The Value of Heart Rate
Heart rate monitors (HRMs) can be immensely useful if you know how to use the information they collect. Exercise has very different effects on the body depending on how high you push your heart rate and for how long. Training intelligently means using heart rate data to guide your workouts. Sometimes you might want to keep your heart rate relatively low to burn fat or pace yourself for a longer workout, whereas other times you want to push it higher for different health benefits, like building stamina. Another reason to own a HRM is to keep an eye on your resting heart rate with a device that will automatically record it for you.
There are many new types and styles of monitors on the market these days, including those included in some of our favorite fitness trackers. This article looks instead at standalone HRMs and a few others that offer heart rate readings in more inventive ways. You can use a standalone HRM in conjunction with a fitness tracker or sports watch—most people do. As you'll see, there are several benefits to adding a separate monitor to your fitness accessories.
Chest Strap vs. Optical
When it comes to finding the right HRM, the biggest question is whether to choose a classic chest strap, which uses an electrical pulse to read heart rate, or something that uses optical technology instead. Optical technology is what's used in many Fitbit devices, the Apple Watch, and other wrist-based activity trackers. It's also typically used for in-ear measurements in the case of sports headphones that read heart rate.
Without getting too technical, chest straps read the small electrical signal your body creates to make your heart constrict. Optical technology sends light into the skin and reads the light coming back. Based on that information and what we know about how light scatters when it hits bloodflow, the data is translated into pulse. (Valencell, a company that makes HRMs and parts, has a detailed description of how optical heart rate sensors work.)
Electrical technology tends to be more accurate. Taking a measurement from the arm or wrist is more difficult because it's a part of the body that can swing rapidly during activity, creating more data noise that must be accounted for when computing the final reading. In-ear optical HRMs tend to be better than wrist-based ones because the ear doesn't move nearly as much. The skin of the ear is better suited to optical readings than the arm, as well.
When Does Accuracy Matter?
Now that you know a little about how different HRMs work and why some are more accurate than others, it's important to address the issue of how much accuracy matters. There are generally two reasons consumers (i.e., not medical professionals and not elite athletes) want to know their heart rate data: To get to know their resting heart rate, and to use heart rate data for exercise and training.
Resting heart rate is easy. You can read it by feeling your pulse with two fingers and counting it. You can also read it using a free app and a smartphone camera. It's easy to read resting heart rate with or without a device, and it's easy to check any reading against one collected from a different method.
More importantly, ask your doctor whether they if your resting heart rate is, say, 58 versus 60. The answer is probably no. It's more important to know whether your resting heart rate is within a healthy range. So, your doctor will care if your heart rate is 80 when it should be closer to 60. My point is a very fine degree of accuracy isn't important for any practical reason for most consumers.
Similarly, when people use heart rate for training and exercise, the exact number of beats per minute matters less than the heart rate zone. Many fitness apps that pair with HRMs either estimate or calibrate custom heart rate zones for you, and show them on a graph with the zones blocked out in different colors. The point, again, is that knowing the exact number of beats per minute isn't as important as knowing the reading within a general range.
There is one more use of heart rate data, and here, accuracy does matter more, but it's a different kind of accuracy. Heart rate recovery, or how quickly your heart rate decreases after intense activity, is a great measurement of one's health and fitness. In my experience, chest straps are much more accurate than optical heart monitors for this kind of reading. Optical monitors tend to lag slightly behind when it comes to detecting rapid heart rate change. Is it enough of a difference to matter to the typical consumer? Probably not. But if you use heart rate seriously for fitness, you might care more about this issue.
Consider Connectivity
After testing the best of what's on the market, two HRMs stand out as our Editors' Choice winners. They are the Wahoo Fitness Tickr X and the Polar H7 Heart Rate Sensor.
What sets these two chest straps apart from other HRMs is they both incorporate Bluetooth. Many HRMs use ANT+ only. ANT+ is a wireless technology that's been around since before Bluetooth became popular, and is used in a lot of other sports equipment, from bicycle cadence meters to treadmills. ANT+ is less commonly used in phones, however. So when you want to pair an ANT+ device to a phone and app, you often need an adapter. But the Tickr X and Polar H7 have Bluetooth, meaning you can connect them directly and easily to your phone.
