***Update: The lastest generation is the Scosche 24, click the link for all the details!***
Back at CES 2014 in January Scosche introduced their first dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart unit, the RHYTHM+. This optical sensor armband would transmit both ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart concurrently to any compatible device. Unlike most other units that were announced that week, this was aimed not for your wrist, but rather elsewhere on your arm – potentially out of sight under a shirt sleeve.
I’ve been testing the RHYTHM+ for the last month, and with the units landing at retailers next week now is a good time to run through my experiences with the product in my usual DCR-detailed way. In this case, the Scosche folks sent me out a final production unit to poke at. Once I’m done here I’ll send it back to them just like I always do. After that I’ll go out and get my own unit via normal retail channels. I keep nothing.
With that – let’s dive into things!
Unboxing:
You know what? I like unpackaging things that have only a few items inside. It makes my job easier. And in this case, the RHYTHM+ definitely falls into that category. But before we get to the insides I’ll briefly note the outsides. Specifically the inclusion of the ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart icons. Note that Scosche makes a number of products that have heart rate capabilities, but only one product as of today that transmits on both frequencies concurrently. So just be sure you get the right one.
Inside the compact box you’ll find precisely four items. First is the paper stuffs. Then you’ve got a USB charging cradle, the heart rate monitor itself, and then an extra band.
Here’s the manual. It explains how to put it on your arm. We’ll get to that in a moment, but it’s really as simple as putting on a bracelet and pressing a button. Assuming you can do both of those, you’ll be good. If you can’t do both of those, I’d suggest taking up a sport that doesn’t involve running/riding around in traffic with moving cars.
The package comes with two straps, the smaller of which will be on the sensor by default. The larger one will be hanging out. For me I was able to use the smaller strap while wearing the unit on my lower arm, but required the larger strap for my upper arm (obviously, because my muscles are just that riveting).
Here’s the length of the longer band compared to a traditional GPS watch strap (and note that I have a fair chunk of the band folded back on itself):
Here’s the smaller band:
The strap attaches to the sensor via Velcro on both ends. The sensor/transmitter is a small pod roughly the size and thickness of an oversized but skinny watch. It has a single button on the front.
Meanwhile on the back it has three optical sensors (square items below in triangle pattern) and two charging connector ports (round items). I’ll dive into the sensor technology more in the next section.
Finally, we’ve got the charging cradle. That’s all it does, charges the unit – it leads a simplistic life that way.
With all the pieces unboxed, let’s walk through how things work.
Basic Operation:
Like all optical heart rate monitors on the market today you do need to charge it from time to time. In this case, the RHYTHM+ lasts 8 hours on a person with lighter skin, and about 7 hours and 15 minutes on a person with darker skin. The reason for the difference based on skin type is simply because the optical sensor has to work harder with darker skin to penetrate it.
Optical sensors work by transmitting LED light into the skin to measure your heart rate via capillaries just below the surface. This has been used on a number of devices over the past year with varying success. There are a few companies that do so really successfully in athletic-focused devices, and then a few that are focused on getting resting heart rate while sitting around (but not really moving).
Historically speaking Mio has done a great job in this space with their sensor, which is on the Adidas Smart Run GPS and TomTom Cardio units (as well as their own HR monitors). While at the same time another company named Valencell has done a bunch of work behind the scenes as well with companies, producing products such as the iRiver headphones and now this unit, the Scosche RHYTHM+. Both Mio and Valencell (along with LifeBEAM in the helmet I reviewed last week) have shown very good results in the athletic space. Whereas some of the sensors used by Samsung and Basis don’t really work well once you start to do anything other than sit.
With respect to the RHYTHM+ (which uses Valencell), you can technically place it anywhere that has relatively easy access to blood flow. For example, you could stick it on your forehead (seriously, it works).
But that’s not really where Scosche recommends. They specify the best spot for the unit is on the lower arm, near the elbow, on the inside – just like below:
However, you can also wear it on your upper arm, like below. I’ve done a mix of both over the past month. In talking with them either location works, but it ends up being a person to person thing. For some the upper arm will work better, and for others the lower arm.
I personally liked the upper arm because it ‘hid’ the sensor under the cuff of my t-shirt/cycling jersey.
Now, you might have noticed it has three LED’s – and you might have also noticed that two are green and one is yellow-ish. This is different than most other products on the market that use just a pair of green LED’s. In talking with the engineers they added the yellow LED because it tends to get better readings on those with darker skin. By using all three LED’s together they can increase accuracy across a broader range of individuals. And powering up that additional LED only causes about a 10-15 minute hit on total battery life, so it’s a pretty easy trade-off.
Finally, to turn on the unit you’ll simply press the button. This turns on the optical sensor as well as enables the transmission piece. In theory, the unit will automatically shut-off if it doesn’t detect a heart rate within 5-minutes. Though Scosche admitted that might only happen about 60-70% of the time. They erred on the side of being more cautious so it didn’t turn off mid-activity. In my experience, it never shuts off automatically.
Which, if I have any complaint about the unit at all, is that it too easily gets turned on. For example, if I simply drop it on the carpet and it happens to land button-side down, it’ll get turned on. And in my suitcase? Oh, it’s getting its heart rate measured for the entire flight. Thus just expect that you’ll have to charge it whenever you get where you’re going.
Now to be fair, my complaint there extends to the Mio Link as well – which has the same problem with the button too easily getting turned on. So I suppose to that end it’s kinda a wash in the complaint department. Though, the charging clip on the RHYTHM+ is far better in that it ‘locks’ to the device, so there’s no problems with it getting knocked off the charger.
Connected devices (Dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart):
When it comes to connectivity, the world is your oyster with the RHYTHM+. It transmits on both ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart concurrently. This means that it can connect to any ANT+ device that supports heart rate data – like your Garmin watch. It also means it can connect to any Bluetooth Smart enabled device that supports heart rate data, such as the new Polar V800 or your smartphone.
In the case of both ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart it uses the standard heart rate device profiles so it’s able to transmit to any standard device – nothing funky/special required.
Interestingly enough, on the ANT+ side it goes into a super low power 24×7 beacon mode even when not powered on with the full sensor enabled – otherwise it’ll broadcast at 4 times per second when fully powered on. And on the Bluetooth Smart side, it’ll ‘save’ battery power when a connection is not detected and only broadcast at a lower rate until a connection is found.
To briefly walk through pairing – it’ll look just like any heart rate strap. So on the FR620 I’d simply go in and find a new heart rate strap (well, technically you’d remove the old one first then find a new one):
And on the Polar V800, it’s nearly the same process. You’ll go in and pair a new device. In doing so it’ll find the device and add it to the database of saved sensors (one of my favorite features of the V800 – the ability to save a boatload of HR strap sensors).
Once you’ve paired your device it’ll simply transmit the heart rate value to your watch (or cycling head unit). It’s really that simple.
The same is true of phones as well. As long as you have a Bluetooth Smart capable phone (on iOS that’s any iPhone 4s or later, and on Android anything with Android 4.3 or later) you’re good to go. You’ll need an app though as well, but there are hundreds that support Bluetooth Smart sensors. I tend to use the Wahoo Fitness app since I like the data export options.
You can see below me searching for and finding the sensor, which shows my current heart rate (66bpm), and gives me the option to save it for later.
But it also works with other major apps like MapMyRun:
When it comes to the data recorded note that like all optical sensors on the market today it doesn’t accurately transmit heart rate variability (HRV). Some more expensive GPS watches (and apps) will use this information to determine recovery and how tired you are. As it stands today, while many of the devices will transmit HRV/RR information, said information is basically fake. The reason is that in order to pass certain protocol specifications they must send that information. Or rather, they must send at least something pretending to be that information.
This is easily manifested when I connect it to certain units (like the FR620 and Polar V800) and see wildly inaccurate recovery times suggested. It can also affect some VO2Max estimates on some of the higher end watches as well.
Finally, note that the unit doesn’t transmit to gym treadmills or the like. Or at least, not 99.999% of them. There’s approximately .001% of treadmill’s out there that accept either Bluetooth Smart or ANT+ connections. Thus if you happen to find one of those two types – then you’re golden. But given you can simply connect it to your phone and put your phone on the treadmill to display heart rate – I wouldn’t let that be a factor.
Optical HR Accuracy Geekfest:
I’ve done a LOT of activity with the RHYTHM+ over the last month. From runs to rides and a bit of other randomness in between. For all of these activities I wore multiple heart rate sensor devices. Sometimes up to five different sensors to see how things compared from an accuracy standpoint. All of this data was recorded by a small test device called a WASP, which ensures everything is recorded at the exact same second (or actually, even 1/4th of a second). This allows me to see how quickly given sensors react and where they might stray from reality. I also sent data to common devices like GPS watches (both Garmin and Polar) and smart phone apps, to validate there weren’t any anomalies there either.
I’ve picked a random sampling of rides and runs in varying conditions. Except as noted below, there really wasn’t any variability that I saw. So the below was pretty indicative of what I saw across the board.
Activity A: Running Mile Repeats & 20s Striders:
This activity is an interesting one to start with as it shows frequent increasing and decreasing of my heart rate, as well as how quickly the unit tracks. The workout started with a warm-up of about 10-minutes, before I went into a series of what were effectively striders (technically they were more high-cadence drills). Each one of those was only about 20-seconds, and thus my HR didn’t spike too high. You can see there was a bit of minor disagreement between the traditional HR strap and the Scosche, but I’d be hesitant to declare either one absolutely correct there. Though, I suspect the HR strap is doing a bit more smoothing than reality.
After that I went into mile repeats, ten of them to be precise. You can see things tracked very well there – really no concerns at all. It’s interesting to note just a tiny little bit of that HR chest strap smoothing at the end of the interval after I stop, whereas the Scosche near immediately drops the HR when I stop.
Activity B: 2hr 45min Long Run:
This was a very flat run on a cool and dry day, and thus my HR was very stable. The first part is interesting though because it actually shows the strength of optical sensors where the traditional HR strap had some issues.
In this scenario you see the Scosche immediately follow my actual effort up to the 150’s, while the HR strap took about 2 minutes more before things stabilized. Typically stabilization happens with more sweat, though I had wet the strap already. By the same token, you can see where the Mio Link struggled a bit in those first few minutes as well – before finally locking in and being good to go.
Once we got past that initial bit, the three were in complete harmony the remainder of the run.
Activity C – 1 hour ride:
This was a mixed city ride and park ride, thus with lots of stops and starts – with the middle section being loops around a park without any cars/traffic/stops/cobbles. As you can see, things track very closely. There appears to be one point about 1/3rd of the way through where there is some divergence – but it’s a bit unclear who is right or wrong there for that few seconds. But otherwise everything tracks my increases/decreases in intensity quite well.
Activity D – 2 hour and 30 minute long run:
This was a 2hr 30 minute ride on everything from pavement to trails, my long run this past weekend. At the very beginning things were a bit divergent for a few minutes. This is somewhat common for optical sensors actually – and I often recommend you simply look at the values and see if things have settled down. It’s during this initial phase that the sensor tends to get a ‘lock’ on your pulse.
Once it locked though, everything was pretty much spot-on. You see a tiny bit more variation with the Scosche than the TICKR in the second half. It’s unclear though in this case which is right. At this point I had cleared some hills that would have taken a bit out of me. Thus, my HR would have been more fickle in the second half – more heavily impacted by shifts in terrain.
Activity E – 2 hour 30 minute long ride:
The below was a ride this past weekend that spent the first/last 25-30 minutes in the city, and then from there was mostly up and down quiet hills and country roads.
There was very little of note for almost the entire ride except a few minute segment. What was interesting here was that looking at that segment all three units reported separation. Typically when a unit goes off by itself, it’s just one. But in this case nobody agreed. Looking at the data capture device, it reported that all three units were transmitting normally each second (well, 2-4 times a second), and the signal strength was common and normal across all three units.
So I looked more closely at the ride segment to try and figure out what might have been the trigger, and that’s where I found out what it was: An 800m stretch of descending cobbles that threw everyone for a loop. It’s probably the gnarliest section of cobbles in Paris that I know about given you’re either going up or going down a rather steep hill. Here’s what it looked like coming down:
Interestingly, I hadn’t seen this behavior elsewhere on flat cobbles that I routinely cross throughout the city. Nor did I see it when I went up this same section earlier, nor during other rides across this section. Looking at the three units, I genuinely have no idea which one is ‘right’. I’d probably lean a little bit more towards the helmet in this case looking at the HR profile, but that’s just a random guess.
Activity F: 55 Minute Warm and Sunny Ride
This is an example I used last week in my helmet review. I selected it again because I wanted to demonstrate that the optical sensor works well – even in the bright Florida sun. Remember that the evil enemy of any optical sensor is light. That’s why you don’t want a loose fit.
But, the reason I wanted to include this is actually for that blip you see at the end. I did some Google Map poking around and figured out what that was: Steel grates on a causeway drawbridge.
Yup, seriously. It’s this little section right here that threw it off:
It appears like it very briefly struggled and then gave up temporarily before it was able to re-acquire things. I only saw this on one bridge, not all of them that I crossed. I don’t have any of these bridges at home in Paris that I know of, so it’s not something I’d otherwise have normally crossed. In both the case of the Florida bridge and the prolonged cobbles section above – I wore the unit on my upper arm versus lower down. Not sure that made a difference in this case, but worthwhile noting.
—
Overall, the accuracy over the vast majority of the the time is very solid. There appears to be two fringe cases where it struggled, but in each of those cases it didn’t struggle every time. Meaning that I both crossed steel grates more than once without issue, and I crossed cobbles countless times without issue. It’s also of note that I didn’t see any issues with rough roads, which is also common in Paris as oftentimes the road is just cobbles poorly paved over.
When it came to running, the same was true. Assuming you got HR lock up front – you appeared to be completely good to go. As with most optical systems, there tends to be a bit of trial and error on the part of the user as to where the best location is to get the best results.
Accessory Straps:
(Added January 2nd, 2015)
Scosche has started to make color accessory straps for the Rhythm+ unit, in three variants: Pink, blue and a neon green. These straps made in both long and short sizes will be available later in January 2015, more pricing and availability details as soon as I have them. Fwiw, The Girl does indeed like the pink one, I suspect it’ll be mysteriously missing by the end of the week.
Comparison Charts:
Starting last week I introduced a new category into the product comparison chart – the heart rate sensor category. This category includes a combination of leading edge heart rate devices that have some form of ‘unique’ aspect to them. For example, an optical sensor or a helmet HR sensor. Or HR straps that transmit underwater, or capture running metrics.
To that end, the below chart is only a handful of products I’ve added to that database. Thus, if you want to mix and match other products you can use the full product comparison tool here to do so (it allows you to add more products than seen below).
| Function/Feature | Scosche RHYTHM+ | Wahoo TICKR (Original) | Mio Link | 4iiii Viiiiva |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copyright DC Rainmaker - Updated November 26th, 2021 @ 4:39 am New Window | ||||
| Price | $79 | $49 | $79 | $79 |
| Product Announce Date | Jan 6th, 2014 | Jan 6th, 2014 | Jan 6th, 2014 | Jan 7th, 2013 |
| Product Availability Date | Early May 2014 | Apr 2014 | Apr 11th, 2014 | July 2013 |
| Measurement Type | Optical | ECG | Optical | ECG |
| Typical Placement | Mid/Upper Arm | Chest Strap | Wrist Strap | Chest Strap |
| Battery Life | 7-8 hours | 350 hours | 8-10 hrs | 200 hours |
| Battery Type | USB rechargeable | Coin Cell CR2032 | USB rechargeable | Coin Cell CR2032 |
| NFC Capable | No | No | HR Transmission | Scosche RHYTHM+ | Wahoo TICKR (Original) | Mio Link | 4iiii Viiiiva |
| ANT+ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Smart | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dual concurrent ANT+/BLE | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Analog for gym equipment | No | No | No | No |
| Usable HR data underwater | Depends: If on same wrist, YMMV. | No | Depends: If on same wrist, YMMV. | No |
| Bridging ANT+ to Bluetooth Smart | No | No | No | Yes |
| Can record activity in memory | No | No | No | yes | Additional Data | Scosche RHYTHM+ | Wahoo TICKR (Original) | Mio Link | 4iiii Viiiiva |
| Run Pace | Yes (firmware 3.01 and above) | No | No | No |
| Run Cadence | Yes (firmware 3.01 and above) | No | No | No |
| Run Economy/Metrics | No | No | No | No |
| Cycling Cadence | No | No | ||
| Cycling Power Meter Estimation | No | No | No | Can pass through ANT+ PM's |
| Valid HRV/RR data | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Configurable Sport Modes | No | Sorta | ||
| Displays HR Zones | No | No | ||
| Requires Bluetooth Smart Phone for Configuration | No | No | Yes (for HR zones) | Yes (for bridging only) |
| Firmware Updateable | Yes for newish units | Yes (iOS/Android) | Yes | Yes | App | Scosche RHYTHM+ | Wahoo TICKR (Original) | Mio Link | 4iiii Viiiiva |
| Can show workout afterwards | No | Yes | ||
| Can sync files/workout to 3rd party | No | Yes | ||
| More Info | Link | Link | Link | Link | Purchase | Scosche RHYTHM+ | Wahoo TICKR (Original) | Mio Link | 4iiii Viiiiva |
| Amazon | Link | Link | Link | Link |
| Backcountry.com | Link | |||
Again, remember you can mix and match and create your own comparison against additional HR products not shown above. Think of it like going to the ice cream parlor and making your own sundae.
Summary:
Overall the RHYTHM+ performs very well on a day to day basis. While at first I was hesitant about wearing it in a non-wrist location, I actually grew to not mind it on my lower arm. And once I moved it to my upper arm, I loved that it was completely out of the way and ‘invisible’.
