9 Best Heart Rate Monitors (2024): Chest Straps, EKG, Watches | WIRED

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ThE days of getting a heart rate reading only when you visit your physician are a thing of the past. You don’t even have to spend big money or leave your home to get a sense of your heart rate during exercise or at rest. Even the cheapest fitness tracker boasts a heart rate monitor these days, and sensors are popping up all over the place, with smartwatches, chest straps, arm straps, and even some headphones squeezing in a HR monitor. Not all are built equally, whether that’s how comfortable they are to wear, what they can tell you, and crucially, how accurately they can track your heart.

Whether you’ve been prompted to keep closer tabs on your ticker due to health concerns, or need a better sense of how hard you’re really pedaling in your Peloton-powered pain cave, these are the heart rate monitors that deliver where it matters.

Updated June 2024: We've added the Apple Watch Series 9, Wahoo Trackr, and Whoop 4.0.

For more sports and fitness guides, check out the Best Fitbits, Best Fitness Trackers and Watches, Best Running Gear, and the Best Wireless Earbuds for Working Out.

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A chest strap remains the most accurate way to track your heart rate for exercise, putting an EKG sensor closest to your heart. The Polar H10 is the standout here. That’s because Polar has replaced the typical loop-and-hook connector found on most monitors with a buckle-style connector to reduce irritation. The company also uses small silicone dots to make sure the strap stays put during high-intensity activities so the HR data is still good.

Comfort aside, it’s the most accurate of the monitors I’ve tested for exercise. There were no glaring drop-outs or underreporting or overreporting during my test runs, indoor cycles, strength training, or interval sessions. Having some built-in memory to store data for a session is useful, and the ANT+ connectivity means you can effortlessly link equipment like turbo trainers or swap out the HR stats on your watch for more accurate ones. You can take it for a swim too, and you won’t have to replace the battery for a year, even if you’re wearing it on a regular basis.

If a chest strap is out of the question because you need to see your metrics in real time and glance at them during the day, the Forerunner 265 is a multisport watch that can deliver reliable heart rate metrics during workouts, and even when you head to bed.

The headline change from the previous 255 is the addition of a vibrant AMOLED touchscreen display inside a 42-mm or 46-mm case, which holds Garmin’s Elevate optical heart rate sensor. That delivers continuous heart rate data by the second and does so reliably. During runs and indoor workouts, the sensor holds up well at high intensity, with the support to pair to external heart rate monitors if want to go pro. That optical sensor also brings other useful measurements, like heart rate variability (HRV), which fuels useful features such as Training Readiness. This uses HRV, along with other metrics, to provide a clear sense of whether you should go hard or give your body a rest day.

When Wahoo launched its Tickr X chest strap back in 2020, it clipped on from the front (unlike most monitors) and served up practical extra metrics about your running and cycling sessions. The Trackr is a new replacement to the Tickr X, but unlike the previous best buy, Wahoo has stripped back the extras, dropped the price, and made sure you never have to deal with another battery.

It still uses an EKG sensor that holds up on the accuracy front even when I trained at a high intensity and compared results with Polar’s gold standard H10 chest strap and a Garmin one. An IPX7 water rating means it’s off limits to swimmers, though the ability to pair up to three Bluetooth devices at the same time makes it prime billing for anyone looking to set up both indoor or outdoor bikes.

Wahoo has also ditched the onboard memory; instead they've focused on adding a rechargeable battery that will last for more than 100 hours. A battery drop of 1 percent from a single hour of exercise is testament that it will last a long time before you need to grab the proprietary charging cable. It’s cheaper than most of the strap competition too, but impressively delivers where it matters. If you want an affordable option for your bootcamp or marathon training runs, the Trackr is ideal.

4iiii is perhaps best known for its cycling power meters. With the Viiiiva chest strap, fans of two wheels and everyone else can get an accurate hit of heart rate data on a budget. The V100 uses an EKG sensor like other chest straps, with an IPX7-rated design that makes it strong enough to be submerged in water at up to 1-meter depth for 30 minutes, but you’ll still need to hand-wash it when it’s drenched in sweat.

It’s powered by a coin cell battery, giving you 160 hours of tracking time and storage to cover 65 hours of training. This affordable chest strap monitor offers typical chest strap-level accuracy, even for high intensity workouts. Along with offering Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity to let you wirelessly pair it up with pretty much any device you could want, 4iiii offers an ANT+ bridge. That means it can also collect data from ANT+ sensors and devices like indoor trainers and send that information to your paired iPhone or Android phone. That makes it useful for Zwift fans particularly, to bridge the connectivity gap to the mainly Bluetooth-friendly virtual cycling platform.

