Heart Rate Devices — UK Buyer’s Guide
Chest straps, smartwatches and fitness trackers compared. Which is accurate, which is right for your use case, and what to look for in the UK market.
Chest straps
The most accurate consumer heart rate measurement. Use the same ECG-style measurement as clinical kit. Polar H10 and Garmin HRM-Pro are the most common reference choices for serious training. Pair via ANT+/Bluetooth to a watch, phone or bike computer.
Smartwatches with optical (PPG) sensors
Apple Watch, Garmin, Fitbit and Samsung use green-LED optical heart rate. Accurate enough for steady-state activity, less reliable during intervals or weights. Modern flagships include ECG features for AFib screening (CE-marked in the UK).
Fitness trackers
Same optical tech as smartwatches but cheaper. Good enough for resting heart rate trends and sleep tracking. Less accurate during exercise than chest straps.
Which is right for you?
For sports training: chest strap. For all-day monitoring + AFib screening: smartwatch with ECG. For general fitness: tracker. For clinical-grade BP at home: see the BP testing guide.