Wist HRMs - Basis or Mio Alpha?

Bry_Fitness70

I'm researching wrist (*non-chest strap*) HRMs and have narrowed it down the the Mio Alpha and the Basis, leaning toward the Mio because it seems to be more exercise oriented than the Basis, which appears to be more oriented toward resting heart rate activity. Both are about $200.

Any advice?? Is there another one out there that missed?

whitebalance

You're right about the difference between the two. I use the Mio with Digifit (you need to use an app in real time if you want to track calorie burn). It works great, except on my small wrists it loses my pulse pretty frequently. Most men wouldn't have that problem.

BrianSharpe

Dumb question for you..........is there a reason you're looking for a model without a chest strap?

ngh007

Hi Whitebalance - I was looking at this Mio Alpha HRM today - I have a few questions, if you dont mind:
-> how long have you had it?
-> how is the battery life?
-> do you have to hold on to it to see the hear rate - as in would I need to stop running / lifting, hold on to a button, wait for it to respond & then resume running
-> I have small wrists too (being female & all) - what do you do when it looses pulse?

Ive used HRM with straps before, but had the bra-strap vs HRM strap issue too many times. Cant believe they dont have more strapless ones out there aimed at women! :frown:

Bry_Fitness70

Dumb question for you..........is there a reason you're looking for a model without a chest strap?

Just a matter of convenience, I find the chest strap a bit of a nuisance.

Bry_Fitness70

You're right about the difference between the two. I use the Mio with Digifit (you need to use an app in real time if you want to track calorie burn). It works great, except on my small wrists it loses my pulse pretty frequently. Most men wouldn't have that problem.

Do you wear it all day or just when you work out?

jaz050465

You're right about the difference between the two. I use the Mio with Digifit (you need to use an app in real time if you want to track calorie burn). It works great, except on my small wrists it loses my pulse pretty frequently. Most men wouldn't have that problem.

Do you wear it all day or just when you work out?

No point in wearing it all day. They don't give an accurate burn for all day use.
Have you looked at the Bodymedia fit.

Bry_Fitness70

You're right about the difference between the two. I use the Mio with Digifit (you need to use an app in real time if you want to track calorie burn). It works great, except on my small wrists it loses my pulse pretty frequently. Most men wouldn't have that problem.

Do you wear it all day or just when you work out?

No point in wearing it all day. They don't give an accurate burn for all day use.
Have you looked at the Bodymedia fit.

Yeah - I'm most concerned with workout HR, so I'm leaning toward the MIO

thomasjohnlynch

i have been using Polar watches with straps for years, then switched to Wahoo dongle for iPhone with chest straps. and wore BOTH the Polar and MIO Alpha together at workouts for about 2 weeks........before I gave ALL the Polar stuff, GPS, bike cadence, chest straps, wahoo stuff etc. etc.

Now just wear the MIO alpha. tracking thousands of calories since many months ago. REALLY hated the chest strap, the battery costs for wahoo and polar and all the accessories are stupid expensive. The MIO alpha just mag plugs onto a charger and recharges. SWEET and simple.

I do have some issues I think relevant to arm hair and or when I work out my forearm actually pumps ups and I have to watch the tightness. The sensor is slightly more temperamental then the electrical impulse chest straps.......but I have had equal challenges with the chest strap Bluetooth communications and also electrical pad connections in the chest straps.

So nothing is perfect - the MIO seems to keep GREAT data and if you screw up the watch connection and don't pay attention the rate may be flawed for a short time?

It works VERY VERY well. Its Bluetooth transmitter is powerful and probably to the brink of the spec. (I go in a sauna where my eyeglasses are too hot and the iPhone shutsdown from heat and the MIO keeps running and transmitting heart data through a wall and locker 20 feet away charting my HR.......

BTW the only Indoor and Outdoor multi expercise and activity tracker that works flawlessly and interactively with MyFitnessPal is DIGIFIT. With their Fitness evaluations and other stuff it customizes your VOM2 and other base settings to give you a great idea of what YOU are burning..........MyFitness pal for what you are taking in, and of course MFP for your net calorie Dashboard.

MIO Alpha - it does what it claims. Coupled with Digifit - swimming, sauna, working out, combat class, yoga, outdoor biking, running/walking...........

SJCon

BTW the only Indoor and Outdoor multi expercise and activity tracker that works flawlessly and interactively with MyFitnessPal is DIGIFIT. With their Fitness evaluations and other stuff it customizes your VOM2 and other base settings to give you a great idea of what YOU are burning..........MyFitness pal for what you are taking in, and of course MFP for your net calorie Dashboard.

I love Digifit also but do not use it for its calorie estimation, It is insanely high on its estimation. I did contact their customer support and they suggested doing more cardio tests to improve its accuracy which I had done. I did several more and they estimated the same VO2 as Polar did but the calorie burn was at least 40% higher. The polar numbers are close to the Octane Elliptical and Cybex treadmills I use. They also match my BodyMedia numbers which do not even use heart rate so in my opinion they are bloated and I do not use them. The other features are great and it does play well with a lot of other apps.

thomasjohnlynch

you need to use the DigiFit Fitness Test exercises/tests. It then sets your VMO2 to the correct level.

tanj39

I have started a seperate thread but didnt get any bites so I though I would post on here. Does anyone have the Soleus pulse? there is also a Soleus pulse rythym coming out in the next days. I am really looking for a watch without the strap for heartrate monitoring, these soleus watches seem easier on the pocket compared to the mio alpha... any feedback?