Heart Rate Monitor For Running

[Janean Mcconnaughhay]

Whetheryou are a strictly recreational runner or a seasoned professional, having the best heart rate monitor for running could help you improve your fitness. Whether that means being able to run at a faster pace, having the strength to run the hills instead of hiking them or being able to hold a conversation with running buddies without feeling out of breath, there is one measurement that can get to the heart (pun intended) of your fitness goals. You guessed it, heart rate!

Heart rate is one of the most valuable training metrics for athletes of all types. Monitoring your heart rate while active and at rest gives a lot of insight into your fitness, recovery, and day-to-day health. Combining data such as resting heart rate, heart rate during activity, and heart rate variability with running pace and perceived exertion will give you great information about fitness trends and is very valuable when gearing up for a big event.

When accuracy and comfort are at the top of your priority list for a heart rate monitor, the Polar H10 is a great choice. This heart rate sensor is easy to use, and the ECG monitor is accurate. The unit is slim and lightweight, and it is paired with the most comfortable strap that we tested. The material is soft and stretchy, and the flat buckle closure did not dig in or cause chafing. In addition to the rubberized ECG leads on the front, sections of silicone dots along the strap help keep it in place. Even when we got sweaty, this heart rate monitor stayed in place. The monitor uses a CR2025 battery and boasts an impressive 400-hour battery life. It is water-resistant to 30 meters and can be used in normal swimming conditions.

Another highly accurate ECG chest strap, the Garmin HRM-Pro Plus has additional metric tracking features, making it an excellent choice for the data-loving runners in our midst. This heart rate monitor connects to equipment and devices using both ANT+ and Bluetooth, with the capability for three Bluetooth connections. The strap was not the most comfortable of the bunch, but it functioned well. A small tag covers the clasp area to prevent it from digging into the skin, which we liked. The unit runs off of a standard CR 2032 battery with an estimated battery life of 360 hours. The battery is easily replaceable, and this model has a tool-free battery door that can be twisted open, a small but thoughtful detail. The monitor device is a little thicker than others tested and stuck out enough to get in the way of a sports bra band for some of our testers.

This strap is ideal for people who already use Garmin products. It easily paired with our Garmin fēnix 7 and the Garmin Connect app. In addition to heart rate recording, it can store data with onboard memory and capture running dynamics such as vertical oscillation, ground contact time, and stride length. It also has an indoor running mode to transmit pace and distance on indoor tracks and treadmills, though you will need a compatible device to take advantage of these features.

The Scosche Rhythm24 earned top marks among the optical heart rate monitors tested. The optical monitor uses green and yellow lights to improve accuracy across different skin tones, while most other optical heart rate sensors only use green light. The band itself is designed to be worn on the upper forearm. Depending on your arm size, there is enough stretch to allow it to be used on the bicep area as well. It functioned well for our tester in both places. While optical monitors are not as precise as ECG monitors, this one performed very well at rest and during some warm weather running and hiking.

The ANT+ and Bluetooth connectivity were easy to sync to a GPS watch and smartphone, and the device connects quickly to the Scosche Rhythm Sync app for updates and to download activities. It also easily connected to third-party apps, such as Strava. You can choose between multiple activity modes on the app, and the monitor is waterproof down to 10 feet for swimming.

The Polar Verity Sense is an armband heart rate monitor that packs a lot of features into a tiny package. Measuring just a hair under three by one centimeters (1 x 0.4 inches), the monitor pod itself is barely larger than the coin batteries powering the chest straps mentioned above. This monitor uses green lights on the sensor to measure heart rate. The unit is clicked into a plastic holder on an elastic strap that can be worn on the forearm or upper arm and also has a unique holster that can attach to goggles at the temple for heart rate data while swimming. We found the strap to be very comfortable on both arm positions and easy to adjust, and our heart rate data was pretty accurate during walking, running, weight training, and cycling activities. The battery life of this rechargeable monitor is an impressive 30 hours.

