Best Heart Rate Monitors in 2019
- jan
- 18
Consumer technology has advanced at an incredible rate over the past few years and has given us amazing new ways to keep track of our health. The heart rate monitor category is one area that has seen tremendous growth and it's now easier than ever to accurately and affordably track your heart rate. Whether you love working out or you're more casually active, we've found some of the best heart rate monitors on the market.
For the serious trainers
Garmin Forerunner 935
Garmin's fitness trackers have been consistently well reviewed and have found a devoted following among triathletes and other serious fitness folks. It's lightweight and has excellent GPS tracking which also includes elevation tracking to give you even more control over your workout. It is certainly one of the premier wrist-worn heart rate monitors and best of all, it connects with your smartphone to keep you up to date with your notifications as well.
The best chest rig
Wahoo TICKR X
There's some debate about whether chest monitors are better than wrist mounted ones and if you're in the market for a chest rig, this is one of the best you can find. It uses ANT+ technology to store your workout data without the need for a smart device nearby but it also has Bluetooth connectivity so you can sync it up to your Apple Watch, iPhone or any other smart Bluetooth device. It's not a bad price either.
For the forearm
Scosche Rhythm24
If you enjoy long runs or extended workout sessions then you might want to look at the Scosche Rhythm24. It's got more than 24 hours of battery life and it's designed to be worn on your forearm so it's much more comfortable than a chest rig and stays in place better than a watch. It's very accurate and supports both Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity and it even comes in several different colors.
Round the clock
Fitbit Charge 3
Fitbit is definitely one of the most well-known names in fitness trackers and for good reason. They consistently make well crafted, feature rich fitness trackers and the Charge 3 is their latest one. This guy lets you track your heart rate 24/7 and has up to a week of battery life so you can keep going longer. It's also a great sleep tracker so you can have an even better picture of your health.
The Smartest One
Apple Watch Series 4
In typical Apple fashion, they have taken another product category and revolutionized it. With all the incredible things the Apple Watch can do it can be easy to forget that it's also a pretty fantastic heart rate monitor. If you tend to do more intense workouts involving a lot of interval training or specific heart rate zone workouts it's not the best (same for weight training), but for pretty much any other workout, it's fantastic.
Wearable heart rate monitors have proliferated the market in recent years with a wide range of companies making top quality products. I'm more of a casual exerciser so I prefer to have more functions than just fitness tracking so I use my Apple Watch when I workout. There are lots of great options here to match whatever your workout style might be.