Best Heart Rate Monitor for constant BPM monitorin

Been shopping and there are a lot of new ones out there. Microsoft Band 2, Fitbit Surge, Charge HR. You have to keep swiping, toggling to get HR. But I'm hoping the Mio Alpha 2 is going to have full time BPM display as default display. ALL the others now with their updates installed revert to a time display unless you are in a work out mode of some kind, which I assume depletes their batteries. Any thoughts or advice is appreciated.

4 Comments

Microsoft ?? NO

by oldearthworm - 2015-11-22 04:11:38

Not, IMO..Microsoft is so difficult to work with .. at least the computer area of MS ..Maybe , rechargeable batteries are a better option ..

FitBit Surge

by Lurch - 2015-11-23 04:11:46

I use a FitBit Surge. I can't provide a comparison because I have not used any of the other devices.

I have found FitBit to be very easy to work with. My first unit stopped "syncing" after about a month. I called their Customer Service line; they walked me through doing a full restart of the device (which I had tried). That didn't work so the CS representative said, "we will ship you a new unit which you should have within five days." It showed up in three days, no questions, no hassles, no shipping the other unit back. You don't get customer service like that any more.

The Surge will provide you with a heart rate report for the entire time you are wearing it. I have checked it against a Pulse-Ox meter and manually and found it to be reasonably accurate. Occasionally if I am sweating a lot during a work out it will stop reading, but if I wipe it down it starts back up again. Recharge over night every third night.

Purchased

by vincep - 2015-12-04 02:12:16

Yes I did! Thank you for the feedback Lurch, regards to Uncle Fester and Gomez. Fitbit Surge went on sale for $199 at Fitbit and at Best Buy. Plus I had $65 credit at BB so it was decided for me since BB didn't have the Mio. So far I'm happy with it. I have to scroll two screens during the day at work to see bpm,but when working out on the indoor bike it's in workout mode and reading bpm constantly when selected. Nice software on the computer, it's a little finicky sometimes on Link Up Data to Fitbit website for me, actually it links up to the website whilst contrarily reporting that the link up failed, the data gets there, but the link page doesnt' know it..lol Updates will cure this I'm sure, as long as the data gets there like it does now I'm ok with it. I don't trust it in the shower, I'm sure I'll mess up somewhere down the road and hope it can take one without issue, the battery lasts about 3 days for me with bpm constant, backlight on auto. So time will tell, the Mio looked nice, I tried the Polar with the chest strap, but it gave wild readings, I'm guessing it was the PM stimulus throwing off the Polar bpm from 189 bpm to 45 bpm in less than a second, Polar said no, they say I only moistened the two contacts on the chest band and that I should have SOAKED the chest band in water.( I guess it's water proof! lol) So I may try a friends some time to see if they are right, but the Fitbit is the one I selected to reiterate my answer. Hope your well, I dont' understand all the lingo yet of your MI (Myocardial Infarction?) and CRTD??

Constant monitoring

by marineboy - 2015-12-04 02:12:25

Vincep
I am a similar dilemma re purchase. I have had a fitbit Charge HR since my MI in May but now I have had CRTD implant 6 weeks ago I am starting heart rehab exercise classes next week and looking for constant readouts.
The Charge HR is very good but not user friendly whilst working out. The Mio Alpha 2 you mention looks to fit the bill ideally with adjustable heart zones, alarms and indicators, especially whilst building up my confidence that I am not going to spike to above my limit etc.
Have you purchased yet?

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