What is the best heart rate monitor to use with your Fitbit device?

[68charlie]

I'm trying to figure out the best heart rate monitor available that plays well with my Fitbit flex device.  I want the best workouts possible and monitoring my HR, I believe, will help me get to the next level I want to strive for.  Any help out there would be great!!  I've never used ANY HR monitors, so any and all advice is welcomed.

[Dominique]

No HRM integrates directly with Fitbit. In fact, there's very little room for HR-related data in your Fitbit account and it has to be entered manually.

In connection with Fitbit, a HRM would typically be used to get calories for non-step-based activities that your Fitbit tracker is not very good at tracking, for instance biking or swimming.

I personally use my HRM outside Fitbit (I don't care too much about calories, whether in or out).

You  can choose between integrated HRM's (sensor + watch) like Garmin, Polar, Suunto etc., or a naked sensor (typically a chest strap) that can talk to your smartphone. There are lots of apps (for both iOS and Android) that can take integrate HR-data transmitted by a sensor.

I have a Mio Alpha and a Polar H7. Both are Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and can communicate with recent smartphones that are BLE-compatible (iPhone 4s or Android phones running Android 4.3 or newer). The Mio Alpha is a watch (but it doesn't do much besides displaying the HR in real-time), while the Polar H7 is a chest strap. Both work equally well, but I find the watch more convenient to wear and operate.

[68charlie]

Thanks for the information.  I'm not to worried about the calorie count either.  I wanted to use the HRM to help with target heart rate workouts so as to improve my 2 mile run times.  I'm active duty Army and the 2 mile run is part of our semi annual PT test.  The lower the run time, the better the score  Better lungs, better runs!!

[slysam]

I am pretty fond of the Polar H7 strap and the smart phone app Digifit I Cardio. You can use some other straps with Digifit, Polar H7 is just the one I have since it also works with my old Polar HRM watch and the machines at my gym. You can link Digifit to your Fitbit account and it will overwrite the Fitbit calorie burn automatically. It doesn't log the actual heart rate data top Fitbit, just the calorie burn and activity category. The detailed heart rate data is on the digifit site though. It also has GPS so for outdoor activities you have a record of your route and your heart rate at different points on the route. If you have a compatible smart phone, that may be a good option.

[SunsetRunner]

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@68charlie wrote:

I'm trying to figure out the best heart rate monitor available that plays well with my Fitbit flex device.  I want the best workouts possible and monitoring my HR, I believe, will help me get to the next level I want to strive for.  Any help out there would be great!!  I've never used ANY HR monitors, so any and all advice is welcomed.

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As others have stated, there is no direct integration with Fitbit.  That being said, it depends what you want the HRM for.  I personally have a Polar FT7 w/ Bluetooth chest strap that I found to be very accurate.  I also have a Garmin Forerunner 210.  Both work great.  Just depends on what you want them for.  The Polar is not a GPS, only a HRM, whereas the Garmin is a HRM & GPS.  Plus, I like the ability to sync my Garmin GPS/HRM with www.strava.com which I use for logging my runs & bike rides.

[likeaglove]

I agree with the poster that mentioned digifit app. Get a polar h7 heart rate sensor with bluetooth, bring your phone to the gym. Install digifit and buy the 3 dollar upgrade for sensors on it. On digifit site, link it with your fitbit account.

Now every time you workout, your calories are automatically logged to fitbit. It works very well. Then once a week I go through digifit workout history and pull my average heart rates into fitbit manually.

[julienbraidacom]

More than 9 months that i have begged for a compatibility with Bluetooth Heart Rate Chest Straps! And nothing has changed, no updates !!! It's not that complicated to open the pairing compatibility ...

Stop adding social features and focus on adding real features like the pairing with Heart Rate Chest Straps like Polar H7 to improve HR accuracy during strength trainings!!

I use daily a FitBit Charge HR and the heart rate with 2 FitBit Charge HR are awful during strength trainings like crossfit, strength and conditioning trainings, weight lifting etc And most of the time, the heart rate does not show up!

Please Please Please!! I'm waiting since a loooooooooong time now!

[Natie83]

I hope. There is a possibilitie in the future to sync my fitbit charge hr with the Polar h7. It will be great for workouts.

[Dominique]

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@Natie83 wrote:
I hope. There is a possibilitie in the future to sync my fitbit charge hr with the Polar h7. It will be great for workouts.

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You just have to accept Fitbit devices with HR do not serve the same purpose as conventional HRM like the Polar H7: Fitbit focuses on 24/7 monitoring, but is somewhat lacking when it comes to monitoring shorter, higher-intensity effort; the Polar H7 (and similar), OTOH, is very good for short, high-intensity activities, but cannot really be used 24/7. Since you have a Fitbit Charge HR and a Polar H7, you can have the best of both worlds, so why don’t you take advantage of it? This is what I do with the Fitbit Surge and the Mio Alpha: I record the same activities (eg. strength training, HIIT cardio) on both the Surge and in Runtastic (with the Mio Alpha synced to it) on my smartphone. Gladly, I have two arms, one for each watch  

[Natie83]

Well i wear both on the left the fitbit and at the right my Polar m400 when i run. Because i like the GPS. But when i'm in the gym its easyer only wearing the h7 and the fitbit. But i think i'm gonna instal an app that connect whit fitbit. Sorry for my bad englisch.