Heart rate training and monitoring can be very useful because it helps those who often do cardiovascular activity from over-exerting themselves. Not every fitness tracker has a heart rate monitor built in. Many lower end fitness trackers are more like pedometers than full-fledged activity trackers. Fitness trackers with heart rate monitors tend to be slightly more expensive, but they also often pack several other features as well. Here is a list of some of the top fitness trackers with heart rate monitors:
Withings Pulse O2 Activity, Sleep, and Heart Rate + SPO2 Tracker for iOS and Android
The Withings Pulse Pulse O2 Activity Monitor is an intriguing device that can take two different form factors. It can be worn as a watch with the included strap, or clipped on to your clothing, similar to a traditional pedometer. In addition to monitoring various vital signs and keeping track of how physically active you are, this Withings fitness tracker also can measure your heart rate. Note that in the case of this device, you must press the back of the device to your fingertip for a moment to get a heart rate reading (it does not provide one continuously). So if you’re wearing it in watch mode, you’ll need to slip it off for a second.
Polar Loop Activity Monitor with H7 Bluetooth Heart Rate Transmitter
The Polar Loop Activity Monitor is, well, a heavy duty activity monitor with a chest strap accessory that you can wear for super-acurate heart rate monitoring. The strap comes in a variety of colors
, though for most users this will be worn underneath their shirts while working out. The monitor connects wirelessly via Bluetooth to your Polar Loop wristband for a convenient readout of your heart rate.
Mio Fuse Heart Rate Training Band
The Mio Fuse Heart Rate Training Band is a clever device that uses an optical heart rate monitor to read your heart rate straight through your skin, which avoids the need for a chest strap. Like many other fitness trackers with heart rate monitors, the Mio Fuse links up with your iPhone or Android device to chart your activity and workout statistics. The display on the Mio Fuse is a bit more simple than other models, but if you’re looking for a fitness tracker with a heart rate monitor, the Mio is a solid choice.
Garmin Vivofit Fitness Band
Hold the phone, guys and gals. Unlike many fitness trackers with heart rate monitors, the Garmin Vivofit Fitness Band comes in a variety of colors. Another impressive feature of the Vivofit is its battery life: it can last up to a year without swapping the battery (it uses replaceable watch batteries instead of lithium ion batteries like some devices). The Vivofit comes in two packages– with heart rate monitor and without. The heart rate monitor that works on this fitness tracker is using a traditional chest strap that’s adjustable to measure your heart rate directly from your torso. The resulting data is piped straight to the wristband.
Withings Pulse O2 Activity, Sleep, and Heart Rate + SPO2 Tracker for iOS and Android
Samsung has carved out a niche in the fitness activity tracker market by building devices with color screens, which allows for a richer interaction while you’re out and about (showing goals, etc). It features an optical heart rate monitor built into the back of the screen, so you don’t have to take the device off to take a reading with your finger. Like other Samsung devices, it works best if you already have a Samsung phone to pair it with.