Customer Reviews

Timex Ironman T5C401 Unisex 30-Lap Digital Fitness Heart Rate Monitor Watch

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Initial Review August 25, 2005

I am a distance runner.This watch has been very dependable and reliable in the 4 months of marathon training I have put it through. The watch itself is very readable and user friendly, training in the heart rate zones with the audible beep warnings lets you know exactly how you are performing. The chrono feature is what I am usually using and the review feature gives you the data that is most useful, how long you were in your target heart rate zone and how many calories you have expended during your run. The only criticism I have for the watch and heart rate monitor is that there is no interval time on the 30 lap watch. The chest strap is light weight and once it is adjusted properly feels barely there. I have cross trained with the product cycling and circuit training in the gym. It is a tough watch. It was a good buy.

Review Update, August 8, 2007

The chest monitor seperated after my last run this week. There is a center, left and right piece that come as one unit and the elastic band. Since I first purchased this product it has served me without problem. Four times a week, running, biking, the gym, and even brought it skiing with me in Taos, NM, it has held up. But this past week, it's age and durability have become evident. The watch has had its battery changed 3 times since I've had it and it has outlasted the chest monitor. I sold my Polar HRM when I bought this Ironman. That product was the basic Polar HRM with HR only. After 3 yrs with the polar, the unit held up without the deterioration my Timex displayed. I have recently placed an order for a Polar RS100.

I liked everything about this watch- easy to read, great price. Then the transmitter strap seperated at the joint between the main transmitter and the electrodes, making the unit worthless. Replacement band costs nearly as much as the entire unit. What good is a replaceable trasmitter battery if the strap breaks after 6 months. I replaced it with a Polar F6. It cost more, but if it lasts one year I'll be money ahead (plus it has a two year warranty). If it doesn't, replacement bands for the Polar are much easier to find, and cheaper.

I had this Timex for about four years, during which I used it on all my runs. The functionality was awesome, and not only did having a heart rate monitor add a new dimension to my running and increase my motivation, but it also made me more cognizant of the need to monitor my peak heart rate.

The chest strap unit worked perfectly throughout and there was never any noticeable wear and tear.

However, the watch itself was a bit less satisfactory. The design was user-friendly and good-looking, but I had three problems:

1) there is a thin rubber surround on the display that worked itself off. This was a purely cosmetic problem, and while it made my watch less appealing to wear, it never affected its performance.

2) The buttons became hard to the point of becoming almost dysfunctional after the third year or so. However, they had been recently improving.

3) The strap, which is an integral part of the watch, became detached one day, so I can no longer wear my watch on my wrist. This is why I no longer use it.

While it lasted, I used my Timex as a watch every day for four years, and as a Heart Rate Monitor for all my runs. The Time Zone feature helped me learn how to pace my runs and I increased my maximum distance from 5k to 12.5k in this time. All in all, I was very satisfied, and heart-broken that the strap would break. I liked it so much I'm thinking of buying another one, which is what brought me to Amazon in the first place today...

the watch features are great, but I could not get it to read my heart rate. I have contacted Timex and they have sent me another watch, still no heart rate. Now they are sendind me another chest strap, this is two weeks after I purchased it. I don't think tha I shoudl be having this many problems with a new product. havein said that the customer service is great and they offer a cheap 5 year warranty for an additional $5. If the new strap does not work I am going to buy a Polar RS 100

Replete with lots of data and enough bells and whistles to launch a space shuttle, it was a little intimidating at first getting it set up. Despite having read all 3 manuals several times, I was still a little confused on a couple of points. That's when I called the people at Timex. They walked me through all of my questions and showed me how to make it do what I wanted. They were helpful, prompt and very efficient. Now I use it whenever I workout and find it to be an absolutely invaluable tool. It keeps track of my heartrate and elapsed time during the workout. At the end of the workout, it displays peak heart rate, average heart rate, time in zone (there are several user selectable zones) and total calories burned. Since I use different machines every time I workout, the machine read out varies much more widely. The Ironman allows me to keep much better track of my actual progress. The Ironman has been essential in my quest to loose weight. I've been using it for 5 weeks and I've lost 8.5 pounds. You'll love using it once you get it set up and you'll wonder what you ever did without it. Well, that's all for now. Time to put another hour in on the eliptical...Enjoy!!!

