Wearable Tech

Your iPhone, with apps added for HR monitor? The phone already does all that other stuff, all you need is a HR app and I've read that they are available. I know there is an Apple watch...dunno what that does, but maybe there is some wrist thing involved?

I have a Garmin VivoActive Watch. LOVE it! Used to have a BodyMedia armband (used on The Biggest Loser).
Features:

• Waterproof (to a certain depth).
• Has apps to track specific exercises indoor and outdoor (running, walking, swimming, cycling, etc.)
• Can download more apps. I have a couple additional workout apps, a GPS location app, a maps app, an atlas app (those three for hiking) and an app that charts my hr over time. There are tons of games to download--I'm not really a games person.
• Can download different watch faces depending on the data you want to see at a glance. My current watch face has daily steps, calories burned, battery charge, date/time, % of my step goal accomplished for the last week (currently at 163% with a goal of 10,000 steps per day), bluetooth connectivity.
• Great battery life and fast charge.
• Notifications from my iPhone (doesn't stream music on its own, but I can control the music on my iPhone from it). I like the subtlety of checking tests/calls on my wrist at work (during meetings) than having to look at my phone.
• Chest strap. I didn't want an optical (wrist) hrm. The research I've seen says the chest strap HRMs are more accurate and I only care about my HR when I'm training. I can use the iPhone Health app if I want to check my HR during the day. And I don't like wearing things tight on my wrist.
• Easy sync, good phone app, good website.
• Syncs with MYP and Apple Health app.
• Nudges you to move every 45 minutes. And you have to walk/run to clear the move bar. No waving your arms. And the longer you wait to move, the more steps you have to take to clear it.

I preferred the sleep setting BodyMedia had more. BM knew when I was active vs lying down vs sleeping. With Garmin, you set your usual sleep time and that's what it goes by. It has an additional "sleep" setting for naps or other idle time. (Keeps the move bar from activating.) That's really my only feedback.

I made the purchase almost a year ago. My finalists were the Garmin, Apple Watch, Miso Fuse and FitBit Charge HR. PC Mag had a GREAT review article on fitness trackers. It was my launching points for research. They update the firmware for the watch regularly. Good customer service when I've asked questions.

Here's what you need to do. List out your price you want to pay for a wearable and all the things you expect the device to do. You will get what you pay for and you will have to decide based on the price if there are things you will except the device will not provide.

Amazon is a great place to look up reviews and of course basic internet searches. Alot of people will post their reviews on Amazon even if they did not purchase it on Amazon (they are a beta user, got it as a gift, etc..) but using Amazon as their avenue to post a review.

Personally the fitbit HR was horrible for me (i do not care about streaming music through my device), and then I used garmin vivosmart with chest strap and I loved this device. The draw backs are after a while the digital pixels start disappearing within the watch itself after 6+ months, and it lost bluetooth a lot.

I just upgraded to a Forerunner which it does everything the vivosmart did (I still use the chest strap and transimitter HR), but with the added GPS and bluetooth notifications/music.