Wahoo has launched a new heart rate monitor and strap called the Trackr Heart Rate. Wahoo says that it has improved processing technology for accurate HRM data. Rather than the usual coin cell, the Wahoo Trackr Heart Rate has a rechargeable battery, which Wahoo says will give most users over 100 hours of heart rate recording.
Wahoo has made other modifications to the Trackr Heart Rate’s design, including a new chest strap with a side closure which it says is more comfortable to use. It’s also IPX7-rated, so it won’t give up in the rain.
As with pretty much every HRM, the Trackr Heart Rate supports both BLE and ANT+ broadcast protocols. Most recording devices including the best bike computers, the best heart rate monitors and cycling watches will do the same too, so there should be no compatibility issues.
While Wahoo’s older TickrX has store-and-forward functionality, allowing it to be used without a recording device, for example when running, the Trackr Heart Rate requires a connected data collection device.
Abandoning coin cells and switching to a rechargeable battery is an advantage though. While you can expect around a year’s use before a coin cell runs out, it means keeping a stock in. Coin cells deteriorate over time, so a spare might lose its lifespan before you get to use it.
Changing the battery can be fiddly and the usual opening mechanism using the edge of a coin tends to burr the edges of the battery hatch over time, while seals can start to leak.
Coin cells are a choking hazard for young children and generate waste too, although they can be recycled.
Weight-wise, Wahoo says that the Trackr Heart Rate data collector weighs 11g, with the strap, which can be hand washed, adding a further 40g. It can fit chest sizes up to 127cm.
Wahoo says that the Trackr Heart Rate is the first of a new range of Trackr sensors that it will be introducing between 2024 and 2025. It’s priced at £79.99 / $89.99 / €89.99 / AU$149.95.
