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Best Heart Rate Monitor Chest Strap: What to Avoid, What to Buy, and Why Accuracy Matters

  • Writer: Emma Mattison
    Emma Mattison
  • 11 minutes ago
  • 4 min read
Confused by heart rate monitors? Learn why wrist trackers miss the mark, why chest straps win, and my top picks for accuracy and value.

Best Heart Rate Monitor Chest Strap: What to Avoid, What to Buy, and Why Accuracy Matters


Welcome to my official roast of heart rate monitors. I’m kidding. I don’t roast. I educate.


And today, I’m going to make this simple: some heart rate monitors are convenient, but not worth trusting—especially if you care about training zones, calorie burn estimates, and progress you can actually measure.


Heart rate monitors don’t just measure heart rate. Many also estimate:


  • Calorie burn (energy expenditure)

  • Heart rate variability (HRV)


But here’s the catch: if the data isn’t accurate enough to be useful, then the dashboard is just entertainment.



PPG heart rate monitors: why wrist-based trackers are my least favorite


Most wrist-based wearables (including Fitbit and Apple Watch) use PPG—photoplethysmography.


PPG uses light to estimate blood-volume changes under your skin. That approach can work decently in some situations, but accuracy commonly drops when:


  • there’s more movement (running, intervals, lifting, anything with arm motion), and

  • there are signal-quality issues (including factors like sensor contact, sweat, and—in some contexts—skin tone/optical absorption).


“But my watch is accurate!”


Sometimes it is—especially at rest or steady, predictable movement. Large reviews show Apple Watch heart rate can be quite good, but performance varies more with irregular movement patterns.


And a key reality remains: across research comparisons, chest straps still tend to outperform wrist wearables, particularly as intensity rises.


The problem isn’t only heart rate—it’s calorie burn


Even when heart rate is “acceptable,” calorie expenditure estimates are often not, and different devices miss in different ways. For example, research has found Apple Watch can underestimate energy expenditure in some settings, and wrist devices vary widely overall.


If you’re trying to lose fat, maintain your weight, or build muscle, unreliable calorie-burn estimates can make your plan messier than it needs to be.



ECG/EKG best heart rate monitor chest straps: why I consider these the best option


If you want the best combination of:


  • heart rate accuracy,

  • better consistency during movement,

  • and more dependable workout records…

…go with a chest strap that uses ECG/EKG.


This is why many studies use chest straps (often Polar models) as a comparison standard when validating wrist wearables.



My recommended heart rate monitors


I’m not an affiliate for these brands—but I am an Amazon affiliate. If you purchase through these links, I get a tiny kickback (roughly half a taco), and no extra expense to you.


Best value pick


PowrLabs Band is reliable and a solid entry point if you want the best heart rate monitor chest-strap accuracy without spending extra.


Most trusted in the research world


Polar H10 Band — chest straps show up frequently in scientific validation work, and the overall performance is strong.


For the Garmin loyalists


Garmin HR Monitor Band — If you already live in the Garmin ecosystem, this can be a good fit—as long as you’re actually using an app setup that records your full workouts the way you need.


One more option I mentioned




What to look for in the app: don’t buy the strap before you confirm this


Here’s what matters more than people think:


You need an interface that can do 2 things


  1. Show real-time heart rate during the session

  2. Record the full workout so you can review your heart rate trend across the entire session afterward


If your strap doesn’t pair cleanly with an app that does that, it becomes way more annoying than it should be.


In my testing and personal use, I prefer apps like Wahoo Fitness and Strava because they make it easy to record sessions and review your data. (I’ve also seen people use TrainingPeaks depending on their goals.)



The easiest mistake that drains batteries and ruins connections


This one is simple but important:


Unclip the monitor from the strap when you’re not using it.


Many chest straps keep “awake” when clipped, which can:


  • drain the battery faster, and

  • create connection weirdness that makes people think the product is broken.


If you take only one practical tip from this article, take that one.



HRV tracking: the app I recommend


If you care about recovery trends, stress, and readiness, HRV can be useful—if you track it consistently and interpret it like a trend, not a fortune teller.




Don’t rely on heart rate alone


Even if you buy the best chest strap on the planet, heart rate can still be misleading for certain people—especially if you’re on medications like beta blockers that blunt heart rate response. That’s why I teach layering heart rate with:


  • Rate of perceived exertion (RPE)

  • The talk test


Wrist watch, best heart rate monitor chest strap, doesn’t matter—your body is the final data point.


Key takeaways


  • Wrist-based PPG trackers are convenient, but accuracy is more variable, especially during movement and higher intensities.

  • Chest strap ECG/EKG options generally outperform wrist wearables in research comparisons.

  • Choose a monitor + app combo that shows real-time HR and records your full workout graph.

  • Don’t forget the basics: unclip the sensor when you’re done to preserve battery and improve reliability.

  • If HRV interests you, Elite HRV is a solid app option: https://elitehrv.com/app


About the Author


Emma Mattison is the founder of Emma Mattison Fitness, where she helps adults 40+ build functional strength, improve cardiovascular fitness, and support long-term health with science-backed training and sustainable nutrition.

Emma Mattison is the founder of Emma Mattison Fitness, where she helps adults 40+ build functional strength, improve cardiovascular fitness, and support long-term health with science-backed training and sustainable nutrition. She offers 1:1 online coaching and pre-made programs designed to help you train with clarity, confidence, and consistency.





References

  • Accuracy of wrist-worn heart rate monitors vs chest strap comparisons (JAMA Cardiology).

  • Comparison study including chest strap and popular wearables (Apple Watch, Fitbit) vs ECG.

  • Living systematic review of Apple Watch measurement accuracy (Digital Medicine, 2026).

  • PPG signal considerations across skin tones (overview).

  • Wrist-worn monitor validity factors (motion artifact, intensity, contact pressure).

  • Apple Watch energy expenditure underestimation noted in validation context.

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