bjaspud

Can anyone recommend a wrist style heart rate monitor that works with an Android phone?

spdntrxi

amazon link

franswa

^^That's the one I have and it's been really great. Very comfortable and works seamlessly with my phone(bluetooth).

ChargerDawg

mio alpha one or mio link

Amazon.com: MIO Alpha I Strapless Continuous Heart Rate Monitor, Black/Black: Health & Personal Care

Robot Check

bikepro

+1. I've been using one for about a week. They also work with ANT+ devices. It actually fits on the inside of your forearm, but is very comfortable. Unlike the Garmin chest straps I was using, there are no spikes or dropouts and the results are similar to those I was seeing with the cheststraps.

Fredster

You might want to take a look at the Microsoft Band. It does HR monitoring and lots of other stuff.

no sweat

Mio Alpha is bluetooth only, but works pretty well. Dig around for online coupons. I bought mine direct from Mio for $150.

tony2v

I've been using a Mio Link for about 3 weeks. It's Ant+ and Bluetooth compatible. I bought mine from REI, but my racing team is going to be sponsored by Mio and I couldn't wait.
Works great, no problems with any RF interference since it's optical. Only issue is the battery charge is 10 hours.

Mvcrash

I agree. Using mine for about 6 months now. Works on the wrist and ankle if you care to do that.

Planemaker

Are you guys using new phones Android phones or I phones? Everything I read says you have to have Anroid 4.3 on your phone for the Bluetooth Smart devices to work. I was thinking about rooting my phone and flashing a new ROM to run one of these.

Mvcrash

Iphone 6 now anyway.

MileHighMark

I use the Mio ALPHA, and it works fine with Android, iPhone, and Magellan's Cyclo 505 computer/GPS.

John_V 

Before you go jumping into the more comfortable wrist style HRMs, you may want to read this article. The technology for these devices comes from the same technology used in Pulse Oxcimeters that are used in hospitals and other medical establishments. Pulse Oxcimeters are what they put on your finger to measure oxygen saturation in your blood and to measure your pulse. The pulse portion of these devices work by sensing capillary refill through a beam of light sent through the skin. When a capillary fills, during systole, it is closer to the skin's surface and the pulse is measured by the number of times this occurs. One big problem with this is that capillaries will shut down during cold weather (the reason for cold extremities, even when covered) in order to keep warm blood flow in the body's core, where it's needed the most. If you have any history of poor circulation, especially in the arms, these types of devices may not be the best choice for you. I think that, while the sports industry saw a niche in this technology and marketing hype is what it is, the technology was initially meant to work under more controlled and stable environments.

While they can be uncomfortable and restricting, the chest strap sensors work on trans-thoracic electrical impulses (like an EKG) and do not rely on the action of blood vessels. This will produce a more accurate reading than the wrist units do and are not affected by weather conditions or circulatory issues. Riders, like myself, that use an HRM to avoid staying in their max HR zone for long periods of time might be better off with a chest strap device since the wrist style HRMs can be off by a significant amount.

Here's the article - How accurate are wristband heart rate monitors.