What external Bluetooth heart rate chest straps are recommended?

The wrist monitor in the Apple Watch is limited in its capabilities. It can only detect your HR via your wrist pulse. This is not an accurate reading if the activities you are performing are with hands raised or gripping a weight (both of which restrict wrist pulse). For example, my shoulder and chest lifting workouts are above heart level and lower the HR read in my Apple Watch series 2. A chest strap would be able to correctly offset that fault.

What does a chest strap have to do with the Apple Watch? The watch already has a heart rate monitor built in.

Only Bluetooth 4.0 compatible HR chest straps work with the Apple Watch.

Here is a list of current bluetooth 4.0 devices. http://www.bluetooth.com/Pages/Bluetooth-Smart-Devices-List.aspx#Smart

Hope this helps

In response to your answer Ikrupp, the Apple watch connects to chest strap heart rate monitors. Chest straps are known to be far more accurate than a majority of Optical Heart rate sensors which even Apple admit has limitations. Also at the moment no one seems to have tested it at higher heart rates which is another area optical sensors fall down.

Saying that, so far reviews of the Watch's sensor seem to be positive so here's hoping. Although one issue is that it takes a short time to display your heart rate when you glance when you're using the watch as opposed to instantly when connected to a HR chest strap. Also, at the moment I've seen that the watch only takes a reading every 5 seconds when using the on board sensors, not sure if it's continuous when connected to a chest strap.

You're welcome.

I don't think any are recommended or tested by Apple. But I know that Recode tested their Apple watch with a Wahoo Tickr and Consumertest.org (or whatever they're called) are testing theirs with a Polar H7. They seem to be the pick of the bunch.

I can confirm the Polar H7 works with the Watch. You get a continuous readout from the heart rate glance.

I also have the Polar H7 but do have a question on it if you can help! I've paired it to my watch but where does the info go from it? As in where can i find the info the H7 is recording on the watch?

Thanks!

lkrupp,

Chest strap HRMs are much more effective than any wrist monitor, unfortunately! They are kind of a pain but if you are an athlete, trying to lose weight, etc., having the most accurate HR matters.

Do you know if the H7 can be used with the iwatch WITHOUT carrying your phone? I would like to be able to use a strap to get better readings but don't want to have to exercise with the watch and phone.

Jarhead1775 wrote:

Do you know if the H7 can be used with the iwatch WITHOUT carrying your phone?

Yes, it can.

First unpair the monitor from any other device that it may previously have been paired with (such as your iPhone), then:

• Wear the Polar H7 (which turns on by being snapped to the strap and turns off when unsnapped).
• On Apple Watch, go to Settings > Bluetooth.
• Wait until the Polar H7 is displayed, then tap on it.

I've been having trouble with mine, do you have any tips when it looses the connection? Mine just kept searching the other day.

Can the Apple Watch 2 pick up a heart rate while swimming?

If not, can I wear a Polar H7 during the swim and will the Apple Watch then collect the heart rate data after the swim?

I am looking for anyway to get the Apple Watch 2 to record my heart rate while swimming?

Any advise?

My Polar V800 does. My first attempt with the AWS2 paired to the H7 strap while swimming was not a success, but then again the AWS2 is proving to be a challenge in many respects when it comes to training.

I have the same question as danipmb:

"Can the Apple Watch 2 pick up a heart rate while swimming?

If not, can I wear a Polar H7 [or any other heart rate chest strap] during the swim and will the Apple Watch then collect the heart rate data after the swim?

I am looking for anyway to get the Apple Watch 2 to record my heart rate while swimming?"

I understand that the Apple Watch 2 uses Bluetooth 4.0 and have heard that Bluetooth doesn't connect underwater so the idea of the chest strap collecting the data during the swim and then providing it to the watch post swim, out of the water, makes some sense, but I would like confirmation that it can actually work this way.

An answer to these questions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

for further clarity, one site I read (https://www.heartratemonitor.co.uk/heart-rate-while-swimming/) states that the Suunto Smart HRM belt and the Garmin HRM-Tri and the HRM-Swim chest heart rate straps store the HR data while underwater and transmit that data to their respective watches after the strap and watch are out of the water.

My question is - will these 2 straps work for the Apple Watch 2 in the way described above?