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I’ve contemplated buying a chest strap heart rate monitor for the longest time. I have a Garmin Vivoactive 3 watch, and it records everything that I need – distance, speed, and heart rate (well, kind of). Not only do I find the heart rate to be inaccurate with some activities, but when I’m on the water, I place my GPS watch at the front of my outrigger canoe, so it doesn’t record my heart rate at all.
A few reasons why I took the plunge to get a heart rate monitor for myself are the following.
- Incorporate heart rate to fine-tune my training
- Accurately measure heart rate
- Measure heart rate in activities when wearing a watch is inconvenient (like watersports)
Heart rate monitors are not essential by any means. I’ve gone without one for a very long time as a strength and endurance athlete. But if you can afford to spend anywhere from $30 to $150 to experiment and improve performance with heart rate training, keep reading to learn how you can use a heart rate monitor and some of my favorite picks out there.
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What Are The Benefits Of Using A Chest Strap Heart Rate Monitor
So owning a heart rate monitor isn’t necessary if you’re not interested in performance and experimentation. But if you are, here’s how a chest strap heart rate monitor can benefit you.
1. Incorporate heart rate into training
You might be asking yourself, what’s the significance of measuring heart rate? Your heart rate is one of the best indicators of how hard your body is working while exercising. The varying frequency, duration, and intensity based on heart rate zones in training make regimens effective by targeting specific goals and allocating sufficient time to recover.
| Zone | % Of Max HR | Fitness Goal | Benefits |
| 1 | 50-60% | Warm-up or cooldown | Boost recovery and get you ready for higher heart rate zones. |
| 2 | 60-70% | Aerobic endurance | Sustain long periods of activity to improve general endurance. |
| 3 | 70-80% | Aerobic power | Improve the efficiency of blood circulation, and lactic acid starts building up. |
| 4 | 80-90% | Anaerobic endurance | Increase anaerobic tolerance, maximum performance capacity, and high-speed endurance. |
| 5 | 90-100% | Max performance capacity | Develops maximum performance and speed. |
If you don’t know your maximum heart rate, a good rule of thumb is to subtract your age from 220. I’m 28 years old. So my estimated maximum heart rate would be calculated as 220 – 28 = 192 beats per minute (bpm). That’s pretty accurate!
Based on that calculation, here are the estimated ranges of heart rate measured in beats per minute (bpm) by heart rate zone and age.
| Zone | Age 20 | Age 30 | Age 40 | Age 50 | Age 60 |
| 1 | 100-120 | 95-114 | 90-108 | 85-102 | 80-96 |
| 2 | 120-140 | 114-133 | 108-126 | 102-119 | 96-112 |
| 3 | 140-160 | 133-152 | 126-144 | 119-136 | 112-128 |
| 4 | 160-180 | 152-171 | 144-162 | 136-153 | 128-144 |
| 5 | 180-200 | 171-190 | 162-180 | 153-170 | 144-160 |
How you incorporate heart rate zones into your training plan depends on what you’re trying to achieve. Whatever your goals are, your training plan should include a mix of workouts that cover each heart rate zone. If you’re only focusing on a few zones all the time, you’re losing out on the benefits of the other zones. The best training plan incorporates a system that works for you and your goals.
2. Accurately measure heart rate
Research from the National Library of Medicine found the chest strap monitor (Polar H7) to be the most accurate compared to the wrist-worn watches (Apple Watch, Fitbit Blaze, Garmin Forerunner 235, and TomTom Spark Cardio) and forearm monitors (Scosche Rhythm+) when tested against the electrocardiogram (ECG)
Chest strap monitors utilize electrodes pressed against your skin to record your heart’s electrical activity. Optical heart rate monitors (wrist and forearm monitors), on the other hand, shine light through your skin to detect fluctuations in blood flow to determine heart rate. Because of this, optical heart rate monitors more variable based on lighting, skin color, etc.
3. Measure heart rate without a watch on
I don’t always have my GPS watch on my wrist while I exercise.
Here are a few reasons you might not want to use a wrist or forearm monitor while exercising.
- Use watch as a display (canoe, kayak, rowing)
- Skin irritation on the arm
Best Overall Chest Strap Heart Rate Monitor
It took me a long time to decide on which chest strap heart rate monitor to get. I prioritized quality while still being practical about the decision. In the end, it came down to three players – Polar H10, Garmin HRM-Pro, and Wahoo TICKR X.
Here’s a comparison of the Polar H10 versus Garmin HRM-Pro versus Wahoo TICKR X.
| Polar H10 | Garmin HRM-Pro | Wahoo TICKR X | |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth and ANT+ | Bluetooth and ANT+ | Bluetooth and ANT+ |
| Compatible apps/devices | Polar Beat/Flow App via Android or IOS, GPS watches, gym equipment | Garmin Connect App via Android or IOS, GPS watches, gym equipment | Wahoo Fitness App via Android 6 or newer or IOS iPhone 4s or newer, GPS watches, gym equipment |
| Memory | Saves 30 hours of heart rate data from one training session | 18 hours of data | 50 hours of data |
| Comfort | Soft material, silicone dots, and a secure buckle to keep the strap in place | Lightweight monitor and soft strap | Lightweight monitor, but not as smooth and secure as the Polar H10 and Garmin HRM-Pro |
| Battery | 400 hours, replace by using a coin to unscrew the lid | 365 hours, replace by removing 4 little screws (more challenging) | 500 hours, replace by using a coin to unscrew the lid |
| Water Resistance | 30 m (suitable for swimming) | 50 m (suitable for swimming) | 5 feet (suitable for swimming) |
| Perks | Record and store data on its own without a phone or watch | Captures running dynamics (vertical oscillation, ground contact time, stride length, vertical ratio, and more) | The top LED lights display confirmation of connection status |
| Price | ~$90 | ~$130 | ~$80 |
I went with the Polar H10 because it’s the best all-around heart rate monitor in the market. I couldn’t justify paying over $100 for the Garmin HRM-Pro that offers perks for runners when I don’t run often. And the Wahoo TICKR X seems to be in a similar price range, but the strap is less comfortable and secure. It’s no wonder why they say that the Polar H10 is the gold standard for chest strap heart rate monitors.
You might have different priorities, and therefore one of the other HR monitors might be more fitting.
Best Budget Chest Strap Heart Rate Monitor
If you aren’t looking to shell out too much money for a heart rate monitor, some inexpensive options provide equally accurate data, but without all the bells and whistles.
The CooSpo connects to Android and IOS phones, GPS watches, and gym equipment via Bluetooth and ANT+. You can get your hands on the CooSpo for half the price of the ones mentioned above, but don’t expect memory storage, water resistance, and high-quality data from apps. You can, however, connect it with most fitness apps (Strava, Wahoo Fitness, Polar Beat, DDP yoga, HR monitor, Openrider, Zwift, Runtastic, Coosporide).
Get your HR Monitor on Amazon: here
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