Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Indoor & Stationary Cycling Forum
Reload this Page >

Which heart monitor with Zwift?

Notices
Indoor & Stationary Cycling Forum From spin to Zwift to Peloton, this forum is dedicated to any and all indoor training on stationary bikes

Which heart monitor with Zwift?

Old 01-12-23, 08:34 AM
  #1  
WT21
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 187
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 119 Post(s)
Liked 23 Times in 18 Posts
Which heart monitor with Zwift?

Using a Zwift kickr core connected to a Mac. I've tried using my Apple Watch as heart monitor, but can't seem to get it to work. I'd like to race a bit more, and need a heart monitor for it to count.

Anyone have recommendations they find that are easy to use and not fussy?
WT21 is offline  
Old 01-12-23, 08:39 AM
  #2  
Polaris OBark
ignominious poltroon
 
Polaris OBark's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2022
Posts: 3,927
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2185 Post(s)
Liked 3,337 Times in 1,742 Posts
Apple Watch, as you found, doesn't broadcast heart rate (like a Garmin watch or wrist or strap monitor does).

There is a phone app that allows you to create a bridge. I don't know anything about it, but you could probably find it on the app store.
Polaris OBark is offline  
Likes For Polaris OBark:
Old 01-12-23, 10:37 AM
  #3  
La Tortue
Full Member
 
La Tortue's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 236
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 37 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 34 Times in 27 Posts
The Apple watch does not work. Traditional chest straps like the Bontrager or TACX work well. You are looking for one that uses both Bluetooth and ANT+. I have both the Bontrager and TACX which have given me years of trouble-free use. My wife swapped to a rhythm wristband linked here. Some say they aren't accurate but this one seems to work fine after more than a year of use. It is more comfortable and a little more convenient.. If my other two chest straps HR will break I will replace them with a wrist strap.
La Tortue is offline  
Likes For La Tortue:
Old 01-12-23, 10:49 AM
  #4  
BTinNYC 
...
 
Join Date: Oct 2021
Location: Whitestone and Rensselaerville, New York
Posts: 1,459

Bikes: Bicycles? Yup.

Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 464 Post(s)
Liked 1,450 Times in 702 Posts
Wife uses a $40 Fitbit, seems to work as well as my Polar HRM
BTinNYC is offline  
Likes For BTinNYC:
Old 01-12-23, 10:49 AM
  #5  
himespau 
Senior Member
 
himespau's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 13,553
Mentioned: 33 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4196 Post(s)
Liked 2,912 Times in 1,781 Posts
I like the Garmin Dual. There are a number of generic knock offs that tend to work well as well.
himespau is offline  
Likes For himespau:
Old 01-12-23, 11:24 AM
  #6  
WT21
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 187
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 119 Post(s)
Liked 23 Times in 18 Posts
Originally Posted by La Tortue
The Apple watch does not work. Traditional chest straps like the Bontrager or TACX work well. You are looking for one that uses both Bluetooth and ANT+. I have both the Bontrager and TACX which have given me years of trouble-free use. My wife swapped to a rhythm wristband linked here. Some say they aren't accurate but this one seems to work fine after more than a year of use. It is more comfortable and a little more convenient.. If my other two chest straps HR will break I will replace them with a wrist strap.
I've tried HR chest strap probably 10 years ago and hated it. This wrist band seems much easier to put on and likely more comfortable. I might look into that. Thanks!
WT21 is offline  
Old 01-12-23, 11:32 AM
  #7  
Black wallnut 
Senior Member
 
Black wallnut's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Ellensburg,WA
Posts: 3,175

Bikes: Schwinn Broadway, Specialized Secteur Sport(crashed) Spec. Roubaix Sport, Spec. Crux

Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 178 Post(s)
Liked 161 Times in 80 Posts
If a wrist one doesn't work out for you. I have used chest straps from both Garmin and Wahoo. I have found the Wahoo to be better. The replacement straps seem to last longer and hold shape better plus cost a bit less. Wahoo's C/S has been superior to Garmin as well.
__________________
Sir Mark, Knight of Sufferlandria
Black wallnut is offline  
Old 01-12-23, 11:54 AM
  #8  
msu2001la
Senior Member
 
msu2001la's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Chicago, IL, USA
Posts: 2,870
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1455 Post(s)
Liked 1,477 Times in 867 Posts
I use a Garmin chest strap HRM for Zwift - it connects via ANT+ so I also have an ANT+ dongle for my Mac. (I also connect my Wahoo trainer via ANT+ as I've found it to work better than Bluetooth).

I use this same HRM for outdoor riding - connected to my Wahoo head unit.

My Garmin strap is starting to show a lot of wear (I've had this one for a few years and it's been through the washing machine many times). I'll probably look to Wahoo for a replacement - I'm intrigued by these wrist/arm straps. My Fitbit isn't very accurate but I think it's because I keep it too loose on my wrist. Something with a fabric strap probably works better than a watch in this regard.
msu2001la is offline  
Old 01-12-23, 11:58 AM
  #9  
himespau 
Senior Member
 
himespau's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 13,553
Mentioned: 33 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4196 Post(s)
Liked 2,912 Times in 1,781 Posts
Originally Posted by msu2001la
I use a Garmin chest strap HRM for Zwift - it connects via ANT+ so I also have an ANT+ dongle for my Mac. (I also connect my Wahoo trainer via ANT+ as I've found it to work better than Bluetooth).

I use this same HRM for outdoor riding - connected to my Wahoo head unit.

