A smartwatch is a great way to monitor your heart rate to improve your athletic performance or simply measure your stress levels.
Here are 11 of the best heart rate monitor watches of 2022, divided by category.
How we chose the best by category
To test all watches, the following considerations were made:
Function
- What does the watch do besides providing sports modes for cycling, jogging, etc.?
- How can these settings be adjusted to your personal performance and medical needs?
- What other features are available, and how does the activity tracking work outside of workout sessions?
- Does it include an app to connect to phones and stream exercise data between them?
Accuracy
- Most of the best pulse watches come with Global Positioning System and the capability to measure the pulse at the wrist.
- To assess the accuracy of their function, these have been compared to known distances and more precise pulse straps.
Battery and use
- How long does the battery last both while working out and for daily use?
- Are the controls simple to use in every mode?
11 of the best heart rate monitor watches
1. Best overall: Fitbit Versa 3
- Get a daily readiness score that indicates whether you should concentrate on recovery or exercise (needs a Fitbit Premium membership). Premium content recommendations might only be accessible in English and may not be available in all regions.
- Use the built-in GPS to run, bike, hike, and perform other activities without a phone while seeing your current pace and distance. Then look at your workout intensity map in the Fitbit app.
- Active zone minutes measure exercise effort based on your resting heart rate and buzz you when you increase the intensity so you can get the most out of your workouts. The Fitbit Versa 3 is water-resistant up to 50 meters.
- With Purepulse 2.0, Fitbit's improved heart rate technology, you can more accurately track heart rate around the clock.
- For a 6-month trial of the Fitbit premium for new premium users, utilize the built-in Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa to obtain instant news, set alarms and reminders for bedtime, and more.
- With fast charging, you can get one day's worth of battery life in just 12 minutes and 6+ days of battery life on a full charge (battery life varies with use and other factors; up to 12 hours with continuous GPS)
- Store and play music & podcasts on Deezer or Pandora, plus manage Spotify—all from your wrist.
- Track your time in light, deep, and REM sleep, then get your sleep score to better understand your sleep quality each night. Music services require subscriptions and are not available in all countries.
2. Best under $100: Willful Waterproof Smart Watch IP68
- Compatible with the majority of cell phones running Android 4.4 and above and iOS 8.0. You may receive calendar, SMS, incoming call, and SNS (Facebook, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and more) alerts on this watch, and it will never let you miss anything important. Download and install the free "Veryfit Pro" app and connect this wristwatch to your smartphone.
- An accurate fitness tracker supports 9 sports, including walking, running, bicycling, hiking, mountaineering, dynamic cycling, fitness, treadmill, and yoga. Record all your daily activities, including your steps, distance traveled, calories burned, miles walked, and active minutes. May keep track of all your exercise routes, distances, and physical state. Keep yourself inspired throughout the day.
- A heart rate monitor & sleep tracker allows you to automatically track your heart rate in real-time and provide you with a thorough analysis of the type of sleep you get (deep sleep, light sleep, and wake-up time) to assist you in leading a better lifestyle.
- Willful smartwatches are constructed with an IP68 waterproof rating, so you can swim in the pool with them without worrying. They also have long-lasting batteries. Longer endurance is offered by large capacity and low power consumption designs. It supports 7 days of typical use and 30 days of standby time.
- The smartwatch also includes a number of useful tools, including alarm clocks, a stopwatch, a timer, a deep breathing aid, a music controller, a sedentary reminder, the ability to alter brightness, and a find phone feature.
3. Best splurge: Apple Watch Series 7
- With approximately 20% more screen space than series 6, the always-on retina display makes everything easier to see and utilize. The most resistant front crystal on an Apple watch to date, IP6X dust resistance, and swim-proof design.
- Using a powerful sensor and software, measure your blood oxygen levels.
- Anytime, anywhere, take an ECG
- Receive alerts for high and low heart rates and irregular heartbeats.
- Utilize the brand-new Mindfulness app to remain present. To reach your sleep goals, use the Sleep app.
