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The best heart rate monitors (HRMs) can be immensely beneficial if you know how to use the information they collect. While most fitness trackers and sports watches can measure your heart rate, this list looks at standalone HRMs you can pair with fitness equipment, your smartphone, and third-party workout apps. We've been reviewing heart rate monitors since 2012 and put each one through a rigorous real-world testing process to evaluate their accuracy, features, and overall value. Our top pick, the Polar H9, accurately covers all of the basic features you want at an affordable price, and it feels comfortable to wear. That said, if you want something even more affordable or feature-rich, our list of the best heart rate monitors has you covered.
Our Top Tested Picks
Polar H9 Heart Rate Sensor
Polar H10 Heart Rate Sensor
Garmin HRM-Dual
Polar OH1
Scosche Rhythm24
Wahoo Tickr Fit
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Best for Beginners
Polar H9 Heart Rate Sensor
- Competitive price
- Accurate
- Supports ANT+, Bluetooth, and 5 kHz transmission (Gymlink)
- Easy to use
- Long battery life
- Comfortable
- Waterproof
- Lacks some features you get with pricier monitors
The Polar H9 costs less than other HRMs that pack more features, but it still covers all the basics. It's comfortable, waterproof, and washable, and you can pair it with a phone, a running watch, or any other fitness equipment thanks to support for ANT+, Bluetooth, and 5kHz transmission. Polar's companion apps offer heart rate training options as well as a simple VO2 Max test so you can track your fitness progress over time. The H9 doesn't have any onboard memory, though, so it can't store data from your previous training sessions by itself for later upload. Moreover, it supports just a single Bluetooth connection.
If you simply want to track your heart rate during workouts and train using that data, start with the Polar H9.
Best for Phone-Free Monitoring
Polar H10 Heart Rate Sensor
- Accurate readings in testing.
- Comfortable.
- Good battery life.
- Waterproof.
- Doesn't require phone nearby.
- App charges for common features.
- GymLink connection occasionally lags.
The Polar H10 one-ups the Polar H9 with built-in memory to store one training session before syncing. Moreover, it supports two simultaneous Bluetooth connections, whereas the H9 is limited to just one. Beyond that, the HRMs are nearly identical. They weigh the same, use the same coin cell battery, are both waterproof and safe for swimming, use an ECG (electric pulse) for heart rate measurements (rather than optical), and provide highly accurate results.
If you're serious about incorporating heart rate zone training into your routine, it's hard to beat the Polar H10's accuracy. Choose this model over the more affordable H9 if you often work out without your phone or if you want to beam your heart rate to more than one device at a time. If its coin cell battery is a deal breaker, there are plenty of alternatives with a rechargeable battery including the Polar OH1, the Scosche Rhythm24, and the Wahoo Tickr Fit.
Best Battery Life
Garmin HRM-Dual
- Accurate in testing.
- Long battery life.
- Uses ANT+ and Bluetooth.
- Comfortable.
- Machine-washable strap.
- Can't connect directly to Garmin Connect app.
- No special features.
The accurate, comfortable Garmin HRM-Dual offers both ANT+ and Bluetooth connectivity, so it can pair with just about any device or app. Battery life is a highlight: Garmin estimates that the included coin cell battery should last for roughly 3.5 years based on an estimate of one hour of use per day. That extended run time makes it suitable for long workouts such as an ultramarathon or a full day of golf.
If you need a reliable chest strap that can go the distance, the Garmin HRM-Dual is worth a look. Just keep in mind that when the battery eventually dies, you'll need a screwdriver (the same kind as for eyeglasses) to swap it out. If you prefer a model with a rechargeable battery, the Polar OH1, the Scosche Rhythm24, and the Wahoo Tickr Fit are fine alternatives.
Best Armband
Polar OH1
- Convenient form factor
- Practically weightless
- Rechargeable battery
- Onboard memory
- Works with Strava
- Only reads heart rate
- Limited app connectivity
Comfortable, reliable, and featherlight, the Polar OH1 is one of the best optical armband heart rate monitors we've tested. A rechargeable battery ensures you never have to buy replacement coin cells, while its Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity means you can use the OH1 directly with supported fitness apps (such as Strava) and home gym machines. The OH1 also has onboard memory, so you can record a workout with it and leave your phone behind.
The Polar OH1 should be at the top of your list if you want an armband heart rate monitor rather than a chest strap.
Best for Biathlons and Triathlons
Scosche Rhythm24
- Comfortable.
- Color-coded heart rate zone light.
- Triathlon mode.
- Works with Bluetooth and ANT+ devices.
- Accurate.
- Lackluster mobile app.
- Difficult to operate.
- Requires another device or app to get the most out of it.
Scosche's Rhythm24 is an armband heart rate monitor you can use during almost any sport, even swimming. It features an indicator LED that lights up in different colors as your heart rate zones change, and has a special mode for triathlons and biathlons that lets you mark different segments of the race. It's also rechargeable and connects with any fitness device that supports Bluetooth or ANT+. Often marked down to around $60, the price is right, though you might want to set aside some time to study the nonintuitive operating instructions.
