What is the best heart rate monitor to use in conjunction with the flex?

[AZmojo]

I am looking for the best heart rate monitor to use in conjuction with the fitbit flex.  

Thanks!

[gerrymcd]

The Flex can't connect directly to a Heart Rate Monitor.   I use a Bluetooth HRM (Polar or Wahoo) linked to my iphone via using digifit app.  This automatically sends heart rate data to my fitbit dashboard at the end of a workout. 

[VLG]

Fitbit needs to make a device that includes a HRM! 

[gerrymcd]

Adding a HRM would currently require a device with a much bigger larger 'footprint'.  It would need to be a watch sized device to include the heart sensors and a larger battery.  Even then, most wrist HRMs are prone to errors, and have to be worn tight on the wrist to be remotely reliable.  But, I look forward to the day when the technology shirks to the point a Flex or Force sized device can tell the time, act as a HRM, etc. etc. etc. 

[Dominique]

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@gerrymcd wrote:

Even then, most wrist HRMs are prone to errors, and have to be worn tight on the wrist to be remotely reliable.

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 There aren't many wrist-mounted HRM's capable of continuous monitoring, but all I can say (based on more than six months of daily use) is that the particular model I'm using (Mio Alpha) is extremely reliable. I have been using it side-by-side with a Polar H7 chest strap and both gave exactly the same results. It is true it has to be worn relatively tight on the wrist. Here is what my wrist area looks like right after I take the Mio Alpha off it:

Some marks are still visible after a couple of hours.

Otherwise I agree there is no point in integrating continuous heart rate monitoring into a Fitbit activity tracker at this point. Integration of heart rate data from third-party apps into the Fitbit account would be welcome, however.

[Dominique]

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@VLG wrote:

Fitbit needs to make a device that includes a HRM! 

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Why? It would either be a gimmick like the Withing Pulse (only capable of measuring instant heart rate), or a bulky and expensive device like the Basis B1, which is not capable of continuously measuring your heart rate during effort.

[Dominique]

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@gerrymcd wrote:

I use a Bluetooth HRM (Polar or Wahoo) linked to my iphone via using digifit app.  This automatically sends heart rate data to my fitbit dashboard at the end of a workout. 

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Just curious: what specific HR data (average, max. etc.) gets sent to Fitbit, and where?

[gerrymcd]

Calories burned and 'active' minutes appear in my dashboard.   To look over my Heart rate in more detail - to find out if I was working out too hard, etc - I use the app on my phone (which contains very detailed info). 

The green bits were input automatically from my HRM -- I was doing cycle training and working really hard. 

[slysam]

I think the better question is what heart rate monitor works best for you? As mentioned there isn't currently one that can sync to your fitbit device, but there are options to either manually log activity using your hrm calorie burn (and even make custom activities) and there are options to use an HRM app that does sync to your fitbit account. I've done both. Right now, I mainly use the app "Digifit I cardio". Digifit is a heart rate monitor/GPS app that can link with various bluetooth heart rate monitor straps (and some that are not bluetooth). It can take a little research to see which works with your phone, I use a Polar H7 with my iphone, I think it uses the same type of bluetooth signal as my Fitbit One. After I finish using the app for a workout and choose to sync the app to the digifit.com website, it automatically logs the workout to fitbit.com for me. The only thing it logs is the category of workout (in digifit there are general categories like walking, running, cycling, cardio, other) and the hrm calorie burn estimate for the workout time and duration. It doesn't log hrm information in the heart rate fields on the fitbit website. On the digifit site, it includes the very detailed minute by minute heart rate data and also the GPS data for outdoors activities. I have a Polar hrm watch that I now only use for water activities or other activities where I don't feel safe about risking ruining my phone (or where there is no cell phone coverage--like near some of my relative's homes). There is an option to use some apps linked with an app called syncmetrics and having the heart rate data logged to fitbit--I tried it and found it had no value for me. It entered the data in fields differently than how I use them like it made entries in the resting and normal heart rate. When I use those I don't use either for workouts--resting is when I am resting in bed when I first wake up and "normal" is if I happen to take my heart rate in the day when I am not exercising. But a lot of people enjoy using syncmetrics.

[slysam]

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@Dominique wrote:

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@VLG wrote:

Fitbit needs to make a device that includes a HRM! 

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Why? It would either be a gimmick like the Withing Pulse (only capable of measuring instant heart rate), or a bulky and expensive device like the Basis B1, which is not capable of continuously measuring your heart rate during effort.

