Top Fitness Activity Trackers with Heart Rate Monitor

Samuel J Tan Fitness Tecnology, Fitness Tracker, Heart Rate Monitors, Running GPS Tracker 0

There are tonnes of activity and fitness trackers out there and choosing one that suits you can be a big task on its own. But if you are looking for one that tracks heart rate, you can’t go wrong with one of these.

Why Heart Rate Tracker?

An activity tracker that does not have a heart rate sensor or GPS tracker is simply just a glorified pedometer. Yes, it may detect when you are sat down in one place for too long, or monitor your sleep but again those are basic sensors and some algorithm to detect the way you move. For more information about your body and how you respond to the type of workout or daily activity then you need a fitness tracker with heart rate sensor.

Most heart rate sensors today are based on optical monitor that consists of coloured LEDs on the back of the tracker. When you wear it on your wrist, hence a wrist-based heart rate sensor, it picks up your heart rate from your skin. While it may not be as accurate compared to hear rate sensors that you strap to your chest, these more elegant versions track your heart rate continuously to get a bigger picture of your heart rate vs. the type of activities you do.

Heart rate monitors on trackers from Fitbit, Garmin and TomTom offers continuous and automatic tracking as well as what some manufacturers call simplified heart rate zones (peak, cardio and fat burn bepending on the intensity of your workout). You might get heart rate sensors on smartwatches but these are trigger manually with on-board app or 3rd party app when you want a reading and not continuously. The benefits of continuous hear rate monitor are you get live information for when you reach your goal during workout, optimise your exercise using real time information to keep yourself in the desired heart rate zone during your workout. When you are not working out, you also get to monitor your resting heart rate and cardio fitness level, a great way to paint a picture of your health. Finally, the heart rate monitor is also a great tool to manage your stress, by relaxing and keep tabs on your heart rate, focusing on your breadth and keeping still you can stay healthy and fit.

What about GPS?

These are available on even more expensive fitness tracker and meant for runners, cyclists, joggers, hikers or rowers who need to track how far or fast they have traveled during their working. It offers useful information to enable you to point point the route you have taken, the different locations, the speed you were travelling at, the altitude and elevation climbed, pace and split time. The downside of GPS tracking is that it drains your battery quickly. However, with today’s innovation, you can get through your workout sessions with the GPS mode activated as typical battery life is 8 to 13 hours. Plus, you get to review your routes on your phone using the companion app.

Top 10 Best Fitness Trackers with Heart Rate Monitor

The best fitness trackers with heart rate monitor and GPS tracker on some are dominated mainly by Fitbit, Garmin and TomTom with their wide portfolio of fitness, runner and multi-sport trackers.

Fitbit Charge 2 Heart Rate – HR
Fitbit Blaze Smart Fitness Watch– HR
Garmin Vivoactive HR GPS – HR, GPS
Garmin Forerunner 35 GPS – HR, GPS
Garmin Forerunner 235 GPS – HR, GPS
Garmin Forerunner 630 GPS – HR, GPS
Garmin Vivosmart HR+ – HR, GPS
TomTom Runner 3 GPS [3.7s802] – HR, GPS
TomTom Spark 3 Cardio HR GPS – HR, GPS
Fitbit Surge – HR, GPS

BONUS: Apple Watch Nike+ HR GPS

OTHERS:

1. Fitbit Charge 2 Heart Rate – HR

The Charge 2 is slightly wider than your typical sports bands but still spots the minimalist look. The wider body means a bigger screen and the OLED display does not disappoint. Fitbit Charge 2 is easily the most popular fitness tracker for those looking for one with a heart rate sensor. Using PurePulse, it continuously and automatically track your heart rate from your wrist to better measure calories burn all day. You can also use the heart rate monitor to maximize your workout based on simplified heart rate zones; fat burn, cardio or peak. Fitbit Charge offers basic alerts when connected to your phone so you can see calls, text and calendar notifications. While there is no onboard GPS, you can use Connected GPS during run mode to see real-time stats such as pack and distance.

