Wahoo TICKR FIT Review: Bluetooth and ANT+ Optical Heart Rate Armband

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Sick of heart rate monitor chest straps? Ready to say goodbye to the sweaty, uncomfortable and inconvenient mess once and for all? Let me introduce you to a new running, cycling, climbing, or whatever elevates your ticker tracker — the Wahoo Fitness TICKR FIT.

The TICKR FIT is a heart rate armband that uses optical heart rate technology to provide accurate heart rate and calorie burn data in the most comfortable form factor yet! The TICKR FIT combines robust performance metric tracking with supreme athletic design and comfort. Equipped with the latest in connective Bluetooth and ANT+ technology across devices and systems, the TICKR FIT will slide right into your fitness ecosystem.

If you have been in the fitness/running/cycling game long enough, you have more than likely dove into the world of tracking data and with that comes the good ole’ chest strap, that helps track and record all of that precious information. I personally love the data part, but have never enjoyed wearing the chest strap and have been looking for a solution to remove it from the tracking equation, and this is where the TICKR FIT comes to my rescue. It is to be specifically worn on the forearm and it’s armband design allows for breathability while sweating and working out, but still maintains a secure fit so it can handle any punishing physical exertion you put it through.

Through extensive planning and development, the engineers at Wahoo focused on three main features for the TICKR FIT.

Green optical sensors which provide precision heart rate measurement .

Ultimate Precision on the Wahoo TICKR FIT

You don’t want to continuously adjust your heart rate monitor during a race or ride to keep the signal accurate. And this is where the team at Wahoo nailed the precision of the TICKR FIT, using the latest in optical heart rate technology, they developed a smart workout tool with pinpoint accurate HR and calorie burn data that can be confidently tracked.

And after testing the TICKR FIT for over a month, I ended up with a plethora of heart rate graphs and data. After looking over all of them, I would say that 99% of the time TICKR FIT accurately tracked my heart rate without any anomalies. Below are four heart rate graphs from the gym, treadmill, running and cycling. The only one out of the more than 30 graphs that showed anything odd is the treadmill, which shows two unexplained spikes towards the beginning of my run, which could be anything from radio signal interference in the gym, to me adjusting the TICKR. All of the other graphed heart rates line up consistently with reps, pace, hill climbs and descents.

Gym

Treadmill

Trail Running

Cycling

The Wahoo TICKR FIT is Comfortable and Secure

When you’re in the middle of a workout, the TICKR FIT won’t distract or delay you due to needing adjustment or being uncomfortable. It is made from high performance breathable material that stretches allowing the heart rate monitor to fit snugly around the arm with no itching or uncomfortable rubbing.The adjustable band comes in two sizes, allowing a fit for anyone that holds firm won’t slide off the arm during an activity.

Connect With Confidence

Wahoo Fitness’ philosophy is: make it powerfully built, but simple to use. And the TICKR FIT stays true to that mantra and connects to the majority of smartphones, GPS watches, and bike computers thanks to the incorporated connective Bluetooth and ANT+ technology.

The TICKR FIT also has a built in LED that displays convenient LED lights across the band to signal a connection to a device, power and low battery.

LED Function

• Blue LED slow blink: awake and searching (LED operation shuts off 30 seconds after waking)
• Blue LED fast blink: connecting to device
• Solid Blue LED: connected to device (LED operation shuts off 30 seconds after pairing)
• Power down sequence: LED flashes red for 2 seconds, then powers off
  

  LED Indicator – Blue, Orange and Red

Low Battery Indicator

• LED flashes orange 3 times: battery at 15% or lower; normal LED function resumes after flashing
• LED flashes red for 2 seconds: low battery shut off – TICKR FIT will automatically power down when the battery is too low, flashing RED for 2 seconds, then powering off. If powered on below the 5% threshold, LED will flash red again for 2 seconds, then shut down.

Charging

• If NOT full when placed on charger: green LED alternates on/off
• When FULLY charged, LED holds solid green for 5 seconds, then powers off
  

  Magnetic Charger

  

  USB Charging

Specs on the Wahoo TICKR FIT

• Rechargeable Battery: 30+ hours
• Strap Length: Small – 10 in x 1 in Large- 15 in x 1 in long
• Water Resistant: IPX7 / 5 feet
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, ANT+  allow for a wireless connection to both smartphones and GPS bike computers and watches. Note: Does not serve as an ANT+ bridge.
• On/Off Button
• App Compatibility: Wahoo Fitness, ELEMNT Companion, RunFit, Strava, Zwift, Nike+, Trainer Road, MapMyFitness and RunKeeper
• Device Compatibility: 
  • ELEMNT GPS Bike Computers
  • Android Devices (Running version 4.3 or Newer)
  • iPad (3rd Generation or Newer)
  • iPhone 4S (or newer)
  • iPod Touch (5th generation)
  • Apple Watch
  • Apple TV

Pros

• Long Battery Life
• Rechargeable
• Comfortable and Secure Strap
• Quick Connectivity
• Low Battery Indicator

Cons

• No Running Analytics – Cadence, Ground Contact Time, Vertical Oscillation – These can be found with some chest strap heart rate monitors

The Verdict

Whether you’re looking to replace an old, uncomfortable rubber heart rate strap or just diving into the world of HR data tracking, the Wahoo TICKR Fit Heart Rate Monitor provides the comfort of soft fabric and ultimate precision to track your workout intensity. With an advanced optical sensor and an easy-to-wear armband, the rechargeable, waterproof TICKR FIT heart rate monitor will get you cranking faster while accelerating your workout with hard data. For more information the TICKR FIT and other Wahoo products, visit www.wahoofitness.com or amazon.com/wahoofitness.