The Best Heart Rate Monitors in 2027: Chest Straps, Armbands and Watches

A heart rate monitor turns “that felt hard” into a number you can train with. The catch is that not all of them measure the same thing: a chest strap reads the heart’s electrical signal, an armband or watch reads blood flow with light, and the gap between the two shows up exactly when it matters most, in intervals and strength work. This guide covers the best heart rate monitors by type, which one to buy for running, lifting or everyday tracking, and how to use the numbers once you have them.

We have not tested these in a lab. Our picks come from independent reviewers (Wareable, Tom’s Guide, Cyclingnews, the5krunner, 220triathlon), from peer-reviewed accuracy studies cited below, and from what our trainers see on clients’ wrists and chests every week. Product status and manufacturer prices are as of October 2026. Links to Amazon are affiliate links, and Type A Training earns a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you.

The short version

• Best overall: Polar H10 chest strap. It is the reference strap in peer-reviewed studies and the one Apple used to benchmark its own watch.
• Best for Garmin watch owners: Garmin HRM 200 for value, HRM 600 if you want running dynamics and watch-free recording.
• Best budget chest strap: Polar H9.
• Best if you hate chest straps: Polar Verity Sense armband, which came within about 1 percent of a chest strap in a 2025 validation study.
• Best watch: Apple Watch Series 12 for iPhone owners, Garmin Forerunner 970 for runners, COROS PACE 4 on a budget. For the full watch rundown see our fitness watches guide.
• Skip: Garmin HRM-Pro Plus, Wahoo TICKR X, Myzone MZ-3 and Scosche Rhythm24, all replaced or no longer sold by their makers.

Chest strap, armband or watch?

Chest straps use ECG electrodes against your skin and are the most accurate consumer option. In a Cleveland Clinic study of 50 adults published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise (Gillinov et al., 2017), the chest strap agreed with a medical EKG at a concordance of 0.996, while four wrist devices scored between 0.67 and 0.92 and none was accurate on an elliptical with arm levers. A 2022 study in Sensors (Schaffarczyk et al.) found the Polar H10 matched a 12-lead ECG for heart rate at rest and during a ramp test with a correlation of 1.00.

Optical armbands read blood flow through the skin of your upper arm or forearm, where there is less tendon movement than at the wrist. In a 2025 validation study in JMIR Cardio (Schweizer and Gilgen-Ammann), the Polar Verity Sense on the upper arm had a mean error of 1.35 percent against a Polar H10, while a Polar Vantage V2 watch on the wrist had a mean error of 6.82 percent and was worst at low heart rates, such as lying down, walking and picking up objects. The authors concluded the armband is a valid alternative to a chest strap.

Watches are the most convenient and the least accurate during fast changes. In a test published in October 2026, Tom’s Guide ran the Apple Watch Series 12 against a Garmin HRM 600 chest strap and found the averages for indoor cycling within 0.08 beats per minute, but the watch lagged on running intervals and missed or invented spikes in strength and HIIT sessions. Their verdict, and ours: a strap or armband is still better for those workouts.

The rule of thumb our trainers use: a watch is fine for steady cardio, walking and daily tracking. If you train by zones, do intervals or lift, wear a strap or an armband and let the watch display the number.

What to check before you buy

• Bluetooth and ANT+. Bluetooth connects to phones and most watches. ANT+ is what older Garmin devices, many gym machines and Peloton-style bikes use. Most straps here do both; the COROS armband and the Frontier straps are Bluetooth only.
• How many connections at once. If you want your watch and a bike app to see the same strap, you need two or three Bluetooth channels. The Polar H9 and Wahoo TICKR FIT have one; the H10 and Verity Sense have two; the Garmin straps, Wahoo TRACKR and COROS armband have three.
• Battery type. Coin cells last months to a year and are easy to swap. Rechargeable straps typically last 30 to 100 hours (the Myzone and Frontier straps are the exceptions) and need a proprietary cable, which is one more thing to lose.
• Onboard memory. Lets the sensor record a workout with no watch or phone nearby, then sync later. Useful for swimming, boxing and classes where you do not want a watch on.
• Water rating. Bluetooth does not travel reliably through water, so swimmers need a sensor with memory or one that stores the session until you surface.
• Strap and fit. Check that the sensor pod detaches and that replacement straps are sold. Chest straps need a damp electrode to read well; dry straps are the most common cause of a bad reading in the first five minutes.

