Activity under control: TOP 5 fitness trackers with heart rate monitors

The fitness tracker is one of the leaders in sales and the main competitor of the Xiaomi Mi Band 2 . Huawei's wearable gadget is offered in a black case, and the buyer can initially choose the colour of the rubber non-removable strap himself (black, yellow, green, red).

Huawei Honor Band A2 is equipped with a touch-sensitive OLED display with a diagonal of 0.96". It displays information about the date and time, the number of steps taken, the state of charge, sleep time, calories consumed, etc. Gorilla Glass is designed to protect the screen from damage, although, according to users, the probability of small scratches is still quite high.

Despite the large display, the bracelet can work from 9 to 18 days without recharging (in active and normal mode, respectively). This is provided by a built-in 95 mAh battery. To replenish the battery capacity, a convenient magnetic charger is included.

Huawei Honor Band A2 has a pedometer (accelerometer) and a heart rate monitor. With their help, you can monitor your heart rate during sports (in other cases, heart rate measurement is activated manually), determine the distance traveled, activity time, approximate calorie consumption. Also, the bracelet can remind you of the need to warm up, "knows" how to track sleep: analyzes its phases, records the moments of awakening.

To fully monitor activity, you need to install the Huawei Wear or Huawei Health application. Here you can set goals, make a training plan, track the dynamics of achievements, all statistics, set up an alarm clock and various alerts.

The wearable gadget is compatible with Android and iOS smartphones, pairing is carried out using Bluetooth v 4.2. In tandem with the mobile device, the bracelet notifies about incoming calls, SMS messages and notifications from applications (by vibration and information output on the screen). There is also a function to search for the phone if it is in range of Bluetooth.

Protection from dust and water according to the IP67 standard allows you not to remove the gadget for washing hands or taking a shower (but it is not recommended to swim in the bracelet).

In general, Huawei Honor Band A2 is not inferior in functional terms, but even slightly surpasses the main competitor from Xiaomi, looks stylish and attractive, and costs a little more.

The MiO brand is known for its accurate heart rate monitors, as well as the supply of heart rate monitors for Garmin wearable gadgets. The company has also created its own fitness tracker MiO Slice, which offers not just to count steps, but to comprehensively assess personal activity.

The device constantly monitors the pulse and, analyzing all the loads for the day, determines Personal Activity Intelligence (PAI) — personal activity index. It is calculated taking into account gender, age, body weight, basic training, but it is the changes in heart rate in response to physical effort that are converted into PAI points (for a week, the owner of MiO Slice is offered to score 100 points).

The bracelet also measures steps (using an accelerometer), distance, period of activity, calories spent. Additionally, you can specify the types of activity that the wearable gadget did not take into account (for example, strength training with low hand activity). The bracelet analyzes sleep quite accurately, since heart rate measurement also occurs at night (every 15 minutes). But the model lacks a vibrating alarm clock in the morning.

MiO Slice is equipped with a monochrome screen with an OLED matrix and the ability to adjust brightness. The device received a non-removable rubber strap (2 size options and several colours are offered, including black, grey, blue, brown). There is one mechanical button for control, which responds to both short and long presses.

The model has a 60 mAh battery, the capacity of which is enough for 4-6 days of operation with an average intensity of use. For charging, a convenient magnetic credle is offered in the delivery package.

All Slice settings are performed in the proprietary Mio PAI 2 application. It is already Russified, but the quality of localization leaves much to be desired.

Bluetooth v 4.0 is used to synchronize data with smartphones. After connecting to mobile devices, the bracelet will notify you of calls and SMS. Additionally, support for the ANT+ wireless standard is also provided. It is used to transmit pulse readings in training mode and simplifies the connection to the bracelet of pro-level sports devices.

Note that the bracelet is protected from moisture and dust, waterproof up to 30 metres. But it is not recommended to swim in it, at least because it is impossible to press a mechanical button in the water.

MiO Slice is suitable for fans of running, aerobics, other cyclical sports and just active people. Constantly measuring the pulse, the bracelet will also help to monitor the state of the cardiovascular system and health in general.

The chip of the bracelet is a large colour screen with a TFT matrix, touch control and brightness adjustment. It distinguishes the model from the majority of fitness trackers representing the low-cost and mid-price segment, and makes it look like a wristwatch.

Polar A360 assumes an easy replacement of silicone straps, which allows you to change the appearance of a wearable gadget to suit your mood. Bracelets are available in black, white, blue, green and pink. In addition, 3 different strap size options are offered.

The fitness tracker is equipped with an optical heart rate sensor (a patented development of the Finnish company Polar), and there is also an accelerometer for counting steps and distance traveled. The wearable gadget analyzes the time of activity, counts calories spent, analyzes sleep.

You can manage all the functions of the fitness tracker and even monitor the main activity statistics directly from the display, which will help with convenient navigation and visibility. Additionally, you can install the Polar Flow programme on a PC, an application of the same name, or Polar Beat on a mobile device. Pairing with a computer is done via USB, and with a smartphone — via Bluetooth. The manufacturer assures that wireless synchronization is carried out automatically, but in fact, according to users, there are hitches that can be solved only by resetting the bracelet to factory settings.