No doubt the optical sensor market is really just getting heated up. There are a slew of recently introduced products out there – some of them doing well and some of them are struggling. I do want to point out that the unit I had is a final-run production unit. The only change between the units that arrive in 7 days are related to packaging. Specifically:
A) On the fabric long band there will be an ANT+ logo added (it was on the short strap but was omitted on long strap)
B) A QR code was changed on the box to be in a different spot so it wouldn’t cover the iPhone on the back of the box
C) The sensor lens will ship with a protective sticker to safeguard it during shipping (removed upon use)
D) The user manual will be printed on smaller paper and not from someone’s desk inkjet printer
E) The charger and extra armband will be in a plastic bag
You may wonder why specifically I’m calling this out (or rather, made them detail out the exact differences between what I’m receiving and what you’re receiving). This is because on the recent Mio Link units I saw substantial accuracy differences between pre-prod and production units. While I just last night received new units with updated firmware, I haven’t had a chance to try it (new Mio). Thus, the Scosche engineers have assured me in multiple cases that nothing has changed firmware or component wise on the unit, simply packaging.
With that – I’d have no problems recommending the RHYTHM+, based on the testing I did on my person. Obviously anything that reads body responses may vary from person to person – especially optical sensors. So your feedback and experiences with the units once they start shipping out next week is always welcomed in the comments below. As are questions. Thanks for reading!
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Thanks for reading! And as always, feel free to post comments or questions in the comments section below, I’ll be happy to try and answer them as quickly as possible. And lastly, if you felt this review was useful – I always appreciate feedback in the comments below. Thanks!
In the figure for Activity B, it is very clear that the Scosche is ramping up way too quickly, while the chest strap seems accurate. Scosche is clearly relying on their accelerometer data too aggressively for trying to predict HR. Mio is similar.
I’d wait for a better product.
Not at all, that was a prime example of the chest strap having connectivity issues. Something that’s very common on cool days. It wouldn’t take me that long to get into zone normally.
To do a comparison, have you tried wearing the Garmin 620 with both its HR strap and the Scosche at the same time with the chest strap linked to the 620 and the Scosche to a phone app?
I did that many times, including a number in the review as part of the ‘Comparison Charts’ piece: link to dcrainmaker.com
Note however that the FR620 can only connect to one strap at a time, hence why I use more advanced tools to stream both concurrently to a device that records the output (as seen in the charts above).
Thanks, Ray. I was thinking more in terms of if I could do it myself without the WASP device. I have been using the Scosche for about a month with my 310XT, but the 310 died and I bought a 620 with HRM. My thought was to first link the chest strap to the 620 and then turn on the Scosche and link it to the Wahoo app on my smartphone. I have been really frustrated with the Scosche’s tendency to pick up cadence instead of HR. Tonight I had it really tight on my upper arm and it took two miles for it to settle down. I hate chest straps, but with winter coming to Chicago it won’t bother me as much under all those clothes. I otherwise really like the Scosche but overall it has been frustrating as I can’t really trust it.
Ray,
Do you see any viable alternative being brought to the market that allows to track the HR without the need of a chest strap? Or would you recommend this one as the best alternative to chest strap and/or HR integrated multi sport watches?
Thanks
Bora
Hi.
Great review. To me I find a battery life time of only few hours any issue. What about using it for swimming? Have you checked that?
Simply looking for a solutio to the Garmin’s that fails to do the work for me.
Thanks.
Yes, some (including me), have used it for swimming successfully.
You should be getting more than just ‘a few hours’ – more like 8 or so. Have you contacted support?
Where can you get replacement straps? I only use the long one and would like to have a spare (a dry one for every training if I train twice a day).
You may purchase replacement straps at this link. (They are $4.99 each plus shipping)
link to scosche.com
Did an experiment yesterday. Wore the Scosche on my left forearm paired with a 310XT and the HRM-Run chest strap paired with a 620. Also put a pulse oximeter on my right forefinger. I then inclined my treadmill as far as it would go and sped up as fast as I could go while still keeping my hands steady on the handrails. Doing it this way with no arm movement, all three were within 1-2 bpm the entire time, which makes me conclude that all three are accurate. The only time they varied was when I stopped and they tracked my slowing HR. The Scosche and oximeter stayed right together while the HRM-Run lagged about 10 bpm. I assume this is because the first two are using instant HR while the chest strap is doing some averaging. My conclusion is that during a run the chest strap is more accurate than the Scosche because during the test the HRM-Run didn’t benefit from the hand rests and maintained accuracy through its normal range of motion. While running the Scosche (even after leveling off from its initial cadence-tracking mode) is generally 10 bpm or so off from the HRM-Run.
Just to clarify, you actively held onto the railing the entire time you were running on the treadmill?
Correct, but it was closer to fast walking at the absolute limit than actual running. I was very careful to have my lower arms move as little as possible. For one thing, the oximeter won’t work at all if your hand is moving. By maxing out the incline I was able to get my heart rate into the easy run range while still keeping my movement nice and smooth.
I’ve noticed that on runs, I have an issue that during the first 5-10 minutes my HR shows that it’s climbing much higher than it actually is (e.g., to ~180 BPM when I’m probably at about 130BPM). It’s a smooth increase (as opposed to a single spike), but nowhere close to reality. Eventually it comes back down to reality and gives me good readings for the rest of run.
It looks a little something like this Heart Rate Chart.
Is this a common issue? I’ve already exchanged one unit with Scosche, but I’m having the same exact issue with the new unit. I’m wearing the unit on my forearm right below my elbow, I’ve tried switching arms, and I’ve cleaned the sensors, etc. I have a light complexion and I get the weird readings regardless of what app I use (wahoo, runkeeper, adidas) to collect the data on my Galaxy S4.
I’ve noticed the same. The reason I got this was to avoid the “spikes” that I got with a chest strap HRM. But now I’m getting spikes for another reason. At least they’re not as common as with a chest strap HRM, on the other hand, I’m not sure how to fix them like I did by just putting some gel on the chest strap.
Since you’re spiking up into the 180’s (which I see also), I suspect the device is picking up cadence as suggested by someone earlier in this comment thread.
Ray – Does this device have an internal accelerometer that would cause that?
Really considering buying one of these. I think I read through everything but didn’t see a reference to wearing it under a wetsuit (it’s probably the first thing you said).
Has anyone tried it with a wetsuit?
I have the same question.. Is it possible to put this on under a wetsuit, or should you just do it at T1?
You can put it on under, and I’ve done it. However one time I did it and then somehow in T1 while taking off the wetsuit it got tangled up on the velcro from the wetsuit, and pulled off. I didn’t realize it till about 2-3 miles down the road on the bike. 🙁
Hi Ray,
just want to say thanks – I bought the scosche via Clever Training (DCR-Discount-Link) and it worked like a charm. It beats my old Mio Link quite easily, absolutely no issues working with both my FR 610 and my TomTomRunner. No spikes, no dropouts!
Kudos to you! 😉
Thanks for the support Henning! Glad you’re enjoying it!
Great web site and reviews – inspirational.
For reasons i wont bore you or others with I REALLY need to know my HR during the exercise that i love (5 – 10Km runs and BIG rides) – this looks JUST the RIGHT device for me and pairing with my Garmin 610 (Running) and Edge 1000 (Cycling). But i can’t seem to buy it in UK or from Scosche US site for UK delivery – any idea whats going on?
Thanks
Jeff
Jeff, I highly recommend Clever Training for all Scosche RHYTHM+ international customers.
Other options:
For UK customers OutdoorGB outdoorgb.com/
For Europe customers the Scosche website is scosche.eu
I recently got ahold of one of these and I’ve noticed that every minute or two I’ll get a 3-5bpm jump in my reading for a second then it’ll go back down. I hadn’t seen that on previous monitors and testing concurrently with a Mio Alpha doesn’t show the same jump. I’ve tried moving it places and varying tightness but nothing really seems to fix it. Possible I just have a bad unit?
hi dc
can i ask, what is the program that you used here to plot diferent heart rate together? is free, is available to everybody or is just somrthink that you used doind by you.
thank
It’s just Microsoft Excel. 🙂
ohh thank
will see if i can get there with the excel.
Scanned the trail but don’t think anybody has asked/answered this. My issue with chest strap HRM’s is they all seem to work far less effectively and give no or false readings the more clothing layers you have on, which makes completed sense from a radio wave propogation point of view. So question is, has anybody tried wearing the Rhythm on upper arm but underneath a base layer and a outer shell? Does it still communicate with a Forerunner 610 or Edge 1000 or similar?
Thanks in advance and thanks to the kind person that introduced me to CT, see above.
I have worn it on my upper arm under several layers of clothing. It works fine.
I’m planning on getting the Garmin 920XT (through Clever Training obviously ;)) and my debate is whether I should get the Garmin HR strap or the RHYTHM+.
Pro RHYTHM+: Swimming HR
Pro Garmin: HRV/RR, $30 cheaper.
I don’t mind chest straps so not putting much weight on this point.
Am I missing anything or does the decision boil down the above?
Also, will the RHYTHM+ work with the 920 in swim mode or do you need to use a different mode? I wonder why the 920 would be even looking for an HR signal in swim mode if it wasn’t designed for it.
Thanks,
Boaz
Yes, the FR920XT allows HR straps in openwater swim mode. It does not permit them in indoor pool mode. However, you’ll need to place the Scosche on your wrist, and thus results may not be ideal.
Hi Ray, I have a question about the WASP device. I read the specifications here: link to npe-inc.com and it does not appear to have built-in memory, so you are probably streaming the data via WiFi to another device, I guess. Can you use a mobile phone to record the stream?
I’m interested in this because I want to record one speed sensor and two foot pods simultaneously (for footbiking: speed from a wheel and cadence from both feet). I can do that with two recording devices, but the WASP unit looks a lot more interesting.
Yup, it streams via Wifi to any iOS device for recording. I just stream it to my phone.
Do be aware that it’s not designed as a consumer grade device. It’s not meant to be sold to the end consumer. It works well for my purpose, but I’m also a bit more techie and can put up with some of the device crankiness when it happens.
Thanks Ray! No problem it’s a bit of a device for techies – I am one 🙂
Hi DC,
May I know if this works well with Suunto Ambit2 R?
Thank you 🙂
Yup. There were some early Suunto snags, but those were all resolved in units after June 1st. Cheers!
thank you for your reply.
Can I use its bluetooth to connect with my phone or the bluetooth is only for watches with bluetooth device?
Yup, you can use it with phone apps too!
That’s great! Thanks DC! This means, I don’t have to buy TomTom Cardio Runner.
Hi Ray. If used with a Suunto Ambit 2s will the watch still give me that PTE, recovery times and calorie burn? Or does the watch use the RR numbers only from the chest strap? Thanks.
Hi DC!
May i wear this HR monitor for swimming?
If you search for the word ‘Swimming’ in the comments section, you’ll see a bunch of discussion about it.
Cheers.
I bought Rhythm+ after reading about it on this website. Got it from clevertraining.com. I use it with my Garmin 620 and Nokia Lumia 925 with Windows Phone 8.1 on it. On my phone, I use Adidas miCoach app for coached workouts. The only issue I have with Scosche is that despite the Ant+ connection to Garmin is fine (no dropouts, usually accurate readings, too), the miCoach app keeps saying “Heart rate sensor lost” and “Heart rate sensor found” all over again during workouts, meaning it drops the connection to Scosche Rhythm+ and then reconnects every few seconds… Quite annoying. 🙁
Is it something with BT on the HRM sensor, or rather my Lumia 925 is not performing well with BT 4.0? Or is it the miCoach app not working well?
It sounds like a phone/app issue, but it’s hard to say which of the two it is. Can you grab another BLE HR app and see if that connects as well?
I have the same issue on my Android phone. The issue seems to be that the miCoach app is just overly sensitive. If you look at the sensor status symbol, often times you won’t even see it go in the red after you hear the audible cue that the connection has been dropped. I have the same issue both with the Scosche and the Adidas Speed_Cell through my phone and I haven’t noticed any bad data as a result of these “drops”.
Have you tried it with another app like Runtastic or MSN Health?
Have used my new (delivered 10/13/14) rhythm+ and its works great with magellan echo fit and ismoothrun. Also as a bonus, when I use my concept2 ergometer the ergdata app is designed to use the polar BT HRM chest strap but this HRM works with the app as well, bonus for when I row at home!
Hi Ray. If used with a Suunto Ambit 2s will the watch still give me the PTE, recovery time and calorie burn? Or does the watch use the RR numbers only from the chest strap?
Thanks.
Great review!! very useful.
I currently have a Garmin FR305 which I love, but soon I will be replacing it by a newer watch. I’m kind of tired of the heart rate strap, so I think I am getting the scoche rhythm+ now, and maybe Santa will get me an Ambit 3 peak. Do you know if when buying from “Clever Training” and getting it shipped to France you need to pay for customs on top of the item price plus the shipment?
It’s really up to your postman. In my case in France, he almost always collects. Though, I think since the Scosche is under the duty limit you’re alright.
I have recently imported it to Poland, so this should be similar (EU). There is no import duty, but I had to pay VAT. Normally VAT is 23% in Poland, though I stated Scosche Rhythm+ is a medical equipment to monitor your heart, for which VAT in Poland is lower (8%). So all I needed to pay to FedEx courier was 8% of the total order value.
Thank you for your responses. I finally found a european supplier, I just received mine.
But there is one thing that makes me a little nervous: I see that with older units, there is the 60bpm issue when pairing with a Suunto watch. Since I will not have mine until Xmas probably, do you know if there is a way to determine wheter my scosche is affected or not without actually testing it with a Suunto watch?
Hi Asis, on the bottom of each Scosche RHYTHM+ box is a date code. If the date code is SEC1714 (17th week of 2014) then it probably has original firmware that is not compatible with Suunto watches and the heart rate is stuck at 60.
I believe that all units sold in Europe have updated firmware. The other way to check is with the Scosche Fitness Utility App and an iPhone. The product can be turned on/off while still in the packaging. Firmware 2.1 and newer is compatible with Suunto Ambit 2 watches, Firmware 2.3 and newer is compatible with the new Suunto Ambit 3 watches.
can I have live tracking via my phone and Rhythm+ both connected to FR620??? and I also wear BT headphones but let’s just leave that out of equation.
I just ordered this via Ray’s Amazon Canada link. thanks for all your thorough reviews. I bought FR620 and Rhythm+ based on your opinions. will do the same with Polar M400 if and when android Polar app actually syncs.
Yup, no problem at all (even with the BT headphones too).
Thanks for the support Annie!
I had accidentally posted this on the Mio link review. I have tried this device pairing to Polar Beat iOS app. When I compare to my older polar watch with chest strap, there is a lot of lag on the heart rate as measured and reported on the iphone. The watch seems to be more responsive. Is this a function of the Polar Beat App? Or the Scosche device? Is it sampling rate? Software on the iOS? Do different iOS apps sample time rates vary? Or is it the transmitting device itself that lags? Is the Mio Link any different in this regard?
Sorry if this has been addressed elsewhere.
Hi Alan,
Please give me a week to fully test the RHYTHM+ armband with the Polar Beat app. I have some custom armbands in the lab that will help measure the lag between heart rate monitors.
Specifically from your comparisons, what activities are you testing (running, cycling, other,…..) Are your workouts at a constant intensity or interval training?
I use a lot on my nordic track and while biking.
this lately was on nordic track. I do intervals to avoid boredom.
I have used Polar products for almost 20 years. I would love to ditch the strap, and don’t require ultimate accuracy for my home fitness needs. But I would like to know the product I am using is close to what I am used to. I want a simple app that displays heart rate in a fairly large way (old eyes). And will give me time in the target zone. I know that I bike harder when I monitor heart rate, and for stationary stuff like the Nordic track or other, there is really no good way to monitor my level of exertion. Any other App suggestions for my iOS? Runkeeper isn’t bad for the phone mounted on an iOttie on my handlebars.
While I really want to love this transmitter, I can’t say that I love it. I keep trying it. At times it seems to be really good, but then it doesn’t seem to be reading accurately. The heart rate above 130 takes a long time to get picked up. I am comparing with a Polar strap and watch. Any suggestions would be welcome. I keep it moderately snug tight on the inner side of mid fore arm. I can tell there is no light leakage.
Ditto.
After free-wheeling for a while, when I get out of the saddle and attack a hill the HRM gets confused and goes down before sheepishly realising its mistake and slowly ramping up. This is repeatable behaviour. The chest HRM (and my finger on my neck) follow correctlier.
Uh-oh! I just realized that the clear covering over the lights wasn’t peeled off!!
I will report back after a couple of sessions now. Maybe that was the issue!
Doh! Thank you for all the posts Alan – The protective sticker must be removed for best results. (If you search for Troy in these posts you will quickly see his experience matched yours with the protective sticker) I will continue testing the Polar App just to be sure they aren’t using their own smoothing equation which may cause lag.
From your use case described above I highly recommend Digifit’s iCardio App ($2.99 one time fee) or the Wahoo Fitness App (Free). Both Apps give large numbers for time and heart rate.
Did I miss something? The enclosed directions don’t mention the protective sticker.
Also, the box doesn’t have any “green dot” or sticker on the bottom. Should I be worried that I don’t have the latest firmware?
Mine just arrived. No green sticker. On the bottom of the box, topr right corner there is a small white rectangular sticker indicating “SEC3114”, could that be week 31, year 2014?, If that is the meaning, that would be the last week of July this year. I will try to test it as thoroughly as possible asap.
