Review: Sportline S12 heart rate monitor (part 1)

*Note: I am reviewing this item in two parts. Part 1 is after day 1 of use. Part 2 will be after 2 weeks of use)

Item: Sportline S12

Purchased at: Walmart (I believe this is a Walmart only item)

Price: $38.77

Functions: Clock (time/date), heart rate zone monitor, resting heart rate tracking, alarm, chronograph, timer, dual time zone clock, pedometer, workout timer, calorie counter, distance calculator, speed (mph) calculator

Part 1 [Rating: 3.5/5]

I’ve been stepping up my fitness gradually since November, and I recently began training for my first 5k. While burying myself in message boards and websites dedicated to helping people improve their fitness level, I began to read about the glorious Garmin 305. As someone who’s been focused on fitness for all of 2.5 months, I wasn’t really comfortable shelling out $160-$300 for a device that I wasn’t even sure if I’d use.

So, yesterday, at the glowing goliath, I saw this little guy hanging in the fitness section.

Now, the primary functionality I wa excited about in the 305 was, tracking my speed, tracking my heart rate, and tracking my distance. After reading the box, and determining that this little baby did all of those things, I decided to grab it.

Today, I used it for the first time, and there were a ton of pros:

• It is significantly smaller than the 305. I don’t know if the 305 would have been too big or not, but this one is definitely smaller.
• It was pretty easy to set up. After determining my stride length, measuring my resting heart rate, and determining the ideal heart rate range I was aiming for, I was ready to go.
• While running, I could glance down and check my speed which was great for determining if I was pushing hard enough.
• It was easy to switch between speed, heart rate, and distance while running.
• It tracked my steps (which I love).
• You can stop the tracking process (stop the pedometer function) but you don’t have to clear the data right away, so you can track it/record it when you get home (see the cons list)

Now for the few cons:

• It uses my stride length to determine my distance, not GPS… So, if I was super wrong about my stride length, or if my stride length changes significantly then I’d need to make an adjustment.
• This little guy can’t compete with the computer interface of the 305. It does NOT connect to your computer, nor does it keep track of all of the goodies that the Garmin does. (but for $40 bucks, I’ll just open excel )

All together, my day 1 assessment, is that I CERTAINLY got $40 worth of functionality. No. It is not as cool, shiny, or as technologically advanced as one that costs 5 times as much. However, if you’re just getting started, or unwilling to shell out that much green at the beginning of your fitness quest, or if you simply don’t have the cash available to spend on a big honkin one right now, so far, it seems that this thing will do the trick.

We’ll see how I feel after 1 week of use.