Preparing for triathlons is tough work and involves months of endless training to build strength and endurance. However, triathletes are always particular when planning and managing their training to avoid taking it to a point where it becomes counterproductive for their bodies.
The health-tracking technology has seen extensive innovation over the years, which has resulted in significant changes in the training routines of athletes. One of these innovations has given us heart rate monitors that help track the changes in a heartbeat over the course of training and competition and helps us monitor our progress and organize our preparation to get the maximum benefit out of it.
In a Hurry? Here are Our Top Choices
If you are a triathlete looking to buy a heart rate monitor to track your health, check out the following recommendations for the best triathlon heart rate monitors to enhance your training routines.
The 5 Best Triathlon Heart Rate Monitors
Given the need for precision and accuracy required by tri-athletes, it’s no surprise that not many brands have been able to make it to the top despite there being several in the business of making smartwatches. Below are the heart rate monitors, which were the best performers out of all the ones we tested.
1. Garmin HRM Pro
This chest strap monitor is one of Garmin’s latest and best innovations in the category to date. Not only is it extremely accurate in the tracking of health data, but it also analyzes running dynamics, including oscillation, stride length, vertical ratio, etc.
This feature allows the athlete to gauge the quality of their training and make adjustments to it to enhance the results. Additionally, the monitor has Bluetooth connectivity, which connects it to other Garmin accessories, like smartwatches, Garmin apps, etc.
It stores all the health data, including heart rate, steps, calories spent, etc., so the athlete can see their progression over time and plan the next steps.
Overall, it is the best heart rate monitor in the market.
2. Garmin Forerunner 35
If you are more comfortable using a wristband over a chest strap monitor, you should opt for the Garmin Forerunner 35. Not only is this smartwatch elegant and sleek, it has the ability to precisely monitor several health metrics, like heart rate, running distance, pace, calories spent, etc.
While it does not give a complete analysis of the running dynamics, unlike the Garmin HRM Pro, it is still a great option to have given its excellent connectivity due to the provision of both Bluetooth and GPS.
The Garmin Forerunner 35 also comes with a battery. So instead of going through the hassle of charging, you can simply switch out batteries to power it up.
3. Polar H10
The Polar H10 was one of the most accurate heart rate monitors among the ones we tested. It is extremely versatile and can be used by athletes for running, swimming, cycling, or training indoors. It is also compatible with a range of smartwatches like Garmin, Apple, Polar, and Suunto, making it easier to use for athletes who want to have a combination of brands.
It is a chest strap heart monitor and can operate between -10°C to 50°C, making it both durable and practical.
If your priority is to get accurate and versatile triathlon heart rate monitors, this should be your pick.
4. Garmin HRM-Tri
The lightest chest strap heart rate monitor by Garmin, the HRM-Tri is compact, comfortable, and has an exceptional battery life of 10 months.
Garmin HRM-Tri is a great option for athletes who prefer to minimize friction during their training, running, or swimming. Not only is it accurate, but it also records sophisticated data like vertical oscillation and ground contact time when paired with a compatible device.
Given its accuracy and storage space, it is a must consideration for all athletes.
5. Apple Watch Series 7
The final heart rate monitor to make it to our list is the Apple Watch. While this product comes with a heftier price tag, it also offers amazing accuracy for health tracking and gives data for blood oxygen, ECG.
One of its best features is that it notifies the user when their heart rate spikes or drops abnormally and gives notifications for irregular heart rhythms. This feature can be very helpful to athletes when testing out different training regimes.
This watch has GPS and is compatible with iOS. It can keep the data secure in phone storage upon device pairing.
These are the five best triathlon heart rate monitors that have proven to be the most effective for triathletes.
How to Select the Right Heart Rate Monitor
While several features make up a good heart rate monitor, fundamental ones should be a part of your decision-making process.
Accuracy
Accuracy and precision play vital roles in the lives of all athletes because they make all the difference. Ensure your heart rate monitor gives accurate data to have a clearer picture of your health and the impact of your training.
Versatility and Battery Life
Another important feature to look at is the versatility and battery life. Not only should the heart monitor be able to register several kinds of activity, but its battery life should also be able to give a fair run time to a triathlete, so they cover the duration of training.
Connectivity
Offering Bluetooth connectivity is a must for the heart rate monitor because that allows it to pair with your other devices like smartwatches, and smartphones, etc. An added benefit of the smartwatch heart monitors is that some also offer GPS, which helps map out training routes.
Our Final Thoughts
To conclude, the best triathlon heart rate monitors are the ones that are accurate, versatile, and detailed. The ones that give a detailed analysis of the training or activity get an extra boost because they can be used to plan out the training sessions.
When you buy a heart rate monitor, make sure you buy one that’s most suitable for the sport you will be playing.