The green dot was only temporary to identify units from original production with updated firmware. All units manufactured after June 1st 2014 have updated firmware. SEC3114 is the 31st week of 2014 and compatible with Suunto watches. (and Garmin)
Heart rate lag test results: The test used a custom RHYTHM+ that continuously counts by one beat per second from 40 up to 225 and back down to 40 (repeat) The test compares delay caused by the wireless connection (Bluetooth or ANT+) or by heart rate averaging within a specific app.
1) Polar Beat app does not exhibit any lag/delay when compared with other iOS Apps.
2) Suunto Ambit 2 has approximately a 2 second lag/delay compared with iOS Apps. Note Suunto does not display heart rate sent from the Scosche RHYTHM+ but instead it looks at the R-R interval sent and performs its own heart rate calculations.
3) Garmin Fenix, interesting results….. When counting up from 40 to 225bpm I observed a 7 second delay but counting down from 225 to 40bpm I observed only a 2 second delay.
4) Generic ANT+ watch also observed a 2 second delay.
This test does not compare the lag/delay between optical heart rate sensors and chest strap sensors because results will vary per user, per activity and per chest strap vendor.
As a Fenix user, your test is interesting to the say the least. I was one of those earlier in this thread that (I think) first noticed the lag/delay with the Scosche.
Can’t understand why there is a difference in going up vs down though.
I don’t think the green stickers are still being placed on the boxes.
I bought mine in late September. It didn’t have a sticker. I followed the instructions in this post to check the firmware version, and it’s running 2.3, and definitely gives good calorie counts with a Forerunner 620 and a Fenix. I have no idea what the history is, but this version is newer than any quoted in previous posts here.
Ray, did you ever get any clarification from Scosche about the firmware revision history?
In my case I have an Android phone (Samsung Galaxy S2), so I followed those intructions with the nRF Master Control Panel. My firmware version says 0x2A26.
Also if I check the errors, I got 2:
0x81 GATT ERROR
0x85 GATT ERROR
Nevertheless I have paired it with the phone.
I tried with Runtastic, it detects the RHYTHM+ but does not get any data out of it, it is as if it is connected with the OS but not with the APP.
In runkeeper I cannot get to select it…
I hope I will succeed later today with the Garmin Forerunner, because I am not really interested in using it with the phone.
In my case I have an Android phone (Samsung Galaxy S2), so I followed those intructions with the nRF Master Control Panel. My firmware version says 0x2A26.
Also if I check the errors, I got 2:
0x81 GATT ERROR
0x85 GATT ERROR
Nevertheless I have paired it with the phone.
I tried with Runtastic, it detects the RHYTHM+ but does not get any data out of it, it is as if it is connected with the OS but not with the APP.
In runkeeper I cannot get to select it…
With Wahoo it works, I can see my heartrate!!!! So you need the HW (for instance the galaxy S4 mini does not even see the scosche) and the App working properly.
I hope it will be more straight forward later today when pairing the Garmin Forerunner through ANT+, because I am not really interested in using it with the phone.
I think that the hex number is an identifier for the firmware version rather than the value for it. I had to go through a couple of stages (bond then connect). After the first stage I could see that it supported giving its hardware version;after the second, there were downwards-pointing arrows next to data items, which you could tap to see the values, and the value for the firmware was just “2.3”. This was the same app running on a Moto G. I’ve actually deleted the app since because it seemed to get in the way of the 620 syncing via the phone.
Pairing with the 620 was straightforward. I haven’t tried to get HR from it on the phone, as I’m not a big fan of running using only a phone for tracking.
Firmware Revision History:
v2.0 – initial production
v2.1 – added R-R intervals to ANT+ heart rate profile. Fixes Suunto Ambit 2 heart rate stuck at 60bpm and fixes Garmin low calories
v2.2 – Scosche manufacturing improvements
v2.3 – added R-R intervals to ANT+ heart rate profile. Fixes Suunto Ambit 3 heart rate stuck at 60bpm
Thanks Joshua!
I’m thinking about picking up an Ambit 3, so it’s good to know mine’ll work with it.
Correction:
v2.3 – added R-R intervals to the Bluetooth Smart heart rate profile. Fixes Suunto Ambit 3 heart rate stuck at 60bpm.
Thanks for the info about versions, I will try to obtain the decimal value of mine (Only have the hex so far). I have not tried it yet with a Suunto, however I did it with the Garmin Forerunner 305, it took between 2 and 3 seconds to get it coupled and reading hart rate (via ANT+), excellent!. Probably I will wait for the Ambit 3 until the Android app is released in 2015 before buying it.
From the comfort point of view, it is awesome compared with the Garmin chest strap, I loved it. I thinkk I will do some testing with the smaller band to see if it works on the wrist too.
I have version 2.4
what does that let me do that 2.3 would not? I do like seeing the battery level.
does this utility work with other BLE transmitters?
Version 2.4 includes minor bug fixes.
The Fitness Utility App works with Scosche armbands and will work with future armbands that use Scosche/Valencell optical sensor technology.
Hi.
Sadly, I never succeed to finalize my command with Clever training, I found an option with the devil with the big A. Buying in the UK site, there is no duty taxes in EU, but not a as good deal as CT.
I spend a lot of time trying to find the right place on my skiny arm. There is only limited option with enough flat surface to allow the sensor to work well, without a muscle creating a gap at every contraction. Really an issue, but almost solved now (And Christmas is coming with chococalate, foie gras and other nice food for runners).
One question: I compared the datas with my polar RC3 when using the Rythm with my V800. I have the feeling that the polar HRM is more sensitive, changing value up and down more quickly. Nevertheless, your scientific comparison seems to show no differences. At the end, all the average HRM for intervals ranging from 1 mn to 20mn are usually very close or identical in my runs. Do you think that the Polar HRM is more sensitive than other items? A commentary in your in-depth review of the 920 seems to experiment the same “hyper”-reactivity of the H7. I would be happy to know if the rythm+ (or optical on the arm in general) is more smooth than chest HRM. Smoothness is not an issue for me, I just want to know it rather than thinking about a precision issue.
Thanks.
Different HR sensors and different devices do some element of smoothing – either as a function of error checking or just to increase accuracy. In my experience with it, I didn’t see that impacting items. The thing is that HR is always a lagging indicator of effort. Just the simple nature of it.
Meaning, if you start a 400m sprint, your work effort is immediately high, but your HR won’t show immediately – it takes a bit of time. Thus, I prefer to use HR as an indicator during efforts more than a minute or so.
I’ve used the Scosche Rhythm+ several times now for both running on a treadmill and cycling. I agree with all the opinions DC Rainmaker has given about the product. There are a few things to mention about the product though.
Putting the sensor on after you have a long sleeve road jersey on is pretty difficult. With my chest strap HRM I can hike up my jersey and get it around my torso. But the sleeves on my team road jerseys aren’t that stretchy and trying to pull up the sleeve to put it on is pretty useless, it just slides down my arm when I try to get my sleeve back down. The first time I used it was on a group ride and I was forced to quickly wrap it around my lower arm down toward my wrist instead of the preferred location. It worked fine however. It would probably be okay if I put it on before I put the jersey(s) on but I’m not sure yet. And doing it that way would probably push the button and turn the sensor on. Not sure it was mentioned in the article but you don’t have to wait for the sensor to time out and shut off on it’s own. You can hold in the button until the light goes off. It is easy to accidentally turn it on though.
Another thing is that the battery life is supposedly 8 hours. While that seems like a lot, it may not be long enough for say a weekend bike trip or something like that. So then I have to worry about recharging and even a little worse, it requires a custom charging cradle, I can’t just tote along a little USB cord. I agree that the charging cradle is well made though.
Which brings me to another subject, I don’t see any way to purchase an additional (replacement perhaps) cradle or band. As nice as the band is now I’m sure it won’t last forever, I tend to be tough on this stuff since I use it a lot. I’d really like to buy a spare but don’t see that offered in the Scosche store or elsewhere. Hopefully this is just an oversight.
One other anomaly is that when you register the product as suggested on the packaging, you can’t choose the Rhythm+ (RTHM1.9) model. It’s not listed in the survey.
Seems I have one that was manufactured pretty recently, the code on the box is SEC3914.
My overall opinion is that it’s a great device, perhaps the business end is lagging a little behind the engineering team. As an engineer myself I understand.
Hi George,
Thank You for the great review. I am looking into the product registration issue. Here is a link to purchase replacement straps:
link to scosche.com
Neon Green and Hot Pink colored replacement straps are under development and should be available some time in January.
I like this a lot. It gets the signal more easliy than the Mio link. (which is not a bad product). I find it easier to put on my arm, and placement on any flat area will work. You don’t have to worry about light leakage like on the Mio. And it is much easier to snap into the charger. The mio has a ridiculous short cord, and I could not easily get it to match the proper contacts despite the magnet that is supposed to make this easy.
I have worn it on various spots, even near wrist and it works. The on off button could use a little improvement. I can’t tell how long I have to hold it down to turn off. The Polar straps like the H7 don’t require recharging, so this is another thing to charge. It is a technological advancement in heart rate monitoring.
I just tried it on during a race for the first time. Before I avoided to use heart race sensors at races because they bothered me a lot, but with the scosche you don’t even realize you’re wearing it (I do not have Scosche shares, I promise). It is true that the drawback is that you have to charge it, but I can live with that.
By the way Ray, you are in Paris, so you should run this race when you can: Behobia-San Sebastián. Last Sunday it was its 50th edition, over 30 thousand runners, 20 km, and public cheering all throughout the course, ending in San Sebastian, with the las Km running along the beach. Great experience!
Do you think Polar will have to make an optical arm/wrist monitor soon? Looks like this is part of the future of these devices.
Why can’t Scosche make a unit that will work with Polar receivers not just Ant and BLE?
U think the question should be, when are gym equipment manufacturers going to get on board with the ble and ANT+ standards.
true fitness does. their premium machines were all just updated to support BLE. its very, very nice…
Not sure if this is only relevant for Finland, but I was about to buy this directly from Clever Training when I noticed that their shipping costs are so high they more than cancel out the discount benefit. However, if I order it from CT via amazon.com it is cheaper even without the DCR discount..
Have anyone tried to use this thing in workouts that involve arms pounding: boxing, skiing, etc? I wonder since riding on uneven surface can cause issues and it doesn’t seem to work on a leg, can it be used during cross country skying when arms work quite a bit and there is a good amount of vibration from poles hitting ground.
just bought this. is there any way to tell how much battery life is remaining? i don’t find anything to indicate when it’s dying. am i supposed to just guess? otherwise, this thing is brilliant
does the fitness utility app give information about the battery life?
maybe Joshua Duffy can answer this.
i tried the scosche rhythm app for android. 1. it doesn’t show battery 2. it crashes regularly and 3. they indicate pretty clearly that it’s discontinued.
next i tried the wahoo utility, and it connects but doesn’t show anything about battery.
at this point i’m pretty much at a loss here. no idea how people are using this without any way to check battery life, unless they’re charging it nightly? idk…
For iOS there is something called Fitness Utility and Battery Level shows up in the first section of the Data field. I am not sure if this is available for android.
Does anyone know an app for Windows Phone to see firmware revision and stuff like that?
If someone is looking for an app that shows battery power level on WP, I can recommend miCoach app from Adidas (not only of that – their training plans are good as well).
RHYTHM+ supports the Bluetooth Smart battery service. Any App that supports this will give you the battery percentage.
1) For iOS I recommend the Scosche Fitness Utility App
2) For Microsoft I recommend the Addidas app
3) For Android I will have to do a little digging to find the best App for it. (I’m surprised the Wahoo Utility didn’t show this)
Hi Joshua,
how can I check firmware version on my Rhythm+ using Windows Phone? Adidas miCoach does not show it, unfortunately…
Regards,
Adrian
ok for those who are on android, i can confirm that the app called “BLE Heart Rate Monitor” will display battery life. thanks to everyone for their help!
I found an Android App called “BLE Scanner: Read,Write,Notify” and it will report the firmware revision. Scan for RHYTHM+, select Device Information, and then select Read you will find a 2.x number and this is the firmware revision.
Hi Adrian, Scosche found a Windows Phone App called “BLE Scanner” that will connect to RHYTHM+ and show firmware revision number under device information. However, a value of 21 translated to firmware v2.3 but I don’t see a logical connection between these two numbers. Give it a try and let me know how it works out for you.
Alright, my team was able to find a BLEExplorer App for Windows version 8.1 and newer. This properly shows the firmware revision.
Joshua – question regarding the battery % and the Fitness Utility. I downloaded the app onto my iPhone solely for the purpose of checking the battery level, because it’s extremely frustrating to have my RHYTHM+ die in the middle of a workout (otherwise I love it!).
The Fitness Utility app is definitely not meant for casual users. I don’t know how to check the battery %… I have the Wahoo Fitness app and it connects to my RHYTHM+ just fine, but when I open the Schosche Fitness Utility App in the “Attributes” tab, I don’t see any values in the fields. However, I do see at the top in red letters the “Remove Stored Device” link.
Can you tell me in simple steps how I can check the battery %?
I have found that I need to unpair it from the Polar Beat App I have been using for my workouts. then it shows up in the Fitness Utility with all the data about battery life
alan – thanks for the tip! For me, I found I had to not only unpair it with Wahoo Fitness, but I had to go the the iOS Settings -> Bluetooth and forget the RHYTHM+ device there too in order for the Fitness Utility app pair up to show me the Battery %.
If anyone from the Scosche prod dev team reads this, please consider having a low battery indicator when powering on/off the device. Something along the lines of “if you see these sequence of blue/red lights, it means the battery is below 20%”.
Thank you for the feedback.
First, I think it is reasonable to add 5 distinct blinks when you power on the armband to indicate charge level. (one blink for each 20% window – 0-20, 21-40, …..) I can run some experiments and see what provides the best user experience.
Second, with ~15 minutes of battery left the LED will go solid red periodically so perhaps increasing that to 1 hour of battery remaining would help.
Last, please email Wahoo and Polar as well (our voices are heard) and request they support the Bluetooth Battery Service which was created by the Bluetooth SIG for this exact purpose. I think over time more apps will add support for battery percentage.
Hi Joshua – the 5 distinct blinks is a great idea! I also didn’t know about the 15 minute warning, but I’ve only used it for a month. Plus my workouts are typically over an hour long so the blinking battery level indicator would be a better option for me.
I’ve sent a message to Wahoo so hopefully they listen, but I’m a little cynical and wouldn’t be surprised if Wahoo, Polar, etc, don’t add the battery % until their own devices provide that info.
Like I said, I love the Rhythm+ and that’s why I’m willing to jump through these hoops to keep using it.
as somebody that uses the Rhythm+ over ANT+ exclusively having some sort of way to see the battery life left via blinks would be awesome. Having 5 blinks on startup (say, blue for charged red for not charged, so blue/blue/blue/blue/blue would be 100%, red/red/red/blue/blue would be 40%) and possibly on-demand (say by the user double-clicking the button) would make the device that more usable, because I would be able to charge it as needed instead of always seemingly ending up with it dying in the middle of a workout 🙁
If this was added, though, how would we be able to update the device? would we have to track down somebody with a BLE ios device to do it?
Thank you for the feedback on UI – I love the idea of blinking RED and BLUE on demand with a button press.
Any armband sold to date does not have the capability to update the firmware by the end user. Scosche policy has always been to replace the main unit to fix problems. However, for nice to have features such as this, the customer would ship their unit to Scosche and Scosche will update the firmware for you and send it back. Customer pays for shipping to Scosche and Scosche will pay for shipping back to you.
Hi Joshua,
I am located in Australia. Would the same process apply for updating firmware on units purchased here? I can imagine shipping ex Australia back to I assume the US for update would be quite expensive, as no doubt shipping it back here after update would be expensive for you also.
Thanks,
Justin
I’ve used the BLE scanner Read,Write,Notify app for checking the firmware version, and it says 2.4.
Seeing this comment on 13 january (Hi Troy, v2.4 is the very latest firmware and the main improvement requires a 1 second button press to turn the armband on, which fixes the complaint that the product turns on too easily in a backpack or gym bag), I would expect the button te behave as such. However, it doesn’t. It switches on with a light press. Switching off does however requires the long press. Strange…
PS: bought it last week at Amazon.co.uk (couldn’t buy it in the Netherlands and transport costs from the US are a bit steep).
Bought Mio link in March when launched, ended up wearing on same wrist as 910xt due to low signal strength. Had enough of that now and bought the scosche . Wore the scosche on opposite wrist today and it worked flawlessly, brilliant, no dropped signal. I’ll wear it on wrist every time now, so comfortable. Will probably keep eye out for alternative for the Velcro fabric strap as it’s a bit fiddly since it’s a squeeze to get it over my fist without taking one end of strap off. Can’t help thinking that the Velcro will eventually get ragged and that the strap will stink as it seems real good at soaking up sweat. As a result of this I’m no longer looking out for an alternative watch with optical hrm built in.well done scosche.
Bill,
I ran last night with the Mio Link under clothing on the opposite wrist and the data was wonky. Lots of dropped signals. Apparently, two layers of light clothing is enough to kill the signal. It has just recently turned cold so this is an area I hadn’t had a chance to test. I would assume Ray is in the same boat as just now turning cold in Paris and he would probably not have tested the Mio Link or Scosche under clothing until recently. I might consider the same course as you and buy the Scosche but am interested in how you and/or Ray have done on signal on opposite wrist under clothing with the Scosche or even on the upper arm under clothing for that matter. Any thoughts?
In general, I’ve had the Scosche under cycling clothing (upper sleeve) without issue, though, not with a ton of layers like I would in winter yet (I don’t remember doing that anyway). Though, I haven’t heard of anyone with issues on the Scosche in colder weather, and by now the folks up north (Finland/Norway/etc…) would have noted usually (as would have my mother in law, in northern Canada).
