Mio Fuse HR Monitor $128.51 Short or $157.17 Long + 3.2% Cashback Delivered @ProBikeKit

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Lnethern on 25/11/2015 - 22:49 probikekit.com.au (124 clicks)
Last edited 25/11/2015 - 23:00 by 1 other user

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First time poster.

Looking for a not-too-expensive but more accurate HR monitor than Fitbit Charge HR for cardio exercise. Came across this at probikekit.com.au. I had my eyes on it for a while and think it is quite a good deal with Free shipping. There is also 3.2% cashback from cashrewards.com.au. Here: http://www.cashrewards.com.au/search/probike

Here is the size chart. smaller size is "Aqua" color while larger size is "Crimson" color

https://www.mioglobal.com/docs/mio_fuse_sizing_chart_v1.pdf

Here is a review: http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2014/12/fuse-depth-review.html

Note, it is said this device is so not good at official app compared to Fitbit, but I just want to use it for HR monitor to see if I am in the "zone" during exercise. So, it might not suite everyone's need.

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• 

  ihavok on 26/11/2015 - 00:52

  +7

  I bought this when it just came out. Most owners will tell you the same thing.

  Summary:
  - I bought this, used it for a month, and just stopped using it - the Mio app will frustrate you to tears.
  - Mio, recognising their inability to provide a decent app, have tried to keep the device compatible with other apps (i.e. my fitness pal, etc).
  - I replaced it very shortly after with the Fitbit Charge HR

  Pros:
  - Hardware-wise this is probably one of the best for wrist-based HR tracking
  - Fast heart rate monitor response - see Note
  - water resistant compared to the Fitbit Charge HR's 'splashproof' rating

  Cons:
  - Hardware is that it is a little bigger than most wrist-worn fitness trackers.
  - now the dealbreaker for me, was and still is the software - see Note

  Note:
  - most HR monitors (including my daily driver - the Fitbit Charge HR) can't keep up with spikes in heart rate (i.e. gym goers who like to work with sets, people who do interval, HR training or etc). The Mio Fuse does a better job of keeping up though.
  - I was so excited when they announced this product and I tried so very hard to like it, but it is a definite disappointment for me. I kept thinking that they would improve the software over time like they promised, and they have done nothing about it.
  - The app does actually lose track of your stats. It's happened a few times where syncing the device would corrupt previous data as well (this is not recoverable).
  - If I had to use it, I would set it up with the 'HR Zones' - the active LED will blink to indicate which HR zone you're in. You could use this during your training. But forget about syncing and logging data, it's not reliable enough to do this.

  Reviews on their app (look at the charts and see that most people rate their app 1/5):
  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mioglobal.…

  • 

    Jacku on 26/11/2015 - 05:41

    Really comprehensive review. Thanks!

    Any comment on Apple Watch HR monitoring?

    • 

      ihavok on 26/11/2015 - 13:07

      +1

      You're very welcome :-)

      I use an Android phone as my daily driver, so the Apple Watch wasn't really an option for me. I use a Moto 360 daily, but I would personally put the Moto 360 & Apple Watch in the same category. That is, they are both a smartwatch first, and a fitness tracker second.

      My smartwatch was too 'nice' a watch to use while training. My Fitbit Charge HR, is something I wear all the time.

      I think the battery life of these smartwatches (~ 1 day per charge) also prevents most people from using them for things like sleep tracking, resting heart rate tracking (a measure of HR first thing in the morning). Most fitness trackers have 5 days or more battery life, which helps. A nice thing about having a device you wear most the time is the continuous HR tracking. I believe this allows for a more accurate estimate on how many calories you burn per day (Fitbit allows you to set your goal as total calories burnt, instead of number of steps).

      • 

        Jacku on 26/11/2015 - 17:06

        You are a legend.

        How long are you getting for your Fitbit?

        What you think of the new Miband Pulse? No display I suppose….
        I love my original Miband. Been thinking to get a Fitbit thou.

      • 

        ihavok on 27/11/2015 - 00:01

        @jacku:

        Hi Jacku,

        I estimate about 5 days of battery life on my Charge HR. This is with all-day sync off (fitbit syncs when I open the app on my phone) and easy view off (fitbit does not switch on display automatically when you raise your wrist to look at it).

        I haven't had any experience with the Mibands, I'm afraid. They look like very good value for money though.

        If you're not in a rush to get a device, you could potentially hold out for the 2016 models. Fitbit has been quite consistent to release new fitness trackers every year (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitbit), with the Charge HR & Surge coming out in early 2015. If all goes well, we might hear about new Fitbit devices coming out soon.

  • 

    Riker88 on 26/11/2015 - 14:07

    I have used this since Jan 2015. I agree that the Mio app is crap. However, Mio wrist based HR technology is the best and other companies license the tech for their own products eg TomTom

    Dont buy this if you are after a step counter, because the app is crap

    However, if you are after the best wrist based HR monitor to use with OTHER apps like Strava, Runtastic, then the Mio is the one to get. The Mio is Bluetooth 4.0 compatible and also ANT+ compatible. This means that it will work with all apps which support Bluetooth 4.0 and all Garmin products/watches/bike monitors etc that support ANT+

    The HR monitor in the Fitbits is not very accurate when exercising and it doesnt transmit the HR data separately so you cant use it with other apps/devices etc

    This price is worth it if you know what you are getting. I bought my Mio for $200 at the start of the year and it has been worth it.. Havent worn a chest strap for ages now

    I am tempted to get another one as a spare at this price, but I have been eyeing the new Garmin Forerunner 235 which is about to be released in the next week or two but will likely cost $450+ ouch…

    • 

      ihavok on 27/11/2015 - 00:16

      I agree with your points, Riker. For myself, I train most days in a gym. When I last checked, there weren't any good apps that worked well with the Mio Fuse in this scenario for me. It might have changed since.

      Unexpectedly, I find that more and more of my friends are jumping onto Fitbit. The online social aspect of Fitbit was never a feature I intended to use, but it did end up being more entertaining than I expected (challenges between friends + weekly reports of how you did against your friends). I was tempted to try my old Mio Fuse again, but that would mean wearing two fitness trackers at once.

      It was really cool for me to find out my HR while training in the gym (Mio Fuse LED was cool for this - you need a spare hand to check on the Charge HR). But I must confess that I didn't really know what to do with that information afterwards. I didn't tweak my workouts based on this data. The HR graphs were cool to look at as I could correlate the peaks/valleys to which part of my workout I was in (total geek moment =P) But my workout format remains centered around reps, sets and pre-defined rest periods.

      A cool feature in the Charge HR was the sleep tracking and all-day HR tracking (Mio Fuse only tracks HR in workout mode, if I recall correctly). I did notice that my resting heart rate is slightly higher when I don't get enough sleep.

      The Garmin 235 looks awesome for outdoor runners :-)