This watch edges out other competitors in the category for its heart rate tracking capabilities. It uses a green LED light optical monitor on the wrist to track heart rate 24/7 and provides both resting and in-activity heart rate data. The watch also provides heart rate variability information. These sensors work great at rest, and several different apps can be used to analyze the information obtained from the watch. In addition to tracking heart rate, the watch provides ECG monitoring, a feature not found on most GPS watches. One caveat is that the ECG monitoring is only designed to detect a normal rhythm or atrial fibrillation. This is valuable but limited information.

The Myzone MZ-Switch offers the best of both chest strap ECG and armband monitors since it can act as either. The module can record heart rate using ECG by attaching to the included chest strap with two snaps. It also has a green light optical sensor that can be used on the wrist, forearm, or upper arm. Our tester found the chest and upper arm straps to be comfortable, but the wrist strap is made of scratchier nylon. The Velcro strap makes everything easy to adjust.

ANT+ (Adaptive Network Technology) is a low-power wireless network technology that allows sensors from different manufacturers to communicate and share data with other devices. Heart rate monitors utilizing ANT+ technology, such as the Garmin HRM-Pro Plus, Polar H10, and Myzone MZ-Switch, can connect to multiple devices simultaneously using ANT+ without interference. This means you can simultaneously use your heart rate monitor to connect to your fitness watch and fitness equipment, such as a treadmill or cycling computer.

Bluetooth is another method used to connect heart rate monitors to other electronics. It connects like you would connect other Bluetooth devices, such as wireless headphones. Bluetooth is most commonly used to connect a heart rate monitor to a smartphone app, such as Polar, Garmin Connect, or Strava, which then displays your heart rate or downloads activity data from the heart rate monitor module.

In addition to movement, debris between the skin and the optical sensor will also interfere with readings. For example, mud, sand, or sunscreen could cause errors in optical heart rate readings. Navalata et al. (2020) found that the accuracy of a chest strap heart rate monitor was superior to multiple types of optical sensors in a trail running setting.

One of the most important things to consider when choosing the best heart rate monitor for running and life is how you plan to use it. Not all heart rate monitors have the capability to provide constant readings. Most arm and chest straps we tested only record heart rate during activities.

As we mentioned above, chest strap ECG heart rate monitors will be the most accurate during all types of activity. Many of these have built-in memory to store data directly on the monitor to be downloaded later. Upper arm optical heart rate straps are a good compromise for those who want accurate heart rate readings but find chest straps uncomfortable as they have less variation with movement than wrist monitors.

Comfort is an entirely subjective matter when it comes to running gear, and heart rate monitors are no exception. The strap materials, size of the heart rate monitor device itself, clasps, adjustability, and wear position will all impact comfort. Our team found the Polar H10 more comfortable than other heart rate chest straps.

Arm and wrist strap heart rate monitors are a little more comfortable and easier to adjust while wearing than chest straps, and for many people, they are the right choice for the best heart rate monitor for running. Arm strap optical heart rate monitors can be worn on the forearm or upper arm to further dial in comfort and fit runners with a variety of arm sizes. If you have issues with swelling of the hands or fingers during long efforts, having a constricting band around the arm or wrist may become uncomfortable or even cause some numbness or tingling. Usually, loosening the strap will help reduce pressure and alleviate this, but you may need to remove the band entirely if you develop these symptoms and they do not go away right away after loosening the strap.

Initially, we spent several months using both chest strap and arm strap optical heart rate monitors in a variety of conditions to compare their comfort, ease of use, durability, and accuracy. We rated the monitors on the sensor type, accompanying apps and connectivity options, and battery life. Our testers often wore two monitors simultaneously to perform direct comparisons. We did our best to take the various heart rate monitors out in hot and cold weather to see how they functioned on sweaty or cold skin. We also tested them in the rain to see if moisture would affect their performance. As part of testing for accuracy, we compared the various optical heart rate sensors to ECG monitors at low and high heart rates, wearing them on everything from easy jogs to short uphill race efforts at maximal heart rates.

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