In addition to MyZone's app, you can connect to your Apple Watch, Samsung or Garmin devices or to third-party apps like Strava, My Fitness Pal and MapMyRun. I was able to use the MZ Switch during strength training workouts through the Future app and had no issues collecting my data after the fact. MyZone uses MyZone Effort Points to tell you a percentage of your maximum heart rate in different zones, which are broken up into colors -- from blue to yellow, light gray, dark gray, green and red. I found that this aspect made it easy to follow because MyZone also includes a rubric explaining what each zone means and why knowing your max heart rate is important. Compared to the data gathered from my Apple Watch, the MyZone MZ Switch's average heart rate, active and total calories were off by some figures, but I expected this since MyZone uses its own rating system. While some users will appreciate the beeping sound it makes every time a successful connection is made, this wasn’t a selling point for me. I found it distracting and a little redundant, as I could tell I was connected because I got an almost instant, accurate reading as soon as I put it on. I couldn’t have asked for a more accurate or consistent product. Over many hours of use, it gave me heart rate readings that aligned with my perceived effort.

Outside your training, heart data is used for other measurements. Garmin’s Training Effect (used to guide you on when to train and rest), heart rate variability, VO2 Max and other estimates all lean on the optical sensor and help you develop a much clearer overall picture than you receive from just a strap.It connects to devices using ANT+ - and has a 5ATM waterproof rating that makes it safe for pool and open water swimming. It uses the same optical sensor technology used in Polar's older devices and offers many of the same features. That strap is machine washable, too, while the cradle that holds it in place solves one issue with the OH1 by preventing it from flipping over. The Verity Sense is an upgrade on Polar’s previous armband, the OH1. It offers a longer battery life at 20 hours (vs 12 on the OH1), and is waterproof to 50m as opposed to 30m. It also has more internal memory for storing workouts, and three modes you can switch between, with LEDs on the device showing which one you’re in. The first mode is for when you want to connect it to a watch or phone, the second is to record a workout on the Verity Sense itself, and the third is a swimming mode, during which you can strap it to your goggles.

The margin of error for wrist sensor heart rate monitors can be as great as 15 percent. “ Heart rate measures from the Apple Watch, Fitbit Charge HR 2, and electrocardiogram across different exercise intensities” Physical Activity, Health and Exercise (January 2019) 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. It’s one of the pricier chest strap monitors available, but if you want a chest strap that offers reliable data, extra running metrics and makes sense for team sports, the HRM Pro is going to have plenty of appeal. Electrical heart-rate sensors, found most commonly in chest strap heart-rate monitors, can detect electrical currents produced by your heart, somewhat similarly to what is done at the doctor's office with an ECG. These are considered the most accurate heart-rate readings because the electrical sensor can handle measuring your heart rate even during vigorous activity.

The best heart rate monitors you can buy in 2023

Prior to working for PCMag, I was the managing editor of Game Developer magazine. I've also worked at the Association for Computing Machinery, The Examiner newspaper in San Francisco, and The American Institute of Physics. I was once profiled in an article in Vogue India alongside Marie Kondo. Chest strap heart rate monitors feature a long strip of elastic with a heart rate sensor. They also have a fastener attached that allows you to wrap it around the circumference of the chest. Its job is to analyze electrical signals from your heart to tell you how many times your heart beats per minute. Depending on the app you’re using and/or what type of exercise you’re doing, you’ll see that reading on your phone, your cyclometer, your laptop or tablet screen, or on your cardio machine’s console. You can connect your chest strap monitor directly to countless other technologies, including an Apple Watch, Garmin device, Peloton, and to apps like Strava. Heart rate data can be super valuable, no matter what your fitness goals are. “Anyone can benefit,” says Dr. Stacy Sims, exercise physiologist and author. As we've said, optical heart rate sensors found on most wearables are less accurate than EKG chest straps and should be chosen by those that favor comfort and convenience over accuracy.