My Garmin strap is starting to show a lot of wear (I've had this one for a few years and it's been through the washing machine many times). I'll probably look to Wahoo for a replacement - I'm intrigued by these wrist/arm straps. My Fitbit isn't very accurate but I think it's because I keep it too loose on my wrist. Something with a fabric strap probably works better than a watch in this regard.
Honestly, I have 3 of the fabric straps that I rotate in between. The straps tend to fail a lot more frequently than the sensor units, so I figure rotating between them makes it last longer.
himespau is offline  
Old 01-13-23, 08:11 AM
  #10  
bblair
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Posts: 726

Bikes: Lynskey R230, Trek 5200, 1975 Raleigh Pro, 1973 Falcon ,Trek T50 Tandem and a 1968 Paramount in progress.

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 365 Post(s)
Liked 373 Times in 225 Posts
Wahoo TickR chest strap. Way more predictable than my old Garmin.

I did have a problem with the first one after about 6 months and they replaced it, no questions asked. Pairs in seconds with Zwift Ant or BT and my Wahoo head unit. Would buy again.
bblair is offline  
Likes For bblair:
Old 01-13-23, 09:59 AM
  #11  
dmanthree
Senior Member
 
dmanthree's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Northeastern MA, USA
Posts: 1,678

Bikes: Garmin/Tacx Bike Smart

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 646 Post(s)
Liked 289 Times in 191 Posts
Originally Posted by WT21
Using a Zwift kickr core connected to a Mac. I've tried using my Apple Watch as heart monitor, but can't seem to get it to work. I'd like to race a bit more, and need a heart monitor for it to count.

Anyone have recommendations they find that are easy to use and not fussy?
I use a Wahoo Tickr and it works just fine. No issues at all using it for a couple of years.
dmanthree is offline  
Old 01-16-23, 10:53 AM
  #12  
PeteHski
Senior Member
 
PeteHski's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2021
Posts: 8,175
Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4274 Post(s)
Liked 4,712 Times in 2,911 Posts
If you don't like chest straps I can definitely recommend the Polar Verity Sense wrist/armband HRM. I've been using the older version (OH1) for 3 years and it hasn't missed a beat (see what I did there?)

DC Rainmaker has some good reviews on HRMs, above score very highly.
PeteHski is offline  
Old 01-18-23, 06:55 AM
  #13  
Sy Reene
Advocatus Diaboli
 
Sy Reene's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Wherever I am
Posts: 8,613

Bikes: Merlin Cyrene, Nashbar steel CX

Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4717 Post(s)
Liked 1,526 Times in 997 Posts
I've been using the original Scosche Rhythm which is worn on the forearm -- has been pretty reliable and convenient. Just hang it up on the handlebar when done with a ride, strap it on when starting a ride. Easy to rinse off under the tap, etc.
Sy Reene is offline  
Old 01-18-23, 07:57 AM
  #14  
Kai Winters
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Northern NY...Brownville
Posts: 2,556

Bikes: Specialized Aethos, Specialized Diverge Comp E5

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 234 Post(s)
Liked 444 Times in 257 Posts
I have three...Wahoo Tickr, Garmin and Polar H9...they all work well with Zwift but I find the Polar to be more steady while I've had dropout problems with the other two...the problems are sporadic otherwise they work fine.
Kai Winters is offline  
Old 01-18-23, 07:46 PM
  #15  
808HIcycler
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Posts: 97

Bikes: 2020 Scott addict RC 10, 2024 Polygon Siskiu D7

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7 Post(s)
Liked 55 Times in 25 Posts
I got a polar H10 when I got my tacx last winter. I thought battery life was suspect, but that appears more of operator error when it would take a couple minutes to connect, not a dead battery after a month.
808HIcycler is offline  
Old 01-19-23, 01:28 PM
  #16  
WT21
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 187
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 119 Post(s)
Liked 23 Times in 18 Posts
Originally Posted by La Tortue
The Apple watch does not work. Traditional chest straps like the Bontrager or TACX work well. You are looking for one that uses both Bluetooth and ANT+. I have both the Bontrager and TACX which have given me years of trouble-free use. My wife swapped to a rhythm wristband linked here. Some say they aren't accurate but this one seems to work fine after more than a year of use. It is more comfortable and a little more convenient.. If my other two chest straps HR will break I will replace them with a wrist strap.
To close the loop, I got the one that La Tortue linked to here. Three races so far, and works like a charm. Longevity - not sure yet. Easy to use and sending data that corresponds to what my watch is recording meaning it's either accurate or they are both off. Either way I've been benchmarking to my AW for 3 years, so it's good enough for me
WT21 is offline  
Old 01-26-23, 07:26 AM
  #17  
rm -rf
don't try this at home.
 
rm -rf's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: N. KY
Posts: 5,918
Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 964 Post(s)
Liked 496 Times in 343 Posts
Originally Posted by bblair
Wahoo TickR chest strap. Way more predictable than my old Garmin.

I did have a problem with the first one after about 6 months and they replaced it, no questions asked. Pairs in seconds with Zwift Ant or BT and my Wahoo head unit. Would buy again.
My Tickr quit working after about 3 years -- it started getting intermittent, then finally stopped completely.

I just started using a Polar H10, and I like the strap on it. Gripper dots to keep it from slipping down, and a wide sensor area.
rm -rf is offline  
Old 01-27-23, 05:16 PM
  #18  
kcjc
Full Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 269
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 82 Post(s)
Liked 44 Times in 33 Posts
I had a Polar (lasted just over 12 months, didn't keep track of duration of use), CooSpo (just under 2 years & ~600 hours), and now using a Magene H303 (9 mos old and ~220 hours). I go through the straps approximately one a year. They all work about the same and didn't seem to justify spending 3x the price for named stuff. I still have my CycleOps hard strap that I use mainly outdoors. That was around ~$100 back in 2020. It acts up indoors but not outside, go figure.
kcjc is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.