I chose the Omron HR-100C heart rate monitor for my husband during workouts because I was told it was easy to program and comfortable to wear. It is like wearing a watch with a ventilated comfort band. It also includes a backlit display for after hour exercise sessions and a daily reminder alarm.

My husband works out on a treadmill and the Omron HR-100C easily attaches to the treadmill with the included specially designed mountain bracket. It also comes standard with a zippered storage case making it easily transportable.

With a MSRP of $59.99, this was a very affordable unit considering the numerous favorable reviews of the product.

My husband was initially concerned about the comfort level of the chest transmitter, which attaches to your chest for the readout, but after he used it the first time, he said it works just fine and is not bulky or uncomfortable at all. He also likes that the strap is washable, which is handy due to sweating during exercise sessions.

There have been some reports of interference from other monitors or electronic devices in the gym, but my husband so far has not experienced a problem with this. He primarily uses the treadmill in the gym and at home, and he says the performance is the same in both locations.

After talking to other people at the gym, my husband realized this is a starter model and that other more expensive models have more features, bells, and whistles. We are not disappointed in the purchase, however, because the amount we spent for the monitor is more than reasonable and it does the job intended.

Unlike some other models, you can replace the battery yourself rather than shipping back to manufacturer for a battery replacement. My husband found that you have to work with it initially to find the best placement location for the unit on the body for the proper transmission.

One drawback is that if the skin becomes dry, the unit's sensing pads cease to operate, so you need to either start sweating first or apply a bit of moisture to the pads to work through this problem.

We think the Omron does everything it claims to do and for the money, it was a great deal. My husband says he won't ever exercise again without one because it helps him know where he is in his target rate throughout his workout. We rate it a 4 out of 5 due to the sensing pad issue.