Scosche has updated its heart rate monitoring strap with the launch of the Rhythm+ 2.0.
The Heart rate monitor fits on the arm rather than the wrist or chest – and uses optical sensors to read your bpm through the skin.
The idea is that the more solid position on the upper arm is more stable and reliable than the boney, flexy part of the wrist.
The Rhythm+ 2.0 refreshes the original that was launched way back in 2014, and is the new entry level sensor in the Scosche range. The Scosche Rhythm 24, launched in 2018 remains, and packs extra features such as heart rate variability, on-board memory for training away from a paired device and extra sports metrics such as cadence.
The Scosche Rhythm+ 2.0 packs in a Valencell PerformTek optical sensor, that uses two LED colors (green and orange) which the company says is better at dealing with different skin tones.
Water resistance has been improved, from IP67 to IP68 – which means it’s waterproof to 3m. However, there doesn’t seem to be any specific swimming features, so it should just make the senor even more durable.
And battery life has been upped to 24 hours – although there’s no on-board memory for working out away from a paired device.
The Scosche Rhythm+ 2.0 boasts ANT+ and Bluetooth, which means it’s compatible with pretty much all sports watches and smartwatches/smartphones.
It’s very much a basic heart rate monitor, without bells and whistles, and is priced as such. It will be available in the spring, starting at $79.99.
It goes up against the Wahoo Tickr Fit also at $79.99 and the Rhythm 24 at $99.99.
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James is the co-founder of Wareable, and he has been a technology journalist for 15 years.
He started his career at Future Publishing, James became the features editor of T3 Magazine and T3.com and was a regular contributor to TechRadar – before leaving Future Publishing to found Wareable in 2014.
James has been at the helm of Wareable since 2014 and has become one of the leading experts in wearable technologies globally. He has reviewed, tested, and covered pretty much every wearable on the market, and is passionate about the evolving industry, and wearables helping people achieve healthier and happier lives.