It’s no wonder you’re a bit lost when it comes to deciding which heart rate monitor to buy: there are literally hundreds of styles, all with different features and sports applications ranging from a basic heart monitoring aid for beginners to an on-board computer. suitable for monitoring the performance of world-class athletes.

What is your heart rate monitor going to be used for?

When evaluating which heart rate monitor you’re likely to need, it’s essential to think beyond the most obvious factor: price, and consider instead what are your sports goals now and what are they probably in a year. There’s nothing worse than investing in a $50 monitor with basic features to run around your neighborhood, only to find that it’s not capable of monitoring the more complex things you want to do and know six months from now.

A good place to start is by asking yourself the following questions:

• What sport(s) are you going to use your monitor for?
• Do you prefer/need to view your training on a wrist monitor, your computer screen or a PC screen? Is that likely to change over time?
• Do you need/will you need basic, moderate or complex data about your training performance?
• Do you/will you need to track distance and/or speed?
• Will you track the distance in a fixed area, for example, a treadmill, stationary bike, track or velodrome, or will you be on the road, in the open field or in the water?
• Do you/will you need to monitor your performance continuously or at intervals during your training?
• Do you intend to monitor your training performance over time?
• Do you need/will you need to collect your training data to analyze or pass it on to a trainer?
• Do you/will you need your monitor to double to use an outdoor navigation tool that contains features like altimeter, compass, and barometer?

It is possible to purchase a monitor that has the ability to “grow” in features according to your needs, so you may want to consider investing in one of these, purchasing additional accessories when needed.

chest strap v. Strapless Heart Rate Monitors

The most basic decision you will have to make when choosing which heart rate monitor is best for you will be a chest strap or no chest strap.

Chest Strap Heart Rate Monitors

Most widely used type of heart rate monitor. They detect the heart rate through a chest sensor that is worn around the chest and send the data to the display monitor using wireless technology. They will provide continuous heart rate monitoring with accurate ECG throughout a session. They are available in both analog and digital formats (digital provides a more robust signal).

Profits

• Wearing a strap means your monitor can give you constant feedback about what your heart is doing.
• Certain models can be used to interface with your gym equipment, meaning information from the chest strap can be wirelessly transmitted to your treadmill, stepper or stationary bike for on-screen display.

Cons

• Chest strap heart rate monitors rely on maintaining good contact between the strap electrodes and the user’s chest. Some activities such as swimming prevent this constant link and as a result the heart rate reading is obstructed.
• Analog chest straps can be prone to “crosstalk” interference when used in close proximity to other users, meaning your signal can be interfered with when others are also using the HRM within 3 feet/1 meter of you For example, in a gym or during a race. There is less risk of this happening with coded transmitters.
• While most HRMs are water resistant from 20 to 100 meters, this just means they won’t get damaged if used in water. They cannot be used to continuously measure heart rate while swimming because water interferes with the transmission of analog radio waves.
• If you need continuous monitoring of your performance underwater, you should consider purchasing the Suunto Smartbelt, which when used with Suunto software can store and transmit an accurate reading of your training without using a wrist monitor.

strapless monitors

It will provide an on-demand reading when you place your finger(s) on the monitor’s sensors. For accurate readings, avoid cheaper motion/optical monitors that take a reading simply from the blood pump, and opt for a calibrated monitor that takes an ECG reading of your heart rate through electrical circuitry installed between your fingers, the clock and around the clock. chest.

Strapless monitors don’t provide a consistent reading, so they can’t be used to collect accurate data about your overall training. It is possible to purchase dual-mode monitors that can be used in both tethered and non-tethered modes.

What Heart Rate Monitor – Range of Features Available

• chronometer
• avoid crosstalk
• Target Training Zones: Preset goals to work on fat burning, cardio, and endurance. More complex monitors will have more target areas.
• Heart Rate Zone Alarm: Tells you when you’ve moved above or below your target training zone.
• Time spent in heart rate zone
• Maximum/minimum/average heart rate
• Calories Burned Calculator – Will estimate how many calories you burn during a workout using variants including age, gender, height, weight, and workout intensity.
• On-board training program: integrated training.
• Fitness Test: Allows you to take a short test to measure the improvement in your fitness over time.
• Heart rate recovery measure – will assess how long it takes for your heart rate to recover after a session. Useful for evaluating the progressive development of physical condition.
• Countdown Timer – For interval training, eg sprint for 1 minute before coming back down.
• Speed/Distance Calculator: Choose an “accelerometer” that measures speed and distance using sensor technology on a “pedometer” or “bicycle” or GPS, which uses satellite technology. Runners and cyclists who use a treadmill and/or track may find an accelerometer connected to a trainer or bike to better suit their needs, while those who play sports that take them over different terrains, such as cross-country skiing , skating and kayaking, may prefer GPS. . Both systems have been shown to be equally accurate (around 97%).
• Chest Strap / Strapless
• Continuous / Interval Monitoring
• Lap/Split Heart Rate Measurement – ​​Useful for assessing heart rate at particular points in your workout, for example, how your heart rate during mile/lap 1 compares to mile/lap 5.
• Downloadable to PC: Allows training data to be evaluated, visually viewed and compared to workouts over a defined period to assess training goals and achievements.
• Compass
• Altimeter
• Barometer
• Bicycle mount: to view the monitor from a bicycle.