Starts working in a matter of seconds of putting it on. The only concern is that sometimes it registered heart rate of 195-210 for me. I am not sure if it really went that high for a few seconds, or was the monitor behaving a bit erratic. Other than that, works as expected (I also verified accuracy by manually counting pulse at approx 90, 110 and 130 bpm).

I purchased the product in January of this year, so I am late in providing a review. I have other products by this manufacturer but I am dissapointed in this product. I did not try to use it until this summer when I found out both batteries were dead. Then I looked on the box and it was manufactured in 2004. It was sold 4 years later! I purchased 2 of them and they are basically unusable.

The Omron heart rate monitor is exactly what I was looking for... A basic HRM that was accurate and well made. It is very comfortable to wear and I use it all the time. Having an HRM take improves my work-out by taking the mental concerns out of the equation. Now I know how hard I am working (or not working) and can push myself harder.

Thanks Omron!

This is nothing more than an alarm if your heart rate gets to a dangerous level. It does not MONITOR your heart so you can see its rate constantly. I bought this because it was rated highly on here. Hopefully this will keep some one else from making the same mistake.

Incredibly easy to use gadget. I've never had an HRM before, but decided to take the plunge due to the sale price. I simply took it out of the box, dabbed a bit of water on the sensor band, and put it on. That's it. I started getting my heart rate 30 seconds later.
Went to the gym the next day, exercised, and was pleasantly surprised. The chest band didn't irritate me during cardio or weight workouts, and most of the cardio equipment at the gym displayed the heart rate, just like the watch. No problems on any of my subsequent gym visits this week.
Now, I think I may actually have a clue what I'm doing at the gym.