How to choose a heart rate monitor

When choosing a heart rate monitor, you should pay attention primarily to the planned use (sports for which you plan to monitor heart rate).

How to choose a heart rate monitor: the main criteria

The most important characteristics when choosing a heart rate monitor are:

1. Type (placement) of the heart rate monitor;

2. Sensitivity of a photometric sensor;

3. Battery life and charging method;

4. The presence of "bundles" with the phone;

5. Additional functionality.

6. The manufacturer is also important.

Types of heart rate monitors

By type of placement and design, sports heart rate monitors are divided into three types:

1. Chest pads with wireless module;

2. Breastplate with a clock;

3. Wrist Watch).

Breast heart rate monitor with wireless module

Such devices consist of two functional elements - an elastic strap and a heart rate sensor (HR). As the name implies, they are placed directly on the chest. Moreover, the heart rate sensor is installed in such a way as to analyze the frequency of heart contractions directly. This ensures maximum measurement accuracy.

Heart rate data is transmitted via a Bluetooth wireless network directly to a smartphone. Thanks to this, a special mobile application records the measurement history and warns of an increase in pulse with an audible signal or vibration. The disadvantage is the need to constantly carry a smartphone - for example, placing it in a belt on the shoulder, wrist or belt.

Before buying such a heart rate monitor, you should make sure that the smartphone you are using will be compatible with it. Almost all sports devices require a “companion device” to work on Android 4.0, iOS 9.0 or a more recent version of the operating system, and also support at least Bluetooth 4.0. However, all the smartphones released after 2012 meet these requirements.

Chest straps with a clock

In terms of design, this type of heart rate monitor does not differ from the previous one - the heart rate sensor is placed on an elastic strap, and you need to wear it on your chest. However, information about the pulse rate is not sent to the connected smartphone, but to a special remote display made in the form factor of a wristwatch. About extremely high heart rate the device warns through vibration.

Pulsometers of this type have two advantages over the previous one. First, to view the current pulse, just look down at the wrist. Secondly, the autonomy of the operation of these heart rate monitors is very high - up to several weeks from a single battery (CR batteries are usually used).

The disadvantage of this type of heart rate monitor is the lack of measurement history. Or it is, but for a short period - about a few days. All data on the measured heart rate is stored in the memory of the remote display, and it is usually very small.

Pulsometers in clock format

The pulse watches use a photometric method for calculating heart rate. A special module constantly illuminates the skin and analyzes the pulse by the characteristics of the reflected light.Such technology is found not only in sports wrist heart rate monitors, but also in some fitness bracelets, smart watches and similar companion devices.

The main advantage of heart rate monitors, made in this form factor - ease of use. They do not constrain movement at all, unlike breastplates, and are not felt on the wrist due to their low mass.

But the accuracy of the measurements may not be too high. The quality of photometric analysis of heart rate varies depending on skin tone, condition of the epidermis, the degree of sweating, and even the location of the device. Therefore, wrist heart rate monitors in the clock format are suitable only for beginner athletes who avoid serious physical exertion "at the limit of endurance."

Which to choose?

The choice of the device form factor is determined by the planned physical activity:

1. For fitness, morning and evening runs, regular simple workouts (for example, sports matches) suitable wrist heart rate monitor. It does not constrain movement, and the possible inaccuracy in determining the pulse is compensated by a low level of load;

2. For marathon races, active sports or extreme types of recreation - a chest heart rate monitor with a remote display clock;

3. For cross-fit, intensive sports, exhausting races and similar physical exercises with a high level of training of the athlete - chest pulse meter with a wireless module.

4. The chest heart rate monitor with a remote display clock due to its accuracy and high data transfer rate is suitable for amateur athletes who have only recently begun to engage in vigorous physical activity. Models with a wireless module are best suited for already enduring athletes who do not need constant heart rate monitoring and warning of exceeding the safe parameter.

Choosing a heart rate monitor for running

For running, optical wrist heart rate monitors with a tight strap are recommended. Breastplates can shackle the chest, leading to shortness of breath.

The main criteria for choosing a heart rate monitor

Photometric sensor sensitivity and measurement accuracy

This is the most important parameter for optical heart rate monitors: those that are placed on the wrist and use plethysmography technology. Unfortunately, manufacturers rarely indicate sensor characteristics and measurement accuracy. Therefore, we have to rely on feedback from contented or unhappy users.

In general, to be fair, the plethysmographic measurement of heart rate is high enough for most users. Indicators can vary within plus or minus 5 beats per minute, which is not particularly critical. Manufacturers of sports heart rate monitors use quality sensors that are tight to the skin and sensitive to optical changes.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about most fitness bracelets in the ultrabudget price segment. Therefore, if high accuracy of heart rate measurement is required, it is recommended to pay attention to sports heart rate monitors, and not analogs.

If greater sensitivity is required (up to absolute accuracy), it is recommended to choose a chest heart rate monitor of any type.

Battery life and charging method

Wrist optical heart rate monitors and chest strap with a wireless module in most cases equipped with a built-in battery. Its capacity directly determines the battery life of the device. Accordingly, the higher it is, the better. But this is a comparative characteristic (that is, you should pay attention to it only when choosing between two heart rate monitors).

Heart rate monitors with a built-in battery are charged through the corresponding complete power supply unit, which can be connected to the device with either a micro USB cable or some proprietary one. The first option is preferable, since there are plenty of such charges on the market.

Chest pulsators with an external display in a clock form factor usually run on CR-type batteries, also known as flat watch batteries. Their capacity is sufficient for several weeks of regular use of the device. Then, of course, the batteries will have to be replaced.

The presence of "bundles" with the phone

Connecting to the phone via Bluetooth is quite a useful feature. Thanks to it, you can collect statistics of the dynamics of heart rate over a long period and tracking changes in the pulse at the same load.

Pulsometers that support connection to the phone, suitable for people suffering from any heart disease (to change the physical load, reducing or increasing it), as well as just fans of statistics.

Additional functions

Among the most useful additional features are:

1. Waterproof case. It is important for fans of extreme sports, as well as those who are not afraid of workout in bad weather;

2. The presence of a GPS module. It is important for accurate tracking of jogging, marathons and other physical activity, involving movement over long distances;

3. Recognition cardiozone. It is found only in chest pulse meters. It is important for people with angina, tachycardia and similar heart diseases, in which heart rate changes due to problems in a particular area of ​​the heart;

4. Recognition of types of activity. Such heart rate monitors independently analyze user behavior and distinguish, for example, running from cycling. The feature is useful for people who collect all the information about physical activity.

5. Among the “highly specialized” useful functions are body temperature measurement, galvanic skin response sensors, sweating level analysis, integration with the ecosystems of Runtastic, Endomondo, Google Fit, Apple Health, etc.

Top manufacturers

Among the manufacturers of heart rate monitors can be identified:

1. Runtastic. Known for its sports ecosystem manufacturer;

2. Polar. Produces sports accessories;

3. Nexx, YouWell, Sigma, iSport. High-quality, but inexpensive heart rate monitors;

4. Mio, Fitbit. The best heart rate monitors in the clock form factor.

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Attention! This material is the subjective opinion of the authors of the project and is not a guide to purchase.