Thanks for the fast and great reply Ray. Probably missed the black Friday or cyber Monday sales on the Scosche, if any, but may order one. Thanks again.
No worries, there’s still a deal there with the Scosche and a free pair of headphones (plus free shipping). Over on the Black Friday post. Enjoy!
for battery level on android, I use BLE heart rate monitor, just type and search in google play, free app
Thank You Koo, I will give this App a try
A little off piste but…..
But my father suffers from angina and has had 6 heart attacks this year, he is after a device to track his heart rate 24/7, he is not keen on a chest strap so he’s after an optical wrist/arm device that tracks 24/7 and records to an iphone (appreciate nothing is 24/7 as it will need charging)
Would the Scosche RHYTHM+ work in this scenario or is there something else more suited ?
Yeah, you could use it with an iPhone app like Wahoo Fitness to record the data. Though, honestly, something like the Basis watch is probably a better option.
Thank you ray, i will go take a look 🙂
I’ve been trying to get this to sync with the PEAR sports app but to no avail. I train by HR zones and normally use a chest strap.
link to pearsports.com
Does anyone use this app?
Hi Frank, I just tried out the Pear Sports App with RHYTHM+ on my iPhone 6 and everything looks good. Are you an iOS user or Android?
A few common issues:
1) as a precaution kill any other fitness apps including Apple Health before attempting to connect the heart rate monitor. Some apps may cause interference and not allow the Pear Sports App to connect.
2) iOS 8 allows you to pair in the phone settings menu, however this is NOT recommended. Instead connect to the heart rate monitor directly from the fitness app settings menu. (In this case the Pear app)
3) Do you know what firmware revision is on your armband? You can download the Scosche Fitness Utility App for iOS to check.
I live in the UK and know that buying from the USA would result in 20% VAT plus handling being added when the package arrives here. I have found an English based supplier on Ebay, and bought from there at a very fair price. I checked and it is the latest firmware, 2.3, and a manufacturing date of 3114. I have yet to use it in anger as it only arrived today, but I’m sure it will be excellent. It seems to work anywhere on my arm – like Ray I have fair skin.
Any European readers should be able to benefit from purchasing here rather than the USA.
link to ebay.co.uk
Also available from OutdoorGB based in Daventry. They’re a reputable supplier that I’ve used before.
link to outdoorgb.com
How gave you got on with this when testing on a proper run? And what arm position etc did you use?
Which ebay seller did you get this from?
Cheers
I just ordered my first 3D printer, and had in mind as one of my first designs to make a button guard for the scosche to avoid unwanted switch-ons, and guess what, someone already designed it and made it available on the web: link to thingiverse.com
Anyone can just download it and print it. Actually it seems that 3D printers can be quite handy to make custom stuff for running and bike gear.
The link you provided is for a Scosche myTREK cover not RHYTHM+, did you actually find one for RHYTHM+?
Damn! you are right! I guess I got excited about finding it and did not finish reading. I did not find anything ele while searching for “scosche” on thingiverse. If I find out anything I will let you know, else, I will try to design this type of cover, but I will not be able to start working on it until January.
Another idea is to use the plastic blister of the box as some sort of cover (cutting it out to leave only the part that matches the scosche)
Scosche should sell a button cover…
I’ve found that a mini-mint box makes a fine Scosche container for when you’re throwing it in the gym bag and so forth. It does not, of course, work unless you take the band off first. But I always do that anyway to rinse and dry before the next use.
What is the best companion activity tracker to the Rhythm+? Does the Garmin FR15 keep history of your HR info until you sync or do you need to sync directly to phone at the same time? If no of the FR15, what about the Vivofit? I want to be able to carry my activity tracker at the same time as my running with my Rhythm+ and make sure only my HRM logs during that time. How would I go about that?
I personally think the FR15/Scosche combination is very solid. It’s what my mother in law uses, and she loves it.
The only downside is as you noted, the FR15 can’t sync to the phone (USB only). It will store that no problem though until you can sync your PC. The challenge with the Vivofit or Vivosmart is accuracy of distance/pace while running since they lack GPS.
Thanks for the review Ray, really is a super product. I can tell that after only one run
So, based on your testing, would you say the MioLink and the Scosche Rhythm+ are equals? I’ve read the article, including your comparison chart, but in terms of accuracy, they appear to be fairly close; I might even venture to say MioLink was more accurate considering the “blips” from the cobblestones and the steel grate.
Also, in terms of comfort, are they comparable? The MioLink doesn’t look all that flexible or comfortable, and it also looks rather large/thick whereas the Rhythm+ looks like a flatter strap that could easily sneak under clothes.
Thanks!
Hi Jess, a quick answer to your questions above:
1) It depends what your wrists are like and what type of activities you use a heart rate monitor for. Some people will not notice any difference in the accuracy between RHYTHM+ and the Mio Link. However, most people will find that the RHYTHM+ is more accurate and the wireless connection is more stable across a wide range of arm types, skin color and activities. (Read all the reviews on Amazon and dcrainmaker for both products) Neither product should be used for power lifting!
2) Comparing comfort – Cloth is breathable and rubber is not. The Mio must be worn VERY tightly on the wrist and the RHYTHM+ needs to be worn tightly as well but the location is flexible. (Wrist, Forearm, Tricep, …..)
I really like this HRM!
I have had it since June. I just lost it:( on Monday
I may just re-order a new one now. Other options out there, but this has suited me very well
I got one of the weird defective ones for Christmas. Synched with both my phone (LG G3 using Strava, MapMyFitness) and my 310xt, but held at 72BPM the entire time. The red/blue/purple lights worked fine, but the LEDs for the HR monitor didn’t work. I already got in touch with Clevertraining customer service this morning, and they already sent a return package label for me. I’m a disappointed that I can’t use it yet, but I am looking forward to it.
What I can say is that the fit of the thing is really nice, and really adjustable. I’m looking forward to actually sweating all over it.
Santa brought me a Scosche RHYTHM+ (from Clever Training) and I couldn’t be happier with the gift. I was also able to recieve the free headphones, although I’ll probably just sell or give them away since I have no use for them.
As for the RHYTHM+ it is a great device. Upon initial charge you’ll see that the dreaded charging cradle is actually quite solid. Connectivity with my iPhone was very easy and quick upon initiation. The cloth strap is extremely comfortable and fast drying, while the velcro seems like it will not lose it’s stickiness over time. After a little while running I just forget the monitor is there, no chaffing or fussing around with getting the band to a comfortable position. I will have to try some different placements of the unit other than the location suggested in the papers. During my use, I haven’t had any drop outs or spikes in HR. It’s refreshing to use a product which just works as expected.
So far, I’ve used the RHYTHM+ with the Nike Running app for a 10K and 10-mile run and was able to get some nice data out of those activities. I look forward to using the utility app (after reading about it here) to check its firmware, battery percentage, etc.
As always, I appriciate the comprehensive review, Ray.
Thanks for the support via Clever Training, Devon! And glad it’s workout well!
I’ve been having some trouble connecting the RHYTHM+ to the Fitness Utility app even though it’s connected to my iPhone via Buetooth (purple light blinking). Any tips for getting it connected right?
Hi Devon,
The Fitness Utility App has an issue with the latest version of iOS and Scosche is working to fix it with an update. The issue is if you pair RHYTHM+ in the phone settings menu then the app is unable to discover it. However, if you do not pair RHYTHM+ in the phone settings menu or delete it from the phone settings Bluetooth menu and then search for it in the Fitness Utility App it will connect just fine.
I apologize for the inconvenience, this is just a case of Apple changing the pairing process for Bluetooth Smart sensors.
Thanks for the reply, JD. I’ll keep an eye out for an update from you all.
Just bought Scosche RYTHYM+ today from local JB HiFi – Garmin strap died yesterday and could not be revived. I haven’t run with it yet , but I’ve noticed the accuracy is not so good at resting Heart Rate. Measured the old fashion way ( finger on the pulse ) and Android app ( Azumio , uses LED flash & Camera AND shows the pulse wave real time, so you know its accurate) , which shows 36 – 38 bpm . However , Scosche reads / transmits 45 bpm ( received by FR610 & Android app). I would have thought 20% out would be a problem . Has anyone else seen this , and is it only at rest /low HR , with not so much blood flow under the skin ( and maybe picking up some other signal) . I did see in another comment issues relating to cold weather/capillary blood flow , but it’s not cold – probably about 26 Deg C .
There’s been a statement directly from Scosche somewhere (if I recall correctly) stating that their algorithms are “flooring” the transmitted HR at 45. Given the strap is aimed at exercise tracking it’s not completely illogical.
Found it – it’s #298. States the lower limit at 40 bpm.
Thanks Juro. That clears that up !!
Hi Gavin, I see you received your answer but I confirm the algorithms will not transmit any number below 45. With an iOS device you can download the Scosche Fitness Utility App and put the armband into Resting HR mode and then it will measure all the way down to 25bpm. This mode is not recommended for exercise.
Thanks for sharing all this wonderful information. My goal is to get hear rate info onto my pebble watch face using the Scosche armband and one of the pebble apps. The one I’d like to use is Aerotracker pro. Do you see any reason why this would not work? Would there be a better pebble app to use as a fitness tracker with heartrate display capabilities? I’m going to be cycling, running and circuit training in the gym. I really appreciate your input and knowledge.
Hi Jim, we will have to give the Aerotracker Pro app a try.
I personally recommend Runkeeper for use with the Pebble Watch and RHYTHM+. You can also customize the Pebble Display fields when used with Runkeeper.
Hey! Thanks for the quick response! I placed my order for the Scosche and I’m going to try runkeeper too. I’m excited to see how it all integrates with my pebble.
I have used Aerotracker with the Scosche Rythm, a Samsung Galaxy S5 and the Pebble for quite a while, and it worked great. I really liked the app. You could customize some of the fields on the Pebble Aerotracker screen.
What was displayed on the Pebble (HR, speed) was a ‘rolling average’ of the last few seconds, so no instantaneous display, which took some getting used to. Starting, stopping and pausing from the Pebble worked perfectly.
A big plus for those who don’t need or want to have data “in the cloud” is that the Aerotracker app can be used standalone and offline, it saves GPX files on your phone. There are options to sync with web services if you want to though.
Thanks Joshua. I don’t really need readings for resting heart rate, I was just concerned about general accuracy. My first run with it shows great results . I’m really impressed. Goodbye to spitting on a chest strap to get conductivity!!
There is an iPhone app called nRFready that is from wahoo that will tell you which firmware you have and will also display your current heart rate and battery charge status at the same time.
I ended up ordering a Rythym+ from eBay for £60 because Amazon was out of stock with no date for restock. Looks like all uk models are software version 2.3
I am very impressed with the scosche but the Velcro strap leaves a little to be desired.
I have an androud app “nRF control panel master” mentioned in previous posts for checking firmware version, but its not very intuitive. Any other android apps for Changing HR mode (low / regular), Viewing battery status etc?
2 hour run yesterday wearing the Rhythm+ on the wrist. 2 hour run today wearing the Rhythm+ on the upper forearm. Both times paired the unit with my Garmin Forerunner 620 before heading out. Resting heart rate was accurate (low 40s), but heart rate reading during exercise was approximately 40 beats higher than it should have been for the pace I was running (low to mid 7 minute miles). Box is labelled SEC4414 which I believe is one of the newest units to be manufactured. Any tips for a more accurate reading? I can’t wear the Garmin HR strap due to pretty bad chafing issues and was hoping the Rhythm+ would be a perfect solution. Thanks!
Hmm, it sounds like you have tried different places, which is good. I’d also try the opposite of what you did (inside or outside of the arm) on your upper arm again. Also, not quite sure how tight you made it, but you might want to make it a bit tighter if there was any airgap seen on it.
Hi Steve,
As you may have read already the armband is picking up your running cadence as heart rate. This is more common for individuals with a very low resting heart rate and if you are exercising in cold weather. Here are some tips – make sure you removed the protective sticker covering the lens on the bottom cover. Second, wear the armband and turn it on a few minutes before starting your workout so that it will warm up with you. Last, try some warm up exercises such as jumping jacks to elevate your heart rate and then rest for 15 seconds until you are confident the armband has found your heart rate again.
Thanks for the replies. Wore the armband just below the bicep this afternoon. Warmed up as suggested and watched the heart rate go up and down as expected. No issues on the run so I think I’ve found the sweet spot for the strap. Good news!
Steve,
I wear mine mostly on the outer side of my upper arm, just above the bicep in the natural narrowing where it meets the delts. I have no issues what so ever with that placement, nor on the upper end of the forearm- inner facing or outward facing.
The strap does need to be fairly tight- but not so tight that it is uncomfortable. Just get it tight enough so that it does not let any light in. Light is what causes the unlikely readings.
I have had a couple of issues where the Velcro on the strap has opened, which was obvious due to it being dark and my seeing green strobe lights out of the corner of me eye. I have solved that by turning the strap in on itself so that the ends of the strap are against the skin and covered by the rest of the strap, thereby preventing it from coming undone.
I received a Scosche Rhythm+ last week and have been using it with MapMyFitness. I have found that when I go for a run, it seems pretty accurate with respect to calorie burn, but not so much when I wear it for Kettlebell complexes or Calisthenic circuit workouts. Would you suspect that is a failing of the monitor or more on the software side with MapMyFitness?
I found this as well. Do you believe these statements about strength training to be accurate? If so, what does that mean with regard to circuit training?
link to myfitnesspal.com
“So, it must be emphasized again: HRMs calorie counts are only accurate when there is a consistent and measurable relationship between heart rate and oxygen uptake. That means exercises and exercise movements that are aerobic in nature and that are performed at intensities between 40% of VO2 max and the lactate threshold
There are a number of conditions under which heart rate can increase, but without an increase in oxygen uptake:
…
-Heavy strength training (HR increases because of increased pressure)
…
In other conditions–arm work, overhead work, “anaerobic” or sprint exercise–an HR increase will reflect in increase in VO2, but it is not a consistently measurable and reproducible relationship, therefore the HRM calorie count is not as accurate. “
After using the Rhythm+ for a week with my Forerunner 310XT, I’m surprised and pleased with its accuracy and comfort. It has matched within 1-2 bpm in comparison with my Polar HR strap and watch, worn simultaneously. The Rhythm+ seems much more accurate than the Mio Link and Tom Tom watch, both of which I tried. I’m planning to use only the 310 and Rhythm+ and stop using my old Polar and strap. Thanks to Ray’s review and the 10% discount at Clever Training.
So I purchased the scosche armband monitor and I’m using pebble with the aerotracker aerohrm app. I’m happy as can be to be getting continuous heart rate monitoring on my pebble. The aerotracker hrm app shows heart rate, calorie burn and elapsed time on the pebble. The numbers I’m getting seem pretty consistent with the numbers I saw using a chest monitor. The only hiccup I see is that from time to time the heart rate freezes. I just exit back to the watch face and re-select the aerohrm app and it starts tracking again properly. Not sure what’s causing this but it’s not all the time.
I just rec my new HRM, lost my 1st one..Can others confirm what Firmware they have please? I have 2.4 on mine..Im just curious..Thanks
Hi Troy, v2.4 is the very latest firmware and the main improvement requires a 1 second button press to turn the armband on, which fixes the complaint that the product turns on too easily in a backpack or gym bag.
I can’t seem to finish a run without losing the heart rate signal midway through the run and then having it get picked back up again. I’ve tried multiple locations on both arms with no luck. Any thoughts on why I’m losing the signal mid-run? Thanks!
Hi Lisa, from the experience you described above I can only think of 2 possible problems. 1) The armband is coming loose and you could try wearing it tighter to start your workout. 2) the armband is defective and you will need to contact Scosche tech support.
Just in case please confirm that you have removed the protective sticker on the bottom of the optical sensor.
I am trying to find where to buy this as it seems the answer to all my problems! I use a polar FT7 but I keep on having problems with the chest band as it either falls off during the run or if I put it too tight I have problems breathing and it ends up leaving cuts (not great really…). I bought the tomtom with optical heart rate monitor but I have a very small wrist and even when really tight it just was painful and not working properly.
Hence buying the Scosche RHYTHM+ would be great! could anyone tell me if it will work with a polar FT7? It is a very simple model and does not have Bluetooth hence I am not sure if it will work with the Scosche RHYTHM+.
Also, any links to buy it in France would be more than appreciated 🙂 Thanks!!!
Cristina,
The Scosche will NOT work with a Polar FT7. It transmits in ant+ and bluetooth. The Polar FT7 transmits in something they call “Polar Own Code.” Essentially, they don’t speak the same languages. I’m not aware of any products besides the Polar chest strap based transmitter that use the Polar Own Code.
It doesn’t sound like the FT7 is worth keeping around if the heart rate strap isn’t working for you. One possible solution would be to try another brand of heart rate strap. I think FT7s were all made with a fabric strap that has a removable transmitter. The Polar transmitter will fit on straps made by Garmin and other companies since the ‘snaps’ are in the same place. I have found the Polar strap to be the most comfortable, but everybody is different. It may be worth trying a new strap from another company or a brand new Polar strap. Maybe it will have more grip without squeezing and cutting you?
Either way, good luck!
It sounds like I need to find a new heart rate monitor 🙁 if I want to avoid using the strap and I cannot use the scosche with my FT7 maybe I could go for a mioalpha; however, does it come with GPS? I have just checked the specs of the new MIO alpha and it says it will provide distance readings but has no gps… this might sound a bit strange, but, how does it do it? is it possible to incorporate a gps to the mioalpha? any other HRM with optical reading that anyone can recommend?
thanks a lot for your help again!
