Smartwatches come with all sorts of features that have made them a massively popular purchase in the last couple of years. Things like alerts and notifications, time features, call and message features, and of course, health and wellness features. As much as you may love your standard watch, when you have the opportunity to have all these things available right from the convenience of your wrist, you start to wonder why you even bother taking your big smartphone anywhere.
One of our favorite (and everyone else’s, too) parts of a smartwatch is the heart monitor feature. This can come in handy for all sorts of reasons. Your doctor may want you to keep track of your heart rate, or you may want to do it on your own. Knowing your heart rate can help you improve your health, help you push yourself further when exercising, and also help you keep your stress level down.
You shouldn’t rely on a smartwatch for a 100% accurate reading of your heart rate, as they are not verified medical devices. However, they give you an idea of your heart rate so that if it seems too high, you can seek professional medical help and advice.
If you’re looking to make a purchase, here are the top heart monitor watches to pick from.
Heart Monitor Watches To Buy Right Now
Apple Watch Series 4, $229
You may feel like this is just another Apple watch, but wait! The Series 4 has an optical HR sensor that is unlike anything we’ve seen before. With this thing on your wrist, your heart rate is measured throughout the day during all activities, whether you’re sitting at your desk or running at the gym. If the watch notices that your heart rate is too high or too low, it sends you a notification to alert you that something is amiss. This is a feature that we love because you may not be able to tell that your heart rate has gone into an unhealthy zone without the watch there to tell you. To make your heart rate reading more accurate, the Series 4 has an electrocardiogram app that Apple partnered with the FDA to create, and it has the ability to get your heart rate reading from your wrist in just a second.
Fitbit Versa 2, $149
Though it doesn’t come with all the bells and whistles that an Apple Watch does, this Fitbit Versa gets the job done when it comes to monitoring your heart rate, and it comes in at a lower price. It has heart rate tracking that runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and is displayed on the home screen, so you never have to fuss to see where your heart rate sits at any given moment. We also love the Fitbit app that the watch connects with because it allows you to monitor the history of your heart rate readings so you can see how they have changed over time. Otherwise, this watch has similar features to other smartwatches, including music apps, phone syncing, step counting, sleep metrics, and more.
Amazfit Bip S Fitness Smartwatch, $69.99
If you are someone who forgets to charge your devices as often as you should and are constantly plagued with dead batteries, this smartwatch is for you. It boasts 40 hours of battery life and surprisingly won’t break the bank. In addition to that, it features GPS tracking and Bluetooth technology so that you can sync it up with other devices. And, of course, it has a heart rate sensor, which is what landed it on this list. This watch keeps the information pretty basic but does a great job of tracking your heart rate as well as your workout statistics so you can keep your health in check for a low price.
Fossil Gen 5 Garrett Touchscreen Smartwatch, $179
If your eyes aren’t as good as they used to be, then you will appreciate this Fossil watch. You may feel frustrated by other smartwatches whose screens are too small for you to read. The Gen 5 features a touchscreen that is both high-resolution and large enough so that you can easily navigate it and actually see what it says. In addition to that, this watch has elevated wristbands that come in leather and stainless steel, so the watches look less sporty and more like actual watches. Of course, the heart rate monitor is our favorite selling point of this watch, but it also comes with a built-in GPS and a sleep and activity tracker that lets you know when you need to get moving. There is also an energy-saving mode that the watch goes into when you aren’t using it so that the battery life lasts longer.
WHOOP Strap 3.0, Starting at $30/mo. with membership
If you’re someone who wants all the information on your body all the time, then consider getting this Whoop watch. It has a number of options in addition to the typical smartwatch features like sleep tracking, step counting, vital signs, heart rate variability, and more. However, what really sets this watch apart from other performance smartwatches is that it measures your recovery. This means that it provides a score between 0 and 100 to let you know how ready your body is to perform each day. However, the only downside of this watch is that it has no watch face, so you have to use the app to actually see the data that the watch pulls. If you’re someone who is really into data, you will love this watch.
There is no shortage of options when it comes to watches that can monitor your heart rate. It really comes down to your personal preferences and what other features you would like your watch to have. However, please keep in mind that heart monitor watches do not replace your need to regularly see a doctor to have your heart rate checked. The watch is meant to be a supplement to your doctor, so be sure to treat it as such.
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