Display: OLED
Tracks: sleep monitor with silent wake alarm, personalised Cardio Fitness Score, use connected GPS during run mode for real time stats like pace and distance, track all day activities like steps, distance, calories burned, floors climbed and active minutes. Guided breathing sessions based on your heart rate for moments of calm. Reminder to move.
Alerts: Call, Text, Calendar
Battery: up to 5 days
Colours: Black, Blue, Plum, Special Edition Gunmetal, Special Edition Lavender Rose Gold, Teal with interchangeable bands
App: Sync with Fitbit app.
Sizes: Small (5.5-inch to 6.7-inch) or Large (6.7-inch to 8.1-inch)

2. Fitbit Blaze Smart Fitness Watch – HR

The Blaze is the second watch like tracker from the company. Their first being Fitbit Surge, featured at the bottom of this article. Blaze is a much more grown up fitness tracker for those who wants more from their fitness tracker. If the screens on fitness bands are too small for you, then consider Blade with its big colour screen. The smart fitness watch is also water resistant but not swim or shower proof. It will withstand sweat, rain or splash.

The watch as a built-in PurePulse Heart Rate monitor that continuously and automatically track your heart rate from your wrist. Using connected GPS on your phone, it will also map your routes and see run stats like pace and duration. The watch also features FitStar workout with step-by-step instructions and coaching from our wrist. Apart from the standard activity tracking and sleep monitoring with silent alarms, there are some enhanced fitness features like SmartTrack (automatically recognises and record exercies), Multi-Sport (choose from sport modes like running, biking and cardio for real-time stats) and Workout Goals + Summaries (set weekly goals in Fitbit app, then check your workout summaries on Blaze to see where you are).

Display: Colour Screen
Tracks: Auto sleep tracking with silent alarms, all-day activity tracking including steps, distance, calories burned and active minutes, and get credit for your workouts with Smart Track automatic exercise recognition, reminders to move, multi-faceted clock faces.
Alerts: Call, Text, Calendar as well as Music Control
Battery: up to 5 days
Colours: Black Strap with Silver Case, Blue Strap with Silver Case, Pink Strap with Gold Case, Gun Metal, Plum Strap with Silver Case and Interchangeable accessories.
App: Sync with Fitbit app.
Sizes: Small (5.5-inch to 6.7-inch) or Large (6.7-inch to 8.1-inch)

3. Garmin Vivoactive HR GPS – HR, GPS

If you would rather have a bigger screen, more information on the display and tactile buttons for easy navigation then the Garmin vivoactive is just the one for you. Not only that, it comes with Heart Rate monitor and GPS sensor, just what any fitness tracker needs to be complete. The tracker has a smart watch profile with continuous heart rate monitor using Elevate Heart Rate Technology. The technology allows the tracker to use heart rate data to provide calories burned and quantifies the intensity of your work out.

There are lots of accessories that help you get more from sports, but phones aren’t one of them. With GPS-enabled running, biking, swimming, skiing, snowboarding, golf, rowing, paddle boarding and activity tracking right on your wrist, you can sweat all day with your phone safely tucked away. The watch is waterproof with 5ATM rating, ability to withstand pressure equivalent to a depth of 50 meters.

Display: Colour screen
Tracks: keep track of steps and floors climbed as well as monitor sleep. It also tracks different activities such as run (with GPS and acceletometer), bike (with GPS, time, distance, speed and calories), golf (download 1 of 40,000 course maps worldwide) or simply track intensity. The on board memory is used to save waypoints, favourites and locations.
Alerts: Smart Notification (displays email, text and other alerts when paired with your compatible phone). Music Cotrol, Find my Phone and Watch Functions (time, date, calendar and alarm)
Battery: up to 8 days in smart watch mode with 24/7 heart rate monitoring, 13 hours in GPS mode.
Colours: Black
App: Connect IQ online store for more apps, Free custom clock faces
Sizes: Regular 5.39″ to 7.68″ (137 to 195 mm) or Extra Large

GPS smartwatch with built-in sports apps and wrist-based heart rate.