Hi Christina, if you are tired of wearing a chest strap and want something better for heart rate training then the Scosche RHYTHM+ is really the best way to go. RHYTHM+ works with all of the Garmin GPS watches including the FR15 and it also works with Tom Tom and Suunto watches with ANT+.
My device gives pretty incorrect data while skate skiing. I tried many arm positions, but it was useless.
It seems that active arm pounding and tensioning changes it mind.
In summer I have been using it with 910xt for hundreds miles of runnig and it worked just fine.
I was a happy camper for a while, but now my Nike Running app is not recognizing the RHYTHM+ for some reason. I can’t figure out if it’s on the Scosche side, or a problem with Nike Running. I was going fine for about two weeks, but not even though the RHYTHM+ is connected within my Bluetooth menu (and blinking purple throughout my workout) it won’t show the data within the app. Any idea or suggestions? May it have something to do with connecting the RHYTHM+ to the Utility app recently?
Hi Devon, Apple recently made some changes in how Bluetooth Smart sensors (RHYTHM+) pair with the phone. If you have the Fitness Utility app open then be sure to kill it so it isn’t running in the background.
Worst case you may need to forget the armband in the Nike App and in the phone settings menu then power cycle the phone and reconnect RHYTHM+ in the phone settings menu first and then add it in the Nike App settings menu. If this doesn’t work please let me know and I will look into it further
Thanks, JD. Your tips helped, and on today’s run the HR monitor was recognized by Nike Running. I closed all my apps, connected the RHYTHM+ to my iPhone and then went to the Bluetooth menu and selected “Forget this Device”. I closed all apps again, turned the RHYTHM+ off, and turned off/on my iPhone. I turned on the RHYTHM+ back on and then selected it within the Bluetooth menu and it seemed to get everything back in order. Thanks again, and looking forward to an update from Scosche in response to the new Apple Bluetooth Smart protocol.
That’s pretty cool about the replacement straps. I literally just bought one of these for my wife (via clevertraining, of course) and immediately thought to myself, “ugh, we are going to get these confused all the time, I wish they had different colored straps.” And sure enough, a google search brought me back to this page, where you had slyly added the information about the new straps.
saw the new colors at ces. they are BRIGHT. loved them. can’t wait to get my hands on them when they ship. also met some of the guys at scosche. cool bunch of ppl…
The only thing I noted when my lime-green strap arrived it the colored portion faces in. Which means only the tabs show when wearing it. Not a big deal, but I’m expecting the color to look dingy fast.
Can’t seem to charge my rhythm+ now. When I connect it to the clip, sometimes it would switch on for a few seconds, but then nothing. Unit itself was fine before. Anyone else have this issue?
Joshua Duffy if you’re reading this, how do I claim for warranty? Bought through CT. The thing is, I am residing out of the US.
Hi Azli, the only issues I have heard about is when trying to charge with a PC or laptop and sometimes a back up battery because the charge rate is too low to be detected. First, please try charging with a dedicated USB charger such as the iPhone cube or other USB charger. Second, clean the charging contacts with a Q-tip and mild soap or rubbing alcohol. The contacts will collect residue from sweat and dirt that prevent charging. As a last resort apply firm pressure between the charging clip and main unit to see if this will at least get the device. Not a long term solution but will help identify where the problem is.
When attaching the charger you should see the Red/Blue LED flash purple followed by 3 red blinks.
You can always email me at RHYTHM@scosche.com if you are still having issues.
Ok thanks Joshua, that actually worked! I cleaned the charging contacts with alcohol rub and it’s now all back up and running.
Another question for Joshua – On the new colored replacement straps, can you give us a link to order as soon as they are available?
Since we are all pals here, and devoted users of our Rhythm+, it would be great if we could get an early order option too!
Ok my Fenix 3 is pre-ordered. The Rhythm+ has been out for awhile. Not sure if there has been firmware updates that the user can do (like with Garmin). But how has this been working for other Garmin F2 users and 920xt users. I am most interested in how the Rhythm works with the running dynamics and cadence that those newer Garmin devices can provide. Which if any of the running metrics will the Scosche share with Garmin devices? thanks
I am afraid that most if not all of the Garmin running dynamics are recorded via sensors inside the garmin band, so if you use the scosche instead, you lose the running dynamics.
don’t care so much about ground contact our vertical oscillation. it HR(which of course it does) and cadence. do dabbed activities include cadence?
The fenix 3 has an accelerometer in it, so it should be able to do cadence with no external devices. GCT and VO need the HRM-RUN.
I use the Rhythm+ with my Fenix 2 all the time. You do get cadence from the watch itself, but no Vertical Osc. or Ground Contact time data. I was originally thinking i would just my HRM-Run strap every once in a while to see what the VO and Ground Contact time data was looking like, but since I got the Rhythm+, the HRM-Run has never left the junk drawer!!
I’ve been using the Rhytm+ for about 7 months now and am still very happy. It “just works” and I find it to be much more comfortable than a chest strap. Minor niggles are having to charge yet another device, and the velcro sometimes not sticking very well when sweaty. But other than that, can only recommend it.
In winter, I’m mostly wearing it on the inner side of the wrist opposite the watch, and in summer either on the inner of the upper arm or on the same soft strap as my 910xt towards the inner of the wrist.
might I ask. why upper arm in summer, and back or wrist in winter. Just easier access since winter==long sleeves? Am I reading you correctly that you have a Rhythm+ on the same band at the 910? how comfortable is that? would like to see a photo of that 🙂
Interesting. Fwiw, in doing a lot of optical sensor testing this winter, and in talking with the Valencell folks a bit (who make the sensor for the Scosche) – in general in colder weather you want to get it further away from your hands due to the slightly prolonged time for warm-up to those areas.
Yes, simply the long sleeve thing in winter. To be honest, I often simply forget to put it on before adding 3+ layers of clothing, and am then too lazy to get it under all those layers. So I just put it on the wrist.
Ray, thanks for the comment regarding warm-up, I guess it would be good to remember to get it onto an area with better blood flow in winter then. However, I don’t notice anything special in my HR graphs regarding warm-up, so I guess I am probably lucky to have good blood flow in my hands. Might be a result of some years worth of rock climbing training…
Here’s a picture of wearing it on the soft strap. A bit of a fiddle to get the end of the strap through the loop on the 910xt, but once it’s on this works quite well for me.
Can i hook this up to my smartphone and use Bluetooth headphones at the same time?
Can i hook this up to my smartphone and use Bluetooth headphones at the same time? Does the signal cope with more then one product?
@matt…
yes, I use Rhy+ ismoothrun app+my BT Ant Pump all the time..Works awesome!..no drops
I am a cyclist and want to trash my chest strap. Been looking at unit and the Mio Link. Which is better. I dont care about tracking. I just want to connect to my Garmin 800 and see what I’m doing now.
Thanks.
Ray, I got the Rhythm+ last week and have done 3 runs with it. Each time, the heart rate rises insanely during the first few minutes, reaching 95% or so while I do a recovery jog type warm up, and then settles at 65% or so where it was supposed to have stayed all the time. This doesn’t seem to be the exception, but the rule, after 4-5 minutes the HR seems normal for the rest of the run.
So my question:
– Am I doing something wrong? Like wearing the unit at the wrong place, etc. (I wear it on the upper-forearm, sensor to the inside, under three layers of clothes, as it is quite cold and windy here).
— Coud I have a defective unit that I should send back to get a replacement?
— Or should I just give up on the rhythm+ ?
This issue has actually been addressed a couple of times in the comments.
Essentially, the unit is picking up your cadence until you warm up and it’s able to get a good read on your heart rate.
You can try moving it closer to your core (e.g., your bicep) or you can make sure you’re warmed up before you head out.
Thanks. The comment thread is very long, so I haven’t read all of them… I will try following your suggestions!
I’ve now had another issue with the Rhythm+.
I did my first interval run with the Scosche today, the first one in several months actually, since I’ve been doing aerobic base training only since two months.
Well, doing 400m repeats, I got a new max heart rate, 204 instead of 180 previously. That seems just completely over the top for me, totally unbelievable. For one, I’m 47 years old, but Ok, it happens… then, this would have me train much much faster as my zones indicates for a 180 MHR, it would seem nearly impossible to train that fast.
What is fishy, is that that high was hit right after the first repeat, while usually you should hit MHR at the second repeat of 800’s or so. But during the first half or the run, the heart rate was much higher than my previous MHR on many occasions. One of the reasons could be that there was some very, very heavy, which made the exercise a lot more strenuous, and indeed, on the way back (with tailwind), heart rates where much lower (but still, I hit 180 almost every time, which is unlikely too).
So, the MHRs given by the Scosche seem completely crazy, it’s possible that my MHR is higher than 180, but certainly not by almost 25 beats. Has anybody else had this problem?
I’m guessing that, like many others in this thread, you had a device malfunction briefly where it picked up your cadence instead of HR.
Especially since:
It was early in your run (i.e. 1st repeat)
It was on 400 repeats where I suppose it is feasible you hit 204 spm.
It resolved itself and didn’t occur anywhere else on the run.
So don’t go changing your HR zones just yet…
Hello Brian:
This could be the case, since during the 400s my cadence was around 205spm most of the time. However, it didn’t only happen early in the run, but on many other repeats, particularly during the first 5 repeats (and of course there was 2km warmup run before the repeats).
Hi Belsha, I agree with the other replies that anything over 190 is probably picking up your running cadence instead of heart rate. Some simple experiments 1) wear the armband a little more snug – a loose fit makes it easier to pick up running cadence as HR. 2) play around with the armband location, top of the forearm, inside of the forearm, and tricep. 3) warm up before starting your intervals. If your heart rate is below 110 bpm at the start of the first interval it will be more difficult for the sensor to track your heart rate up to ~175 bpm in such a short period of time.
(And make sure you removed the protective sticker on the sensor lens)
I dont have the rhythm+ yet. but getting my ducks lined up. Question: how can an optical HRM pickup cadence? and the mistake heart rate for cadence? explain.
Question: i’ve ready plenty of comments about warming up. I was curious as to more detail about what that means. Its cold in the midwest. indoors 60-70 degrees, head out for a run in 0-10 degrees. you dont really “warm up” you start slow.. then body heats up and you hit you normal pace. How would you “warm up” the rhythm+ then? I was thinking warm up might mean just put it on.. and let it start monitoring you for 5ish minutes before heading out. though you are likely to have a lower HR at that time. suggestions welcomed
You don’t warm up the sensor, you warm up yourself. As you get active, physiological changes take place in your blood vessels that make it easier for the Rhythm+ to get a heart rate reading using its lights.
Understood. But suggestions on what’s sufficient for some. We’re talking about winter subFreezing running here. Will a few jumping jacks do it. push ups. Normally, one my stretch slightly, then just head out running. So if we do nothing we just expect wonky data for XX period of time?
Thanks Joshua!
1.) I wear it quite snugly, more would be rather uncomfortable
2.) I wore the rhythm+ at the inside of the forearm and at the inside of the upperam (biceps), should try triceps then, maybe.
3.) before the intervals heart rate was around 135 BPM, so this should’nt be the issue. The HR went to around 200 for the first intervals, and then at the way back to around 180 on each one, which still is unlikely (it isn’t so easy to hit max heart rate so often).
The protective sticker of course was removed.
I must admit I’m a bit discouraged, between the rhythm+ systematically going up to 160-170 BPM during a warmup that’s at 120BPM, and then going up to 205 during intervals, I’m contemplating a refund from Amazon.
Hi Ted, the simple explanation is that optical heart rate monitors (and pulse oximeters) measure changes in light intensity under the skin surface due to blood flow. When the body is at rest (regardless of outdoor temperature) there is less blood flow than when a person is exercising. Also a person with very low blood pressure will have smaller changes than a person with high blood pressure.
Now imagine the extreme case where the armband is loose and almost bouncing up and down on the user’s arm. This too will create changes in light intensity and in fact the rate of change will be exactly the running cadence. Prior to warming up when there is very little blood flow and a strong running cadence signal the sensor will provide false readings until the band is tightened and/or the blood flow signal is stronger.
So warming up the body and increasing blood flow before working out will provide a stronger signal for the sensor to measure.
Hi Belsha, thank you for the feedback. If you have seen the pictures Ray posted in this review I would say it is more on the tricep and not the bicep. Ultimately you want to find a location with minimal muscle flex. You have made a very reasonable effort to get it working. Because the goal is to get blood flow in your arms, short of trying push-ups before your first interval and then rest for ~10 seconds I don’t have any further suggestions.
thanks for the explanation. When you right “a strong running cadence signal” there is not an accelerometer in the rhythm+ is there?
Hi Ted, there is an accelerometer in RHYTHM+ as a critical component of the blood flow measurement and heart rate algorithms.
Ray have you experience any of the issues ive read about the mio losing connection while doing work with no way of telling till the work out is finished?
im trying to find the best HRM to pair with a vivoactive once it is released!
Sorry, which Mio? This is the Scosche review – so might be a different place to ask.
The mio link! Sorry i asked here as i seen the comparison graphs
Ahh, gotchya. It has some transmission issues, mostly depending on where you place the unit relative to your other unit. If on the same arm, it generally does well. If further away – it can be a bit tricky. I don’t see these issues on the Scosche.
My Rhythm+ stopped working after about 2 months. I suspect it is due to using it in the pool. It looks like the specs on the Mio Link are little more robust for water resistance. Are there any more wrist based HRM I should consider?
Hi Larry, RHYTHM+ has been pressure tested to 10m and passed. If you have your receipt please email the team RHYTHM@scosche.com – even if you don’t have your receipt please email the Scosche team, however, you will have to ship the main unit back before a new one can be shipped to you.
I have had the scosche for a while now and it works great. The only negative is the Velcro strap. Mine is falling apart already.
I use it for about 6 hours a week and wash it in cold water and gentle detergent with my kit about twice a week and I am disappointed that it is de-laminating already. I have ordered a pair of stretch Velcro ties from Amazon that ought to be a Straight swap replacement but I don’t think I should have/need to be replacing an integral part of the unit already. It is a shame because all products are only as good as their weakest component, which in this case lets the Scosche down big time.
Hi Sam’s Dad, please email pictures of the failing strap to RHYTHM@scosche.com and we will get you back up and running. Sounds like you are happy with the product and I want to keep it that way.
The Scosche Rhythm+ has been out almost a year now. Before I buy one, do you know if / when Scosche are planning an updated version? Thank you.
I was wondering the very same thing. was thinking of ordering one also, but realized it’s a year old as well. I understand the addage, buy what’s available today, for tomorrow may never come. buuuuuut if a new version is coming, I can wait
To Ted W and J Stephenson,
Looking at my crystal ball for 2015 Scosche is only making minor updates to the RHYTHM+ product. Announced at CES were 3 new color bands neon green, hot pink and blue that will be sold individually and some retailers will bundle the extra bands with RHYTHM+ so you actually get two sets of armbands (black and color).
Firmware updates:
v2.4 is now shipping and addresses the issue where the armband turns on too easily
Device firmware update capabilities are under development for iOS users, but taking longer than expected due to complications in the Bluetooth Stack.
Clever Training and Fitness on the Run always have the very latest firmware on the Scosche products they sell. In addition, any user that is willing to ship their main unit to Scosche then Scosche will update it to the latest firmware and send it back.
Joshua: That’s super helpful. Thank you. I’ll put my order in this weekend!
What about the poor quality of the straps? Has this been addressed?
It is funny how you can answer a question that might lead to sales but have not answered my quality/support question.
As stated previously/ my strap is falling apart after less than 8 weeks. What is being done to improve the strap? Will there be free replacements?
STEVEN.
Comment #759 (at the time of this post) made on January 30th and starts with “Hi Sam’s Dad” is for your arm strap question. In general the arm strap performance is on par with shoe laces, it will not last forever but it should certainly last more than 8 weeks.
Hey Steven: you are treating Ray like he’s the manufacturer. I’ve used the device several times a week since introduction and the strap is fine. Complain to the manufacture or where you bought it. Let us know how they respond.
William, firstly I was not addressing my you, but either way… You are incorrect, I am addressing Joshua Duffy who it seems is happy to answer questions about sales but not interested in quality complaint issues.
I tried using the Rhythm+ today and my Trainer Road application on my computer with ANT+ sensor cannot detect it. Does it not work with Trainer Road? My Joule GPS reads it without a problem.
Hi Jack, I looked up Trainer Road on the ANT+ website and I do not see them listed. You need something with an ANT+ receiver. Do you have an ANT+ dongle attached to your computer? From the Trainer Road website it appears some Electronic Trainers allow you to connect a heart rate monitor through them.
Please provide a little more detail on your setup and how you are trying to connect RHYTHM+
I use it with TrainerRoad all the time. I have a Mac Mini with the Garmin ANT+ USB adapter. It works with TrainerRoad under Mac OS X and also under Windows both native and running under VMWare Fusion if I connect the adapter through to the VM.
A few times TrainerRoad didn’t see the ANT+ adapter and I have had to unplug it and plug it back in and then relaunch TrainerRoad but usually it just comes right up.
It is a great bit of tech. The winter run certainly lived up to its name today! It was bitter out there 😮
Thanks to Ray’s review and the comments, I ordered the Scosche Rhythm + to replace the heap of crap that’s the Garmin HRM/softstrap combination (which fades partway through a run and doesn’t recover).
I wore it in the London Winter Run 10k today and couldn’t be more pleased with it so far. So much more comfortable than a chest strap, connection solid throughout. Good service from OutdoorGB.com too.
Josh – Ray commented earlier that the color straps would be available January 2015. Well January has come and gone and I haven’t been able to find them on the website. Is there a link to order these yet?
