![]() You can see the Mio Link with the LEDs turned off and on in the two photos below. This is dependent on a tight light seal between the device and the skin – more on this in a bit. Pretty cool! On their website, Mio points out that similar technology is used in hospitals with those little heart-rate sensing clips they put on your finger, but the challenge was to create a device that can measure an athlete on the move, not a patient sitting or lying down in a hospital. The Mio works by shining two green LEDs through the skin, and there is a sensor between the lights that can monitor pulsing blood flow below the device. I’m used to wearing lots of electronic devices, but three screens is a bit much! So I agreed to try out the Link, and I’ve now been using it regularly for a bit over a month. Since I already have a GPS watch with a screen on one wrist ( Garmin 620) and a Garmin Vivofit activity monitor on the other wrist (also with a screen), the Mio Alpha seemed like overkill. Mio Link costs $99, whereas the Alpha costs $199.Mio Link can communicate via both ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart, whereas the Alpha lacks ANT+.Mio Alpha (below right) has a screen and looks like a regular wristwatch.The main differences between the Link and Alpha are as follows: I was game to give it a try, and they offered a choice between the Mio Link and the Mio Alpha. No more strap to worry about taking on and off, no sweaty bands to rinse out, etc. I can wear it as I would a watch, and leave it on my wrist indefinitely if I feel like it. ![]() I really like the concept of wrist-mounted HRMs. ![]() I’ve used them on and off, and have found heart rate data to be a good way to monitor my effort, but I’m not a huge fan of chest straps since they occasionally chafe me and it’s just one more piece of gear I have to remember to put on before I leave for a run.Ī few months ago a company named Mio contacted me to ask if I’d be interested in trying one of their wrist-mounted heart rate monitors ( Disclosure: the product reviewed here was a media sample provided free of charge for review purposes – you can read about my approach to writing honest blog reviews here). In the past I have not been a regular user of a heart rate monitor while running.
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