Looking for a heart rate monitor to help take your training to the next level? Here are some of our top picks…
Depending how seriously you’re taking your training, or what school of thought you’re part of, having reliable heart rate data can be invaluable.
That’s because it’ll allow you to control the intensity of your training to achieve your desired results, whether that’s staying in Zone 2 for a low impact session or opting to take on some intervals.
While many of the best triathlon watches offer very accurate heart rate tracking, they still don’t quite reach the high levels of accuracy you can get from many dedicated heart rate monitors, particularly during higher intensity sessions.
So, with that in mind, here’s a selection of the best heart rate monitors around.
Best heart rate monitors for running and triathlon
Garmin Pro Plus
- £119.99
Garmin’s HRM-Pro Plus is the upgrade over the HRM-Pro, but the only difference is around the battery unit.
That seems like marketing gone hyperbolic but it’s an important change for triathletes as the cover is more water secure than its older sibling.
This is damn useful as the Pro Plus stores swim heart-rate data, albeit it doesn’t stay quite as firmly in place as Garmin’s HRM-Swim, which features a wider strap.
When used as a standalone device, it records the basics of steps, all-day heart rate, calories burnt and intensity (in minutes).
With our Garmin Enduro strapped on, we tapped into a whole host of running metrics that are next level.
These include ground contact time and vertical oscillation which, granted, you might use sparingly out of interest more than anything else, but also power, which is becoming an increasingly popular run metric for triathletes.
It also calibrates for treadmill running by gauging stride patterns at different intensities when running outdoors.
It needs about two hours of pavement pounding to start calibration, which doesn’t need to be in one session.
It supports Bluetooth and ANT+ and picked up our Zwift sessions quick-smart (which also means it links with other watches). All in all, it’s very good, though costly for this genre of training tool.
Verdict: Impressive chest strap maximised by existing Garmin users.
Score: 82%
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Polar H10 Heart Rate Monitor
Designed to assist each triathlon discipline, this heart rate monitor from Polar promises particularly precise results to a swimming depth of 30m, though you’ll probably have to transfer the data to your watch afterward, as Bluetooth doesn’t transmit data in water.
The silicon strap is made with a slip-proof material to help stop it moving around when you’re in the water, and it has 400 hours of battery, which means you can take in plenty of metrics to measure your performance over an extended period of time before needing to pop a new battery in.
Accuracy is very good indeed, while Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity means you can use this monitor with many different devices.
Verdict: Reliable and comfortable. Read our full Polar H10 review for more.
Score: 86%
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Polar Verity Sense
- £86.50
What’s the point of an arm-based heart rate monitor over a wrist-based monitor, you may ask? Well, there’s certainly anecdotal evidence from sport scientists who work with athletes that they feel it’s more accurate.
That’s significantly down to the compression you can enjoy with an arm strap compared to wrist alternative, which is the ideal when using an optical sensor.
We’ll come back to accuracy but more on the usability first. It has three modes – heart rate, record and swimming – that you switch between via one button, before slotting into the arm band.
Heart rate transmits your bpm to either the Polar Flow app on your smartphone or a compatible device, which are many as it has both Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity. We synced it to our Polar Grit and it worked well.
The record feature does as it says: records the session, though this time in the Verity itself, which you can then download to the app afterwards. Simple.
And then there’s the swim mode, which is arguably the greatest sell to triathletes, though note that it’s for indoor swims only. You choose the pool size on your Polar app and the Verity will do the rest, which really is about monitoring heart rate as it’s not about measuring factors like stroke rate.
It measures heart rate via a goggle clip and your pulsating temple, which we felt proved pretty accurate. Our slight ambivalence is it’s very hard to have a standard to compare against in the swim as it’s notoriously hard to measure.
As per many optical sensors, there’s a slight lag on tougher efforts, especially circuit training, but overall we were impressed. Whether you need an extra heart-rate tool in your armoury remains to be seen.
Verdict: A solid offering, though it might not appeal to all.
Score: 77%
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Wahoo Tickr Heart Rate Monitor
If you’d prefer a heart rate monitor that sits outside the Garmin or Polar range, it’s well worth considering the Tickr from Wahoo, particular if you have other devices from the brand already.
Made to clip on and take off with ease, it has a front snap fastener for simple access with a smooth and slimline design that shouldn’t feel uncomfortable at any point of your workout.
Thanks to the LED lights that will flash on when it’s in use, there’ll be no confusion over whether you’ve actually turned it on either, so no nasty surprises and disappointments when you go to collect your data at the end of the event.
See our full Wahoo Tickr review for more.
Verdict: A handy, top value training tool for triathletes.
Score: 89%
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Kalenji Dual ANT+ HRM
- Buy now from Decathlon
This slimline device from Kalenji will track all your essential training details while remaining comfortably on your body throughout your intense workouts, thanks to its soft strap.
It’s water resistant, so while it’s not ideal for swimming, it can withstand some sweat or splashes should the weather turn on your run. It will pair with devices such as your smartphone or triathlon watch via ANT+ or Bluetooth so you can take a closer look at your measurements.
It also has a clever eco-friendly design, with the promise that over 80% of issues that result in a break or fault can be repaired so you can hold onto your device for longer.
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Top image credit: Getty Images