If you're trying to lose weight exercise heart rate monitors are very important.  Many times when you work out, you have no idea how many calories you're actually burning.  There are several websites that give you an estimate but since every individual is different, you never know how your own metabolic rate compares with what is considered normal for your height and weight.  Programs like Weight Watchers typically don't have all types of exercise listed so you may be at a loss if you do dance classes like Zumba that haven't made it into weight loss program calculators yet because they're so new.  Exercise hear rate monitors can make it a lot easier to keep track of your calories burned so that you can stay on the weight loss track.

                There are several different exercise heart rate monitors to choose from.  Some can be very expensive but you need not bother with those.  The cheap ones will work just as well.  What you want to look for is something that is comfortable.  If it isn't comfortable, you're not going to want to wear it and then you've just wasted your money and your time.  You also want to make sure that it's easy to use.  I often find that when it comes to electronics, if I can't figure it out, I get frustrated and usually end up selling it on eBay.  Here is a list of some heart rate monitors that have gotten rave customer reviews.

1. Omron HR-100C

The Omron isn't a fancy, complicated heart rate monitor.  It is very easy to you and is relatively inexpensive.  It will give you continuous pulse monitoring and will let you know when you're in the cardio or fat burning zone.

1. Polar FS-1

This is a very easy to use heart rate monitor.  It has a sleek high tech looking design but doesn't have a million buttons that seem to go nowhere.  It has a large display window and a single button.  Like the Omron it will let you know when you're in the zone.

1. Polar F6

This monitor is a little bit more complicated than is FS-1 cousin but it isn't so complicated that you can't figure it out.  It will do a lot for you including telling you how many calories you have burned and the time you spend in each zone

If you don't want to take my word for it, Google each of these models and read all of the great customer reviews.  Any of these heart rate monitors will make a great workout companion.