Today, we check out another entry into the fitness accessory world designed for the mobile device realm, the Scosche myTREK Wireless Pulse Monitor for both iOS and Android devices.

Review
The Scosche myTREK Wireless Pulse Monitor combined with the free Scosche myTREK app provides the user a simple way of tracking workouts via heart rate monitoring. You can create workouts based on what intensity you desire, fat burning, anaerobic fitness and improvement, etc and for however long you like. Most traditional heart rate monitors used a chest strap to monitor the electrical activity produced by the beating heart. Some go without a chest strap and monitor heart rate via the wrist strap of the watch. I find chest straps are usually more accurate at recording a heart rate while wrist watches are mostly accurate when less movement is being done, which usually is not what you are looking for when exercising. Also, the wrist straps become prone to moving with increased activity and perspiration which can affect the reading.

This is where the myTREK differs from its competitors. The device uses optical sensors embedded in the armband to monitor heart rate while sending that information to your iOS/android device via Bluetooth, wireless is GOOD! The optical sensors remind me of what the medical field uses to measure heart rate and oxygen saturation, pulse oximetry. When compared directly with my garmin heart rate monitor (chest strap) the accuracy fell between the two devices were on average +/- 3 beats per minute.

I’ve used this device to monitor my heart rate during such activities as playing tennis and running. The device works great for both, the wristband which is a neoprene device that does not move when there is a lot of sporadic motion (especially associated with the changing directions and swinging back and forth arm motion while playing tennis).

The associated software is pretty good. It has a eye pleasing layout which color codes the various intensities during the heart rate. At the end of your workouts, a heart rate graph gets generated showing all the variations or steadiness of your heart rate, touching over any point on the graph will show you what your heart rate was at any given time. You also get a display of the total time of the workout, average heart rate, and calories burned. You can also use your devices GPS to show your route if you choose to do so. A calendar feature can show you all your past workouts as well.

Recommendation
Overall, this is a well designed product that does what it does well. Those looking for a plethora of information should look elsewhere for now. The beauty of the device is that the software can be upgraded to incorporate more statistical information. However, if you are looking for a simple user interface, easy to use wrist strap, and great tool to keep you motivated to boost your fitness, this is going to make you very happy. The Scosche myTREK Wireless Pulse Monitor is available at Scosche.com for $99.99. The accompanying app is available as a free download from both the App Store and Google Play.

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