Most current optical devices are fine at a steady pace.The battery life of the Anmino Smartwatch varies between two to three days depending on how much you tend to use your watch apps, and whether or not you have the GPS tracker on. And be honest about how you use the data. But for others, the thought of training with a strap is just too off-putting. If you're tracking a workout, you want it to be as definitively accurate as possible. Many Wareable readers will stop reading at accuracy – and that's fine. Different people will read it different ways. Winner: Chest strap Chest Strap HRM vs Wrist OHR: Verdictįor those of you who've been keeping score you'll notice the contest has ended all square. You can pick up a Bluetooth HRM chest strap like the Wahoo TICKR for while a TomTom Spark 3 will set you back, a Vivoactive HR and the Fitbit Blaze. HRM chest straps can offer a cheaper way to monitor heart rate, particularly if you opt for a Bluetooth device that'll partner with a range of fitness tracking apps to give you a sweet of insights that can match a lot of the cheaper watches. And all too often the case remains unsolved. What ensues is a period of Sherlock Holmes detection to decipher what the hell is happening. The worst thing here is that when it fails you're not quite sure if it's the Bluetooth playing silly buggers or the battery in the sensor has called it quits. In contrast, Bluetooth chest straps don't always hook up seamlessly to your smartphone or the watch you're using. Provided you've got one, the optical heart rate sensors will pick it up and display this piece of tech success conveniently where you can see it. Both of which you will almost certainly forget to do at some point.ĭispute their accuracy if you like, but wrist-based trackers almost always find a pulse. More frustrating is that almost all of them have their own unique charging cradle that means you either have to remember to charge them at home overnight or cart the charging cable with you wherever you go. Optical heart rate monitors, on the other hand, will only give you half a dozen sessions or so, depending on how you use them when you're not training. Fail to do this and your chest strap will sit in your bag or drawer having the life sucked out if it. However, it's vital to remember to unclip it the unit from the strap. HRM chest straps rely on old school watch batteries and while battery life can vary – something like the Polar H7 will give you a quoted 350 hours of tracking, definitely out lasting all optical heart rate watches on the market. If you use a sports watch there's still chance you'll forget it – but if that watch is part of your daily life, it's more likely to be there when you need it. You're sure you put it back in after last night's session but then you did also empty out your gym kit and there's a good chance it'll be lying sweatily on top of your wash basket at home. You get to the gym and dig around in your bag only to find your HRM is nowhere to be found. Okay that's not actually a word but chest strappers will be all too familiar with what it means. That said, the MyZone MZ-3 chest strap has an optional bra accessory, to try and mitigate the problem. But I have spoken to a lot of people who do and, more often than not, they only have negative things to say about chest straps. Let's make one thing clear, I don't have boobs. It's also true that wrist-based heart rate watches tend to need to be done up tight on the wrist and can be uncomfortable over long training sessions but on the whole, the watches offer a happier fit.Īlso we need to address The Boob Problem. Guide: How to choose the right heart rate monitor Anyone who's ever run for more than an hour wearing one will attest, they can get a bit chafey, they feel restrictive and some people find it a bit hard to breathe. The chest strap gets a hard time when it comes to comfort. Unfortunately, there's not a definitive answer without caveats – but we can arm you with the facts about a pretty impassioned area of technology.īoth wrist and chest strap devices technologies use algorithms to convert what they read into estimated heart rate but the theory is that, because chest straps track closer to the heart, they tend to be more reliable – provided you've got a good wet contact between the pads and the skin. We've spoken to experts the world over and tried out all the latest devices, and can now offer some pretty clear advice on the matter. For many people chest straps are a no-go and even they can't provide spot-on accuracy.Įssential reading: Heart rate variability explained Optical heart rate monitors on the latest running watches and fitness bands have got a bit of a bad rap, but in reality, the choice between strap and wrist isn't black and white. But should you be looking for a chest strap or optical wrist monitor? If you're looking to get serious with sport, heart rate training is essential.
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