The Scosche Rhythm24 is an excellent choice for swimmers, triathletes, and anyone else who uses heart rate zone data as part of their training. It provided accurate results in testing, but its optical sensor means the data won't be quite as accurate as that from a chest strap with electrical pulse technology.
Most Comfortable
Wahoo Tickr Fit
- Effortless setup.
- Rechargeable battery.
- Supports ANT+ and Bluetooth.
- Comfortable.
- Connects to a range of devices and apps.
- Can't see heart rate or zones on sensor itself.
- Difficult to adjust while wearing.
Setting up and using the Wahoo Tickr Fit armband to measure your heart rate during exercise couldn't be easier. It has a physical button for quickly switching it on and off, and it uses indicator lights to give you feedback about its status. It's comfortable, accurate, rechargeable, and features both ANT+ and Bluetooth connectivity for compatibility with other devices.
If you're looking for an easy-to-use and comfortable optical HRM, the Wahoo Tickr Fit is worth checking out. It can't match the Wahoo Tickr X's ability to track your runs and count your reps when you lift weights, but it might be the better option if you prefer an armband to a chest strap and don't need those extra features.
How Are Electric and Optical Heart Rate Monitors Different?
First, you need to decide between a classic chest strap that uses an electrical pulse to read your heart rate and something that uses optical technology. Many Fitbit devices, the Apple Watch, and other wrist-based activity trackers rely on the latter, as do sports headphones that record heart rate data via in-ear measurements.
Without getting too technical, chest straps read the small electrical signal your body creates to make your heart contract. Optical technology sends light into the skin and reads what reflects. 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.
Electrical technology tends to be more accurate. Measurements from the arm and wrist are more difficult because those body parts can swing rapidly during activity, thus creating noisier data. In-ear optical HRMs tend to be better than wrist-based ones because the ear doesn't move nearly as much. The skin of the ear works better for optical readings than the skin on the arm, as well.
Are Heart Rate Monitors Accurate?
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. 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.
Resting heart rate is easy to measure. You can read it by feeling your pulse with two fingers and counting it. You can also read it using a free app (such as this one from Azumio) and a smartphone camera. It's simple to calculate resting heart rate with or without a device, as well as compare data across methods.
More importantly, ask your doctor whether they care if your resting heart rate is, say, 58 versus 60. The answer is probably no. It's more important to know whether your resting heart rate is within a healthy range. If your heart rate is 80 when it should be closer to 60, that's a potential concern. The point is that a super fine degree of accuracy isn't important for most consumers.
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. Many workout 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. The point, again, is that knowing the exact number of beats per minute isn't as important as knowing that the reading falls within a general range.
There is one more use of heart rate data, and here, accuracy does matter more, but it's a different kind of accuracy. Heart rate recovery, or how quickly your heart rate decreases after intense activity, is a great measurement of one's health and fitness. In our testing, chest straps are much more accurate than optical heart monitors for this kind of reading. Optical monitors tend to lag slightly when it comes to detecting rapid heart rate change. Is it enough of a difference to matter to the typical person? Probably not. But if you use heart rate data seriously for fitness, you might care more about this issue.
Are ANT+ or Bluetooth Heart Rate Monitors Better?
Many HRMs use ANT+, a wireless technology that's been around since before Bluetooth became popular and is common in a lot of other sports equipment, from bicycle cadence meters to treadmills. Phones don't typically support ANT+, however. If you want to pair an ANT+ device with a phone and app, you often need an adapter. Heart rate monitors that use Bluetooth are much easier to pair directly with your phone. The most versatile trackers support both ANT+ and Bluetooth.
Should You Choose an Armband or a Chest Strap Heart Rate Monitor?
In terms of comfort, chest straps will never get a thumbs up across the board. Chest straps wrap snugly around the chest at the sternum, and if they're not tight enough, they can slide down or wiggle out of place. Repositioning them while you're in motion is tough. A bad one can chafe your skin, and they're poor at providing visual feedback because you can't see them.
We tend to prefer armbands over chest straps. They're much easier to wear, you can adjust them quickly even while you're in motion, and they don't cause chafing. They often have LEDs that flash different colors depending on your heart rate zone. That's the kind of visual feedback you can't get from a chest strap alone. With chest straps, you typically have to rely on a connected tracker to see your heart rate numbers.
Can Heart Rate Monitors Do Anything Else?
Earlier, we mentioned in-ear optical HRMs. They're neat because they're built into sports headphones, so you essentially get two devices for the price of one. While these devices cost a lot more than other HRMs, they're a good value if you're also in the market for a new pair of wireless sports headphones.
And let's not forget fitness trackers and smartwatches. Many go beyond basic heart rate monitoring with the ability to take an electrocardiogram (ECG) to assess your heart rhythm for signs of atrial fibrillation (AFib)—an irregular heart rhythm that can lead to serious health problems. That list includes the Fitbit Charge 6, the Apple Watch Series 9, and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6, among others.
