5/23/2023 0 Comments Smart watch heart monitorBut if you use heart rate seriously for fitness, you might care more about this issue. Is it enough of a difference to matter to the typical consumer? Probably not. Optical monitors tend to lag slightly when it comes to detecting rapid heart rate change. In our testing, chest straps are much more accurate than optical heart monitors for this kind of reading. Heart rate recovery, or how quickly your heart rate decreases after intense activity, is a great measurement of one's health and fitness. There is one more use of heart rate data, and here, accuracy does matter more, but it's a different kind of accuracy. The point, again, is that knowing the exact number of beats per minute isn't as important as knowing the reading falls within a general range. Many fitness apps and smart home gym machines that pair with HRMs either estimate or calibrate custom heart rate zones for you, and show them on a graph with the zones blocked out in different colors. Similarly, when people use their heart rate for training and exercise, the exact number of beats per minute matters less than the heart rate zone. The point is that a fine degree of accuracy isn't important for most consumers. If your heart rate is 80 when it should be closer to 60, that's a potential concern. It's more important to know whether your resting heart rate is within a healthy range. More importantly, ask your doctor whether they care if your resting heart rate is, say, 58 versus 60. It's easy to read resting heart rate with or without a device, as well as compare data across methods. You can also read it using a free app and a smartphone camera (Opens in a new window). You can read it by feeling your pulse with two fingers and counting it. There are generally two reasons consumers (i.e., not medical professionals or elite athletes) want to know their heart rate data: to know their resting heart rate and to use heart rate data for exercise and training. Now that you know a little about how different HRMs work and why some are more accurate than others, it's important to address the issue of how much accuracy matters. The skin of the ear works better for optical readings than the skin on the arm, as well. In-ear optical HRMs tend to be better than wrist-based ones because the ear doesn't move nearly as much. Measurements from the arm and wrist are more difficult because those body parts can swing rapidly during activity, thus creating noisier data. (Valencell, a company that makes HRMs and parts, has a detailed description of how optical heart rate sensors work (Opens in a new window).)Įlectrical technology tends to be more accurate. Based on that information and what we know about how light scatters when it hits blood, these sensors translate the data into a pulse measurement. Optical technology sends light into the skin and reads the light that reflects back. Without getting too technical, chest straps read the small electrical signal your body creates to make your heart constrict. Top to bottom: Peloton Heart Rate Band, Polar OH1 Make sure to read our buying guide at the end as well for some relevant shopping advice. We cover all the benefits of these separate monitors and list our favorites below. This article looks at standalone HRMs, though many pair with a fitness tracker or a sports watch for convenience. There are many types and styles of monitors available, including those that come in some of our favorite fitness trackers and other health and fitness tech. Another reason to own a HRM is to keep an eye on your resting heart rate with a device that can automatically record it for you. Sometimes you might want to keep your heart rate relatively low to burn fat or pace yourself for a longer workout, but other times you might want to push it higher to build stamina. Training intelligently means using heart rate data to guide your workouts. Exercise has dramatically different effects on the body depending on how high you push your heart rate and for how long. Heart rate monitors (HRMs) can be immensely beneficial if you know how to use the information they collect. Read our editorial mission (Opens in a new window) & see how we test (Opens in a new window). Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions. How to Set Up Two-Factor Authentication.How to Record the Screen on Your Windows PC or Mac.How to Convert YouTube Videos to MP3 Files.How to Save Money on Your Cell Phone Bill.How to Free Up Space on Your iPhone or iPad.
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