Hear Rate Monitors - wrist or strap
proto
Posts: 1,483
Have a Garmin 500 and the Garmin HR chest strap. Would prefer to use a wrist monitor, purely for convenience.
I know there are plenty of fitness tracker/watch type devices but is there a cheaper 'pared' down strap that will just detect HR (and nothing else) and link to the 500?
I know there are plenty of fitness tracker/watch type devices but is there a cheaper 'pared' down strap that will just detect HR (and nothing else) and link to the 500?
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Mio Link (http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2014/01/mio-link-first-look.html) is probably your best bet, but not cheaper than the Garmin strap.0
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Mio Link (http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2014/01/mio-link-first-look.html) is probably your best bet, but not cheaper than the Garmin strap.
I thought that would be rubbish but it actually looks quite good. Now if there was such a thing as a watch which also did HR via ANT+ and BTLE then that's something I could wear all the time.0 -
Thanks, just stumbled over the Mio Link myself. Not too fussed about cost. DC Rainmaker reckons it works well.
http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2014/01/mio-link-first-look.html
I'll order one now from Merlin Cycles
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Mio Link (http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2014/01/mio-link-first-look.html) is probably your best bet, but not cheaper than the Garmin strap.
I thought that would be rubbish but it actually looks quite good. Now if there was such a thing as a watch which also did HR via ANT+ and BTLE then that's something I could wear all the time.
Mio fuse? Based on the same tech as the link but with some extra features (and a much higher price!)0 -
I'm following this thread with interest as I want to get away from chest straps but haven't found a wrist-worn optical sensor that's as accurate as a chest strap with electrodes.0
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They look interesting. Although putting on a strap can be a pain, at least you don't have to charge it. I've been using a Wahoo TICKR since January and haven't had to change the battery yet.0
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I had a world of problems with the chest strap monitor - just did not work reliably and felt less than comfortable. I have the Mio wrist strap and find it is a vast improvement on the chest strap. Not sure about it's ability to last for a full day's riding but I can live with that compromise.
Peter0 -
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I got tired of chest strap sensors only lasting a year and also not recording properly unless I had a sweat worked up so I've just changed to a Mio Link. Certainly nice not to have a chest strap and the Mio works right from the off without requiring damp skin. Generally it works well and gives believable results however now and again for a couple of minutes it will give ridiculously high readings. I think this is down to me still working out the best place on my arm to place it and how tight it needs to be. So far I've switched from wearing it like a normal wrist watch to having it on my wrist but with the sensor under my wrist rather than on top which seems to be helping. If I get the above bug sorted out if it lasts three years I'll be quids in compared to normal chest sensors.0
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In my experience I think the last post on that thread is a fair assessment.0 -
I've the Mio Fuse for six months and have mixed feelings about it. Battery life is easily long enough for several hours in the saddle, but it's HR detection can be hit and miss — it reckoned I was at 80bpm on a steep climb the other day, before jumping to 140 when I reached the top. That happens a lot, for no obvious reason and it often just drops of out monitoring mode on a ride, too. It's more comfortable than a chest strap, but reliability seems to be a serious issue.0
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Something that concerns me about wrist-based HRMs is that you often have to wear them very tightly around your wrist. I wouldn't really feel too comfortable about that as you absolutely will be restricting blood flow to your hand very slightly.
At least the better chest-strap HRMs are very comfortable to wear (e.g. the Polar ones - Wearlink+, H7, etc). Yes, the cheaper ones are not very comfortable but the better ones are. However, they do entail wetting the electrodes and fixing around your chest so aren't particularly easy and convenient to wear. But I do find that once worn, they are fine.0 -
I have found with my Wahoo Tickr that no electrode wetting or anything like that is necessary.0
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Been using a Mio Link for 6 months or so. Heart rate reading is too unreliable for serious training, often seems to read too low by about half and has peaks that are too high.
However I will keep using it instead of a chest strap, it is much more convenient and I can work out myself when the reading is miles out0
