The Myzone MZ-Switch is the only heart rate monitor on test to provide EGC and optical monitoring, so you can wear it on your chest, arm or wrist…

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Myzone MZ-Switch 

BUY IT NOW:

$159.99 / £139.99, myzone.org 

PROS:

  • Excellent versatility for different workouts 
  • Adds a gaming element to sessions

CONS:

  • Expensive

Comfort: 4/5
Accuracy: 3/5
Tracking features: 4/5
OVERALL: 4/5 

The Myzone MZ-Switch was the world’s first combined ECG-style chest strap and optical arm/wrist strap. It can be moved from chest to forearm to bicep or wrist with ease. The MZ-Switch’s unique versatility makes it perfect for a wide range of fitness pursuits where a dedicated chest strap or arm strap might be limiting. It’ll handle everything from vigorous HIIT sessions and lifting to running, cycling and open-water swims.  

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The soft chest strap uses a hook fastener and is relatively comfortable when worn on the chest. The arm strap adjusts and tightens using velcro. It’s a little narrower than the Polar Verity Sense arm strap but sits comfortably on your forearm or bicep without rolling up or cutting in. Moving the sensor between chest and arm strap is simple, with metal poppers like you’d find on a jacket.  

Myzone MZ-Switch design

The MZ-Switch has a built-in memory of up to 36 hours plus 140-hour battery life when using the chest strap. That drops to 35 hours using the optical arm strap. It’s also rechargeable which is a big plus. Handy lighting indicators on the sensor tell you what zone you’re in but that’s only useful if you’re wearing it on your forearm. It’s also waterproof up to 10m. 

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The chest strap performs well in terms of accuracy. The optical sensor is reasonably reliable for activities such as running but overall is still not as accurate as a chest strap. Connectivity is solid with two simultaneous Bluetooth connections and one Ant+ connection and it’ll play nicely with watches from the likes of Garmin, Polar and COROS.  

As with the dedicated Myzone MZ-3 chest strap, the company’s partner app adds some competitive game play to workouts by quantifying your maximum heart rate capacity and converting the intensity of your sessions into ‘effort points’. Theses propel you up or down a range of leaderboards and competitions with friends, family and anyone in the Myzone community. It’s a novel touch that adds some incentive to your workouts, should you need it.

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If you want the flexibility to switch between ECG and optical monitoring, the MZ-Switch is the one to get. But as with the MZ-3, this heart rate tracker is on the pricier side.