Best Heart Rate Monitors for Peloton Bikes
For years we have used heart rate as training data to help us improve and get to our fitness goals quicker. Not only can it tell us in real-time what our bodies are doing, but it can also be used long-term to see improvements in our fitness. Along with other Peloton accessories, I use a heart rate monitor on every training session and now feel lost without one. When looking for the best Peloton Heart Rate Monitor, there’s currently a lot on the market, and not everything will give you what you need. I found some excellent Peloton heart rate readers and also some awful ones.
So how do we use heart rate monitors to train? The first thing to think about is how heart rate is registered; it’s done in BPM, which means beats per minute. This gives us an indication of how hard we are working. Not everyone will have the same heart rate, though; we need to know our maximum to use heart rate effectively. For a rough guess, most people say 220- your age, and this will be correct. This isn’t always correct. I have a much higher heart rate, and I found mine out precisely by doing a ramp test which involves you working to your absolute maximum heart rate, and I’d recommend doing a proper test to find out.
Well, it’s pretty simple. Depending on your maximum heart rate, you have certain zones that look a little bit like this.
Zone 1: 50 to 60 percent of maximum heart rate.
Zone 2: 60 to 70 percent of maximum heart rate.
Zone 3: 70 to 80 percent of maximum heart rate.
Zone 4: 80 to 90 percent of maximum heart rate.
Zone 5: 90 to 100 percent of maximum heart rate.
Zone one will be your warm-up, Zone 2 would be Fat burning or weight control, Zone 3 would be Aerobic, Zone 4 would be Anaerobic, and Zone 5 would be V02 maximum. So the higher the zone, the harder your working. These Zones help instructors and will also really help you when you want to design your cycling workouts and profiles. For example, if you wanted to focus on losing weight, you would situate yourself in your fat-burning zone 2 and focus a lot of time. If you wanted to be better at sprinting them, you would work in zone 5 more often. We use these zones to our advantage, and the more time we spend in each, the better the body will be there.
What’s the right heart rate monitor for you and what are the best ways to monitor your heart rate while riding a Peloton Bike?
I have had many heart rate monitors since I started my fitness journey, and many of them have been awful. On the flip side of that, I have also had some fantastic heart rate monitors. I have realized that you get what you pay for when it comes to heart rate monitors. If you want to go cheap, then you will get false readings and no end of issues. If you spend a little more, you will get much better data and much more reliability, and it will last you for years to come.
In this article, I want to run through three of the best Peloton heart rate monitors on the market to complement your training and also help you reach the goals you want to achieve. All of these are used by myself for long periods, and I want to give the pros and cons of each. I will start by talking about connectivity, how it attaches to you, secondly accuracy of the Peloton heart rate monitor, the battery life, and finally, anything extra it might be able to do. All the Heart rate monitors in this guide are compatible with your Peloton bike and Peloton Bike+.
Apple Watch Series 6
I’m sure you have heard of Apple watches before, and they are a fantastic tool. I want to speak about the Apple watch six today as it’s something quite unique when it comes to using it for exercise. Firstly it’s straightforward to use and is seamless in linking with your iPhone. You have all your different activities to choose from, and depending on what you pick will depend on how the watch interprets the data.
This heart Rate Monitor for Peloton bike unit is made for Bluetooth Connectivity. You will need to be an iPhone user to use the Apple watch too. The Apple watch obviously will sit on your wrist as it is a watch-based heart rate monitor. You are usually going to find your heart rate monitors here or on your chest as this is the best place for them to register your heart rate, but they can be found in other areas.
How accurate is the Apple watch? Well, I have had many Apple watches over the years as the technology has improved. I have updated and upgraded. I have tested this against many other monitors and found it to be very accurate. Typically you will find wrist straps. They are less accurate than chest straps HRM, but it is not the case with these heart rate monitor watches. This doesn’t surprise me because it is an Apple product, and they are very well made and built to work.
