Best Fitness Trackers with Heart Rate Monitors in 2018
- apr
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Fitness trackers are everywhere these days, with big names like Fitbit and Garmin constantly coming out with new models, and most smartwatches offering fitness suites, there;s a huge selection to choose from.
Whether you're running a marathon, hitting the gym, or just going for a stroll in the park, tracking your heart rate is a fantastic way to get insight into your overall heart health. Here are our favorite fitness trackers with heart rate monitors.
Fitbit Charge 2
The Fitbit Charge 2 is the best Fitbit for most people because it does almost everything well, is comfortable to wear for long periods of time, and only cost about $150.
Like all Fitbit products, it tracks steps, sleep, and, if you want, workouts, but the Charge 2 does it in style. Not only does it improve upon its predecessor with a relatively high-density OLED display, but because it's not a touchscreen, it will operate properly when wet or sweaty. Its always-on heart rate sensor is accurate and doesn't eat into the battery, which, in our tests, lasted longer than the advertised five days.
When you get a Fitbit, you also get the advantage of the Fitbit ecosystem, which includes its fantastic app. In the app, all your tracked activity will automatically sync, and you can even add your food intake, water intake, and supplemental non-track activities allowing you to get a really good picture of your overall fitness level.
One more thing: It may not be a smartwatch, but the Charge 2 can display incoming call and text notifications from your iPhone.
Garmin Vivosmart HR+
The Vivosmart HR+ is a solid activity tracker that can track a multitude of different types of exercises, from basic running and biking to more extreme sports like snowboarding, all while using the built-in GPS. That makes the device pretty appealing to serious fitness fanatics. With its onboard heart-rate monitor and mobile app, you aren't going to have a problem reviewing your progress, and you can rest easy knowing it's accurate data.
A significant advantage of Garmin's offering is the ability to dive into the pool and do some laps. That's right. The Vivosmart HR+ has an impressive 5ATM rating, meaning it can be submerged in up to 50 meters of water. This feature-laden fitness tracker also only cost about $100!
While Garmin's product excels at the fitness tracking side of things, it does also offer a couple of smartwatch-like features. When paired with your phone, the Garmin Vivosmart HR+ can receive text notifications and give you information about who's calling.
Nokia Steel HR
If you're looking for something that is a little more hybrid smartwatch and a little less fitness tracker, the Nokia Steel HR is a great option. It looks like a traditional analog watch with a round 36mm or 40mm face. It comes with a step tracker, workout tracker, heart rate sensor, calorie counter, sleep tracker, and more.
The watch face's analog complications track your daily activities while the digital inner-circle shows you your goal progress. A secondary inner circle features a monochrome display that shows you more detailed information about your daily activities. Considering this is a hybrid smartwatch and fitness tracker, the 25-day battery life is significant.
The Steel HR costs $180 and comes in a 36mm size case with a black watch face, and the band is removable so you can replace it with some different bands.
Polar M430
Although the Polar M430 looks a lot like a smartwatch, it designed to be the ultimate fitness trackers - especially runners.
The M430 can monitor the important metrics that many marathon runners would be keen on now like pace, distance, speed, and cadence; however, that doesn't mean the M430 is a slouch when it comes to other activities. You can take it for a swim thanks to its 30m water resistance, it will track your sleep for you, and its built-in GPS is good for pretty much any outdoor activity.
While Polar's FLOW app isn't the prettiest app it does sync with Apple Health, MyFitnessPal, Strave, and a few other fitness tracking apps, so chances are you can keep all your data in the same place.
While it isn't the cheapest option (starting around $200), and the style is somewhat of an acquired taste, the Polar M430 has a lots to offer for the serious fitness fanatics out there.
Apple Watch
I know the Apple Watch is a smartwatch first and a fitness tracker second, but if you're looking for a device that pairs up with your iPhone perfectly, there's really no better option.
The heart rate sensor on the back of the Apple Watch is accurate and fast, able to read your heart rate quickly so you can always keep an eye on it. Apple's Workout app for the Apple Watch is a fantastic way to track al your metrics while you sweat at the gym. Plus, Apple Watch syncs up all that data with your Apple Health account, meaning you can keep track of all your workout session over time, giving you a great overall view of your fitness level.
The Apple Watch Series 3 starts at $329, but don't forget it's not just a fitness tracker. The Apple Watch is an extension of your iPhone allowing you to take calls, send emails, use Siri, download hundreds of useful apps, and more.
Which is your favorite?
Let us know in the comment down below!