The Tickr X actually has both Bluetooth and ANT+, making it one of the more versatile HRMs you'll find. It connects to practically everything. Plus, the Tickr X has an internal motion sensor of its own, which means it can track runs even when you don't have your phone or another sports watch paired with it. The motion sensor comes in handy for strength-training workouts as well, where it and a companion app count reps for you based on your movements.
Comfort
In terms of comfort, chest straps will never get a thumbs up across the board. Chest straps wrap snugly around the chest at the sternum, and if they're not tight enough, they can slide down or wiggle out of place. Repositioning them while you're in motion is tough. A bad one can chafe your skin, too, and they're poor at providing visual feedback because you can't see them.
The Mio Link is one of the most comfortable HRMs for sports because it's an arm band rather than a chest strap. It's much easier to wear, you can adjust it quickly even while you're in motion, and it doesn't cause chafing. My favorite feature, however, is its LED that flashes different colors depending on your heart rate zone. That's the kind of visual feedback you can't get from a chest strap alone. Usually with chest straps you have to rely on a connected tracker to see your heart rate numbers.
Double-Duty HRMs
Earlier I mentioned in-ear optical HRMs. They're neat because they're built into sports headphones, so you essentially get two devices for the price of one. Two that scored well in PCMag's tests are the JBL UA Sport Wireless Heart Rate and they Samsung Gear IconX. While these devices cost a lot more than other HRMs, they're a good value if you're also in the market for a new pair of wireless sports headphones.
With that in mind, these are the best HRMs we've tested. Remember that this list does not include heart rate monitors that are built into fitness trackers. Rather, these are heart rate monitors you can use independently or pair with other equipment.
Featured in This Roundup
Wahoo Fitness Tickr X Heart Rate Monitor
$99.99
%displayPrice% at %seller% So much more than a heart rate monitor, the Wahoo Tickr X doubles as a run tracker, works indoors and outdoors, and even counts your reps during run training. It does all that and more for the same price as competitors, making it an absolute steal. Read the full review ››-
Polar H7 Heart Rate Sensor
$79.95
%displayPrice% at %seller% The Polar H7 Heart Rate Sensor is one of the best and most accurate HRMs for sports and fitness you can buy. Read the full review ›› -
Garmin HRM-Run
$99.99
%displayPrice% at %seller% The HRM-Run is the heart rate strap to buy if you have one of the Garmin fitness trackers that work with it. It's a data junkie's dream come true, giving you advanced stats, such as oscillation and ground contact time. Read the full review ›› -
JBL UA Sport Wireless Heart Rate
$199.95
%displayPrice% at %seller% The JBL UA Sport Wireless Heart Rate is a neckband-style pair of earphones that offer solid audio and reliable fitness tracking. Read the full review ›› -
MIO Link
$99.00
%displayPrice% at %seller% If you're in the market for a new heart rate monitor and are sick of wearing a chest strap, the MIO Link is a reasonably priced wristband that will meet your needs rather precisely, and that's all you should expect from it. Read the full review ›› -
Pear Mobile Training Intelligence System
$59.95
%displayPrice% at %seller% The Pear Mobile Training Intelligence System isn't a replacement for a fitness tracker, but it provides a very good self-coaching experience-as long as you're willing to pay for your workout programs. Read the full review ›› -
Samsung Gear IconX
$199.99
%displayPrice% at %seller% The Samsung Gear IconX is a completely wire-free pair of Bluetooth headphones with solid sound quality and the ability to track your workouts. Read the full review ›› -
Scosche Rhythm+
$79.99
%displayPrice% at %seller% Twenty-first century fitness enthusiasts no longer have to suffer the discomfort of chest strap heart rate monitors. The Scosche Rhythm+ armband collects your heart rate data and works with ANT+ and Bluetooth devices. It's not the most innovative device, but it's a reliable and reasonably priced option. Read the full review ››