Until now, heart rate monitoring has required a chest strap for accurate readings. It’s not always the most comfortable thing to wear. MIO is here to solve that problem with their new strapless heart rate monitor, the Alpha. It’s worn like a watch, and can monitor your blood perfusion in the wrist using an optic sensor and green LED light. This technology was developed in the medical industry and has had proven success being used on a body at rest. MIO has perfected it even further so that it is now robust enough to be used in a performance environment.
The device itself has a reverse dot matrix display mounted to a silicon rubber wrist strap, and features magnetic contact points around back that link up to the USB charging station. The back also houses the optic sensor and green led light. Being a watch shaped device it does tell time, it will also display your heart rate in BPM, and has a tri-colored heart rate zone to help you stay in the sweet spot.
The MIO Alpha also includes Bluetooth Smart 4.0 technology, and can easily be synced to your smart phone. It works with many of the popular apps such as MapMyRun, Strava, and wahoo. Retail for the device is $199. Visit MIO’s site for more product details and to purchase.
