Best heart rate monitors 2024: best models and what to look for

Looking for the best heart rate monitors? We round up some of the best options out there on the market and explain what to look for

Geraint Thomas wearing one of the best heart rate monitors for cycling
(Image credit: Getty Images - MARCO BERTORELLO)


Heart rate monitors are indispensable for any cyclist who is serious about their fitness or cycling training plans. Heart rate monitors ensure that structured intervals are ridden at the correct intensity, to chart training volume and intensity over time, as well as indicating rest times.

Ultimately, the best heart rate monitor is the one that matches your individual training needs. But there's a multiplicity of factors to consider such as battery life, ergonomics and connectivity with your cycling computer, smartwatch or phone.

To simplify things, we've outlined the key considerations for choosing the best heart rate monitor, followed by our top recommendations across various price points based on our testing. Here's Cycling Weekly's picks for 2024's Best Heart Rate Monitors...

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You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

Stefan Abram
Tech features editor

After winning the 2019 National Single-Speed Cross-Country Mountain Biking Championships and claiming the plushie unicorn (true story), Stefan swapped the flat-bars for drop-bars and has never looked back. 

Since then, he’s earnt his 2ⁿᵈ cat racing licence in his first season racing as a third, completed the South Downs Double in under 20 hours and Everested in under 12.

But his favourite rides are multiday bikepacking trips, with all the huge amount of cycling tech and long days spent exploring new roads and trails - as well as histories and cultures. Most recently, he’s spent two weeks riding from Budapest into the mountains of Slovakia

Height: 177cm

Weight: 67–69kg

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