Best chest strap heart rate monitors

Polar H10: best overall

The H10 is the strap other devices are measured against. It appears as the reference in the 2025 JMIR Cardio study above, in Apple’s own 1,254-person Series 12 accuracy study, and in the5krunner’s HRV testing. It connects to two Bluetooth devices at once plus unlimited ANT+ and Polar’s 5 kHz gym signal, runs about 400 hours on a replaceable CR2025 coin cell, is water resistant to 30 meters and stores one workout of up to 30 hours in its own memory. Wareable and Gadgets and Wearables both rank it the best chest strap of 2026, and 220triathlon scores it 86 percent. Launched in 2017 and still the reference; Polar lists it at $104.95.

Garmin HRM 200: best value for Garmin users

Garmin’s entry strap, released in January 2025, replaced the HRM-Dual and now covers what most people bought the HRM-Pro for: three Bluetooth connections plus ANT+, heart rate variability, a machine-washable strap in two sizes and a CR2032 battery Garmin rates at about a year of daily hour-long use, with a tool-free door. Cyclingnews scored it 85 percent in September 2026 and found it matched a Wahoo TRACKR outdoors from easy pace to near-max effort. It does not do running dynamics or record without a watch, and it is rated to 3 ATM, so it is a sweat-and-rain strap rather than a swim strap. Wareable’s pick as best for Garmin users; it sells for $79.99.

Garmin HRM 600: best for runners on Garmin

Launched with the Forerunner 570 and 970 in May 2025, the HRM 600 is the one to get if you want Garmin’s running dynamics (including the new step speed loss metric), watch-free recording of up to 24 hours per activity that syncs to Garmin Connect, swim heart rate capture and 5 ATM water resistance. It is rechargeable rather than coin cell, which the5krunner estimated at about 50 hours of sport use per charge. The same review found its workout heart rate excellent but its resting HRV readings less reliable than the H10’s, and noted that “equally accurate alternatives exist at a fraction of the price.” It sells for $169.99, so buy it for the features, not the accuracy.

Polar H9: best budget chest strap

The H9 is Polar’s simpler ECG strap: the same ANT+ and 5 kHz, about 400 hours on a coin cell and 30 meters of water resistance, but one Bluetooth connection and no onboard memory. If you train with one watch or one app and do not need it to record a swim, you lose nothing that matters. Wareable names it the best budget Polar strap; Polar lists it at $69.90.

Wahoo TRACKR Heart Rate: best rechargeable

Wahoo retired both the TICKR and TICKR X in 2024 and replaced them with the TRACKR, its only chest strap now. It connects to three Bluetooth devices plus ANT+, charges to about 100 hours, and has an LED that confirms it is paired. The trade-offs are no onboard memory, so it cannot record without a device, and an IPX7 rating, so it is not for swimming. Wareable’s August 2026 review found it consistent and quicker to respond than an Apple Watch on VO2 max intervals. Wahoo lists it at $99.99.

Garmin HRM-Fit: best for sports bra wearers

Instead of a strap around the ribs, the HRM-Fit clips to the band of a medium- or high-support sports bra. It pairs over Bluetooth and ANT+, runs about a year on a coin cell and gives running dynamics with a compatible Garmin watch. It sells for $149.99.

Myzone Switch 2.0: best for gym classes and flexible wear

Myzone’s April 2026 release reads ECG on the chest strap or optical heart rate on the arm or wrist, stores 36 hours of workouts for later sync, is waterproof to 10 meters and runs three to six months between charges. It broadcasts standard Bluetooth and ANT+, so it works with any app, but it shines in Myzone-equipped gyms, where the effort points show on the studio screen. Myzone sells it for $159.99 (a sale price when we checked), and it replaces the MZ-3 and the original MZ-Switch, which Myzone no longer sells.

Best heart rate monitor armbands

Armbands sit on the upper arm or forearm, where the optical sensor gets a steadier signal than at the wrist. They are the right call if a chest strap chafes, if you lift (wrist readings drop out when you grip a bar) or if you box with wraps on.

