Measuring your heart rate is a great way of keeping on top of your heart health. Understanding what looks healthy for you and recognizing the different heart rate zones during your fitness tracking is invaluable. To help you get started, we have shared some of the best heart rate monitor watches available.
However, it is essential to note that they do not replace medical expertise as informative as these watches are. They should only ever be used to complement regular health screening. That being said, regular use of a smartwatch heart monitor can provide insight when you are concerned about your health. Furthermore, they can give you the information you need to present to your medical practitioner. If you are keen to find the best device for your needs, then our pick of the best heart rate monitor watches is sure to impress. Take a look below before you make a purchase!
Fitbit Versa 4
The Fitbit Versa 4 is proving to be a popular consumer choice. It offers continuous heart rate monitoring to keep you on track when you want to improve your health. The heart rate icon is displayed on the home screen to give you a clear picture of your current state. Furthermore, you can look in greater depth at your heart rate over time in the companion app.
This watch also offers many other great features. These include music playback, call and text notifications, step counter, calories burned, and even the date and weather. It is a watch that focuses on wellbeing as much as it focuses on fitness. This means that you can reduce stress levels with the well-being features and improve performance with sports tracking. A great all-round smartwatch!
Garmin Vivosmart 4
If you have a pre-existing heart condition or problems with your lungs, then the Garmin Vivosmart 4 is here to help. It will give you the right information and teach you how to deal with it effectively too. It does this by estimating your heart rate and displaying it in an easy-to-read format on your wrist, as well as checking your oxygen saturation levels with the in-built Sp02 checker. So you can be confident about how much oxygen is reaching your blood and learn when you need to be concerned or not.
The watch also offers stress monitoring capabilities to help you with your wellbeing. It provides guided breathing to help you find inner calm at moments when you need it the most. You can look forward to other features, too. These include a sleep tracker, step counter, and activity tracker to get to grips with your whole-body health.
Fossil Gen 5 Garrett
If you are a fan of more traditional-looking watches and want something rugged and dependable, then the Fossil Gen 5 Garrett is a good choice. It offers highly accurate heart rate monitoring along with sleep tracking, activity tracking, energy-saving mode, and even GPS.
It is designed with older adults in mind and has different strap options, including leather and stainless steel. These fit in with the traditional look it is trying to achieve. The battery life is good, and the screen is simple to read so that you can access all your data without having to squint!
Suunto 9 Peak / Pro
Are you a keen sportsperson? Well, having access to a dependable device like the Suunto 9 will provide you with all the tracking stats you need to keep your heart healthy. From the heart rate monitor to sleep tracking and advanced activity data, you will always know when your body is ready for an adventure and when it is time to rest.
It comes with a crisp display that shows you the time and charge icon on the home screen. Furthermore, it can be navigated easily to get the information you are keen to find. There are three buttons to make navigation easier, and it gives off a sports watch feel in its overall design. The battery life is great and can last up to 120 hours before it needs to be plugged in.
Apple Watch Series 7-8
With the Apple Watch Series 7 or Series 8, you can look forward to advanced health tracking at the press of a button. The device not only offers a continuous heart rate monitor, but it also comes with the ability to perform an ECG to check your heart’s function. There is an Sp02 monitor too. The results of all these features can be viewed on the wrist or via the health app on your Apple iPhone.
The watch does more than just track your health. It works to track all your activity, including a step counter. Furthermore, it comes with the ability to use it as a workout guide when you use it with the Apple Fitness+ feature. The battery does need to be charged daily, but when you consider that you are getting access to a GPS watch that can double as your smartphone, it is a compromise that seems acceptable.
Compare prices and choose your favorite merchant to buy the Apple Watch
| Product | Supplier | |
| Apple Watch 8 | Amazon | Check Price |
| Apple Watch 7 | Amazon | Check Price |
| Apple Watch 7 | eBay | Check Price |
| Watch Ultra | Amazon | Check Price |
| Apple Watch 7 | Apple | View offer |
| Apple Watch 7 | Target | View offer |
| Apple Watch SE 2 | Amazon | View offer |
Fitbit Sense 2
The Fitbit Sense 2 is a bold watch that puts as much focus on mental health as it does on physical fitness. The software may be improved, but if you’re interested in mindfulness and taking modest steps towards a healthy lifestyle, the Sense could be exactly the tool for you.
The Sense’s fitness monitoring capabilities are amazing, especially if you want to train to utilise heart rate zones. After an exercise, the watch and Fitbit app offer you a set of metrics that are specific to your workout.
