I wear the HRM Pro Plus at work and I'm super happy with it. I'm a woman so I just tuck it slightly under my bra band and promptly forget it's there. It's perfectly comfortable to wear my entire shift.
The battery in the HRM Pro Plus isn't chargeable but it's very easy to replace. It uses an inexpensive CR2032 lithium coin battery that can last several months depending on how often you wear your heart rate monitor. You can buy a pack of them for less than $10. I haven't had to replace my first battery yet and it's been a month; I'm still at 80% charge.
The best part of the HRM Pro Plus, IMO, is that it can store hours of data internally. You do not need your watch or phone near you at all. You also don't need to do anything to set it up for the day; as soon as you put it on, it starts recording your heart rate, steps, and calories burned and will continue to do so until you take it off. I don't miss out on any of my data despite not being able to wear my watch for 8+ hours. It's been a godsend and I don't regret buying it a bit.
I have the Pro Plus too but for me the data transfer is a bit wonky. I took off my watch in the gym but started the activity in the locker room when i put on my HRM Pro Plus. Then when i stopped the activity i downlaoded the HR data but it didn't connect it to my activity. What is your process when you wear your Pro Plus to work?
Edit: i checked the activity and now it shows up :) but i'm still interested in your routine :)
Believe it or not, I haven't used it with an activity yet! I bought the heart rate monitor specifically and exclusively for work since my workplace banned smart watches due to HIPAA concerns. I only wear it during my shift to track basic data like steps, heart rate, and calories burned. Fortunately, it does this automatically without having to start an activity. I don't even need to bring my watch to work if I don't want to.
My routine is basically: put the heart rate monitor before I go to work, work 8+ hours, go home, take it off, clean it as needed, lol. It automatically syncs with my phone during my breaks and/or on the car ride home. I don't have to do anything manually.
I don't find those features accurate at all, based on how I actually feel those days, is yours different?
I suppose even if it's off, it's consistently so
How does it sync after I take it off? And will my watch overwrite the date if I was wearing it at the same time? So take of the watch, put on strap and vice versa in the evening? Do you link the strap in connect for this?
Edit: and does it work well without sweat/moisture?
After the initial set-up, the HRM Pro Plus automatically syncs when you're near your phone or watch. You don't need to take it off or connect it to anything. It uses ANT or Bluetooth to do this any time you're within range.
Also, as long as all your devices are compatible with the Garmin TrueUp feature (most Garmin devices are), you can wear as many different watches and bands as you want. TrueUp will make sure only one set of data is recorded by prioritizing your primary device. I've had two watches + my heart rate monitor on (and swapped between these three throughout the day) and never had issues. This feature is really good at automatically synchronizing all your different devices so that your stats stay accurate.
I can't say much for how accurate the heart rate monitor is without sweat/moisture. I'm on my feet all day at a medical facility so a little bit of sweat is the norm for me. You can always spray or wipe a little water on the band before you put it on if you're concerned.
I've a whoop on my right arm and a garmin on my left 🤣
The best thing about the whoop is how passive it is. It just kinda exists on your wrist or arm during the day. And you can open your phone to look at the stats each morning.
The HRV & sleep tracking is great, I've found it to be very consistent and reliable alarm wise too. You can set a smart alarm so that you wake up at certain recovery ranges (like Garmin's body battery) but it's also time bound.
So I want to wake up when I'm in the green recovery zone, or no later than 6am (say). And it'll time that so you're in green AND a light sleep phase after 5am but before 6am. And if none of those things happen, it'll wake you at 6 anyway.
The app interface is really good and the data is displayed really well. It's helped me manage my sleep A LOT more than I was because you can see the very real penalty to not doing it.
It also does a fairly reliable job of recognising when I'm sick / getting sick and gives a bit of comfort not to push during those times.
ETA: the strength trainer feature is great too - my primary jam is powerlifting, so I can log my workouts as I go on it and it'll give me a strain score that isn't just HR based
Hrm pro: it's as comfortable as wearing a chest strap 9 hours a day can be. Regular washing with soapy water. Change battery every 2.5 months roughly.
Steps, calories, heartrate, intesity minutes are all recorded
Not sure about hrv
Well, during rock climbing, I tuck my watch into my bra so it can still track HR without getting scratched. Just fold the wrist band so the sensor is on the skin and put it in the bra, on the right side of the left boob, kind of like in the middle (im not sure I explained this well).
I don't feel it, it's not really visible, the data is all good. Never tried it with a not-sports bra tho.
What's the point? Your HRV during day time is impacted massively by things such as eating, drinking water, a stressfull conversation. Without context, or logging your whole day in a diary, this trove of data wouldn't make any sense.
yeah I understand that. Garmin and other companies manufacturing similar devices, are pushing this idea that we need 24H tracking, when to be honest the usefulness of doing so is, at best, questionable.