The battery life on an Apple watch will generally last a day if you use it heavily while working out, or two days if you are using it, usually just doing day-to-day stuff. This is an ok compatible heart Rate Monitor for Peloton spin bike, but obviously, this is used for many other functions also. The Apple Watch has so many extras compared to any other of these Heart Rate monitors. Not only does it answer calls and send messages, but it also has a vast array of other functions such as sleep tracking and GPS location without the phone with you. One thing I want to mention and the reason why we have picked out the 6 is it can track blood oxygen levels. Although it might not sound like much, it’s good data to have if you plan to be a top-end athlete.
Pros
Accuracy
Lots of Extra functions
Visible Screen
Bluetooth
Need an iPhone
Cons
Battery Life
Price
Wahoo Tickr Fit
Wahoo has a huge name in the sports industry. Not only have they been making heart rate monitors for years and years they also make GPS units for training and a variety of other high-quality fitness goods. I’m personally using a Wahoo for my training currently and enjoy it.
When we talk about connectivity, the Wahoo is the top dog. Not only does it have Bluetooth like the Apple watch, but it also has ANT+. Although this might not sound like much, it’s excellent as you can connect it to anything. A lot of older devices use ANT+ and laptops too, so it becomes a necessity for some. The Tickr Fit, like the Apple Watch, sits on your upper arm. They have many other options if you prefer a chest strap.
As far as arm band heart rate monitors, I find Wahoo to be the closest to complete accuracy. They are very efficient, and I never see any issues with drops in data. Wahoos are most known for this, and honestly, for a wrist strap monitor, it’s impressive how close they get to be 100% accurate.
The battery life is 35 hours, which is probably pretty close to the apple watch, and it’s ok. I was shocked at this, though, as it doesn’t have a screen or anything. As far as extras, you’re just getting a Heart Rate monitor here, and that’s fine as it’s a very different concept to the apple watch.
Pros
Price
Bluetooth and Ant+
Accuracy
Cons
Battery Life
Garmin Tri
Now when you’re talking big names in the Heart Rate monitor sector, Garmin will come up. Garmin is a fantastic company like Wahoo, not only making heart rate monitors but GPS devices and even safety devices to sense cars behind you.
Connectivity, when it comes to the Garmins, they fall a bit short here as most of them are just ANT+. This is fine, but as I have mentioned before is a bit old technology compared to Bluetooth. They do offer this Peloton bike heart rate reader with a Dual sensor, but it is more money. The Garmin Tri is a chest strap heart rate monitor, and these are known for being more accurate than the arm or wrist strap monitors. They can be more comfortable here too.
When it comes to the accuracy of the Garmins, I can honestly say they are up there with the best and will give you an excellent reading constantly. One thing to make a note of, though, is if you are using ANT+ and are far away from the Laptop or receiving units, the figures can be less accurate.
The battery is impressive ten months estimating it be used an hour a day, basically 300 hours roughly. These are not rechargeable, they are battery-using, and I much prefer this personally. As far as extras go, you are just using a Heart Rate monitor here. It doesn’t offer more than the Apple watch does.
Pros
Battery Life
Accuracy
Price
Cons
Only ANT+
The Final Verdict
I love data when it comes to training, especially when it comes to my Peloton. I rate all these Heart Rate monitors. They are all excellent value for money. I have two winners in my eyes for the best Peloton Heart rate monitor, and it depends on the budget. It does exactly what it says on the tin for cheap and cheerful Wahoo and is super accurate. I also love the fact it sits on the upper arm. If my budget was more extensive, though, and I had an iPhone, it has to be the Apple watch as it comes with so much extra function and will aid not just in training but in day-to-day life.
Hi there, I'm Sayed Hamed Hosseiny, the founder and one of the authors at yourexercisebike.com (YEB). I am a former indoor cycling instructor and personal trainer with nearly 20 years of experience. With a passion for indoor cycling, I have spent years designing cycling parts, repairing, and importing exercise bikes. All the articles, tips, guides, reviews, and comparisons on YourExerciseBike.com (YEB) reflect my personal opinion and expertise in the field. I'm excited to share my knowledge with fellow exercise bike enthusiasts and help people find reliable indoor cycling information and the best exercise bike for their needs.
