ePulse2 Strapless Heart Rate Monitor Watch & Calorie Counter

I bought this with high hopes, and for the most part, I've been satisfied. I'm not going to repeat the positives that others have mentioned here.
For me, there are two negatives:
1) Battery life: If you leave the display running, the battery runs out in less than 3 hours. I understand the battery will last longer if you set the display to "on demand". However, since I'm a bicyclist who regularly takes 50 mile + rides, this is not a very convenient option.
2) No memory. My cyclometer, which costs quite a bit less than the ePulse, keeps the stats for the last ride in memory. This does not. If the unit shuts down because the battery ran out, you're SOL.

I suspect that in 3 years or so, we'll be able to get a version that's cheaper and solves these problems neatly. But just be aware of them before you buy!

Update, a month later: Do NOT buy this item if your exercise sessions last more than 2 hours! The longest I've ever got the battery to keep the unit functioning is 2 hours and 30 minutes. Then it just shuts off and you lose all your data. Sure, you can set it for "on demand" display, but a 2 hour battery life is ridiculous, especially when the manual says you can get 6 hours.

If your workouts are less than 2 hours, this will work fine for you; otherwise, try something else.

I am part of a running group and I have always used one of those traditional chest strap monitors. Over the weekend one of the guys in the group had this new device on his arm. At first I thought it was just some sort of mp3 player but I asked him what it is and he told me it was this new heart rate monitor that didn't require a chest strap. I asked him if it works and he told me he loves it and that it works just as well as any other heart rate monitor out there. I asked him where he got it and he said online. I saw it on Amazon and decided to pick one up.

I must say after 2 weeks of using this thing I absolutely love it. The biggest plus is definitely not having to wear one of those chest straps. I always found myself adjusting my chest strap while running. This thing fits on your arm pretty comfortably and its easy to use. The color display is nice and the buttons are big and easy to read and push. It took me awhile to enter in all my information the first time but after that it was very easy to use. Just turn it on wait for the heart rate light to go on and off you go.

For the review that says it isn't very accurate I disagree. Some variance is expected with any heart rate monitor out on the market now. My polar chest strap monitor constantly lost it's signal and I had to adjust it to get it to pick up again. So yes this thing is not perfect but I definitely think its the best heart rate monitor out there on the market now. Overall I find it very accurate and easy to use. I highly recommend this product.

I got this because I absolutely detest the chest strap of an HRM. I already HAVE a chest strap in the form of a bra, and the double strap was a real buzz-kill. Plus since there isn't a transmitter involved I don't have to worry about the signal from other devices or substations or whatever interfering with the HRM (my old Polar had a tendency to skyrocket the pulse when I passed a power substation on my route).

The ePulse2 is a much more comfortable solution, and while all the velcro is a pain in the winter when you have to constantly pull your sleeve(s) over it to check it, when wearing short sleeves it's great. A bit worried about the oddly-placed tan-line that I'm sure to develop, but perhaps I can switch arms and positions on the arm to combat that.

Speaking of positions---I get good readings no matter where I put it on my lower arm, even my wrist. That is even better than I had hoped for, so kudos.

This HRM seems fairly accurate, although there are times on hikes when I don't feel that it's registering correctly (climbing a hill, obvious increase in effort, and it registers a mere 90-something instead of the near double HR that it FEELS like both with the effort and a pulse check using my fingers). However, MOST of the time it seems pretty close. I've double checked it at rest with the HRM on my blood pressure cuff, and also using the count message, and it seems correct at those times.

The battery life IS an issue, and I lost one workout before figuring out that I would HAVE to use demand mode for my longer bike rides or risk losing my data. It's a bit of a problem when I want to keep an eye on my HR on the bike, because instead of just glancing down to check it, I have to take a hand off the handlebar and eyes off the road long enough to mash a button to see it. I will take the suggestion of the one reviewer and try changing out the battery with the Energizer Lithium---if that works, then I could leave it running in Continuous mode on the longer (3+ hour) rides, thereby solving that particular problem. In the meantime I follow the advice in the instructions and leave it on the charger in between uses so at least it's always got a full charge.

One thing I would have liked to have seen on this: Time in zone. It has the zones defined, and even allows you to define your own zone, but doesn't tell you how long you spent in those zones, or even simply an alarm to tell you when you have gotten out of a target zone. Without a time in zone feature there doesn't seem to be MUCH point to having the zones except for informational purposes, especially if you can't constantly check to see if the "heart" is blinking when you are displaying the zone.

All in all this is the best HRM I have used. Granted, my experience with HRMs is not vast; but the fact that the ePulse2 is a continuous HRM without a chest strap means that my experience with the chest strap versions is not likely to ever be broadened.