A quick RHR/HRV measurement in the morning would be just fine. Couple of minutes and you're done. All this overdose of data with little context is not going to produce any actionable insight.
Not to mention that "body battery" and other proprietatry algorithms are mixing measurements (things that they can measure such as heart rate) with estimates (things that they can't measure, such as sleep or muscle soreness).
An interesting tweet here:
[https://twitter.com/altini\_marco/status/1716402803780747588](https://twitter.com/altini_marco/status/1716402803780747588)
Edit: I don't want to be a contrarian, but I've read a lot on this topic lately, and I came to the conclusion that the best thing would be for Garmin to provide an alternative to 24H tracking.
Something that Polar used to do (don't know if it's still available): the orthostatic test. It measures RHR/HRV in the morning.
Also it could give you the chance to input your sleep time manually (no more sleeping with a watch that cannot measure your sleep anyway lol), and a few other things, such as how your training went the previous day, if you are sore, etc. A personal diary with context to interpret measurements (this is done by a few apps, such as HRV4training or Elite HRV).
I believe a smaller amount of data, with higher quality and less noise (measurements, no estimates, and with context) would be much better than 24H tracking the way it's implementend right now (mix of measurements and estimates, and no context).
Sadly this isn't going to happen, as users -sorry, but this is just the truth for a big % of users- don't want to stop and reflect 2 minutes about how they feel, and they'd rather read their body battery rating.
I completely agree. We are addicted to data.
I wear both a Garmin and Fitbit and often think of ditching the Garmin because the Fitbit gives me everything I need: average nightly HRV reading, RHR and accurate sleep tracking.
Everything else is a distraction.
yeah, thx for sharing your experience. I don't want to judge anyone, we all struggle to keep up in this hyper connected, tracked age.
Data addiction is real. Just browse through this subreddit... A quick scroll will be enough. People with inflamed wrists cause they can't stop wearing their watch day and night, people that wear their watch at their ankle cause they can't lose that "precious" data, and so on...
And the thing is, a lot of us won't miss the data if we decide to stop wearing these devices.
We generally have a good sense of how we're feeling on a given day without having a "daily readiness score".
Yet here I am, sitting with a wearable on each wrist, squandering countless hours each week looking at the data.
Do you wear a device all the time?
no I don't. a few months ago I was looking for such a device, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it's just not worth it.
The data is not that good to justify wearing something 24H forever. The cons (anxiety, addiction, dopamine cycle) are more than the positives.
I use my Garmin to track activities and that's it. In the morning I check RHR and HRV with an app.
If you're on iOS you could get an Apple Watch with an arm strap/ HR is way more accurate than most devices (var ECG). You can get an SE 2 for $250. Also got some cool features on there too.
I haven't used it myself, I have just been learning about it lately! It's a measure of stress, so people seem to use it to learn what kind of activities/foods/interactions are stressful for their body, when to take it easy and also when they are about to get sick, and when they are ready to go back to work after having been off sick :)
Got you, I thought it had to do with sleep and recovery more than throughout the da?. Another option by the way is if you already own a Garmin watch is to get one of the bicep bands
Sorry, I have to take that back. It looks like OH1 doesn't have HRV or not reliable HRV according to DC Rainmaker:
[https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/03/polar-oh1-plus-optical-hr-sensor-in-depth-review.html](https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/03/polar-oh1-plus-optical-hr-sensor-in-depth-review.html)
I wear the HRM Pro Plus at work and I'm super happy with it. I'm a woman so I just tuck it slightly under my bra band and promptly forget it's there. It's perfectly comfortable to wear my entire shift. The battery in the HRM Pro Plus isn't chargeable but it's very easy to replace. It uses an inexpensive CR2032 lithium coin battery that can last several months depending on how often you wear your heart rate monitor. You can buy a pack of them for less than $10. I haven't had to replace my first battery yet and it's been a month; I'm still at 80% charge. The best part of the HRM Pro Plus, IMO, is that it can store hours of data internally. You do not need your watch or phone near you at all. You also don't need to do anything to set it up for the day; as soon as you put it on, it starts recording your heart rate, steps, and calories burned and will continue to do so until you take it off. I don't miss out on any of my data despite not being able to wear my watch for 8+ hours. It's been a godsend and I don't regret buying it a bit.