Sorry to badger about this, but I need a replacement strap (like the guy above, mine is peeling apart) and I was going to order the colored one instead if possible.
Hi Brian,
Scosche currently has the black band replacements available to order on their website here: link to scosche.com.
I emailed with CleverTraining mid-January and they said that they would have the colored straps available for order sometime in Februrary.
Thanks Justin, I’ll hold this existing one together a bit longer until the colored ones become available. I’m surprised Josh hasn’t commented on a more concrete date as to that.
Hi Brian, color straps arrived at Scosche on February 5th. It will take a few days for retailers to receive their inventory and get them listed for sale.
Thanks Josh!
Hi, I have bought the Rhythm+ and downloaded the Wahoo Fitness App, Runkeeper, and MapMyFitness. I’m trying to work out the best combination for easy heart rate-based training (IE I’d like audio cues when I drop in/out of the specific zone I am meant to be training in. I’m an android user, Xperia Z3.
Wahoo doesn’t give me the warnings, but is by far the easiest to use. I can see the information, but I don’t really want to be holding the phone in my hand the whole time.
MapMyFitness seems to be good, although I can’t work out where it shows the heart rate zone? The settings refer to audio cues but then I’m wondering if this is for the premium account only?
Runkeeper could be the ideal option – but for some reason it simply will not find the Rhythm+
ANY IDEAS OR SUGGESTIONS? I’d really appreciate any advice.
I started with RunKeeper but I seem to recall that it wouldn’t support my Wahoo bluetooth footpod.
I’m now using iSmoothRun and it works great. Lots of configurable coaching cues including heart rate zones plus it supports the Wahoo so it works great for pace when I’m inside on the treadmill. Correct heart rate zone also easily seen on the display as blue / green / red icon.
It will also upload to lots of different services including Dropbox and email when you’re done your run.
Just wanted to comment that it is apparently pretty important to find your “sweet spot” with regard to where you “mount” this HRM.
Because of the cold weather, I’ve been wearing long sleeve shirts more often and therefore I can’t easily wear the Scosche on my preferred location (i.e. forearm) and instead have been using the upper arm, near the bicep.
As a result of that (I hope at least), I receive much more erratic readings with the device…especially extremely high readings for the first 8-15min of a run. And that is having it on 10+ minutes before the run starts, with it reading my RHR pretty much correctly. The extremely high erratic readings unfortunately harken back to the “good ol’ days” with the chest strap.
1. I got this Rthm1-9 Jan 7 of this year because using a strap transmitter creates all sorts of bogus readings with a pacemaker which goes on intermittently. (Talk about a niche market!) I use it for cycling.
2. It has performed will–i.e., both accurately compared to a Polar chest transmitter (in its un-confused moments, and conforms well to the perceived effort. It bested the Mio products by quite a lot—I suspect that either the underlying technology, or the 3d detector, does the job.
3. I have it paired with a Polar M400. In the last 3 bike rides (2 hrs flat & fast, 3 hours hills, 4 hours both) the M400 has shown no HR signal after I went in to get coffee (i.e. about the mid-point of the ride.) Of course I leave the RTHMII-9 on, and the M400 sets itself to pause mode. Nothing revives the connection—turning the RTHMI-9 on and off, hitting “Lap” on the M400. When I check the M400 later, it lists the RTHMI as still paired. Deleting and re-pairing is no remedy. the M400 review did successfully pair with the RTHMI-9, and so I know that I am not the only one who has made this work.
4. Perhaps someone has had similar problems?
5. If nobody else has had and cured this, I would like to pair the RTHMI-9 with something else that can run on my Nexus 5 Android, to see whether I can locate the problem in the RTHMI-9, or in the M400. Anyone know what is the most bullet-proof Android app for this product?
John, I also have a pacemaker implant and use the Rhythm+. It works great for me, much better than chest straps that seemed to pick up a lot of “extra” electrical activity, but not consistently accurate pulse rates. My Rhythm+ is only paired via ANT+, with a Garmin 310XT. I don’t use it with an Android app, so can’t recommend anything there. I can pause and restart the Garmin 310XT, maintaining the Rhythm+ connection, without any issues. I know of other PM implant patients, using the Rhythm+ linked by ANT+ to various watches; and simultaneously linked by Bluetooth Smart to I-phones, without problems. But, no one I know of uses the Rhythm+ with an Android app.
Plan on buying a couple of extra straps with the unit.
How are the large and small straps sized?
Maximum diameter that the two sizes can fit?
How durable are these straps?
The long strap is 375mm and the short strap is 260mm. I would estimate that 75% of users wear the long strap.
I made my own straps using elastic Velcro from home depot and they are more elastic and cheaper. They’ll probably last longer too.
Thanks for all your awesome reviews Ray! After reading your review of the Fitibit Surge and trying it out on my own I returned it. Just picked up a Polar M00 and waiting for the Rhythm plus to arrive on Monday , I hope this will be a solid combination #nomorecheststraps
Reddy…”How durable are these straps?”
They are not durable at all. I purchased the Rythm back in August and am on my second long strap. The first replacement i traded with another users (traded my unused short of thier unused long). The second replacement was from Schosch. I email them, and after providing a copy of my reciept they provided a replacement strap.
sorry if this was answered earlier, but on android, how does one check the firmware of the device? also, is the firmware user upgradable?
BLE Scanner: Read,Write,Notify app for Android
Just ordered from Clever Training w/ DCR code. My first optical strap.
Thanks for the support Larry!
Very nice of Clever Training to offer free shipping even though the price drops below the $75 threshold with the DCR discount.
Getting a little frustrated recently with my Rhythm+. I commented earlier in this thread that I determined you have to be careful where you place it for it to gather up HR correctly (works best on my forearm, but not my wrist or my upper arm).
Well the weird readings I was getting in those two alternate locations are now starting to show up on my forearm as well with increasing regularity. It’s like the old days of chest straps with those super high readings that are clearly bogus.
I’m a veteran with this strap by now and no that you have to warm up with it and so forth…I always have it on and powered up when I’m riding to my running location, or inside the house before I go out…but yet I’m still getting these whacked out readings.
Hopefully this is just an aberration as I don’t know what I will do otherwise as the device’s firmware cannot be updated as far as I can tell.
Spikes and bogus readings require a lot of patience to trace. I had to switch from a chest strap transmitter to an optical, and then see if the both the new transmitters and receivers were reliable.
1) Of the opticals, I found Scosche better than two varieties of Fitbit, sending to the same receiver. Fewer drops; fewer high readings that did not correlate with perceived effort. So, I am using the Scosche. But I tested further.
2) Then I tested the Scosche as transmitted to a Polar product (M400) as receiver, and comparing those HR results to simultaneous use of another Polar product CS 500 receiver with signals transmitted from a chest strap. While reading could vary by 10 or so beats for a few minutes, the averages over 1.5 hours, 2.3 hours and up to 4 were within 1 or two beats of each other. I then tested the Polar (M400) with its own chest transmitter vs. the CS 500 with a difference chest strap. The M400 produced about the same minor level of HR reporting variation against its fellow Polar product as the Scosche–which tells me that the variation is in the M400 receiver. But this minor level of variation is fine.
3) Conclusions?
—If you can use the Scosche as transmitter but vary the receivers from the one you use, or (if it is a cellphone) the program you use, you should be able to see whether the problem is the Scosche or the receiver. Especially easy to do if the receiver will report means, or maximum HRs. If it settles the problem, then the source of the strange HR was a receiver.
—-If not, see if you can borrow a chest strap, and use it at the same time. If results continue to vary widely during the same exercises, ask Socosch to replace your unit.
I should add—that when you test any optical vs. a chest strap, there will always be a lag while the electrical impulse that the chest strap picks up turns in to the hydraulic effect, a few feet of plumbing away, that the optical picks up.
Good post, John, thanks.
I’ve compared the Scosche against my chest strap(s), always noting a “lag” with the Scosche, but I had never actually considered the “plumbing” element! It makes sense that it could be a little slower getting the pulse out to the outer extremities. In any event, my erroneous readings are a fairly recent phenomenon with my Scosche device.
Regarding sensors/receivers, also note that our Scosche rep Josh posted earlier the results of his testing of various receiver devices. Check it out above, but I recall that the Fenix (my watch) reported more delays than others (incl smart phone IIRC). It was a Fenix I’m wearing when I’ve been getting these whacked out readings lately.
Btw, none of those were done when I was wearing either another receiver, nor a chest strap so I have no control to test against. 🙁
But you do bring up a good point about receivers because I did a race about a month ago where I had the Fenix on one wrist (showing pace fields), and a Garmin FR60 on the other showing my HR fields. Well, at one point in the race the FR60 went bananas on HR, but when I switched the Fenix over to an HR data field, it was showing more reasonable numbers. So there is definitely something to the receiver element as you described.
As one who has been considering the Rhythm+, not encouraging news. I’ve not read anything, but could there be salt/sweat deposits on the sensors or something that mess up the ability to read?
Hi! Could somebody explain me how will I know that battery low and it is time to charge it?
FYI – For those interested, the colored replacement straps are now available on Clever Training. I’ve already ordered 2 for myself, but I realized after the fact that they didn’t specify size anywhere on CT. My hope is, at $12.95 a pop, that *both* sizes will be included at that price. Otherwise, if I receive a small strap, it’s not going to work for me and will need to be returned.
For the colored bands, at the $12 package, you get both sizes (large/small) of the color selected.
For the bundled color sensor package, you get both a both strap set (large/small), and a colored strap set (large/small). So four bands in total.
Enjoy!
Excellent, thanks for the reply Ray!
I just bought this unit a week ago and see a slight difference between your review and my unit. It seems that to turn it on I need to hold the button down for 3 seconds until the led shows up, which is the same procedure for turning it off. Pushing the button once does not turn it off but strangely, the LEDs flash once. The unit does not turn on accidentally at all because of this though.
No problem with the unit though, and the accuracy seems to be fine compared to my perceived effort.
Erwin:
Nice to hear that they have reprogrammed the ON button to require a 3 second hold. Mine has turned on by accident all too often.
Just got mine today and noticed the same thing regarding hold for 3+ seconds for on/off. Of course the documentation included with the unit didn’t reflect this change. Did a KICKR ride today comparing the RHYTHM+ with a 4iiii Viiiia. They appeared to agree within about 1bpm except for the first several seconds of the ride. Tomorrow hope to give it a try while Nordic skiing with a temperature around 18ºF wearing it under several layers.
I use mine with the KICKR all the time now and it’s always within a beat or two on average compared with my v3 Garmin strap. Not sure if it’s due to the slightly older firmware (wish I had the 3 second hold to turn on feature) but it always seems to start at 72 BPM regardless of my actual heart rate. That doesn’t matter much of course because my heart rate while exercising is never that low anyway.
Sometimes I have to move it a bit to get it to start reading correctly or tighten the strap a little. Once it starts reading it is solid though no matter how long the ride. I rode a century on Zwift the other day without issue. Have also had it on for more than 8 hours outdoors and it hasn’t run out of battery.
I’ve used it outdoors down to about 12ºF for several hours and have not had an issue with the cold, usually wear it on my wrist close to my hand as it’s difficult to get it up farther on my arm once my jersey’s on.
Come racing season I’ll probably purchase another one (with newer firmware certainly) as I have been enormously pleased with the unit.
hi,
Joshua Duffy wrote that the rhythm+ send hrv/rr data ( in one of the firmware upgrade).
Is it real data or just a dummy one?
He’s correct. But, as he’d also note – it’s really an estimation. It’s not as accurate as ECG/EKG methods. For some people, it aligns quite well. For others, not at all. And for yet others, it aligns well 80% of the time, but not well 20% of the time. The trick is knowing whether it’s an 80% day, or a 20% day.
Thanks for the reply ! I’m will order one from CT and pair it with my Ambit 2 🙂
HI, Ray! I`v bought this one and I like it so far. I have two qwestions that could be usefull for others I think:
1. Do you think there is correlation between battery charge level and BPM accuracy? I`v noticed than on fully charged HRM, BPM mesures are higher than after using it for 1-2 runs. Or it is only seems to me.
2. After I`v paired HRM wih my FR220 It is imposible to synchronize with garmin connect via bluetooth on my phone. I need to turn off HRM to send data from FR220 to my smarphone. Is it normal?
of the optical heart rate straps at this point which do you see as the one you would consider the best of the bunch, the scosche? or what about the to be released viva mini? or another?
Have tried the RHYTHM+ enough outdoors in the cold weather (16ºF – 32ºF range) while Nordic skate & classic skiing to conclude it basically gives data which is too inconsistent to be useful. Have tried several different locations on my arm/forearm/wrist, and the sensor is always covered by 2 to 3 layers of clothing. Sometimes it gets better after several minutes and sometimes worse. At its best, the readings swing too much to be believable. While riding a trainer indoors, it seems to be fine. I’ll keep it for 2½ seasons use, but not the winter outdoor nor some of the colder shoulder months bordering winter. Was kinda hoping it would work better in the cold as a chest strap is less than enjoyable under several layers but gives good data.
No problems here in the Netherlands while running in windy conditions with hail and snow (around 28F). And only one piece of clothing over it. So the question is whether the kind of sports or the positioning are the culprit
Any chance the little sticker is still on the sensor?
Sticker was removed. Maybe I’ll try a minor league DCR technique and do some dual recording using the optical to the TomTom and Viiiia to phone just to get a more factual comparison. From my experience so far and reading other people’s accounts, it does appear that optical is more finicky and that success is based on the person, sensor location maybe temperature and your compatibility with it whereas good chest straps pretty much work for everyone. I completely understand why a company like Garmin hasn’t rushed into the market.
I had bought the Mio Link first but had to return it because of inconsistent results. The Scosche however operates well. Most complaints about optical heartrate sensors concern the Mio-based products. I have only read a few here and at Amazon.com about the Scosche.
I enjoy the reviews and advise. I recently purchased Rhythm+ here in Australia. and the BIGGEST hassel was finding an app that worked (even their own app wouldnt connect) but pairded easily,I have htc one m7 & nexus 7.BLE Heart Rate (HRV) Recorder was only app sofar that would connect & would record.
a lot of apps would ask to sign up and then purchase the heartbeat (pointless as couldnt confirm would work)
so I’m investigating the ble stuff now.
I would like to know
A.how to check firmware version.
B.recommended apps (android)
C. advise where a scosche rhythm+ forum is please
regards 🙂
.
On a Moto X (2013) running 4.4.4, I’ve connected the RHYTHM+ (BT Smart) with the Wahoo fitness app and Endomondo. Under ANT+ it’s also connected with a PC running VeloReality software. Most typically, I’ve been using it with a TomTom Runner watch under BT Smart. I’d imagine it works with a bunch of other Android fitness apps as well.
thanks larry, wahoo fitness & utility worked straight off 🙂 will still check out other apps (hopefully something simple for the mrs that just use widgets etc, but a good start. the recording have been excellent. definately worth keeping the Rhythm+.
Hello,
I am considering getting the Rhythm +. I read Ray’s review and skimmed most of the comments. I would like to get away from the Chest strap. I typically run, bike, but also want to use the device during weight lifting, TRX classes, and crossfit. Will the Rhythm work well for this?
You should know that I have already tried two Fitbit Surge’s (worn correctly above my wrist) and my heart rate for the above activities was all over the map (not even close in comparison to my old Suunto Chest strap HRM). So I returned the Surge. I am now awaiting the release of the Garmin Vivoactive and will likely purchase this device as it looks sweet!
But I need to decide if I want to buy the chest strap with the Vivoactive, or go with the Rhythm +. I appreciate your feedback. Thanks
Hi Mike, the Scosche RHYTHM+ is far superior to any other optical heart rate monitor for TRX and crossfit. With that said it isn’t perfect and the arm placement is important. I have graphs I can email you comparing RHYTHM+ with a chest strap during TRX and crossfit workouts.
However, optical heart rate monitors including the Scosche RHYTHM+ are not recommended for upper body weight lifting simply because of reduced blood flow in the arms when the muscles are contracted.
Previously posted a note about my difficulty with the RHYTHM+ while Nordic skiing (temps below 0°C). Today I recorded the RHYTHM+ to a TomTom Runner while also trying to record a 4iiii Viiiia to a Garmin Edge 800 at the same time. Making sure the two dual protocol sensors connected to different devices took a bit of trickery, The Edge 800 was in a pocket not getting the best GPS signal (and autopause was on) so didn’t recording over the whole course. Nevertheless, you can see in the referenced graph the problems I’m having with the RHYTHM+. It’s mostly all over the map. It was warn under two clothing layers on the forearm as shown in the manufacturers manual. I matched up the time reference from the GPS time which should be almost identical between the two recording devices. The graph can be seen at: link to i270.photobucket.com
I’ve found this device to be nearly useless while nordic skiing or running in anything near freezing temps.
I have not used it indoors. Hopefully it will start working when the temps warm up.
I read a review yesterday where the reviewer also had problems with the unit at freezing temperatures. He stated that he had contacted Scosche on this issue and that their reply was that operating temperature for the Rhythm plus was between 5°C and 45°C. Unfortunately it was with the Puffin browser on an Android tablet, which has no history option, so I cannot deliver the URL of that review. Can’t find these specs anywhere else on the web as well.
For the Mio Alpha those operating temperatures are the same (and public); it could be that that is just the way it is with all optical heart rate sensors at the moment.
Personally I had no issues with it during the mild winter here in the Netherlands (sometimes under 0°C, but not a lot)
The user manual states 30F-113F.
link to scosche.com
While I’ve never taken those specification seriously in other devices, I can see how my pulse would be more difficult to detect at skin level in cold temperatures. I have Raynaud’s, which causes reduced blood circulation in cold weather.