I love this product thus far. Now, take into account that this is my first HRM and I have only used it for three weeks, about 15 workouts (running and road bicycle).

Having said that, I can't believe I have been training without one of these. On runs and rides, I no longer pay any attention to speed, I focus solely on heart rate.

One of the reasons I did not buy a monitor earlier is that I heard the straps were a pain. I have been very pleased with the comfort of this strap. Doesn't bother me at all, even on long runs. I can see how the fabric / elastic strap might not hold up over the long haul but I also can't really imagine what would hold up to 4 or 5 workouts per week over months and months.

The watch has found the signal from the strap immediately every time I've worn it. I just wet my chest and the strap a little and it works right away. As for watch functions, I rarely used the timing functions (lap, etc) on any Ironman I've worn before this. On this watch, either because I took the time to learn them to use the heart rate function or because this watch is simpler,I've used the lap, heart rate alarm, and especially review function extensively. One bonus that I really didn't think about (and I know all the HRMs have this) is the calorie count. I have no idea whether it's accurate but it's nice to get off the bike and know that you've just burned off 1000 calories. The only drawback to the watch is that it is just a bit clunkier than other workout watches (I am assuming due to the HRM electronics) so I personally don't plan to wear this watch casually.

I've always used Timex watches and like them a lot. This was my first heart rate monitor watch. After about 9 months the heart monitor sensor started giving anomalous readings to the watch. I washed the leads, changed the battery, tried everything, but it wouldn't work. I finally read the manual and noticed where it says when you change the sensor strap battery, you have to push the reset button just above the battery with the battery in. I did that and it worked great. Wonder how many others had a similar issue but didn't read the manual to push the reset button after changing the battery in the sensor. You have to use a paper click, small screw driver, or similar to push it in; it's just above the battery.

I gave this a '1' before I found the issue, and want to change it to a '4' now, but I cannot change it after the fact...

I have only had this heart rate monitor for 3 weeks but it has worked like a charm. This is my first heart rate monitor and I have been using it for running and spinning 4 times a week. When I first used the heart rate monitor, it was not receiving the heart rate signal. I said to myself, "Oh no, what kind of piece of junk did I get?". The manual for the watch suggested adding moisture to the chest transmitter contact. However, the manual for the chest transmitter did not indicate where the contact was, so I assumed that it was directly behind the case that contains the electronics. Adding moisture to the back of the case did not do anything. I finally realized that the contacts are on both sides of case along the strap. They are rubberized with ridges going along the strap. Adding water to both contacts did the trick. The signal is picked up within a second or two.

Compared to the Polar monitors, the Timex ones, IMO, are more stylish, function packed and better value. Plus the battery is user replaceable.

We will see how it does on the long haul.

I am now on my 2nd one of these hr watches and I am so very pleased with them. I've been running for 9 years and competing in triathlons for 3. HR even worked under my wetsuit! $50 was a steal and I've turned on 2 friends to this watch. Very very happy. FWIW, I heard the new version of this watch has a black background which can be hard to read in low light conditions. Also, I think they've had some quality issues as well. Good luck and hope you like it as much as I do.

John

Easy to set up, but pain to operate.

Small buttons

Does not track heart rate unless it is operating in chrono or timer mode.

Does not track heart rate across multiple zones/times in each zone. You must choose a zone before you start and track only in that one.

Heart rate sensor belt is not sized for people w/ 46 chest or larger. I have it opened as much as possible and it is still tight.

Easy to read and semi-intuitive. I like the review and timer functions.

For just a little more money, I should have opted for the Polar F7. I settled for this one and now I'm stuck with it.