The ECG capability was added to the original Sense in October of 2020 through a software upgrade. Updates to the Fitbit Sense and Versa 3’s software in June 2021 introduced audible Google Assistant alerts, additional goal celebrations, and the option to change the watch face more simply. As part of a public beta test, certain users got a new snoring detection tool.
Compare prices and choose your favorite supplier from this list:
| Product | Supplier | |||
| Fitbit Sense 2 | Amazon | View offer | ||
| Fitbit Sense 2 | eBay | View offer | ||
| Fitbit Sense 2 | Fitbit | View offer | ||
| Fitbit Sense | Target | View offer |
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5
The most notable feature of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 is a software overhaul over the 4 that blends the appearance and feel of Samsung old Tizen platform with the functionality of Wear OS. It offers a comfortable design, superb fitness functions, and a long battery life. Although there are some compatibility difficulties that may annoy some prospective consumers, the Galaxy Watch 5 is an intriguing version of Samsung’s top smartwatch formula overall.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 has a number of health and fitness functions, including GPS for running tracking, an optical heart rate sensor, and ECG support.
The BioActive Sensor, which allows the watch to track heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and body composition, is the key fitness update. The only new feature in the list is the final one, but it’s the first time the sensors have been combined.
Our findings matched those obtained with other devices, indicating that the heart rate monitor was accurate. The heart rate monitor works best in Samsung’s applications, although similar functions can also be used with third-party Wear OS apps like Strava and Nike Running Club.
| Product | Supplier | |
| Galaxy Watch 5 | Amazon | Check Price |
| Galaxy Watch 5 | eBay | Check Price |
| Watch 4 Classic | eBay | Check Price |
| Galaxy Watch 4 | Target | Check Price |
Polar Ignite 2
The Ignite 2’s slim form makes it simple to obtain a perfect fit on your wrist, allowing for reliable heart rate tracking even during high-intensity sports. However, it’s what Polar does with that data that sets it apart.
This begins with the Polar Flow website and app’s running event training regimens, which are meant to increase your fitness and speed. Workouts for you to follow depending on heart rate sync to the device.
The Ignite, on the other hand, comes into its own at night. It records how well you’ve recovered throughout your sleep by using its heart rate monitor to track your heart rate and heart rate variability, which is a helpful indication of how physically stressed your body is. The following morning, you’ll be given a score depending on how well you slept and how well your autonomic nervous system has recovered, and you’ll be given exercise suggestions based on your real ability to train that day.
Even without these capabilities, the Ignite 2 is a good all-around sports watch. It’s probably a better choice if you want to learn how to utilise heart rate to customise your training.
See the full Polar Ignite 2 review here.
WHOOP Strap 4.0
The Whoop is for you if you want to learn all there is to know about your body and performance. It monitors all of your vital signs, tracks your sleep, generates useful data for your exercise performance, and provides information on things like heart rate variability.
Every morning, it also gives you a number from 0 to 100 that indicates how well you’ve recovered. One caveat: Because the Whoop app does not have a watch face, you can only keep track of data via the Whoop app on your phone.
We wrote a review of the WHOOP Strap 4.0, read it here.
Huawei Watch GT2 Pro
Huawei continues to improve its Watch GT range with minor but significant changes. The newest redesign has a genuinely premium look, wireless charging, and the series’ smoothest software experience to yet. The GT 2 Pro isn’t flawless; it doesn’t accept third-party applications and isn’t always buttery smooth, but with better iOS compatibility, a complete range of workouts, and precise monitoring, we’re glad to see a poor series of goods blossom into something amazing.
The heart rate monitor on the Watch GT 2 has also been improved, with greater light transmission promising more precise monitoring.
How to Choose the Right Smartwatch for Me
Before you jump into buying a new smartwatch, take the time to consider what you need in addition to the heart rate monitor you are looking for. Do you want a device that can offer contactless payments, send you notifications, and allow you to play music? Or, are you looking for something more focused on your health and fitness levels? Whatever you want, there is a smartwatch that can provide it. Take the time to plan out your needs, as this will result in a better purchase.
When choosing between our suggestions, you are on to a winner! Each of these heart rate monitor watches really is top of their class and will perform well, providing you with the information you need to enjoy a healthy heart and healthy life.
If you’re on a smaller budget than some of these watches and want to focus on fitness, then have a look at these two great fitness trackers.
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Last Updated on December 12, 2022
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