Still, you’d think they would make better mention of the device not working well in temps below freezing. That’s half the year in my neighborhood.
Found a better way of recording chest HR strap (Viiiia) vs. RHYTHM+. Turns out the Wahoo app on my Moto X (2013) will pair under BTLE with the RHYTHM+ but not the Viiiia. This incompatibility makes it easy to have each device pair with different sensors. Anyways, on Sunday did another Nordic ski recording where the RHYTHM+ worked better than I’ve seen yet in the cold (38°F / 3°C). Don’t have particularly hairy arms, but decided to also shave a small clear patch for the RHYTHM+. The results are still full of noise and far from being as consistent as the Viiiia, but this is a vast improvement over prior recordings. Now from what people are saying, this may only be from the outdoor temps bumping up. For what it’s worth, here is the new data: link to i270.photobucket.com
dallas – the link is to the older RHYTHM, not the “+” model. FWIW, the hard copy manual for the new one doesn’t list any specifications.
Runtastic and Scosche doesn’t work together on my Nexus 5, while Mapmyrun and Wahoo are all right. It connects, but doesn’t deliver data. (it hangs). In this thread above there are a few who had it working in the first halve of 2014, but in the second halve not. If someone has an idea….
From what I can tell, Runtastic doesn’t appear to support BT Smart on Android. The config screen seem to reference standard BT straps. The Android BT settings will pair a BT Smart strap, but I don’t think that translates to having it work with apps. I believe in the past when I’ve paired at the system level, it would then refuse to connect to apps like Wahoo which would otherwise work when paired directly within the app. Might have something to do with 1-1 relationship which BT Smart sensors have with apps.
On Android be sure to kill any apps that may be attempting to connect with a heart rate monitor. Not all apps play nicely together and may not be sharing the Bluetooth connection.
The other common problem is pairing within the phone settings menu. If you have paired RHYTHM+ in the Nexus 5 Bluetooth settings then remove it and add RHYTHM+ directly from the Runtastic settings menu.
I just tested a Nexus 5 with Runtastic and RHYTHM+ works. Must be upgraded to Runtastic Pro to get heart rate readings from a Bluetooth Smart Heart Rate monitor
Doesn’t work for me unfortunately. I’ve removed the rhythm from the general bluetooth settings and closed other all other apps. Then I start Runtastic pro and go to the settings to add the rhythm. I choose other sensors (in Dutch), but then the rhythm isn’t available. At that point there is also a button which says something like connect sensors. Thos leads to the general bluetooth settings menu, where I can add the rhythm. When I go back then, Runtastic pro shows the rhythm. Connecting however doesn’t succeed. It gives an error after 1 or 2 minutes. Frustrating, as other apps do work (but I want this one)….
Found it: one needs to take the “Runtastic heartrate sensor combo” instead of “Other heartrate sensors”. Strange, oh well…
Wanted to give a brief comment that I recently sent my two units to Scosche after seeing the firmware was up to 2.4. I had checked and our units purchased in June of 2014 from Clever Training were at 2.1. I had no issues but the wife’s when paired with her new Garmin 920XT was giving some weird calorie data compared to her old 405. Not sure if this update will fix that but I do like that we now have to hold down the button longer to turn it on. Scosche was great in handling things. It took 1 week from the time they received the units to have them back in my hands. Nice to see a company take care of it’s customers. I may need to go buy some colored bands now.
I´ve used the Rhythm+ today the first time. The last 6 month I was running without HR Strap as I don´t like the feeling….I´m totally impressed by the Rhythm+. Very easy to pair with my 620, picked up HR immediately, no HR spikes or drops…Thanks for your recommendation!
Hey guys – I have recently been doing some cross training due to a running injury. One of those cross training workouts is pool running. In order to maintain certain effort levels, HR is very helpful, but in the pool it’s extremely difficult to get usable HR #s because devices don’t transmit very well through water.
Well, to solve this I’ve been using the Scosche on my HEAD. Yep, I configure the straps (2) such that the device is positioned approximately on my temple, and this works VERY well.
Sure, you gotta put up with the indignity of how it looks, but when I worry about that I just put a little swim cap over the whole thing and nobody even notices.
Anyway, it worked too well for me not to share.
DCRainmaker – This is a nice little callback to your “gps in the swimcap” method.
I purchased mine end feb 2015.
I’m now finding the Rhythm+ will work for software that is BLE only
confirmed i’m getting the same HR on my treadmill +/- 3
so far my measurements done and confirmed inside (but im in australia and no cold issue 🙂
I just received the RHYTHM+ from CT, and I love it so far. I saw in reading earlier comments that there was a possibility of being able to connect to multiple BT smart devices being added. Anyone know if this ever happened? I have a V800, but would like to also have the data sent to a phone or bike computer if possible.
As of today Bluetooth Smart only allows one connection at a time. RHYTHM+ supports a single Bluetooth Smart connection and multiple ANT+ connections at the same time.
After another dismal test while skiing (half the workout looked OK and then it completely fell apart), spoke with Scosche tech support today. They said temperature shouldn’t play a role, but that the type of exercise will. Sports where your muscles flex can be problematic. In cycling your arms are relatively static, so it works. Running is OK because even though your arms move, there isn’t any resistance on them to change shape through a stride. Nordic skiing you’re using poles in different ways at different times with a difference also between classic style and skate. Maybe another couple weeks before the snow is gone so will have to experiment with different locations which are less sensitive to muscle deformation. Maybe follow Brian’s example and try it on my forehead (covered by a hat preferably). Does seem consistent with some comments I remember reading about it not working so well with weight training, but don’t consider moderate poling while skiing nearly as intense.
Larry – Let us know how it goes. I just did another early morning pool session and frankly I’m amazed how well it works putting the Scosche on the forehead/temple area. And with skiing, you probably will have some sort of head covering anyway as you said, so A) you don’t have to worry about how it looks, and B) the covering should help keep that skin surface warmer and therefore more readable by the device.
One of the amazing things is how RHYTHM+ can read your HR from so many different locations. Did some forehead testing with dual recording while on the KICKR last night, and the results were always within 1 bpm of the chest strap readings. So today I headed outdoors (~36°F/ 2°C) with RHYTHM+ strapped to my forehead (covered by a hat). First doing some skate Nordic it gave some unrealistic high readings over the first several minutes and then settled down and was believable for the rest of the workout. Followed that with a 50 minute classic Nordic workout and its HR readings started off OK and then went completely out of a realistic range (way too low). Every once in a while it seemed to be on target, but would quickly degrade. In spite of what Scosche said about temperature, I think temp, sensing location and the individual all play a role. At this point, I’ve given the RHYTHM+ a good college try and have to decide whether to keep it for indoor and 2½ season outdoor cycling use or return it.
Sorry to hear it didn’t work out.
I can confirm that I’ve seen some whacky HR data right around the freezing mark too, which is fortunately unusual here in South Carolina.
Received this great advice from RHYTHM+ support for issues in swimming. The product is not fit for purpose.
“Fortunately you are swimming in a pool because I know several people who were swimming in open water and lost their HR monitor at the bottom never to be found again. Most people that are using RHYTHM+ for swimming are either wearing a compression sleeve over the heart rate monitor or securing the strap with a safety pin. Sorry I don’t have any better suggestions than that.”
So my box was marked with SEC3914 and seems to have come with firmware 2.4. I have not had any trouble with it so far but I did notice that it turns on with one tap of the button. I thought from what I read, this has changed in later firmware to require holding the button for a second or two. Is that not the case?
Same here, with my 2.4 version Rhythm+, only 1 brief press to switch it on. And, a 5 second press to switch it off.
Just FYI. I asked Scosche by email if they would update my firmware to eliminate the super sensitive On Button. They said “sure” just send it in to us. I mailed it in about a week ago. Stay tuned.
My unit arrived back in Minnesota with a much less sensitive on button. Takes a second or two to turn it on now. Wonderful. I think that will solve the accidental “ons” with resulting dead battery. Scosche customer support is great!
I ordered a unit last week February 2015.
The scosche box says “sec1714” and somewhere it’s mentioned 3/14. Is it a year old unit that’s been shipped to me and would it have latest 2.4 firmware ? I live in India.
I read some of the posts here, so it seems its indeed from march/april 2014 with firmware 2.0
I don’t know why scosche would do this to me but I am extremely disappointed.
Sitting here in India, don’t know what to do next.
Hi Ajit,
I work for Scosche – please email your receipt to rhythm@scosche.com and we will assist you further.
Where did you order your RHYTHM+ from? I will investigate where the old inventory is coming from.
Hi Joshua,
I ordered it directly from scosche website, the reciept is dated 03/02/15.
Just sent mail with the receipt details.
Thanks
Ajit
Do what the other guys have done, contact scosche and advise your situation. from all the comments & blogs i’ve checked, seems they get you to send to them & they update it for you. Ask nicely 🙂
check what version by using one of the ble debuggers.
wahoo seem the best app sofar. they even had an update that shows charts (when you check the workout logs)
Has anyone made their own replacement bands? The OEM band is ~ 1 1/8″ wide and you’ll never find off the shelf elastic or other materials in that size, but 1″ appears close enough to work. Gonna experiment with run of the mill elastic and also getting a small bit of Velcro Velstretch (stretchable female side velcro) as well. Hope Velstretch ends up being similar to what Scosche sells.
Ray,
I was wearing my Scocshe this morning while rowing on an erg machine. Positioning wise I had it about 1 inch higher up my wrist than my watch. I got through half or so of the workout looking like normal readings and then it suddenly dropped to 55-60bpm range for the entire remainder of the 1hr workout. Dropouts for shorts periods aren’t all that uncommon for my unit but I am suspicious that perhaps muscle movement was causing bad contact or something like that?? Not sure and thought I’d ask if you had similar cross training experiences where the monitor failed?
Thanks. Have a good one.
Tony
I am not too excited about the black band that came with mine: a) the Velcro is not very sticky and comes very easily apart and b) it takes a rather long time to dry – compare to a regular HRM strap.
I was wondering if the colored replacement straps are made of the same material.
First prototype of a homemade replacement strap. Materials:
1) Knit elastic strap 1″ wide from Michael’s craft store (~$5USD for 108″/275cm).
2) 1″ Plastic triglides from Amazon (~$7USD for package of 20).
This is enough material to make about 10 straps. After adjusting to size, it easily slips over my hand and onto forearm. No need to open it up like the original strap. I think this is the same material used in many chest straps. Used last night while riding the KICKR and was fine. Next prototype will use some Velcro Velstretch material which is very similar to the original strap.
link to i270.photobucket.com
Thank you just what I needed. My wife has everything albeit in black in her sewing kit to make the first strap. Good luck with the second it sounds more comfortable. Please post your results
app heads up
WAHOO, since the nice status display was added, i’m getting constant android reboots.
Anyway now using BLE Heart Rate Monitor, the free version worked great (could even see the charts behind purchase button)
ended up paying for the full access to charts & exports, but its stable & works good (except for sharing but I dont need that)
if the fix wahoo I might use but most android apps are cheap anyway (as long as you can try befor buy)
Would love to hear others take on what app they use (remember this is the RHYTHM+
Runtastic pro on Android. Offers more functions than Wahoo
Has anyone paired this with a polar v800? How are the results (esp recovery time/training load, calorie burn) compared to the polar h7?
I only have the m400 but training load and calories are inline with the h7 when uploaded to sporttracks. I’d expect recovery time to be about the same seeing as the v800 does not record hrv/r-r during a workout like the top garmin and suunto models do.
I’ve been using it for about 8 very short and easy paced runs and today in less than 0.5 miles, the HR readings went very high and stayed there. After 5 minutes, I turned it off. Checked my pulse and turned it back on. The HR reading went back to “normal” but as soon as I started moving again, it shot way up (and beyond the norm). I rest it gain and the same thing happened. I am disappointed. Temperatures were around freezing but I was wearing a thin marino wool long sleeved shirt and a light jacket. I had the strap just below the elbow. Previous runs, it went on and off a 3-6 times for ~ 5 seconds. I can’t train by HR, if it doesn’t read correctly. I went home after this attempt. Removed the Rhythm plus and put on my old Garmin HR, synced it with my 610 and had no issues with a high HR at all. My box says 530RTHM1.9 6/14 SEC4414 but I can’t find / tell what firmware it came with (unless the 1.9 is it). I don’t have the receipt but purchased it at MEC.ca (where I can probably return it).
I’ve written about trying to use it Nordic skiing during temps ranging from 18°F to 38°F with highly inconsistent results. Tried several different locations on my arms, wrist and even forehead without success. It was always covered by 2 to 3 layers. Seems to work for some during the cold, but not others. Eventually concluded it was more trouble than its benefits and stopped cold weather use. Like you, a standard chest strap worked fine. Decided to keep it for non-winter use.
Yeah, I’m not a fan of the chest strap (annoying under the bra) which is why I bought this one but if it is temperature sensitive, I wonder what else will effect its functionality? What happens if it gets too hot and your arm sweats too much, will it turn off then too? The newer Garmin HR chest strap (lighter one) doesn’t work as well (interference with my clothes or I need to wash it after every run) as my old hard rubbery one which I’ve gone back to wearing now. I just want a low maintenance work horse HR monitor that will keep me in the proper zones.
Heat’s never really a concern with optical. Cold is a concern with optical due to blood flow, though usually not for the Scoshe because of it’s placement. In fact, outside of Larry’s note here about it, I actually don’t remember seeing anyone else with cold-related issues on the Scosche.
That said, have you tried placing it further up the arm? I’d be willing to be it’ll work out there.
Also, see these tips earlier from Josh on cold weather use: link to dcrainmaker.com
Thanks DC Rainmaker. I wore it just below the elbow and had it on for at least 10 minutes before my run started as I walked briskly to my running location. The sticker was removed prior to any runs. My resting HR isn’t low…lol..I’ll try the warm-up next time but it did locate my HR and then went off track after about 5 minutes and then went crazy.
Actually put together a Nordic workout today using the RHYTHM+ and the data looked good for the whole time. Temp was 41°F, but I’m not sure that is what led to a better outcome. Wore it on the upper arm similar to what Ray has suggested (which hasn’t worked any better than any other location in the past), but used the home-made elastic band rather than the OEM velcro one. With only 1 data point I’m thinking maybe the velcro one was too tight and restricted blood flow just enough to give inconsistent data. With April approaching, the snow pack may only last another week or two, and in general temps will be on the rise so will be running out of runway to really test this theory.
Just stumbled upon this — sorry for time lag. But it triggered a memory of some female on this comment thread that had very good results pushing the Scorsche Rhythm+ device (with strap removed) under her bra. It worked great, but you had to remember when you disrobed after your run or else you could lose your device.
It makes sense to me, as the skin on the central core is ideal in many respects — it is central and warm under the bra, so the skin capillaries are likely distended, giving a strong pulse “blush” signal, and being central, less likely to suffer much of a running cadence deceleration/acceleration effect on the pulse blush, and lastly, being quite protected from light under the bra, not suffering from any light leak effect when being periodically displaced by stride acceleration/deceleration while running.
I have a Mio Link that I have fine tuned as much as possible but while excellent at standstill and low jog rates, still annoyingly gives cadence artefacts at speed, despite being worn high on the arm at various locations. Enough for me to consider (but not actually, you understand) wearing a bra to try. But you, being female, might consider this viable alternative.
I haven’t got mine with me at the moment so I can’t check but how do you find out what firmware version you are on… also I’m wondering if there’ll be a way to update the firmware yourself rather than sending it back? I’ve only had mine a week but who knows how long it may have sat on the shelf for.
Sounds like an official Scosche app is in order, at the very least for firmware update and diagnostic purposes.
To check version
App: BLE Tool
link to play.google.com
Select Rhythm+
seletct device info
shows version
mine 2.4
Thanks but that’s not going to help as I don’t use my phone (blackberry) to plan / track my runs. I use my 610 Garmin.
I’m on iOS rather than Android, but I checked the box and it says version 1.9 (purchased from JB Hifi in Australia). Will email Scosche and see if something can be done, but will be annoyed if I have to post it overseas. Surely it can be updated by the user somehow. I work in IT so I’m confident I can follow any process required to do it and I have both Mac and PC available.
Hi Nathan, did you get a reply from Scosche?
Has anyone ever sent a unit back to scosche from UK/Europe? Scosche has been great so far. I’m just worried about paying import duty a second time on a repair. If that’s the case it’d probably be better to cut my losses. Lovely device. Shame they don’t have a European service centre.
Very late reply here, but I’m in the UK, I had an issue last year and they sent me a replacement without me having to ship mine back, and they marked it as such on the customs declaration, so no import duties. From me contacting them to receiving the replacement was less than a week.
Hi Ray — while awaiting my Fenix3 Sapphire and separate HRM-RUN strap, and pondering the comments and thoughts you and others shared over on your HRM-RUN review, I decided to go ahead and get the Scosche Rhythm+ from CT, and a spare arm band in green (since the discount took me under $75, I *had* to spend a little extra to get the free shipping, right!?!?!) =)
I look forward to doing some testing of my own.
Once again, thanks for a great review!
~ Keith
Thanks for the support Keith!
I purchased this scosche HR sensor to go with my garmin 310xt. it looks like the HRM is working, but I can’t get it to display on my garmin 310xt…..is there a setting/pairing process i need to go thru to get it to display> thanks Tom
Yup, you’ll just need to dive into the HR option on the FR310XT and tell it to re-search for the HR strap.
I contacted Scosche about my issues and they offered to send me a replacement ASAP after I provided them with my address and a copy of my receipt. Unfortunately, I no longer have the receipt so I’m taking it back to MEC (where I purchased it) this week and see what they have to say. I haven’t decided whether or not I want to try one with upgraded firmware or not.
