Compare heart rate measurement via a chest strap to a wrist measurement

A watch measures your heart rate with an optical heart rate measurement. It doesn't measure your heart rate itself, but the result of your heart rate. Every time your heart pumps, it pumps oxygen into your blood. This dilates your blood vessels. A sensor measures these changes in your blood vessels using green LED lights and converts them into heartbeats. Because of this, a pulse measurement always lags slightly behind your actual heart rate.

A chest strap measures the electrical activity of your heartbeat. A sensor measures the electrical signals and converts them into heart rate measurement. This means that a heart rate belt registers the beat itself and not the oxygen that is released with a delay. This makes a heart rate belt more accurate than a pulse measurement. If you train often and the reliability of your heart rate measurement is important, a heart rate belt is the right product for you.

A heart rate measurement via your wrist is always slightly behind your actual heart rate and is always less accurate than via a heart rate belt. In addition, a pulse measurement depends on external factors that influence the measurement. Do you exercise for pleasure and do you mainly practice endurance sports where you keep a constant pace? A pulse measurement via your wrist gives a good indication. View our tips for a good pulse measurement.

A chest strap measures the actual heartbeat. This makes a measurement via a heart rate belt very accurate. Athletes who train based on their heart rate will always opt for a heart rate belt. Maybe in combination with a sports watch. Even if you do a lot of sprinting or doing strength or interval training, we also recommend a heart rate belt. Do you want to measure more than just your heart rate? Keep on reading.

A sports watch measures much more than just your heart rate. All sports watches measure your steps, distance traveled, and distance according to a GPS sensor. There are also watches that measure more advanced data, such as your VO2 max, step length, cadence, and ground contact time. The VO2 max measurement is a test that gives you insight into the fitness of your body. The other measurements are relevant for fanatic runners to improve their performance.

Most chest straps only measure your heart rate and nothing else. Do you want both an accurate heart rate measurement and extra measurements during exercise? Choose both and connect your heart rate belt to your sports watch via Bluetooth or ANT+. This way, you can view your heart rate on the screen of your watch while exercising and analyze all other measurements afterwards. You can check your average speed, distance traveled, and your cadance. 'Less is more' doesn't apply in this case.

A sports watch is generally more comfortable than a chest strap. It's like wearing a normal watch, only the material of the watch band is taken into account. They're always made of plastic. This material is comfortable during exercise and you can easily clean it afterwards.

For women, a heart rate belt isn't always comfortable in combination with a sports bra. For men, the belt can rub over the chest hairs. As a result, a chest strap is generally less comfortable than a watch.