FEEL THE BEAT
The future of pulsetracking fitness gear has arrived.
JABRA SPORT PULSE WIRELESS
These buds are impervious to sweat, come packed with powerful Dolby sound, and read your pulse: Tiny light sensors detect your heart rate via the blood flow in your ears. The buds are comfortable and accurate, and an accompanying app chronicles your stats, tailors programs to fit your needs, and plays nice with such fitness apps as Runkeeper. $200; jabra.com
LIFE BEAM HELMET
It’s always been tricky figuring out just how hard you’re really working out on a bike. Using tech developed for fighter pilots and astronauts, the Lifebeam helmet features optical and motion sensors that, along with a suite of processors, track your vitals. As you pedal, it logs beats-perminute and calories burned, sending them both to ANT+ and Bluetooth devices. $229; life-beam.com
MIO LINK
Already have a go-to fitness device? The Mio LINK is the ideal companion. A faceless, one-button wristband, it tracks your pulse, displaying heart rate zones via an array of flashing lights, and transmits the data to Bluetooth Smart ( 4.0) as well as ANT+ compatible cycling computers and watches. It’s an accurate and incredibly simple way to replace an existing chest strap. $99; mioglobal.com
TOMTOM RUNNER CARDIO
Running watches are often too smart for their own good: too many tiny buttons here, too many menu options there. The Runner Cardio offers serious metrics but is a master class in simplicity. The GPS watch, which tracks pulse, pace, distance, and calories burned, has a streamlined interface and brightly lit screen that’s easy to read even when you’re running at a full sprint. $270; tomtom.com
ADIDAS MICOACH FIT SMART
Sure, the Fit Smart may look like just another fitness cuff, but there are plenty of smarts under the hood. Like rivals, it counts steps, stride rate, distance, and pace, but it also features a built-in sensor that reads heart rate. It optimizes that info to help fit it into your personal goals; all data is sent to Adidas’ Train and Run app, which offers hundreds of training plans. $199; adidas.com
OM FITNESS SHORT SLEEVED
Not into fitness bands? Slip on this shirt. Woven into its fabric is a suite of sensors that record a neurotic amount of data: respiration rate/ volume, movement (including steps and cadence), and beats-per-minute. It even keeps an eye on your muscle-contraction intensity. And don’t worry about perspiration: The shirt can be washed with the rest of your gear. $199; omsignal.com
Pulse trackers, those near-ubiquitous workout savers, are getting smarter than ever—and expanding way past the wrist.