Customer Reviews

SIGMA ONYX Classic Heart Rate Monitor Watch

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I first saw this heart rate monitor when it was recommended in a review on the [...]on-line store. It was described as being the best heart rate monitor for rowers. Having now got one, I have to say it is really good value for money. I use it mainly for cycling, but I have also used it on the indoor rowing machine. It is very easy to use and gives great feedback. I like to strap it onto the top of my handlebars, next to my cadence/speedometer, and I have no problem reading the display. The digital coded chest belt works really well even in a crowded erg room surrounded by other people using HRMs. It has a calorie counter, which isn't of much use for me, but some people may like that feature. What I really like using it for is to maintain the same workout intensity level when I'm battling into a head wind as when I had the wind behind me. Since using the Sigma Onyx Classic, my average speed has increased almost 10%, just because I'm being smarter about how I work out.

Out of the box, I couldn't get this HRM to work. The watch part worked fine and was fairly easy to set up (hence the 2 stars), but I couldn't get it to sync with the chest strap. I followed the directions and troubleshooting suggestions (though there weren't many), and even went out and bought a brand new battery for the chest strap - still nothing. I tried it on my husband, apparently he's dead, too. I have no idea where a typical consumer would find "cardio gel", which is the other suggested chest strap contact moistening agent besides saliva, so I didn't try it with cardio gel on the contacts. If this HRM really needs "cardio gel" to work properly, that is already too much of a hassle for me, anyway. It's getting returned while I search for an alternative.

For a low-cost HRM, it's pretty great. Nice features, esp. Calorie Counter and Average HR. Once you get used to the button scheme, it's really easy to use (the silver ring around the face is the button-you either push the top of it, the bottom of it, or both together to work the options). Mine has been flawless. My wife's model (the light blue one) occasionally loses connection to the chest strap, but rebooting the watch usually fixes that. I still give it 5 stars because of value.

This is a good basic heart monitor. Once you've run through its controls a couple of times, it's easy to use. It makes it easy to keep tabs on how you progress with your fitness plan. Overall it does what it is supposed to.

Hi,

I purchased this @ 8 months ago and use it 1 hour per day, 5 days per week, 3 while lifting weights and 2 on cardio machines. The monitor has a lot to like: easy to read display, very easy menu system, good amount of data, smallish design, does not get interference from other units, simple to use. The monitor is controlled by touching a ring around the watch face. At first this was appealing to me as it seemed very easy to use. The downside is while using weight machines some of the parts (cables) brush against the ring and activate it. I have learned that for those machines I need to turn the strap so that the watch face is on the underside of my wrist. No big deal.

What I don't like: very poor strap design (1st one shorted out because sweat got into the battery compartment). I have to ask, what were the engineers thinking? Put the battery compartment on the side away from the chest! However, Sigma told me I left out the O ring when I changed the battery... I beg to differ. I also wish the chest strap could be read by the cardio machines, but I know that it is a coded strap. Next one I buy will not be coded. I also don't like that you need a tiny "tool" supplied by Sigma to change the watch battery. It is amazing I haven't lost it yet.

However, Sigma's CS was superb returning the strap within 5 days.

Recently the heart rate has been dropping while on the cardio machines (no, my heart is still beating). This is annoying as it screws up my session numbers and I have to hold onto the machine monitors until it picks it back up. I have obviously put in fresh batteries but the problem remains. It seems to stop somewhere around 20-30 minutes into the session. I will be ordering some contact gel to see if that helps. I will post back and let you know. If the gel doesn't work I will give the unit 2 stars. The design of the watch is perfect for me but the strap design is flawed imo. An item like this should last at least 1 year without any problems if it is taken care of.


Hi - have been using the strap with Spectra 360 Electrode Gel ($5) and the performance has really increased. I place a (good sized) jelly bean splotch of the gel on the electrodes of the strap (one splotch on each eletrode) and the monitor has not faulted. I do sweat a lot and have a slightly hairy chest, so the gel is probably needed with any chest monitor.

I am also going to give Sigma the benefit of the doubt regarding the moisture getting into the unit - maybe I did screw up with the O ring. Anyway it has been working fine for 5 weeks and is now over a year of use. Review changed to 4 stars.

After much research, I purchased this SIGMA ONYX heart rate monitor watch for my husband who works out regularly with weights and NordicTrack. The monitor that came with the Nordic was complicated, hard to set, and not conducive to regular use. Changing the battery was almost impossible.

This German engineered Sigma Onyx is the answer to his frustrations. It is easy to set, accurate, and a joy to use. It displays the time and present heart rate. It even tells the number of calories burned as well as average heart rate and total workout time.

Surprising my husband with this item was one of my better birthday gift decisions...and it is definitely a "keeper"!!

I lost an earlier version of a Sigma heart rate monitor. So I ordered another from Amazon. I received the Onyx Classic Heat Rate Monitor quickly from Amazon.
I learned how to program its various functions, but the heart rate function did not work.
I sent an email to the Sigma (Germany) site listed in the handbook. After a number of detailed emails to and from Sigma and two weeks elapsed, customer service at Sigma USA sent me a totally different chest strap! I have used the product on two long bicyle runs and all functions worked very well, as described, including the heart rate monitor. But, I wonder how many other boxes of the item at Amazon have the wrong chest straps? I could have sent the product back to Amazon instead of contacting Sigma. I may have gotten another that didn't work at first.

Depending on where you look, this watch is supposed to be water proof or at least water resistant. Unfortunately neither is true and mine shorted out because sweat got inside which is ridiculous considering you're supposed to be sweating when you use it.

At 62, I've taken up cycling as a way to stay in shape. In addition, my gym trainer urged me to get a heart rate monitor to ensure I was on target with my workouts. The SIGMA Classic fits my needs perfectly: it is a watch I can wear while exercising, and it mounts onto my handlebars for use while cycling. I found the product to be as advertised and easy to program and use. The on-screen display is large and readable. I would recommend this product to anyone into crosstraining or fitness. It has proven to be a valuable tool for me.

I ordered this because it looked like the basics, which is exactly what I need.

Pros: Affordable, easy display and set-up. You can return it.

Cons: Never synced with the chest strap. The manual is pretty light on instructions if there is an actual problem.

I received this and was very, very excited. I read the directions-all five pages of them-and followed set up to the T. Watch searched for the signal from the chest strap for about 3 minutes before giving up. I had wet the senors and was wearing it properly. Frustrated, I took out the battery of the watch and did the set up several more times (that is the manuals solution for a non syncing chest strap) to no avail. Two of my friends did the same several times, and could never get it to work. Simple or not, if it does not do the main job of picking up and monitoring a heart rate what good is it? I returned it hoping it was simply defective, that was at the suggestion of SIGMA USA when I spoke with them on the phone.

The second one arrived, and make of this what you will, but the exact same problem happened. This time I went to a bike shop where they sell this brand and made them go through the steps with me. I had not made any mistakes, so we decided that maybe the chest strap battery was dead. Replaced it and still nothing.

I am sure that there are people out there and happy with this set up, but today it went back for a refund. Just wanted to place a heads up, as this was very disappointing. Five stars for Amazon's customer service, the over-nighted me the second one, and of course free return shipping. Two stars for the system as the watch and set up looks great, is easy to use and not bad to wear. But seriously... pick up the heart rate!