Polar m32
Heart Rate Monitor

For me this has become an absolutely essential piece of gear/equipment in my quest towards a healthier life. The actual monitor gets strapped around your torso. The straps are stretchy elastic and are quite comfortable and adjustable. The readout is on a watch that the user (this model accomodates 2 users) sets their age, weight, and sex. For the techno-savvy this is pretty simplistic, for the more challenged it takes some doing. I wear mine for every spin class (and from now on every road ride) to monitor my progress. This model tracks not only your heart rate but calories burned, exercise time, how much time you spend in your "own zone", percentage of calories burned from fat and it even tells the time too. There is a button to turn on a backlight so I can see my readout in the dark during spin classes.

The fact that it can be a production for the techno-unsavvy shaves a point off and a half point for the little light not staying on long enough when I need to monitor progress during spin, so Ok I'll go with 8.5 out of 10.