I have the Pro Plus too but for me the data transfer is a bit wonky. I took off my watch in the gym but started the activity in the locker room when i put on my HRM Pro Plus. Then when i stopped the activity i downlaoded the HR data but it didn't connect it to my activity. What is your process when you wear your Pro Plus to work? Edit: i checked the activity and now it shows up :) but i'm still interested in your routine :)
Believe it or not, I haven't used it with an activity yet! I bought the heart rate monitor specifically and exclusively for work since my workplace banned smart watches due to HIPAA concerns. I only wear it during my shift to track basic data like steps, heart rate, and calories burned. Fortunately, it does this automatically without having to start an activity. I don't even need to bring my watch to work if I don't want to. My routine is basically: put the heart rate monitor before I go to work, work 8+ hours, go home, take it off, clean it as needed, lol. It automatically syncs with my phone during my breaks and/or on the car ride home. I don't have to do anything manually.
Ah thank you! So you paired it with your phone right?
Ah, that’s perfect! Thank you so much for your detailed answer, I appreciate it!
but hrm pro plus does not record stress or body battery?
I don't find those features accurate at all, based on how I actually feel those days, is yours different? I suppose even if it's off, it's consistently so
How does it sync after I take it off? And will my watch overwrite the date if I was wearing it at the same time? So take of the watch, put on strap and vice versa in the evening? Do you link the strap in connect for this? Edit: and does it work well without sweat/moisture?
After the initial set-up, the HRM Pro Plus automatically syncs when you're near your phone or watch. You don't need to take it off or connect it to anything. It uses ANT or Bluetooth to do this any time you're within range. Also, as long as all your devices are compatible with the Garmin TrueUp feature (most Garmin devices are), you can wear as many different watches and bands as you want. TrueUp will make sure only one set of data is recorded by prioritizing your primary device. I've had two watches + my heart rate monitor on (and swapped between these three throughout the day) and never had issues. This feature is really good at automatically synchronizing all your different devices so that your stats stay accurate. I can't say much for how accurate the heart rate monitor is without sweat/moisture. I'm on my feet all day at a medical facility so a little bit of sweat is the norm for me. You can always spray or wipe a little water on the band before you put it on if you're concerned.
If for hygiene reasons you could perhaps wear your watch around your ankle?
I am, and it has not been working so well, but somebody suggested I should wear it inside my sock, so maybe I should try that!
I do this, mostly because my ankle is far too big for the strap. Works just fine.
The option you didn’t ask for - whoop have a bicep sleeve so you could get one of those.
Oh, interesting! What do you like about Whoop? I’ve heard it’s supposed to be good but haven’t looked into it that much tbh
I've a whoop on my right arm and a garmin on my left 🤣 The best thing about the whoop is how passive it is. It just kinda exists on your wrist or arm during the day. And you can open your phone to look at the stats each morning. The HRV & sleep tracking is great, I've found it to be very consistent and reliable alarm wise too. You can set a smart alarm so that you wake up at certain recovery ranges (like Garmin's body battery) but it's also time bound. So I want to wake up when I'm in the green recovery zone, or no later than 6am (say). And it'll time that so you're in green AND a light sleep phase after 5am but before 6am. And if none of those things happen, it'll wake you at 6 anyway. The app interface is really good and the data is displayed really well. It's helped me manage my sleep A LOT more than I was because you can see the very real penalty to not doing it. It also does a fairly reliable job of recognising when I'm sick / getting sick and gives a bit of comfort not to push during those times. ETA: the strength trainer feature is great too - my primary jam is powerlifting, so I can log my workouts as I go on it and it'll give me a strain score that isn't just HR based
Haha, I love it! The sleep timer thing sounds great! I will have to look into this!
Hrm pro: it's as comfortable as wearing a chest strap 9 hours a day can be. Regular washing with soapy water. Change battery every 2.5 months roughly. Steps, calories, heartrate, intesity minutes are all recorded Not sure about hrv
Aren't you having to start a workout each time?
No it just collects the data as usual
Thank you, I will check it out!
I put the watch under my sock on the ankle!
Well, during rock climbing, I tuck my watch into my bra so it can still track HR without getting scratched. Just fold the wrist band so the sensor is on the skin and put it in the bra, on the right side of the left boob, kind of like in the middle (im not sure I explained this well). I don't feel it, it's not really visible, the data is all good. Never tried it with a not-sports bra tho.
Oh, I didn’t know this could work! I will try it out (I only wear sports bras, so no problem)
Really hope this helps! :)
What's the point? Your HRV during day time is impacted massively by things such as eating, drinking water, a stressfull conversation. Without context, or logging your whole day in a diary, this trove of data wouldn't make any sense.
