Needless to deny it, since heart rate monitors have become affordable, they are part of almost every runner’s kit. With only one limitation: the heart rate monitoring band. Uncomfortable, often subject to displacement, and susceptible to interference related to the electrical activity of muscles. Already because it is like having electrodes constantly resting on the chest, and-especially in access models-this method of measurement is not always so accurate.
Are you already tired? Don’t worry, you are not reading the chest strap wiki.
Proudly made in Italy
The solution to these inconveniences comes from Caserta. WTEK is a young start-up company of sports enthusiasts and has come up with a new sensor that, instead of relying on “electrical” heart pulse readings, is based on optical sensing. It is called reflexive photoplethysmography. Without going into detail about the technology, they created HS2-BT, an evolution of the optical sensors (which were already seen in the market some time ago) but optimized, accurate, functional and – hold on to your hat – connects to your smartphone.
The three times smart sensor
When someone tells me about new technologies, I always imagine incomprehensible instruction booklets, complicated settings, delicate equipment. This is not the case with the WTEK HS-2BT. Start your favorite app (Runkeeper, Runtastic…whatever you want, as long as it’s compatible with the Smart Bluetooth protocol), look for the sensor, and off you go. End. Isn’t it wonderful? You no longer have to lick the electrodes, you no longer have to tighten the band-you have a wristband that detects your heartbeat. And when you turn off the app, it also turns off the sensor. End. No more worries, no more chafing, no more “skipping” beat because the band suffers interference from movement.
But it’s also “smart” because when you wear the WTEK HS-2BT it doesn’t know what you look like, so it studies your blood flow and automatically configures itself according to your parameters. Only then does it begin to broadcast.
And last, as you may have guessed, it uses the “Smart Bluetooth” protocol, which doesn’t need to pair anything and consumes very little battery power. The only shortcoming is the range, which is up to 1 meter. But if you are not a giant octopus, this problem does not arise. (But then, do giant octopuses run?)
Terribly geeky
I admit, I am very passionate about technology, and the innovation coming from the WTEK HS-BT2 made my eyes sparkle. Especially if you don’t want to spend “big” amounts of money to buy a high-end heart rate monitor and you’ve just started running, this sensor is perfect because it turns your phone (iphone, android, windows phone, whatever you prefer) into a tool that tracks your routes, detects your heart rate, plays you music, and-if the night gets dark and stormy-allows you to be reachable.
In conclusion
The WTEK HS-BT2 can safely replace the heart rate monitor band, undo its shortcomings and make life easier for runners. The merits are indeed many: extremely light and convenient, coded and easy to use. The accuracy amazed me: the comparative test with premium-range cardio showed an average deviation of 1%, so we are talking about a very reliable detection tool. Honestly I would have liked an external LED to always be sure it is on but I think it would have eaten up the battery (which has a life of 8 months!), besides, just lift the sensor slightly and you will see the green detector light active.
The value for money is definitely high since it costs only 69 €.
Clearly, there is also an ANT+ version for use with wrist GPSs on the market that are compatible with that protocol (Garmin, Suunto, etc.)