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Heart rate monitors – Features, advantages, and purchasing tips

Heart rate monitors – Features, advantages, and purchasing tips

Fitness monitoring is possible today with various smart wearable devices and gadgets that record and provide real-time data. These devices are lightweight, easy to wear, and simple to use daily. Heart rate monitors are one of the top picks among smart wearables designed for general and active cardiovascular activity tracking. We have narrowed down the best options selling across different types of heart rate sensors and wearables trending in popular brands.

Tips for choosing the best heart rate monitor
With dozens of options available for sensors and monitoring systems, certain tips will help your selection and purchase. Keep in mind your daily use as many devices come with dedicated measuring metrics while others boast inbuilt apps in smartwatches for basic monitoring. Choose the correct type of monitor as available options include chest monitors, smartwatches, wrist bands, and armbands, among the popular ones. Consider additional features like GPS, internal memory, water resistance, and special fitness-based apps before comparing the price.

Chest strap heart rate monitors
The Polar H10 chest strap heart monitor is one of the popular chest sensors compatible with Android and iOS devices. It also supports Bluetooth and ANT+ technology to connect and transfer all recorded data for detailed reports and analysis. Polar H10 is quite comfortable to wear, featuring micro silicone friction dots that prevents it from slipping while performing high-intensity workouts. At $89.95, Polar H10 is a more reasonably priced sensor that is comfortable to wear and functional to set up and use daily. Garmin HRM-Run is an equally suitable alternative in chest strap monitors that comes with active sports mode heart monitoring, featuring a comfortable-to-wear design and an affordable price tag of just $99.99 online. These sensors are designed to capture six different running metrics and provide accurate real-time data for tracking fitness activities. It also has a long-lasting rechargeable battery that doesn’t wear out even with regular usage.

Smart wearable heart rate monitors
The Fitbit Versa 3 currently ranks among the most premium smartwatches you can buy for Android device compatibility. It comes with inbuilt heart rate sensors and apps that exclusively monitor all your cardiovascular activity. Fitbit’s PurePulse and ECG sensor tracks everything from resting rate, average rate, VO2 Max scores, breathing, intensity, stress management, and overall heart rhythm to give you a detailed report. Fitbit Versa 3 is a premium buy priced at $299.95 across all popular online retail stores. Alternatively, Garmin’s Forerunner 45S is a premium pick if you want to invest only in a dedicated wearable heart monitor. It is famous for its overall design, performance, and ease of use among athletes and fitness enthusiasts who love to stay on top of things. The smart device comes with a standby time of 7 days, is waterproof up to 50 meters, and offers Bluetooth connectivity for compatible devices. Garmin Forerunner 45S is available online for just $179.99.

Armband heart rate monitors
Scosche’s Rhythm24 armband device is one of the popular picks in this segment. This monitor is best for athletes who run biathlons and triathlons; comfortable to wear and is thoroughly water-resistant and dustproof. Readings are pretty accurate, and the device is also Bluetooth-compatible so that you can synchronize data with many devices. Moreover, you also get a color-coded heart rate zone indicator to precisely monitor all activity. Scosche Rhythm24 is available for just $69.99 on popular retail websites. Another great alternative to armband monitors is Wahoo TICKR FIT. Wahoo is highly comfortable to wear and use due to its accessible design and is compatible with a range of connected devices over Bluetooth and ANT+ technology. For $79.99, the device also comes with a rechargeable battery available across popular stores for you to order today.

Sports activity heart rate monitors
Special heart rate monitors are designed to keep track of rhythm while performing sports activities. Polar Verity Sense Optical heart rate sensor is one of the popular picks that comes with a decent battery life of 30 hours on a single charge. It features a dedicated swimming mode that monitors rate, pace, and distance to measure overall cardiovascular activity. With 16 MB of internal memory, you can store up to 600 hours of workout data. Polar Verity Sense is reasonably priced at just $89.95, available online. Alternatively, the Garmin HRM-Pro is a slightly pricier but preferred option for running. It uses a special electrode pad sensor to tack your stride, ground contact time actively, and vertical ratio to assess heart rate and rhythm. All workout data can be saved offline, and the inbuilt advanced running metrics are accurate to provide optimum statistics. Garmin HRM-Pro is priced at $129.99 and available across all online outlets trending this shopping season.