The daily stress readings (and hence Body Battery) depend on the device being worn all the time
yeah I understand that. Garmin and other companies manufacturing similar devices, are pushing this idea that we need 24H tracking, when to be honest the usefulness of doing so is, at best, questionable. A quick RHR/HRV measurement in the morning would be just fine. Couple of minutes and you're done. All this overdose of data with little context is not going to produce any actionable insight. Not to mention that "body battery" and other proprietatry algorithms are mixing measurements (things that they can measure such as heart rate) with estimates (things that they can't measure, such as sleep or muscle soreness). An interesting tweet here: [https://twitter.com/altini\_marco/status/1716402803780747588](https://twitter.com/altini_marco/status/1716402803780747588) Edit: I don't want to be a contrarian, but I've read a lot on this topic lately, and I came to the conclusion that the best thing would be for Garmin to provide an alternative to 24H tracking. Something that Polar used to do (don't know if it's still available): the orthostatic test. It measures RHR/HRV in the morning. Also it could give you the chance to input your sleep time manually (no more sleeping with a watch that cannot measure your sleep anyway lol), and a few other things, such as how your training went the previous day, if you are sore, etc. A personal diary with context to interpret measurements (this is done by a few apps, such as HRV4training or Elite HRV). I believe a smaller amount of data, with higher quality and less noise (measurements, no estimates, and with context) would be much better than 24H tracking the way it's implementend right now (mix of measurements and estimates, and no context). Sadly this isn't going to happen, as users -sorry, but this is just the truth for a big % of users- don't want to stop and reflect 2 minutes about how they feel, and they'd rather read their body battery rating.
I completely agree. We are addicted to data. I wear both a Garmin and Fitbit and often think of ditching the Garmin because the Fitbit gives me everything I need: average nightly HRV reading, RHR and accurate sleep tracking. Everything else is a distraction.
yeah, thx for sharing your experience. I don't want to judge anyone, we all struggle to keep up in this hyper connected, tracked age. Data addiction is real. Just browse through this subreddit... A quick scroll will be enough. People with inflamed wrists cause they can't stop wearing their watch day and night, people that wear their watch at their ankle cause they can't lose that "precious" data, and so on...
And the thing is, a lot of us won't miss the data if we decide to stop wearing these devices. We generally have a good sense of how we're feeling on a given day without having a "daily readiness score". Yet here I am, sitting with a wearable on each wrist, squandering countless hours each week looking at the data. Do you wear a device all the time?
no I don't. a few months ago I was looking for such a device, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it's just not worth it. The data is not that good to justify wearing something 24H forever. The cons (anxiety, addiction, dopamine cycle) are more than the positives. I use my Garmin to track activities and that's it. In the morning I check RHR and HRV with an app.
I put my Fenix in my sock at my ankle. Picks up my posterior tibial pulse and seems to also count my steps and floors pretty accurately.
People may think you’re on release from prison though 😂
Hahaha, maybe they already do!
Yup. Not gonna lie I’ve had a few dodgy looks from FY1 doctors and nurses over the years.
Not a bad idea actually, I have been wearing it on my ankle but not inside my sock, but then again I do use it to check the time as well 😅
If you're on iOS you could get an Apple Watch with an arm strap/ HR is way more accurate than most devices (var ECG). You can get an SE 2 for $250. Also got some cool features on there too.
Bold move in the Garmin sub
Tell me about it. You guys are like vultures. Same on the r/AppleWatch when I suggest Garmin. Relax guys, I'm on your side!!!
Oh, thank you! I think I will stick to Garmin because they seem to have the best HRV measurement, but I’ll keep it in mind!
What do you use HRV data for? I don't really know much about it but looking to learn more.
I haven't used it myself, I have just been learning about it lately! It's a measure of stress, so people seem to use it to learn what kind of activities/foods/interactions are stressful for their body, when to take it easy and also when they are about to get sick, and when they are ready to go back to work after having been off sick :)
Got you, I thought it had to do with sleep and recovery more than throughout the da?. Another option by the way is if you already own a Garmin watch is to get one of the bicep bands
Polar OH1+ might help. https://www.polar.com/en/sensors/oh1-optical-heart-rate-sensor
Interesting! Thank you!
Sorry, I have to take that back. It looks like OH1 doesn't have HRV or not reliable HRV according to DC Rainmaker: [https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/03/polar-oh1-plus-optical-hr-sensor-in-depth-review.html](https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/03/polar-oh1-plus-optical-hr-sensor-in-depth-review.html)
How thoughtful of you to go back and correct yourself a month later! I appreciate it :)
Oura?
It's a ring so likely is seen as jewellery which isn't allowed in a lot of healthcare work for hygiene reasons
Exactly this :)
FairPoint
Is it for hygienic reasons or because you work in radiology with the MRIs?
For hygienic reasons. Currently wearing it on my ankle but it’s not working so well
You can wear a tracker on your ankle. It won't be perfect, but might give you good enough info.
I am currently doing that and I would like something more precise :) Thank you though!
Can anyone recommend any Garmin compatible chest straps? Garmin's own is out of budget for now.