When choosing the best heart rate monitor for your workout, a lot of what you buy depends on your preferences and workout routine. Here are a few things to consider when shopping:
Type of work: Before you buy a chest strap heart rate monitor, find out what type of activity you will be doing while wearing it. Most are suitable for a range of cardio activities, from running to cycling, but not all can work for swimming, for example.
Amount: Decide how much you are willing to spend on a chest strap heart rate monitor. You can find reliable ones for under $50, but if you want all the bells and whistles, you can expect to spend upwards of $150.
Battery life: Decide how important battery life is to you and how often you want to charge or replace it. Some chest strap heart rate monitor batteries can last more than a year, while others can last up to 500 hours. Battery life will vary from device to device and how often you use it.
Connections with third-party applications: Decide whether to connect the heart monitor to your smartphone or other devices. This will determine whether you want it to have ANT Plus or Bluetooth connectivity. Most come with both, but it’s still important to check.
Belt width: Before you buy, consider whether you would be comfortable with a heart rate monitor that uses a narrow or wide band.
Module size: Some chest straps use small modules (puck-like plastic parts) that don’t extend over the edge of the strap. Others, however, use large monitors to measure your heart rate. The style you choose to track your workouts depends on your preference for comfort.
Internal storage: If you don’t like holding your smartphone during your workout, choose a heart rate training monitor that stores your data in its built-in storage. You can later transfer your heart rate readings to your phone through the app that comes with your monitor.
Metrics: Consider what you want to monitor during your workout. Advanced models capture real-time data covering everything from run cadence to step length, as well as blood pressure, calorie burn and heart rate variability, to help you reach your fitness goals, while more basic models may only track your heart rate.
Battery type: A wearable chest strap monitor can use a variety of power sources. Some have a rechargeable battery. Some may have very long battery life, but the battery is not user replaceable or rechargeable. Longer battery life is always good, but there are more options. Be sure to check the monitor’s battery life description before purchasing.
Chest strap versus wrist-worn heart rate monitors: Chest strap and wrist heart rate monitors are both used to measure heart rate, but they use different methods to provide readings.
Electrocardiogram sensors, commonly found in chest strap heart rate monitors, detect electrical currents produced by your heart, similar to what an ECG (electrocardiogram) does in your doctor’s office. This is considered the most accurate heart rate reading because the electronic sensor can measure your heart rate even during strenuous activity.
Optical heart rate sensors use LED light to track your heart rate in the arteries as blood is pumped through them. Optical heart rate sensors are found in smartwatches and are useful for reading your heart rate when you are resting or walking, but they are less reliable for high-intensity activity because the readings can be distorted.
ANT Plus vs. Bluetooth: Most wrist-worn heart rate monitors, such as the Apple Watch, use Bluetooth, which allows you to connect to only one device. For example, if you are recording an outdoor run, you can only connect your Apple Watch to your iPhone.
ANT Plus technology allows you to connect wirelessly to multiple devices at the same time. This is a great option for athletes who want to track data from multiple sources. You can find this technology in devices such as chest strap heart rate monitors, indoor or outdoor cycling computers and other smart watches.
If you plan to use a device that only supports ANT Plus technology and want to connect it to your smartphone, know that some Androids are ANT Plus capable, while iPhones are not. To find out if your device is able to connect to your Android, you must find the ANT Plus Plugins app in the Google Play Store and browse the corresponding device directory. If you have an iPhone or Android that can connect to your ANT Plus device, you will need an adapter for your phone.
Many people choose the Bluetooth option because it connects quickly and is easily available on most devices. The good news is that most heart rate monitors support both ANT Plus and Bluetooth to make the user experience easier.