4. Garmin Forerunner 35 GPS – HR, GPS

The Forerunner 35 has a GPS tracker and heart rate monitor built-in. Using Garmin Elevate wrist heart rate technology, it monitors your heart rate all day and night. The GPS tracks how far, how fast and where you run. You get your standard connected features with smart notifications (displays email, text and other alerts when paired with your compatible phone), automatic uploads to Garmin Connect, live tracking and music controls. The case is slim and lightweight do it does not get in the way of your daily run, training and racing while big enough with clear and easy to read display. Designed for runners, the heart rate monitor and GPS tracks your distance, pace, intervals and more. And, yes it also offers watch function for time, date and alarm.

The watch is waterproof with 5ATM rating, ability to withstand pressure equivalent to a depth of 50 meters.

Display: OLED screen
Tracks: All-day activity tracking¹ counts steps, calories and intensity minutes and reminds you when to move. Monitors heart rate. GPS tracks route. Features training tools like intervals, audio prompts and a dedicated run/walk activity. Preloaded sports profiles for running, indoor running, cycling and cardio. It also watches out for periods of inactivity and gives you vibration alerts when it’s time to move.
Alerts: Smart Notification (displays email, text and other alerts when paired with your compatible phone), music control, vibration alert.
Battery: up to 9 days in watch mode, up to 13 hours in training mode
Colours: Black case with different colour straps (black, limelight, frost blue and white).
App: Uploads to Garmin Connect, free online fitness community to join challenges, receive insights and share progress
Sizes: 35.5 x 40.7 x 13.3 mm

5. Garmin Forerunner 235 GPS – HR, GPS

With heart rate sensor and GPS, the Forerunner 235 tracks distance, pace, time, heart rate and more. When connected, you can upload to Garmin Connect the free online fitness community, get smart notification, live tracking, audio prompts and social media sharing. It is also first in our list with a conventional round watch face profile. While it does not have a touch screen, most runners prefer it that way with physical hard buttons. The strap is breathable, lightweight and available in different striking colours.

Forerunner 235 with Elevate™ heart rate technology² measures heart rate at the wrist 24/7, giving you the option to run without a strap. Its colorful gauge identifies your heart rate zone and beats per minute in real time. Download advanced workouts and training plans to the watch from Garmin Connect and set your own goals. The watch is waterproof with 5ATM rating, ability to withstand pressure equivalent to a depth of 50 meters.

Display: Colour screen 215 x 180 pixels round
Tracks: All-day activity tracking counts daily steps, distance, calories and sleep
Alerts: Smart Notification (displays email, text and other alerts when paired with your compatible phone), music control, vibration alert. Find my phone. Watch functions (time, date and alarm)
Battery:
Colours: Black and Gray Silicone Watch, Frost Blue Silicone Watch, Marsala Silicone Watch.
App: Download data fields, watch faces, widgets and applications from Connect IQ™. Uploads to Garmin Connect, free online fitness community to join challenges, receive insights and share progress.
Sizes: 1.77″ x 1.77″ x 0.46″ (45.0 x 45.0 x 11.7 mm)

6. Garmin Forerunner 630 GPS – HR, GPS

Moving on to a higher model but not as high as the flagship Garmin Fenix series, the Garmin Forerunner 630 is an advanced GPS running watch with colour touchscreen display second only to the highest Forerunner 735XT in the series. The touchscreen GPS running watch has a high resolution color display. Advanced running dynamics include ground contact time balance, stride length and vertical ratio. It also features stress score, performance condition and lactate threshold.

Connected features include automatic uploads to Garmin Connect™, live tracking, audio prompts, music controls, smart notifications and social media sharing. Download data fields, watch faces, widgets and applications from Connect IQ™ for free. The battery last for up to 4 weeks as a watch and activity tracker with notifications or up to 16 hours with training. The watch is also waterproof with water rating of 5ATM. The onboard memory is big enough to hold 200 hours of activity date.

