Heart rate monitors and IPhone (seeking info)

yomchi · 29-06-2015 1:43pm #1

Hi guys,

Looking for some information in relation to heart rate monitors.
Looking for a good brand that will sync to an IPhone app and work indoors. It also needs to be able to work from at least 10 feet from the wearer of the monitor. I've read some reviews and most say they need to be outdoors so they have access to GPS systems. Thing is I hope to use it indoors beside a kickboxing ring, so wondering if anyone has info on any particular type?

Cheers in advance

Zillah · 29-06-2015 2:41pm

There's no reason you'd need GPS for heart rate measurement.

There are a range of wrist-based fitness monitors that include heart rate measurements, but they are very bad for activities with rapid and changing movements. Mine, the Fitbit Charge HR, for example, is very good a monitoring heart rate for running and cycling, but absolutely terrible for weights sessions. I imagine it is the unpredictable and irregular motion of the body that makes it so difficult to keep track. I imagine kickboxing would be very similar or even worse for that.

Chest straps are considered the most accurate way to measure heart rates during activity but I don't know much about them.

yomchi · 29-06-2015 3:13pm

Yeh that's what I thought in relation to GPS, however on one I saw which syncs to Runnkeeper, it said it didn't work indoors as it needs distance and time to function properly.

We're using a chest strap at the moment which is synced to a watch but once you step away from the strap the watch can't pick it up.

For our training it's just to measure when AT threshold is approaching and to measure resting HR too in between rounds. It's a bit different to lifting weights I'd imagine?

Thanks for the info I might look into the one you have.

Zillah · 29-06-2015 4:21pm

Charge HR will give you an accurate reading within about ten seconds of sitting down after something strenuous. Helps if you wipe off moisture on the skin, I tend to find. They have a guide as to how to use it to best effect. It stores a day or two of data on the watch and syncs it all to the phone every now and then, and manually if you launch the app. Range is about 20 feet and the app will show continuous current HR while the app is active, though it will likely underreport during bouncing around.

There are plenty of similar watches, and that one is far from perfect, but its the only one I have much experience with.

cc87 · 29-06-2015 6:41pm

It's going to be tough to find a HR system that will allow you to track it live but not be close to the wearer. Most systems are either designed to be used by one person or for teams.

The easiest way to do it is to use the chest strap and periodically throughout the training check the wearers HR by moving closer to him. Every 30s or something similar.

The team systems, polar team and activio telemetry are the two I'm familiar with, are quite expensive and probably more than you require.

Even then, for something like kickboxing I'm not sure the chest strap will stay in place. Any contact or violent movement in that area will knock it out of place.

There is new wearable tech starting to become available which would be more suitable to sports like kickboxing but it's very new and very glitchy still.

Mellor · 30-06-2015 1:31am

yomchi wrote: »

Yeh that's what I thought in relation to GPS, however on one I saw which syncs to Runnkeeper, it said it didn't work indoors as it needs distance and time to function properly.

I imagine thats what is required for the runkeeper feature to work, but not the entire device.

Polar have a chest strap can connects to a smart phone via bluetooth. They say it goes up to a 10m range. I've never used it, but 10m is about typical for bluetooth.
http://www.polar.com/au-en/products/accessories/H7_heart_rate_sensor

The Diddakoi · 30-06-2015 9:33am

Mellor wrote: »

Polar have a chest strap can connects to a smart phone via bluetooth. They say it goes up to a 10m range. I've never used it, but 10m is about typical for bluetooth.

I have the Polar one

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/9142079/Trail/searchtext%3EPOLAR.htm#tabrev

works with iPhone 4s and above, and Galaxy S3 up.

Great bluetooth range, very accurate. Used with Polar Beat app, also works with Runkeeper, Endomondo etc.

brownej · 01-07-2015 12:56pm

Mellor wrote: »

I imagine thats what is required for the runkeeper feature to work, but not the entire device.

Polar have a chest strap can connects to a smart phone via bluetooth. They say it goes up to a 10m range. I've never used it, but 10m is about typical for bluetooth.
http://www.polar.com/au-en/products/accessories/H7_heart_rate_sensor

I have the polar H7 and find it good. It works quite well however I am usually within 5 meters of it.
It uses bluetooth to talk to the phone but it is the low power bluetooth mode. As the human body is very good at absorbing RF signals (we're mostly water afterall) you can get glitchy connection if you wander too far from the phone with your back to it. Facing the phone gets much longer distances. I have had signals drop out if I am within 2 meters of the phone and lying on the ground. i.e. after dropping from a plank position. It reconnects immediately though when I move.
It stays on for me during vigours activity jumping etc. however I have not used it in any sort of contact sport environment.

Zillah · 02-07-2015 10:31am

brownej wrote: »

I have the polar H7 and find it good. It works quite well however I am usually within 5 meters of it.
It uses bluetooth to talk to the phone but it is the low power bluetooth mode. As the human body is very good at absorbing RF signals (we're mostly water afterall) you can get glitchy connection if you wander too far from the phone with your back to it. Facing the phone gets much longer distances. I have had signals drop out if I am within 2 meters of the phone and lying on the ground. i.e. after dropping from a plank position. It reconnects immediately though when I move.
It stays on for me during vigours activity jumping etc. however I have not used it in any sort of contact sport environment.

Does it store the data for any time or if it loses signal the data is lost for that period?

brownej · 02-07-2015 11:11am

Zillah wrote: »

Does it store the data for any time or if it loses signal the data is lost for that period?

Its a live data stream. If you're not connected it isn't recorded.

brownej · 02-07-2015 11:15am

redout · 04-07-2015 2:41am

yomchi wrote: »

Hi guys,

Looking for some information in relation to heart rate monitors.
Looking for a good brand that will sync to an IPhone app and work indoors. It also needs to be able to work from at least 10 feet from the wearer of the monitor. I've read some reviews and most say they need to be outdoors so they have access to GPS systems. Thing is I hope to use it indoors beside a kickboxing ring, so wondering if anyone has info on any particular type?

Cheers in advance

I've been using apple watch since last week and found the heart rate monitor to be quite good. Things like squats, clean and press, deadlifts etc you see the thing take off. Seems quite accurate and would definitely recommend it. You can use the heart rate monitor feature on its own or else use one of the workout programmes from the app on the watch that will show you calories, distance, time etc. in conjunction with heart rate. Not on sale here yet but they have it available in the Belfast store.

yomchi · 08-07-2015 3:10pm

Guys thanks very much for all your feedback, it seems the Polar one that connects to the phone is the way to go for now.

Much appreciated.

Heart rate monitors and IPhone (seeking info)

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