- Track new tai chi and Pilates workouts in addition to classics like running, yoga, swimming, and dancing.
- Track your daily exercise using an Apple Watch and see your trends with an iPhone’s fitness app.
- Sync your podcasts and music preferences.
- Battery life lasts all day.
- Additionally, for seamless integration with the case, the light at the display's edge is refracted to provide a slight wraparound appearance. As a result, you can view the time and other information on your watch face without having to raise your wrist or touch the screen because the display is constantly on.
4. Best for people with heart problems: Garmin Vivo smart 4
- Slim, smart activity tracker with elegant metal accents, a clear, easy-to-read display, and fashionable design.
- Has REM sleep tracking for enhanced sleep analysis, and the wrist-mounted Pulse Ox sensor can measure blood oxygen saturation levels throughout the night. (Not a medical device, and not intended for use in the diagnosis or surveillance of any medical condition.)
- Tools for tracking fitness and health include an estimated wrist-based heart rate, body battery energy monitor, all-day stress tracker, relaxation breathing timer, Vo2 Max, and more.
- Has specific timers for different types of exercise, including walks, runs, strength training, yoga, and swimming in pools; Lens material: polycarbonate.
- Receive vibration alerts for all notifications, like calls, messages, and more (text replies available for Android device users). 48 × 128-pixel display resolution.
- Connect to your compatible smartphone's GPS to receive precise tracking during outside walks and runs.
- Battery life lasts up to 7 days (excluding pulse ox sleep tracking).
- Fits wrists measuring 122-188 mm in circumference.
5. Best for workouts: Amazfit GTR 3
- The user-friendly Zepp OS makes it simple to find what you're looking for among the applications available for the Amazfit GTR 3 wristwatch. With the majority of animations running at 60 frames per second and a specially designed user interface, the Zepp OS makes finding the feature you need a seamless interaction that uses less power. Experience a tiny app framework with a vibrant ecosystem that includes more than 10 mini apps, including the third-party Home Connect app.
- With Alexa, which is built into the Amazfit GTR 3 smartwatch, you can easily set an alarm, ask a question, get a translation, and much more. If you are not connected to the internet and are out and about, the smartwatch has an offline voice assistant that allows you to perform operations such as activating a sports mode or opening a health metric feature by voice command.
- The GTR 3 smartwatch manages to combine a potent battery that can last up to 21 days while maintaining the elegant elegance only found in classic round watches but housing a large number of modern capabilities within its slim and light design.
- Allows you to test your heart rate, blood-oxygen saturation, stress level, and breathing rate in just one tap. The results are available in as little as 45 seconds. Get the information you require, and then go about your day.
- Supports GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BDS, and QZSS satellite navigation systems to precisely trace your journey. To assist you in keeping track of the height and air pressure of your outside activities, it also has a built-in barometric altimeter.
6. Best for runners: Garmin Forerunner 45S
- A smaller, simpler running watch that is easier to use calculates heart rate at the wrist and supports Garmin Coach training plans GPS tracking capabilities for pace, distance, intervals, and more
- Compatible with the free Garmin Coach Adaptive training plans that deliver professional, individualized coaching to your smart. Smartphone compatibility: iPhone, Android
- Connected features include smart notifications for incoming texts and calls, automated uploads to our Garmin Connect online community, live tracking, and controls for the music playing on your linked compatible smartphone.
- Security and monitoring Features include incident detection (during specific activities), which alerts your real-time position to emergency contacts through your associated compatible smartphone.
7. Best for cyclists: Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
- You can obtain readings of your body mass index, basal metabolic rate, body water, and skeletal muscle on your own timetable.
- With comprehensive sleep tracking, you can wake up feeling renewed and refreshed. Your Galaxy Watch4 sleep tracker begins continually monitoring your spo2 levels as you go to sleep.
- Watch out for potential atrial fibrillation, a common type of abnormal heart rhythm, and take good care of your heart with appropriate ECG monitoring; Using the Samsung health monitor app on a compatible Galaxy phone, communicate tailored readings with your doctor.