7. Garmin Vivosmart HR+ – HR, GPS

The Garmin Vivosmart HR+ continues with the success formula on the Vivosmart HR with added GPS tracker. The smart activity band comes not only with wrist-based heart rate monitor but GPS sensor included all in an affordable and durable design. GPS tracks distance and pace while mapping out your run or walk. The band is also swim friendly and comfortable for all day wearing. The display is also a touchscreen and is visible even in sunlight. The battery last for up to 5 days as a watch and activity trackerwith 24/7 heart rate monitoring or up to 8 hours with GPS on. As a tracker, it measures steps, distance, calories, floors climbed, activity intensity and heart rate on your wrist. It does not stop there, you also get a full suite of smart notifications such as email, call, text, social media alerts and more. The smart band automatically syncs with Garmin Connect online where you can join fitness challenges, review data and receive smart coaching.

Size: wrist circumference: 5.4″ to 7.6″ (136.0 to 192.0 mm), regular; 7.1″ to 8.8″ (180.0 to 224.0 mm), x-large

8. TomTom Runner 3 GPS – HR, GPS

Even though the name suggests that the TomTom Runner 3 GPS watch is a runner’s companion, it does track all your sports including workouts, run, gym, bike, swim and treadmil. There are even dedicated modes for each of these sports; running, treadmill, cycling, indoor cycling, swimming, gym, freestyle and stopwatch. The watch serves up real time information such as time, distance, speed, pace, calories burned and more while the GPS sensor has a route exploration feature that lets you explore new areas and find your way back with the trail shown on the watch. Given that TomTom is in the satellite navigation business, you can also uplaod new routes to the watch.

Also: TomTom Runner 3 Music

Save

App is essential when considering activity trackers, TomTom Sports App makes sure that you are covered. You can track all sports and activities in one app, with your progress insights and personal best at a glance and plenty more.

With the TomTom Runner 3, you get four different models to choose from, the standard TomTom Runner 3 with GPS, rout exploration, multisport mode and 24/7 tracking. Then there is the TomTom Runner 3 Music + Headphones, with extra storage to carry over 500 songs on the phone. Next up is the TomTom Runner 3 Cardio with a built-in heart rate monitor but without the music player. Finally, the highest model is the TomTom Runner 3 Cardio + Music with both heart rate monitor and music player built-in.

9. TomTom Spark 3 Cardio HR GPS – HR, GPS

Like the TomTom Spark 3 fitness watch comes in four variety, the most affordable Spark 3, the Spark 3 Music + Headphones, the Spark 3 Cardio and the highest model Spark 3 Cardio + Music. We are not so bothered about music. It simply means you do not need to carry your phone, just use the onboard storage to take over 500 tracks with you on the watch. But, if you need your tunes to keep you motivated, see below. While all Spark 3s have GPS tracker, the Spark 3 Cardio and Spark 3 Cardio + Music are the only ones with built-in heart rate monitor. The Spark 3 series also support multisport mode, route exploration and 24/7 activity tracking.

What is the difference between TomTom Spark 3 and TomTom Runner 3, apparently according to TomTom’s discussion forum, these are virtually the same hardware and software, just the name is difference for marketing purposes.

ALSO: TomTom Spark 3 Cardio + Music – HR, GPS

Save

10. Fitbit Surge – GPS, HR

An earlier version of the Blaze, the Fitbit Surge features both PurePulse Heart Rate monitor for continuous and automatic wrist based heart rate monitor and GPS tracking for distance, pace, split times and elevation climbed as well as routes review. It serves as an all-day activity tracker monitoring things like steps, distance, calories burned, floors climbed, active minutes, hourly activity and staionary time. It also uses SmartTrack + Multi-Sport to track runs, rides and other workouts. When you are ready to rest, it monitors your sleep automatically and set a silent wake alarm. The standard notifications (call and text) and music remote are also available. The watch has an amazing battery life of up to 7 days.