Polar Verity Sense: best armband

The Verity Sense is the armband with the evidence. In the 2025 JMIR Cardio study it tracked within 1.35 percent of a Polar H10 across nine activities from lying down to HIIT, with its largest errors in weight training and picking up objects. It connects to two Bluetooth devices plus ANT+, lasts about 30 hours per charge, is water resistant to 50 meters, clips to swim goggles, and stores up to 600 hours of workouts in memory. Launched in 2021; Polar lists it at $104.95 and has announced no successor.

COROS Heart Rate Monitor: best budget armband

COROS’s 2023 armband is simple and well made: three Bluetooth connections, about 38 hours per charge, auto wear detection and a 3 ATM rating. Coach magazine ran it against a Polar H10 over four runs and found it matched the strap “beat for beat” with only a little lag on intervals. The limits are no ANT+ (so not for ANT+-only gym gear or older Garmin bike computers) and no memory. It sells for $79.

Wahoo TICKR FIT: simplest ANT+ armband

Wahoo’s forearm armband has been around since 2018 and is still in Wahoo’s lineup at $89.99. It does Bluetooth (one connection at a time) and ANT+, lasts about 30 hours per charge and comes with two strap sizes. No memory and no swim mode, so it is the pick only if you need ANT+ on an armband and do not want to pay for the Verity Sense.

Best watches for heart rate

A watch is the right tool if you want 24-hour data, sleep, notifications and a screen, and you accept that it will lag on intervals. These four have the strongest optical sensors in independent testing; our fitness watches guide covers the rest of the field.

Apple Watch Series 12: best for iPhone owners

Released September 18, 2026, the Series 12 has a redesigned optical sensor that samples heart rate every five seconds in the background and HRV every five minutes, plus an ECG app and the hypertension notifications introduced on Series 11 in 2025. Apple’s own study of 1,254 adults, with a Polar H10 as the reference, found the Series 12 more accurate than six rival wearables in 139 of 159 comparisons; Apple ran and funded that study and did not publish error figures. Tom’s Guide’s independent test found it near-perfect for indoor cycling, close on steady running once it locked on, and weakest in strength and HIIT. A 2025 meta-analysis in JACC Advances of 11 studies and 4,241 people found the Apple Watch ECG detected atrial fibrillation with 94.8 percent sensitivity and 95 percent specificity against a 12-lead ECG, in mostly older study populations, and the authors flagged a high risk of bias in 7 of the 11 studies; the ECG app screens, it does not diagnose. Apple lists it from $399.

Garmin Forerunner 970: best for runners

Garmin’s flagship running watch, launched May 2025, carries the Elevate v5 optical sensor, ECG, a built-in flashlight and up to 26 hours of GPS. Tom’s Guide found its heart rate “always on point” against a chest strap during steady running. Pair it with the HRM 200 or HRM 600 for intervals and you have the complete Garmin setup. It sells for $749.99; the Forerunner 570 drops the ECG and flashlight for less, and the May 2026 Forerunner 170 is the budget option with an older sensor.

COROS PACE 4: best budget sport watch

Released November 2025 at $249, the PACE 4 has a revised optical sensor, dual-band GPS and about 19 days of battery. Tom’s Guide found its heart rate “usually close” to a chest strap with spikes only at the start of a run or after pauses; T3 called it “impressively solid for a wrist-based optical sensor.” It pairs with the COROS armband or any Bluetooth strap.

Fitbit Charge 6: best everyday tracker

The Charge 6 is the Fitbit to buy if you want heart rate on a small band with a seven-day battery, an ECG app and, usefully, the ability to broadcast your heart rate over Bluetooth to compatible gym equipment. Google lists it at $159.95. The Fitbit Versa 4 we recommended in earlier versions of this guide is a 2022 model and Google has not replaced it; the 2026 Fitbit Air is a cheaper screenless band, and the Fitbit app became the Google Health app in May 2026.

Which heart rate monitor for running

Runners get more from a heart rate monitor than anyone, because pace hides what heart rate shows: a hot day, a hill or a bad night’s sleep all show up in the number before they show up in your legs. Our advice for runners, in order of budget:

• Already own a watch: add a strap and let the watch display it. Polar H10 for any watch, Garmin HRM 200 if the watch is a Garmin. Wrist readings are fine for easy runs; intervals and tempo runs are where the strap earns its keep.
• Want running dynamics: Garmin HRM 600 with a Forerunner. Ground contact, vertical oscillation and step speed loss help more once your running form basics are in place.
• Chest strap chafes: Polar Verity Sense on the upper arm. Two Bluetooth connections plus ANT+, like the H10, and it records up to 600 hours without a watch.
• Starting from nothing: COROS PACE 4 plus the COROS armband, or a Forerunner 170 plus an HRM 200.