While some try to dispute it, the Apple Watch remains the standout smartwatch. Part of its mass appeal is its ability to take similar sensors found inside rival smartwatches, but deliver a more compelling level of accuracy and insight. The result is a watch that makes a fine training companion and also a potentially life-saving wearable.

Apple sticks to the same third-generation optical heart rate sensor included on the Watch Series 8 and also matches that up with its latest EKG one. The optical sensor is the best-performing wrist-based heart rate monitor I’ve tested, in particular at high intensity.

If you don’t trust it, Apple makes it supremely easy to pair external monitors over Bluetooth. Flip over to the EKG and you have a sensor that has the regulatory approval to detect signs of atrial fibrillation, a serious heart disorder. Yes, other smartwatches have this too, but it’s the presentation and the ability to consummate ease to share that data that puts Apple above the rest. To round things off, you have an extensive array of third-party apps that can harness that heart rate data and take Apple’s already-great heart rate tracking skills and put them to even greater use.

If you’ve already got a Garmin watch on your wrist or a Garmin bike computer mounted to your handlebar, the HRM-Pro Plus offers a seamless route to more accurate heart rate data so you can better gauge your fitness levels and recovery needs.

The EKG sensor didn’t falter at high intensity when I tested it out on runs, indoor HIIT bike sessions, or bodyweight workouts. It’s now much easier to remove the battery than with Garmin’s earlier chest strap, though you won’t need to think about that for at least a year. The ANT+ and Bluetooth support mean it works with apps and platforms like Zwift, and there were no flaky pairing issues with the latest Fenix, Forerunner, or AMOLED-packing Epix watches. Extra features include advanced running metrics, like vertical oscillation and ground contact time, to help you dig deeper into your form. And if you want to wear it for a game of soccer, it’ll double as an activity tracker to count steps and intensity minutes.

Heart rate monitoring armbands are the new kid in town here, and while the Coros Heart Rate isn’t the most feature-packed option, it has the most likable design in terms of everyday comfort. You’re also much less likely to misplace the Coros compared to other armband monitors.

Coros pairs up a not-too-dainty, five-LED light-packing sensor with a velcro strap that has a welcome stretch to it due to a mix of polyester, nylon, and spandex. It’s just Bluetooth connectivity here, so no love for ANT+ fans, but this monitor can connect to sports watches, connected gym equipment, and indoor trainers, so don’t sweat it. We’ve found that on runs, indoor rides, and high-intensity workouts, this monitor was typically 1-3 BPM out from a heart rate monitor chest strap—so it’s up to you whether that’s a trade-off between practicality and accuracy that makes sense. It lacks the storage capacity you get with rival HR armbands like the Polar Verity Sense ($95) and Scosche Rhythm24 ($50), though it does have a useful notification light to let you know when you’ve maxed out on the 38 hours of battery it can muster up on a single charge.

The Whoop has emerged as the go-to wearable if you're keen on tracking health metrics but don’t want a smartwatch or a new style smart ring like the Ultrahuman. The Whoop is a screenless tracker that hides its optical sensor technology behind a host of stylish straps, giving it fashion rather than fitness vibes.

It is designed to never be taken off—to better track and understand your body's needs—and as such, can be worn in the shower or for a swim. To charge, you simply clip on a wireless battery pack, which means not a single heart beat is missed.

Whoop’s core principles of tracking recovery, strain, and sleep are heavily rooted in its ability to accurately track your heart rate. Whoop acknowledges that heart rate positioning is key, so it offers a range of straps and clothing. Move it to your bicep with the additional bicep strap to get the best heart rate accuracy for high intensity workouts like HIIT classes. Leave it on the wrist for more stationary workouts and when you’re taking it to bed. You even have the option to pop the tracker out and wear it in a pair of underwear if you really don’t want it attached to your body.

It is also one of the best sleep trackers in the business. The app is extremely comprehensive, and while it can't quite replace a sports watch, the Whoop will reliably capture your heart rate variability measurements and help you better understand the importance of effort and recovery. Just be prepared to pay the pricey monthly ($16/£16) or annual subscription to make the most of it.

While it’s tough to know where the future lies for Fitbit’s smartwatches, the Charge 6 (7/10, WIRED Recommends), its flagship fitness tracker, strengthens its monitoring powers, notably in the heart rate tracking department.