BONUS: Apple Watch Nike+ HR GPS

The Apple Watch Nike+ brings the best of both a smart watch and a fitness tracker. We already know the new generation Apple Watch Series 2 received a brighter screen, heart rate sensor and GPS tracker as well as a waterproof case. Now, with the Nike+ edition, you get access to Nike+ Run Club, their online fitness community. The GPS tracker tracks your pace, distance and route with our without your iPhone, while the case is water resistant up to 50 meters. The difference between the standard Apple Watch and the Nike+ is the durable, breathable and lightweight Nike Sport Band. The Nike+ variety also has more Nike branding on the watch including special to Nike only clock faces and tracker styled informational displays. The colours available are bold, on the fluoroelastomer material used.

Like we said, the advantage of the Nike+ is in its app and the online fitness community it calls Nike+ Run Club. The app offers motivation and the online service offers motivation, expert guidance and the ability for you to track progress easily on the screen. You also get reminders triggered by your peers, the current weather and your history. With Nike+ Run Club, you can even set your run schedule so don’t miss any. With the Apple Watch Nike+, its all about running.

OTHERS:

These other trackers may not have heart rate monitor or GPS tracker or both, hence the affordable price tag for those who do not need all the bells and whistles in a fitness tracker.

Fitbit Alta

First and foremost, there is no heart rate sensor in the Fitbit Alta, which makes it more affordable and smaller. For those whom are wondering, the tiny OLED display does show time, you just need to tap the screen or turn your wrist down and up. Cycle through time, distance, steps and the different readings, the order of which is programmable. The Fitbit Alta has an idle alert that vibrates every hour with an alert to get moving so you don’t stay idle for too long.

Display: OLED
Tracks: Auto sleep tracking with silent alarms, all-day activity tracking including steps, distance, calories burned and active minutes, and get credit for your workouts with Smart Track automatic exercise recognition, reminders to move, tap display.
Alerts: Call, Text, Calendar
Battery: up to 5 days
Colours: Gold case with Black Strap, Silver Case with Black Strap, Silver/Blue, Silver/Plum or Silver/Team all with Interchangeable bands.
App: Sync with Fitbit app.
Sizes: Small (5.5-inch to 6.7-inch) or Large (6.7-inch to 8.1-inch) or X-Large (8.1 inches to 9.3 inches)

Garmin Vivoactive – GPS

Garmin vivoactive is one of the first few activity trackers from Garmin. It may not look the part, being a little retro with its square case, it does come with GPS and built-in sports apps. There is no heart rate monitor to speak off, but you can buy it bundled with a chest heart rate monitor. The watch is ultra thin and the touchscreen is readable even under sunlight.

The advantage of the device is in its built-in sports apps that keep you active. The included GPS tracks your running, biking and golfing plus swimming and other sensors tracks your daily activities. Pairs it with your smartphone and you get gentle vibrate and display alerts for incoming calls, texts, emails and calendar items plus notifications from social media and other mobile apps. Customize with free watch face designs, widgets and apps from our Connect IQ™ store. The best part is the battery lasts up to 3 weeks before needing charge in watch or activity tracking mode and up to 10 hours in GPS mode. The watch is waterproof with 5ATM rating, ability to withstand pressure equivalent to a depth of 50 meters.

Garmin Forerunner 230 – GPS

The equally popular Garmin Forerunner 230 also has GPS tracker but lacks heart rate sensor. For heart rate, you can get a separate monitor for this. The lack of on-board heart rate sensor also makes it more affordable and with a variety of colours to choose from, you will be spoilt for choice. Still, the watch has connected features like automatic uploads to Garmin Connect, live tracking, audio prompts, music control, smart notifications and social media sharing. Standard activity tracking includes daily step counter, distance, calories and sleep.

You can download advanced workouts and training plans to your watch from Garmin Connect. You can even customize your data fields, and download watch faces, widgets and applications all for free at Connect IQ. Forerunner 230 is a runners watch with built-in accelerometer that not only captures distances and pace on the road but off road running too when you are on a treadmill. As activity tracker goes, it also reminds you to move after sitting for more than a hour. The watch has a 5ATM water rating, able to submerge up to 50 meters under water.

Top Fitness Activity Trackers with Heart Rate Monitor

Why Heart Rate Tracker?

What about GPS?