so you press another button. I have learned how to gingerly push the buttons.