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I agree. when the Withings Pulse was first announced or came out some people were excited about it's pulse measuring ability. It looks like a copy of the One other than this (to me). However, from the website I could see it would not be that useful and would be a pain in the neck to use. From the Withings demonstration, you have to remove the pulse from the clip and hold it in one hand while pressing one finger from your other hand against the sensor. During a workout? No thank you. I don't think devices that capture spot pulses are that useful during workouts anyway. It may be useful if for some reason you have to take your pulse throughout the day when not exercising. I personally find it easier to either take a manual pulse or use a phone app/phone camera to take my pulse if I just want to check it during the day. Interestingly I hardly see mention of it on other fitness forums since it was released, all the interest was before. So perhaps people realized that particular feature is of limited usefulness and not really a game changer. There are some wrist worn trackers that are coming out that include heart rate monitoring. They are considerably more bulky looking than the flex. I would not be surprised if Fitbit were to release their own version. I prefer a small torso worn tracker and find using it in coordination with a bluetooth hrm/digifit app for non-step activity works well for me with minimal extra effort. I am tempted by some devices that claim they will be able to count exercise Reps as I often wonder exactly how many reps I did especially in a class or following a dvd workout. But those devices look too bulky for daily use and are not released yet.

[Mary]

There is also the Polar Loop for sale.  That has some blend of HRM and activity monitoring.

I wouldn't be a customer of any HRM/tracker.  I like the Fitbit because I don't have to wear a chest strap (or a shackle) and the estimates are good enough.  

People often seem to think a HRM tells them their actual calorie burn.  All they do is give another form of estimate, just like the activities databases do.  And in a 'science' where it's all estimates (your BMR, your activity calories, your food calories, the calories in a pound), well... it's all estimates.  You don't have to get anything with pinpoint accuracy because if the scale isn't moving the direction you want, you know what direction to tweak things.  

Calorie counting wasn't even invented 100 years ago but people still managed their weight and fitness.  

[Dominique]

Of course, counting calories is only one possible use for a HRM, and losing weight only one possible use for an activity tracker like a Fitbit.

I personally don't use my HRM to count calories, nor my Fitbit to lose weight.

[Mary]

Good point.  When I use one it's for interval training.  I think usually when people want to see integration, it's for calorie counting purposes, but I could be wrong!  

Can people use some HRMs with sites like Runkeeper or Endomondo and then synch that data to here?  Well, that calorie data?  

[Dominique]

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@Mary wrote:

Can people use some HRMs with sites like Runkeeper or Endomondo and then synch that data to here?  Well, that calorie data?  

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Yes, it's what @gerrymcd is doing with Digifit iCardio, as explained (and illustrated) in the post above.

[slysam]

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@Mary wrote:

There is also the Polar Loop for sale.  That has some blend of HRM and activity monitoring.

I wouldn't be a customer of any HRM/tracker.  I like the Fitbit because I don't have to wear a chest strap (or a shackle) and the estimates are good enough.  

People often seem to think a HRM tells them their actual calorie burn.  All they do is give another form of estimate, just like the activities databases do.  And in a 'science' where it's all estimates (your BMR, your activity calories, your food calories, the calories in a pound), well... it's all estimates.  You don't have to get anything with pinpoint accuracy because if the scale isn't moving the direction you want, you know what direction to tweak things.  

Calorie counting wasn't even invented 100 years ago but people still managed their weight and fitness.  

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About the Polar Loop. I was interested in this as a supplemental device since I already use the Polar H7 strap you need to use with the Loop if you want heart rate monitoring. My main interest was because it is waterproof. Exept the HRM strap and loop device cannot work together in the water according to their specs. So immediately it was a little less iteresting to me. Also from reading reviews and posts from those who have this device (and some of them are happy with it), it doesn't sound like there is really any value added over having a fibit or choice and using a hrm app. It apparently doesn't report the step/movement data when the hrm is in use. With my fitbit/hrm combo, I can do an activity i.e. a step aerobics class and use the HRM calorie burn but keep the fitbit counted steps. It sounds like with the Loop it is either hrm data or accelerometer data. I don't care for Polar's HRM app anyway, there are much better HRM apps available and it gave estimates much different than my Polar F11's estimates. It might be better if I paid for the optional add on's like the "fitness test" but without add ons it seems to use less data in the estiamtes than the Polar watches and also less than the Digifit app I use.

[AZmojo]

Are there any reliable arm band monitors that you would recomend?  The chest strap is difficult for me to use.

[gerrymcd]

 I've always worn my watch loose enough that it can slide around my wrist.  I found wearing a wrist HRM like this made it completely unreliable, and I hated cinching the strap to the point it worked ok.  So, I can't recommend one. 

[Dominique]

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@AZmojo wrote:

Are there any reliable arm band monitors that you would recomend?  The chest strap is difficult for me to use.

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As I said in a previous post in this thread, the Mio Alpha works great for me. Granted, it's not cheap. You do have to wear it tight, but I find it perfectly bearable (in fact, I often forget to take it off after workouts). In terms of reliability, it's on par with the Polar H7 chest strap, which is usually highly regarded. I know because I've been using them side-by-side.

[AZmojo]

I was looking for an uper arm band, not a watch style.  The Mio is a wrist monitor, looks great, but like you said it's a little expensive.  Any suggestions?  

[Mary]

As far as I know, the upper arm ones like the Body Bugg and Body Media don't track HR.  They didn't when I had one but that was 5 years ago.  I think they're the same, though.