The Kansas City Star has a short article that looks at several fitness monitors on the market today. While it’s not the full expose some might hope for, the article does cover the pros and cons of several major brands.

Among GPS based devices, Garmin gets high praise as it “continues to dominate” its market with both its Forerunner and Edge units. Within the heart-rate monitor segment, the article suggests looking at the “well reviewed” Polar F11. On the other hand if convergence is the motivator, the roughly $10/month BIM Active software, which ties into Sprint/Nextel cell-phones, allows users to track variables like speed, distance, elevation and calories burned. BIM’s website suggests that carrying a phone in a “rear pocket works great” for cyclists, though it’s “best to face the back of the phone away from your body to minimize interference with GPS reception”.

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