I'm interested in buying a heart rate monitor for tri training and race day. Suggestions?
I use Garmin and have heard a lot of good things about Polar. Whichever type you buy, make sure they are waterproof (so you don't have to put it on after the swim or use a separate stop watch), have continuous monitoring (to get max and average heart rate), and can download the information onto a computer (easier to see, track & use your data). These qualities are critical if you want to maximize your race day usage and information processing.
I am sure that I will be one of the few coaches who says this, but, I think HR monitors are largely a waste of time and money. I have a PhD in exercise physiology. So, I have some evidence to back up this opinion. Here is my reasoning. HR is an unstable measure of physical exertion. The same absolute effort, (e.g 22 mph on the bike on the same course) can provide totally different HR's on two different days. There could be changes in environmental conditions, (temp, humidity, wind, rain, etc), all of which can dramatically affect HR. If you are a little undernourished or under-hydrated, that will increase your HR. Hormonal changes affect HR. The best gauges of your performance are more absolute measures like wattage, speed, and pace. If you know you need to hold 7 min/mile on the run section of a race and your HR is pinning out at max, oh well, too bad, you need to pick it up. So, train to feel your perceived exertion relative to your absolute gauge of choice.