It relies on a similar optical sensor setup to the Charge 5, reliably delivering metrics like resting heart rate. It also dips into heart rate variability to estimate when you’re feeling stressed. In the exercise-tracking realm, that sensor performed better for workouts, with Fitbit delivering on that promised 60 percent improved accuracy compared to the Charge 5. That's across stationary sessions like indoor rows and HIIT sessions, and when putting the not-so-fantastic built-in GPS to outdoor use. However, it does still occasionally have its moments throwing up wildly high average and maximum readings. Now you can make the most of that (mostly) reliable tracking and transmit it to connected gym equipment like rowers and treadmills. An EKG sensor gives the Charge 6 the power to assess your heart rate rhythm for atrial fibrillation, bringing a health feature typically reserved for more expensive smartwatches to the much cheaper Charge 6.

Why would you want a heart rate monitor? What kind of information do you need to see, and when and how will you wear the device? Answering these questions will help you get a heart rate monitor that not only delivers wearability, accuracy, and value, but ensuirte you strap it to the ideal part of your body.

Wearing one on the wrist, as part of a smartwatch, may be the most convenient way to track heart rate, though a strap—typically on the chest or, more recently, the upper arm or bicep—can generate more accurate data for activities like exercise.

If you want to track heart rate during sleep, make sure you opt for a form factor that isn’t going to feel bulky or become a nuisance for your sleeping companion. If you’re hoping to use it with other fitness equipment or a watch, look for the type of Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity support to do that with single or multiple devices.

All of the heart rate monitors tested here do a pretty impeccable job at tracking your heart, but what does all of the data actually mean, and what is it actually telling you?

Heart rate zones

If someone tells you they’ve been doing Zone 2 training for instance, they’ve been doing a heart rate zone-based workout time. Heart rate zones are basically a way of breaking down your ranges of effort during exercise. It’s based on your maximum heart rate (more on that below), representing working at a percentage of that maximum heart rate. Zones go from 1 to 5, with 5 indicating working at 90 to 100 percent of your maximum heart rate, so your maximum effort. Zone 2 represents training at 60 to 70 percent of maximum heart rate and represents light training. You can calculate your heart rate using this simple calculator that Polar has built.

Maximum heart rate

Some monitors can inform you of your maximum heart rate, which is the number of beats your heart can reach during exercise. Knowing this information is useful for exercise to better understand when you’re training at your peak intensity and can be used to create heart rate zones. Aspects such as age and level of fitness can influence what that maximum heart rate will be. You can generate an estimate of your maximum heart rate by simply subtracting your age from 220 and use that at a starting point. You can also perform your own test to more accurately reflect that information. Again, Polar offers a good example of a test you can do yourself to calculate this.

VO2 Max

This is a fitness metric that has been around for a long time and has been rebranded or renamed by some smartwatch makers. It wants to tell you how strong your cardiovascular fitness is, and provide a useful indicator of your endurance to sustain intense exercise for long periods. The term VO2 Max stands for maximum rate of oxygen your body can consume during exercise. Seeing a high VO2 Max score is a sign of a boost in the rate of oxygen you can consume. Calculating this accurately is done in lab conditions, so heart rate monitors and watches will use their own algorithms to replace some of that lab testing to provide a simpler way to present that metric.

Heart rate variability

There’s been more talk about heart rate variability (HRV) than there has ever been in respect to wearables and that’s because the heart rate measurement is becoming key to unlocking what they can tell us about recovery, stress and even when you might be getting ill. Heart rate variability measures the intervals between heart beats and is measured in milliseconds. Seeing high HRV readings is generally considered better than seeing lower ones where low readings could be an indicator that the body is under stress. What a high or low reading is for one person can differ for another because it can be influenced by age, health and even when the measurement was taken.

Resting heart rate

This is the number of times your heart beats in one minute when at rest. It’s information because it can be a simple indicator of your current level of cardiovascular fitness and general wellbeing. Typically, your heart rate is supposed to sit anywhere from 60 to 100 bpm at rest. A lower heart rate reading than that could be a possible indicator of an underlying issue, though it is also associated with athletes because their heart has been trained to be more efficient at pumping blood to help maintain performance. So, lower is better, but seeing it low or extremely high when you’re not a very active and fit person could prompt that something isn’t quite right.

Calories burned by heart rate

This is essentially a heart rate monitor’s way of estimating calorie burn based on your heart rate data. It’s looking at your effort based on heart rate and using the company’s own algorithms to offer an indicator of how many calories you’ve burned during a workout. Using heart rate, which is one of the strongest if not strongest indicators of effort, makes it one of the more reliable ways to work this information out.

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