Most of your running should sit in Zone 2, the easy aerobic zone, which is where a monitor pays for itself; our Zone 2 cardio guide explains why. Strength work twice a week keeps the heart rate you earn on the road usable on race day; see strength training for runners.

How to use heart rate zones

Every monitor needs a maximum heart rate to build zones from. The simple estimate is 220 minus your age (Polar’s default). The research-based estimate from Tanaka, Monahan and Seals in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2001) is 208 minus 0.7 times your age, which gives a higher number for anyone over 40. Both are population averages that can be off by 10 beats or more for an individual; a maximal test with a trainer or a field test replaces the guess.

Polar and Garmin use the same five default zones as a percentage of max heart rate: Zone 1, 50 to 60 percent (warm-up); Zone 2, 60 to 70 percent (easy aerobic); Zone 3, 70 to 80 percent (moderate); Zone 4, 80 to 90 percent (hard, around threshold); Zone 5, 90 to 100 percent (maximal). If you are on medication that affects heart rate, such as a beta blocker, zones based on max heart rate do not apply and you should set them with your doctor’s input.

What happened to the old picks

• Garmin HRM-Pro and HRM-Pro Plus: the HRM-Pro was discontinued in 2024 and the HRM-Pro Plus is no longer sold on garmin.com. Garmin’s current lineup is the HRM 200, HRM-Fit and HRM 600. Retailer stock remains, but the HRM 600 is the current equivalent.
• Wahoo TICKR X: replaced by the TRACKR in 2024.
• Myzone MZ-3: no longer sold by Myzone; replaced by the Switch 2.0 and the Myzone Max.
• Scosche Rhythm24: no longer on scosche.com, which lists only the Rhythm+2.0, a $64.98 Bluetooth and ANT+ armband with a 24-hour battery.
• Powr Labs Pulsr+: the brand’s website no longer sells fitness products, so we no longer recommend it even though Amazon listings remain.
• Frontier X2: still made, now joined by the Frontier X3 and the cheaper Frontier Zone, ECG straps that record breathing rate and ST strain, with a subscription for VO2 max, ventilatory zones and readiness. Bluetooth only. A niche pick for people who want ECG data rather than a heart rate number.

A number is only useful if someone reads it

Most people buy a heart rate monitor, wear it for a month and never change a workout because of it. A trainer does: sets your zones from a real test instead of a formula, builds the easy days easy and the hard days hard, and watches the trend over weeks, which is where the monitor stops being a gadget and starts being a plan. A Type A Training trainer comes to your home, your building gym or a park in Manhattan, brings any equipment you need and can set up whichever monitor you own in the first session. Learn more about in-home personal training.

Frequently asked questions

Is a chest strap really more accurate than a watch?

Yes, and the gap is largest during intervals and strength training. The 2017 Cleveland Clinic study put chest strap agreement with EKG at 0.996 versus 0.67 to 0.92 for wrist devices, and Tom’s Guide’s October 2026 test found even the new Apple Watch Series 12 lagged a chest strap in HIIT and strength sessions.

Is an armband as good as a chest strap?

Close. The Polar Verity Sense tracked within 1.35 percent of a Polar H10 in a 2025 validation study, and the study’s authors called it a valid alternative. Its largest errors were in weight training, so lifters who want exact numbers should stay with a strap.

What is the best heart rate monitor for Apple Watch?

Any Bluetooth strap pairs with Apple Watch as an external sensor. The Polar H10 is the most accurate; the Polar H9 is the budget pick. Put the strap in pairing mode, then on the watch open Settings, tap Bluetooth, and tap the strap under Health Devices.

Which heart rate monitor works with Peloton and gym machines?

Peloton bikes and most commercial cardio equipment read Bluetooth or ANT+ straps. The Polar H10, Garmin HRM 200 and Wahoo TRACKR all work, and the Fitbit Charge 6 can broadcast to Bluetooth-enabled machines.

Do I need a heart rate monitor to start training?

No. Talk test and perceived effort work for the first few months. A monitor becomes worth it once you are training by zones, running intervals or trying to keep easy days truly easy.