The Best Heart Rate Monitor Chest Straps Of 2023, Ranked

Smartwatches and other wrist-bound fitness trackers have exploded in popularity over the past few years, but there's a wearable heart rate monitor that's even more accurate: the chest strap. Of course, attaching an electronic heart rate monitor to your chest before working out (and removing it after) is a little more cumbersome than wearing one on your wrist. However, there are a few options on the market that are comfortable and easy to use, and the best of them have apps that can record workout metrics just as detailed as a Fitbit or Apple Watch.

There are a few factors you'll want to take into consideration when deciding on a heart rate monitor chest strap. These include its cost, color options, battery life, connectivity, extra features, internal storage, and native app, which is how you'll interface with the screenless device. You'll also want to make sure both the device itself and the chest strap can fit properly and are comfortable to wear. To help find which option is right for you, here are the best heart rate monitor chest straps currently available.

The Polar H9 is a solid choice when it comes to heart rate monitor chest straps, but the brand's H10 is even more impressive. It provides the main things you want out of a chest strap monitor in that it's accurate, comfortable, and easy to adjust and wear. Its polyester material makes it waterproof up to 30 meters, so you can use it for swimming, in addition to running and other workouts.

Additionally, it can measure heart rate variability and connect to two separate devices simultaneously using Bluetooth, so you can pair it with your phone and your smartwatch. Polar also boasts that its thin battery is capable of an impressive 400 hours.

If you're looking for a little variety, the Polar H10 comes in three color options: black, red, and orange. If the Polar H10 has a downside, it's the lackluster app you need to use it with. It's a common cause for complaints and poor consumer reviews and lacks some features found on similar apps/monitors from competitors like Garmin and Wahoo. But the strap itself is pretty flawless, and it's not terribly expensive. You can purchase a Polar H10 on Amazon for $80.

The Wahoo Tickr X is one of the lightest, slimmest chest strap heart rate monitors on the market, and it includes most of the basic features you'd want in a strap. Plus, it has workout analytics beyond just heart rate monitoring for training, and its coin-cell battery has a very impressive 500 hours of juice.

But what really makes the Tickr X stand out is its 50 hours of memory, which allows you to work out without your phone or any other device and still have your metrics recorded for later. It also has both ANT+ and Bluetooth capability and is highly compatible with other devices, including Apple TV, Peloton, Apple Watch, and many third-party fitness apps. The strap only comes in black, but the monitor uses LED lights that are both cool-looking and informational.

While the Wahoo Tickr X is one of the best heart rate monitors for running and cycling and includes specialized advanced features for those workouts, it's not the best choice for swimmers. Its IPX7 rating isn't as waterproof as swimmers would prefer, and it lacks any metrics for monitoring swim workouts. If you're not planning on using it in the pool, however, it's a solid choice, and you can purchase the Wahoo Tickr X on Amazon for just under $100.

Garmin is a familiar name when it comes to quality sport watches and other fitness tech, so it shouldn't be a surprise to see one of its chest rate heart monitors on this list. Honestly, most devices made by Garmin will be a good choice, but the HRM-Pro is one of the best on the market among heart rate monitoring chest straps.

It's small and light, and you'll barely notice it's attached, more so thanks to the comfortable strap. Plus, its battery will last a year before needing a replacement. It also records various metrics besides heart rate monitoring and can store them internally when you're out of range from your device. This includes swimming metrics, which is especially useful since your phone will likely be in the locker room or somewhere else out of range.

A drawback to having a heart rate monitor with all these features is that the Garmin HRM-Pro is one of the priciest options available. It has a retail price of $130, which is higher than most but not unreasonable for wearable fitness gear. That said, you can currently find it at a discount on Amazon for $95. Unfortunately, it only comes in one black and reflective yellow color option.

The Myzone MZ-Switch has a novel approach to heart rate monitoring, giving you the option to wear its device on your wrist, arm, or chest (hence the "Switch" moniker). If — for whatever reason — you don't like monitoring your heart from your chest, you can use one of the alternate straps and wear it elsewhere, or you can just switch it up depending on the day or workout.

This feature — combined with its color-coded metrics app, which is both easy to read and set up — makes the MZ-Switch an especially good choice for beginners. Other features include 16 hours of memory, LED indicators, ANT+ and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, and water resistance.

Of course, considering its three-in-one design, the Myzone MZ-Switch is more expensive than other chest strap-only heart rate monitors. You can buy all three bundled together on the Myzone website for $160. Hopefully, you're okay with wearing red because that's the one color option for all three straps. Another drawback is its 300-hour battery life, so you may have to replace its battery more than once a year, depending on how often you plan to use it.

To be frank, the Coospo H808S isn't the best heart rate monitor chest strap on the market. But it gets the job done, and what earns its spot on this list is that it does so at a much lower cost than the competition. You can purchase a Coospo H808S for around $30, which is significantly less than flashier options from Garmin, Polar, Wahoo, and others.

Despite being a lot cheaper, the chest strap still has all the basic features you'd want in a heart rate monitor. It's compatible with several apps and fitness equipment, like Nordic and Peloton. It's accurate and has got both Bluetooth and ANT+ for dual-pairing. Its soft strap is comfortable enough and can be adjusted between 65 to 95 cm.

The Coospo H808S has more color options than most of its pricier competition, with black and white monitors and black, red, and blue straps. However, one drawback of this budget-friendly option is its smaller battery. It lasts about 300 hours before needing replacement, while others on this list can go for 400–500 hours.