With Polar A360 and convenient software, you can make training plans, set goals, create additional sports profiles to account for activity in different sports (more than 100 options), and not just running, walking or cycling. The capsule of the bracelet is protected from water at a depth of up to 30 metres, which allows you to swim with a wearable gadget.

The battery life at an average intensity of use (round-the-clock activity monitoring and daily training with pulse measurement) is almost 2 weeks. To charge the core, you need to get it out of the bracelet, then remove the special miniature plug on the case, which is inconvenient to remove and easy to lose, and then connect the microUSB.

Polar A360 looks more spectacular than its competitor Garmin Vivosmart HR and slightly more convenient to manage. But he does not measure heart rate constantly, but only during training or on request. These two bracelets have a comparable price, so if you don't need a constant pulse measurement, then the stylish design and bright display of the Finnish brand model should be a decisive factor.

Samsung's wearable gadget can be considered not just an activity tracker, but also a smartwatch, thanks to its powerful hardware and the ability to install additional applications and dials. But the proposed sensors and fitness capabilities make the model a useful device for connoisseurs of sports and an active lifestyle.

The bracelet received an oblong curved screen with a Super AMOLED matrix, a diagonal of 1.5" and touch control. Performance is provided by a 2-core processor and 512 MB of RAM, and the ability to connect to a network and other devices is provided by a Wi—Fi and Bluetooth module. The model running the Tizen OS "knows" how to receive alerts from a smartphone, send quick responses, and respond to voice prompts.

Paired with wireless headphones Samsung Galaxy Gear Fit2 Pro can act as a music player. 4 GB of internal memory is offered for recording music.

The straps of the bracelet are replaceable: in addition to the monochrome black, an option with a red inner coating is offered. The protection level of the core complies with the IP68 standard and assumes water resistance up to 50 metres.

To count the steps, the Samsung Galaxy Gear Fit2 Pro is equipped with an accelerometer and a gyroscope, thanks to the barometer, it "knows" how to recognize climbing stairs and uphill movement. The GPS module helps to determine the route, the distance traveled and the speed of movement without a smartphone. Additionally, profiles are provided for various types of activities: riding an exercise bike, an orbitrek, swimming (a third-party application from Speedo is installed that allows you to count strokes during swims), twisting, yoga, pilates, etc.

An optical heart rate monitor is responsible for monitoring the heart rate, for which you can configure different operating modes, including regular measurements.

The fitness tracker is powered by a 200 mAh battery, charged with a proprietary magnetic credle. The claimed battery life is 72 hours. But with frequent heart rate measurements, the use of GPS and the Always On Display function (the screen is always on), the wearable gadget will discharge somewhere in a day, which can be considered a minus. Another disadvantage is the high price. The disadvantage is the need to install 4 branded applications to use all the functionality of the bracelet: Samsung Gear, Gear S Plugin, S Health and Accessory Service. But they are all intuitive and convenient. Otherwise? Samsung Galaxy Gear Fit2 Pro is a worthy representative of advanced solutions and an perfect choice for fans of the brand.

The bracelet of the Swiss company Garmin can initially be selected both in size and colour: both completely black products and models with a bright yellow or red inner surface of the strap are available.

The wearable gadget received a 0.76-inch colour screen with a Transflective substrate. It constantly displays information, and the additional backlight is activated automatically when the level of natural light is insufficient. The control is touch-only, the dial reacts to both touches and swipes.

The display shows the time and notifications from the smartphone by default. On other menu screens, the stress level is displayed (show is analyzed based on pulse data), heart rate, steps and floors passed, calories burned, etc.

Garmin Vivosport is equipped with an accelerometer for measuring steps and a GPS module (it works outdoors and accurately determines the speed and distance traveled). A heart rate monitor is also provided, which is able to constantly monitor the heart rate. There is a barometer and an altimeter for accurate fixation of movements along the steps and activity in conditions of height difference.

To control the training process, various scenarios are offered: running, strength training, aerobics, cycling, etc. But even without first selecting a profile, the bracelet automatically recognizes the type of activity. For the needs of athletes, the VO2 max oxygen content measurement function is also implemented (based on heart rate data at different loads).

In addition to Bluetooth v 4.0, the ANT+ standard is used for data transmission. It also allows you to exchange data with other sports devices. The convenient Garmin Connect proprietary application will simplify the management and configuration of the device.

Garmin Vivosport can work up to 7 days offline. With active use of GPS, the battery life time is reduced and will not exceed 8 hours. But considering that such a long workout is hardly possible even for marathon runners, a wearable gadget will definitely last 2-3 days without recharging.

Note that the fitness tracker is protected from mechanical damage and can withstand pressure up to 5 atmospheres, that is, it can be submerged under water to a depth of 50 metres. However, there are no special fitness features for swimming here.

The disadvantage of Garmin Vivosport is the high price. Those who want to save money can take a closer look at the predecessor Garmin Vivosmart 3 , which is devoid of GPS, colour display and some other chips.