My regular CrossFit coach always trains with a heart rate monitor. As a high-level athlete and CrossFit athlete over the age of 40, he likes to keep on top of his fitness levels. It’s easy to do a workout without ever thinking about your energy expenditure, lactate threshold, adrenal fatigue, and of course, the rate at which your heart muscles work to move oxygen and nutrients around the body. But if you really want to know if you’re training at the right level, if you’re training efficiently, you need something to monitor your pulse.
The best CrossFit heart rate monitors will not only keep track of your heart rate, but they’ll let you store data, share it across other fitness apps, and connect with other apps on your smartphone or watch for pleasure and accessibility. In this guide, we’re looking at the best monitors with the most features to help you achieve more and stay safe.
The Shortlist Of Best CrossFit Heart Rate Monitors
Our Choice
Polar H10 Heart Rate Monitor Chest Strap
Key Features:
● Exceptional accuracy
● Bluetooth connectivity
● Easy to buckle chest strap
● Fully waterproof
Best Watch
Key Features:
● GPS triathlon watch
● Smartphone compatible
● Weighs only 49 grams
● Built-in barometer and altimeter
Best For Budget CrossFitters
Powr Labs Heart Rate Monitor Chest Strap
Key Features:
● Great for endurance athletes
● 12-month warranty
● Bluetooth connectivity
● Adjustable strap
Best for Endurance Athletes
Garmin HRM- Tri Heart Rate Monitor
Key Features:
● Fully waterproof
● Provides interval summaries
● Great for a mix of workouts
● Fast to connect
Best Armband
Wahoo TICKR FIT Heart Rate Monitor Armband
Key Features:
● Capture a variety of data
● Bluetooth integrated
● Works with more than 50 Smartphone apps
● Upload data to different training platforms
Buyers Guide
Polar H10 Heart Rate Monitor Chest Strap
Overall Rating: 4.3 out of 5
Features:
● Great choice for a variety of different sports
● Compatible with lots of different cardio equipment
● Recognized as one of the most accurate monitors available.
● Connects via Bluetooth and ANT+ at the same time, to multiple devices.
Specifications:
● 400-hour operation
● Waterproof up to 30 meters
● One training session memory
● Updatable software
● Weights 1.4 ounces
● Made from polyester
The reason people turn to this heart monitor is for its accuracy. It’s known as one of the best for providing interference-free measurements, so if you’re serious about your workouts and you need the right data, this is the one you’ll want to get.
You can connect several different apps simultaneously, and it comes with built-in memory enough for a single session. You can then export that data to a different app. It’s suitable for swimming as well, with waterproof protection up to 30 meters.
Pros:
● Incredibly accurate
● Connects to many apps
● Waterproof protection
Cons:
● The app is not the easiest to use
● Not as accurate in water
Garmin Forerunner 935
Overall Rating: 4.4 out of 5
Features:
● Comes with advanced multi-sport features
● Offers elevation changes
● Lets you know if you’re under or overworking
● Dynamics for all sports
Specifications:
● Weighs 49 grams
● Wi-Fi compatible
● Comes with GPS
● Connect to IQ app
● Notifications during workouts
● Made from silicone
This high-quality GPS triathlon watch is a great option for those who are into more than just CrossFit (we all need cross-training, right?). The watch offers exceptional multisport features for running, cycling, swimming, and more. It tells you information about balance, stride length, and other specifics.
Our favorite feature is the customized training plan data. It’s an automatic tool that will evaluate each exercise to let you know how efficient you were in comparison to previous workouts.
Pros:
● Works great for many sports
● Wi-Fi compatible
● GPS included
Cons:
● Issues with counterfeit watches
● A little too big for some
Powr Labs Heart Rate Monitor Chest Strap
Overall Rating: 4.3 out of 5
Features:
● Exceptional reliability
● Bluetooth connectivity
● 12-month warranty
● Works with many devices
● Adjustable straps
● Battle-tested durability
Specifications:
● Adjustable strap from 26-38 inches
● Weighs 15 grams
● Six-month battery life
This heart rate monitor is intended for endurance athletes who are looking for something with maximum durability. It comes with connectivity to various apps, including iCardio, Heart Graph, Map My Ride, Wahoo, Garmin, and more. The chest strap is adjustable to suit the needs of many different shapes and sizes.
Our favorite feature has to be the bang for your buck with this strap. You get many of the features that the other heart rate monitors offer at a much lower price. Plus, you’re getting an exceptional 12-month warranty to back you up in case anything happens.
Pros:
● 12-month warranty
● Adjustable strap
● Affordable
Cons:
● Doesn’t pair easily with apps
● No customer support
Garmin HRM-Tri Heart Rate Monitor
Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Features:
● Track running and heart rate
● Get interval summaries
● Compatible for a variety of sports
● Works with the Garmin Forerunner
● Soft strap
Specifications:
● Requires one CR2 battery
● Garmins lightest and smallest strap
● Weighs 2.08 ounces
● Total dimensions are 7 x 3 x 2 inches
This triathlon heart rate monitor is great for CrossFit because it appeals to a variety of different workouts. When you’re doing CrossFit, you’re not always doing interval training or lifting; sometimes, you’re doing endurance running and even swimming. You need a versatile heart rate monitor that will keep track, store data, and allow you to share it with other apps.
The Garmin heart rate monitor tracks advanced running dynamics as well, such as vertical oscillation, ground contact time, cadence, and much more.
Pros:
● Comfortable strap
● Stores data
● Lightweight
Cons:
● Not accurate in water
● Issues with long-term performance
Wahoo TICKR FIT Heart Rate Monitor Armband
Overall Rating: 4.2 out of 5
Features:
● Personalized heart rate monitoring
● Bluetooth integrated
● Easily connect to smartphones
● Works with over 50 apps
● Record and store data
Specifications:
● Armband monitor
● Chargeable up to 30 hours
● Comes with a rechargeable battery
● Waterproof up to five feet
If you’re a fan of having an armband monitor, this option offers a lot of features and compatibility for a moderate price. You can track and store heart rate data, training zones, and calories on the monitor and send them to your smartphone by connecting it to one of the 50 compatible apps.
It integrates via Bluetooth and ANT+ to use it along with a GPS watch and bike computer. This monitor is used and trusted by the greatest athletes of all time for its reliability and accurate readings.
Pros:
● Pairs easily with apps
● Comfortable
● Affordable
Cons:
● Not durable
● Spotty connection, inconsistent tracking
How Crossfit Athletes Can Use A Heart Rate Monitor
- Check your resting heart rate on a weekly or monthly basis. Drastic changes in this number are often due to over-training which leads to fatigue. Many fitness enthusiasts ignore the signs of fatigue but a heart rate monitor will show the cold, hard facts.
- Check your recovery heart rate. If your heart's still beating like crazy right before the next round of the WOD, it’s time to evaluate the intensity of your workout. Your pulse should start returning to the base rate once you stop doing reps. If not, you may have a problem and should stop. It’s hard to put your finger on the pulse (pun intended) of your workout intensity, in the moment. But you’ll be able to see, in the numbers on your monitor, exactly how much adjustment you need to make.
Conclusion
Choosing the best CrossFit Heart Rate Monitor comes down to picking the one with the most features in a price range that makes sense for you. Keep in mind the different styles, whether it be chest, wrist, or arm, and also the number of app integrations you can choose from.
The heart rate monitor should be much more than a device that keeps track of your heart rate. All of the options featured above offer features far beyond that.
