[Sportsandrec] Bill and Audible HR Monitors

[Kelly Thornbury]

There are not many audible HR monitors on the market, and the ones I've personally used that were designed for use by the blind were highly inaccurate and unreliable. There was a company, I think it was called Oregon Research, who use to produce a talking HR strap you could plug earphones in to, and was designed to also incorporate an FM radio, but I found that the readings would get erratic and would read high (over 200bpm) when I began to sweat. I had two of these straps and both performed the same way. 

When I am just out exercising and want the HR data later, I use my Garmin. It doesn't give in-the-moment information that is accessible, but if I know the intensities of the intervals I am performing I can go back and compare intensities to HR responses. 

For instantaneous information I use a "Sport-IIII" which is a device that mounts to your sunglasses and will give real world information from just about any ANT+ device. The device is designed for the sighted, using LED lights to inform the user of what zones he/she is working out in, but it also has audible feedback through a small speaker mounted in the unit. It does still currently take sighted assistance to program as the software is not accessible yet, and the unit itself currently does not store workout metrics for download (although a firmware update for this feature is in the works). 

I purchased my Sport-IIII when it first hit the market, and the company has made several improvements since its release, so newer units are much better than mine. TThe company owner has also shown interest in making the software more accessible in the future, so possibly the more people ask for it the more viable the solution will become. 

These two solutions are a bit expensive though, certainly more than the $40 HR monitors from Polar, but if you were only concerned with THR zones and have some sighted assistance these will work to. 

Kelly