- Make every Activity count: Get the most out of each workout with advanced workout monitoring that can quickly and accurately identify 6 common activities, such as swimming, rowing, and jogging, in just 3 minutes; Connect to live coaching sessions via your smartphone or participate in exciting group challenges with your friends to stay motivated.
- VO2 Max readings measure your oxygen levels to control and monitor your heart and lung endurance.
- Keep in touch with calls, texts, notifications, and music streaming with the capabilities of your phone conveniently located on your smart.
- Access a few select Google services and apps from the comfort of your smartphone
8. Best with chest strap: Polar Vantage V2
- Increase the efficiency and precision of your training with running power without the need for additional sensors or foot pods.
- With up to 40 hours of GPS-enabled training time, the rugged and waterproof Polar Vantage V can handle both your toughest workouts and the most grueling races.
- Accurate optical HR monitoring for 130+ sports including swimming, cycling, and running.
- Gain a thorough understanding of how your workouts affect your body, monitor your level of recovery, and learn more about your sleep with recovery pro (needs Polar H10 HR sensor).
- When combined with Polar flow and Polar flow for coaches, Polar Vantage V creates a comprehensive activity and training solution that addresses every aspect of a professional athlete's training and instantly syncs training data to Strava, training peaks, or other online sports communities.
9. Best for older adults: Omron Heart Guard
- Take a clinically accurate blood pressure reading in as little as 30 seconds with a blood pressure monitor.
- Use colored charts to monitor your blood pressure and identify patterns over time.
- Monitor your fitness, set objectives, and track your daily activity levels.
- Wear before bed to monitor sleep patterns and understand how they impact heart health.
10. Best for overall health: Fitbit Sense
- The EDA Scan app measures electrodermal activity, which could be a sign of how your body reacts to stress. A built-in skin temperature sensor also records yours each night so you can observe when it varies.
- Check your heart for atrial fibrillation, or a heart rhythm irregularity, and simply share results with your doctor.
- A skin temperature sensor worn around the wrist records yours every night so you can observe changes. With the help of our selection of clock faces, you can easily quickly determine your overnight blood oxygen levels. Operating altitude maximum: 28,000 feet
- Battery lasts 6+ days, and quick charging offers you a full day's charge in just 12 minutes.
- High and low heart rate notifications alert you if yours seems above or below your average.
- Use built-in GPS during runs, hikes, rides, and more to check pace, and distance without your phone, and use the built-in mic and speaker to take Bluetooth calls hands-free when I can see your phone now.
- Use Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa to speak to your watch to set alarms and reminders for bedtime, manage your smart home devices, and more.
11. Best for swimming: Suunto 3 Fitness
- This activity monitor sports watch accurately records steps, exercise, stress, and recovery; Personalized 7-day plans are made using adaptive training guidelines to help you maintain or increase your fitness level.
- This fitness watch gives you a complete picture of your daily activity, including steps, calories burned, and sleep; Stylish, ultra-soft microfiber strap looks great at the gym or out and about.
- Use the Suunto app to connect to your preferred sports applications and services to get more out of your watch; Access specialized training analysis and advice by sharing with your sports communities.
- Our watches track your sports, everyday activity, and sleep to help you maintain a healthy balance between life, training, and recovery.
- Our watches, compasses, and dive products include high-quality heritage craftsmanship, relentless accuracy, and pioneering innovation.
How to choose the best heart rate monitor watch
When shopping for a heart rate monitor watch, you should ask about the device's statistics and whether it tracks heart rate in relation to any other gold standards.
Find one that feels comfortable to wear so that you are more likely to wear it regularly. Before purchasing, give it a test run and make sure that it’s both comfortable and easy to use.
SLIDESHOW
See SlideshowHeart-Rate Monitors. Https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/heart-rate-monitors.htm
Fitbits, Other Trackers, and Heart Rate Measurement. Https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20170308/fitbits-other-trackers-may-be-unfit-to-measure-heart-rate
Heart rate and exercise intensity during sports activities. Practical application. Https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3387734/
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