ONE of the big wearable trends for 2015 is heart
rate tracking, and most new devices are using innovative ways to keep
tabs on your ticker.
HOT STUFF: The new TomTom Runner Cardio keeps an eye on your health [TOMTOM]
By monitoring your heart’s BPM, trackers can give a better account of how hard you’ve been working, and the calories you’ve shredded.
That’s why wearable technology reviews and news site Wareable has rounded up the best heart rate tracking fitness bands.
There are also added benefits for sporty types.
Firstly, fitness trackers that use GPS to measure your runs are useless in the gym, so a heart rate tracking wearable will be able to log weights sessions, treadmill time, spinning classes, step aerobics or even legs, bums and tums.
Secondly, runners training for the London marathon or big events can train more efficiently by making sure their heart rate stays in certain zones. Using a heart rate monitor can help make sure you’re working hard enough when you need to, and just as importantly, taking it easy when required as well.
Here are the top beat tracking bands:
POLAR SOFT STRAP • £16.50 [POLAR]
Before wrist based optical heart rate monitors came chest straps, and they still represent the cheapest way to start with heart rate training.
This Polar strap wirelessly connects to a host of running apps and watches, and costs less than £20.
£16.50 from polar.com
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Fitbit’s latest everyday fitness tracker features 24/7 heart rate monitoring, which enables the band to offer more accurate feedback on the calories you’re shredding.
The Fitbit Charge HR is also a dab hand in the gym, enabling you to record and tag diverse activities from Zumba to spinning.
£119.99 • fitbit.com
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SMS AUDIO BIOSPORTS • £129.95 [SMS]
As most people train with headphones anyway, it makes sense to combine heart rate tracking in a device you run with every day.
Sure, music quality isn’t the greatest, but because clever Intel bods have negated the need for a battery, the BioSports are the easiest way to track your heart rate on the go.
£129.95 • smsaudiouk.myshopify.com
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BASIS PEAK • £169.99 [PH ]
Another 24/7 fitness and heart rate tracker, the Basis Peak also keeps tabs on your skin temperature and sweat levels.
It automatically detects walking and running, and offers full analysis of your daily activity, as well as displaying texts and messages from your smartphone.
£169.99 • mybasis.com
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FITBIT SURGE • £199 [PH ]
Fitbit’s other new wearable is a self-titled “super watch”, which blends the features of a smartwatch with the tracking credentials of a running watch.
Like the Charge HR you can keep tabs on a range of gym and outdoor sports with the help of heart rate tracking.
What’s more, calls, texts and email will be displayed on the screen, so you’ll never miss an important notification.
£199 • fitbit.com
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TomTom’s second stab at its own running watch adds in a heart rate monitor that will delight those in hardcore training.
It’s more expensive than the standard Runner, but the extra cost will mean you don’t have to strap a heart rate monitor around your chest, which can only be a good thing.
£219.99 • tomtom.com