Karla – I’ve had a second perfect outing with RHYTHM+ using my homemade elastic band when it was 34°F. Don’t feel I was over-tightening the stock band, but then it has very little stretch compared to knit elastic. It might be worth trying it again, but keep it as loose as possible without letting it slip and see what happens. I’ll get a chance to test for 1 or 2 more days in the low to mid 30s before temps shoot up. Have no idea if my band experiment makes sense scientifically, but so far its made a big difference.
Thanks for that. If I do decide to try it again, I want one with the proper firmware updates as mine is 1.9. I will post and update later on this week. I still don’t like the idea that one must tinker with it so much to get a HR and I live in a cold weather winter climate so if I have to wear chest strap for 4 months out of the year because the Scoche doesn’t work well in the winter, why bother when trying to train by HR.
Second try, please disregard previous post.
I have started using a Rhythm+ (firmware 2.4, direct from Scosche) with my Garmin Forerunner 610, instead of a Garmin HR chest strap.
I upload my results to Firstbeat Athlete. I have experienced something weird with the duration, as analyzed by the software. Let me explain:
Here are the reported durations:
…………………………………….Date—— Real (On Watch)———-FB Athlete——Garmin Connect Web Site
Measured with Rhythm+….31/03……….29mn………………………….12mn………………………29mn
Measured with Rhythm+….28/03……….39mn………………………….15mn………………………39mn
Measured with Rhythm+….26/03……….37mn………………………….15mn……………………….37mn
Measured with HR strap….16/03……….27mn………………………….27mn………………………..27mn
So my conclusion is, something in the data transmitted by Rhythm+ is now making FB Athlete calculate time wrongly, cutting it in two. I never had this problem before so it can only be some kind of discrepancy between the data transmitted by Rhythm+ and the FB software.
The time shows up correctly on the watch itself, and when the results are uploaded to Garmin’s website, durations are there.
By the way I am recording data every second on the watch (there are two choices, ‘smart’ and ‘every second’, I have never used ‘smart’, which supposedly has less data.
Any suggestion anyone? I am seriously confused now.
Hvae you tested this with the Garmin 510 for cycling? I am tired of killing Garmin heart rate straps.
Yup, used it yesterday with a 510 in fact…
hi, i live in germany. i can find here two different references of the product, RTHM1.9 and RTHM1.9EU.
i wonder what the differences are (maybe just the power adapter?)
i have a Suunto. and i need that the rhythm comes with fw 2.4, as far as i know.
i have read here, that i can send it to scosche in usa so that it will be updated. but doing this from Germany can be expensive. therefore i want to be sure that i buy a sensor with the correct version.
it is a pity that the sensor cannot be updated yet from ios devices. there were some info that this might happen, but there are no recent news about this, so i guess that in the end, it will not be happening…
me again.
FYI, in case somebody has the same question, i got an answer from tech support:
There are no differences between the two models except that “EU” is added to the model sold in Europe. The 2.4 firmware would affect all RHYTHM+ models, but the ones sold in Europe should also be up to date.
i have just bought it in amazon.de using your link. i hope you get a tiny bit back 🙂
Thanks for the support!
Hi Daniel, firmware version 2.3 actually fixes any issues with the Suunto watches. And as you discovered EU packaging has 6 languages where non EU is English only.
Still a dedicated Rhythm+ user, though I haven’t had to put it on my forehead in a while thankfully.
Was just thinking though this morning what a killer device this would be if it incorporated a basic MP3 player as well.
I just purchased a Rhythm + from the Clever training site. I don’t have time to read all the comments, but I did pick up some issues about firmware and what to look for to ensure that you have the latest version of the device. Can someone give me the run down of what to look for? Or since I bought it from Clever training, will that ensure that I got the latest version? Thank you.
I received mine from CT in Feb 2015 and it was the latest version.
With a BTLE capable Android phone you can check the version by using the utility app: “BLE Scanner”. If you’re iOS based, there is probably a way that someone else can enumerate.
1. Choose “RHYTHM+” once it shows up in the list.
2. On the next screen choose “Device Information”.
3.. On the next screen choose “Firmware Revision String”.
4. The select the “Read” button & it will display.
I’m pretty sure the box states the firmware version. Mine said 1.9, hence Scosche offering to replace it. I believe the latest is either 2.3 or 2.4 based on above dialogue.
Hi Karla, RTHM1.9 is the Scosche model number. There should be an SECxxxx number that is the manufactured date code.
Unfortunately I found another issue with the Rhythm+ (I have written to them to report that).
The Rhythm+ has a BIG problem storing the heart beat variability reporting data. When used with a Garmin Forerunner and the FirstBeat Athlete software, the exercise DURATION is always reported to be HALF of what it should be. I contacted FirstBeat and provided some FIT files, and here below (between the == lines) is their analysis (I have simplified some the text for clarity, in brackets). The fault does not lie in the software, but the data sent by the Scosche device.
This may, or may not come back to haunt you later, depending on what you use the collected data with.
================
Text from FirstBeat support guru:
I checked the data and it seems that the heart rate variability data is stored in incorrect format [in the Rhythm+]. It seems that the values are stored [in the form of] value per second, instead of [per] each detected beat as [it’s] supposed to [be].
E.g. the [data for your exercise on] 26/03/2015 data contains 2218 beat values in the FIT file. Since each beat represents 1 second, 2218 seconds is 37min which is the correct duration for the measurement. [During that exercise] your heart rate is on average about 140bpm which means that the [actual] beat-to-beat values are about 500 ms. Since the data is not stored [for] each beat but instead per second, the data [sent by the Rhythm+] is missing every other beat, thus the duration shown [in] ATHLETE is about half.
[In short] the Rhythm+ belt is providing the beat-to-beat information with a 1 second interval which is incorrect. It should provide each detected beat for the heart rate variability data to be in correct format.
================
Optical sensors today don’t do HRV/RR. They basically just send guesstimates.
I see; however sending it ‘per second’ seems like a surefire way to have a wrong guesstimate. I’M not a specialist and I can’t offer a better scenario, but I’m sure there must be a way to do this guesstimate in a more logical way….
I’m a newbie when it comes to all this tech stuff, but I’ve wanted to get a heart rate monitor for a while, and this one looks good. I was wondering whether this could be used for real-time heart rate monitoring with an android app rather than with a watch. If so, what apps are best for this?
Nevermind, re-reading the article, I think the answer is yes. Should have paid closer attention to begin with. 😛
This is one of the best articles that I;m glad to have stumbled upon in search for my answer to invest in a optical HRM. I’m pretty much newbie in running doing 5k over last few months every alternate day and hoping to get into more serious long distance running soon and was plannign to invest into a multi functional gadget whihc is not a watch..readint he reviews it appears that Mio does the trick for begginers like me..please let me know if I need to look at anything else..
I’ve had a Mio Link for about 9 months, and I never got to a point where I felt confident in it. I tried fitting it every which way on either wrist, but it 90% of my activities it failed, spikes, blowouts, whatever. And that was even under multiple clothing layers in winter training, so light could not be an issue! I put it down to my skinny wrists and the angle at which the Link reads the skin, just wasn’t compatible with me haha!
So today, I received my Scosche Rhythym+ and with it high hopes of a proper reading for my heart rate taken from my somewhat more fleshy forearm.
Thanks for the review, man!
So I just got my Rhythm + from clever training. The box said 1.9 version. I thought ct had all the updated ones. What should I do now? What were the firmware issues ??
My box from Feb 2015 also said v1.9, but a check of the actually device (as described above) showed it to be v2.4. I’m guessing they just never updated the box.
Anyone know how to check the version on an iPhone 6?
The instructions are here: link to dcrainmaker.com
RTHM1.9 is the model number. Scosche does not print the firmware revision on the packaging.
How close are companies to being able to produce an optical HRM that can read HRV? Do you think there will likely be a new Rhythm+ or Mio Link released sometime soon, or is it far off?
By the end of the year, at the latest.
Ok I bought one to replace the second Garmin HR strap I killed. let’s see how it works.
I wore today for a 3 hour ride high on my right arm just below the armpit. I forgot it was there and it worked flawlessly with the 510. How let’s see how it holds up.
I’ve been using the Rhythm+ with LG G2 running Strava and have some confusing results. I wear it snug on the forearm under layers of clothing. Most of the time it seems spot on (haven’t compared it with a strap but looking at my effort and heart rate, looks consistent), but there are some false measurements later in the ride showing my pulse in the 190’s or up to 205 (my max heart rate is about 185). They do not appear to be isolated spikes when blowing up the data. Customer support is suggesting I return it for a replacement. I have a Fenix3 on order; should I wait and try it with the Fenix? Could the problem lie with the Android device rather than the strap?
I will let you know how my garmin reads it in a few days.
Re: ” I wear it snug on the forearm under layers of clothing.” Without recounting my previously detailed experiences, try making it less snug, but still able to stay in place. It’s only an unproven theory of mine that too tight causes sporadic problems for some people. It’s worth a try.
Ray,
I’ve been reading on your blog for a couple of weeks & love the material & extent of detail! Much appreciated! I’m about to buy my first tracker of any type, been trying to research as much as possible what would be the best fit. I’m wondering if there are any wrist/arm bands like the Scosche here that have a battery life over a day? From searching here & Googling in general, it seems about 10 hours is the max I can find without it being a chest strap.
If I’ve missed something, my apologies!
Thanks!
Hello,
I’ve been using it for a month now with my FR 620. Love it. As there were some questions on ordering in Europe: I ordered mine on wehkamp.be.
The issue with accidentally switching on/off has been fully resolved (see above).
Personal issue, due to very dry skin, is that the strap itches a bit. I wear it on my right writs. Anyone tried to fit a ‘normal’ watch strap?
Thanks
Hi! I am in process of finding the best place on my arm. Today I`v tryed put Scosche without strap under Nike`s soft wristband (not comercial, only for example: link to ebay.com). So it placed like normal watch and it`s OK. So I think that using it with ‘normal’ watch strap will be fine. In my way it should help in cold weather, becouse wristband will cover transmitter and keep it warm.
Hey Ray
Bought (in January ’15) the RHYTHM+… Tried to buy it via Clever Training, but the price (incl. shipping costs to Switzerland) wasn’t competitive. Sorry.
Transmission of signal to my watch (M400, BLE) and to my rower (Concept2, PM5, ANT+) is very stable. For testing purposes I wore two heart rate units, different Polar chest straps (connected to watch via BLE or W.I.N.D.) and the RHYTHM+ arm strap (connected to rower/smartphone via ANT+).
The heart rate of the RHYTHM+ varies a lot. I mean… really a lot. E.g. At the beginning of a session the heart rate stays lower or climbs faster, then the heart rate of my chest straps. Even on a 40′ UT2 session where my heart rate is usually quite stable, it goes up and down by up to 3-12 BPM. During INT sessions the heart rate suddenly drops to very low rates (like that of a UT2 session). For rowing and for bodyweight exercising I found it totally unreliable, but for light steady state running it worked definitely “better”.
Out of curiosity I tried many different positions, but I never found a place where the measurement was really reliable – compared to different chest strap solutions I could compare it with. The inner side of the upper arm works “best” – but it has to placed quite precise and with a lot of tension.
Possibly I had a defective unit, possibly I’m my arms aren’t “fat” enough, possibly my expectations have been too high – I don’t know… But after months of try’n’error I found it just too crappy. I finally ditched the RHYTHM+. :-/
Did you remove the tiny clear sticker on the sensor?
First thing I did. 😉
Hey Ray
I can image it’s difficult, when people are complaining. So… I did an extra session with two heart rate systems. Started and stopped both devices (quite precise). I then put the sessions online, also the exported (and unmodified) files. So you can compare it by yourself.
RCX5, H2 (worked as expected)
session: link to polarpersonaltrainer.com
exported (unmodified) files: link to drive.google.com
M400, R+ (worked quite flawless; it’s mostly worse)
session: link to flow.polar.com
exported (unmodified) files: link to drive.google.com and link to drive.google.com
Wonderful, useful reviews on this entire batch of next-gen HRM’s! Thanks for teasing out which of these offer best battery vs. range and which work best with the widest range of skin tones. Makes for an informed consumer.
Quick question – I’ve had a Viiiiva BLE/Ant+ EKG strap for about 18mos – (based on another of your reviews!), and, I admit, I am hard on equipment. It’s finally worn out from being carelessly tossed into the kit bag while still salty from a workout. Lasted longer than my three previous ANT+ ones did (all the usual manufacturers).
Does the light-emitting design of the Scosche or Mio seem as though it would be any more rugged than the EKG type?
Many guys reported here about swimming with this band – any updates after longer period? How is it holding up?
Hey Ray,
Just bought the Rhythm+ and am looking to use it with my iPhone as a sleep tracker to keep an eye on my resting HR when I’m not using it with the m400. Any idea what iOS app would be good to use for the purpose of tracking my HR while asleep?
I’d personally use the Wahoo Fitness app. Of course, realize it’s just going to track HR only and not movement or the like. But the Wahoo App allows you to easily export the data into a gazillion formats/services.
Thanks for your prompt reply!! (And not just this time!)
Be mindful of the fact that the Scosche (being a fitness/sports device) has a “lower limit” of HR it measures — it does not go below approximately 45 (you can see a few mentions of this including a confirmation and by Scosche in this thread, including a not-so-userfriendly workaround).
Not sure about what your resting HR is, but my HR regularly goes below 40 when asleep.
As the temperature dropped to some 15-17 degrees Celsius in Australia I started noticing that it takes approximately 2km for the HR readings from Scosche to stabilize – they are too high (supposedly the monitor is picking up cadence). Issues with lower temperature HR readings have been mentioned in comments but I was surprised how consistent the issue is.
Yesterday I wore both the Scosche and my Fitbit HR Charge and it’s worth noting that in the course of the entire run the Fitbit Charge inaccuracies were lower — despite Charge suffering from the same issues at the start of the run indicating optical HR having issues in low temperatures:
link to i.imgur.com
Given that 15-17 degrees Celsius is hardly “too cold” I am wondering how pronounced these issues will be when it’s even colder. I did not have any issues during the summer.
(note: my pace was 4:45 min/km, 4:51, 4:51, 4:35, 4:45, 4:49, 5:26 so I really was not going any faster in the first 2 kms, definitely not 160-180 bpm).
I’ve had the same problem with erroneous high readings for the first few minutes of my runs, wherever I place the Rhythm+. I emailed Scosche who replied quite quickly. They said that the optical sensors need your blood vessels near the surface. If they aren’t then you won’t get an accurate reading until you warm up. Everyone is different so some may get this and others won’t. But my heart rate at the start of my run isn’t that important to me and the comfort of the Rhythm+ beats a chest strap hands down.
Ray, I am looking for help locating a non blue or black heart rate strap. . . Bobby 757-652-5851
.
If I want to use this or a Polar H7 to keep track of my heart rate while swimming, what receiver would work better? A Garmin vivofit or a Polar loop? I am a Polar user already and prefer to stick with Polar unless the bluetooth won’t transmit will while swimming. thanks for your help
Unfortunately neither ANT+ or Bluetooth Smart will go more than 1-2″ underwater (3-6cm). Thus, neither would work.
The H7 can communicate with their new A300 watch in the water however (over an analog channel), so you could look at that.
Ray, thank you for the amazing work you do!! I do 70.3s and I bought my F3 from CT (it is great, by the way). I would like to start racing with HR but I cannot stand a chest strap for over 5 hours. If you have to buy a HR monitor for racing, would you use the rhythm + or anything else? Once again thank you!
It’s my preferred HR sensor and why I use myself when I’m not having to test something else.
Re: racing, obviously the IM is longer than the 7-8 hours the battery lasts. So what options do you have?
I had no idea these existed and only stumbled across this via your recent Foreunner 225 review. Moving that feeling of a constricted chest, especially when doing intervals and latter stages of tris is a big win for me. So, I have seen some negative comments but was swayed by another UK resident posting a positive review so duly paid my money and waiting impatiently for the postman so I can try this out. I’ll report back.
4 workouts in and all good so far, couple of runs and two bike sessions, one indoors and one outside and I can report that all is working well. I haven’t quite decided where the best location is yet as I have tried both upper and lower arm, lower seems to be the better so far. Great recommendation Ray, so nice to remove that chest strap.
Any idea where to buy this in Europe? Amazon seems not to have this (I checked the UK and the Italian site). I don’t want to order it from the US, as the custom fees would be extortionate.
I bought mine from OutdoorGB.com
Oh, very cool, thanks!
Thanks for your work.
With this unit being a year old at this stage, when do you see Scosche’s next unit in this line set to make it’s debut? Any killer feature on the next unit that would make one hesitate from purchasing this unit at this late stage post debut?
Thanks.
I’d bet they’d wait until Valencell finalizes optical support (that’s the sensor they use). Would seem like a logical time to refresh the unit, that along with being over the air firmware updateable.
Besides over the air firmware support, I would really love to see an LCD screen that at the push the button, I see my instant heart rate, as well as perhaps cycle through other nice data as average and max HR, along with a clock. Perhaps also adding in an accelerometer to compute steps will be nice.
Ok, I just returned mine. It was dropping out, giving incorrect readings periodically, working well enough to not be reliable. This strap is ready for the rigors of daily use.
Did you try contacting Scosche support to see if it’s just a faulty unit?
I have one HR strap, I don’t have the time or patience for the wait for a replacement unit and to see. It needs to be ready for a continuous beating and still perform when I get it. I just dont think this strap is ready for the masses that depend on it daily.
WARNING!!! Do not wear this in the lower arm position if you will then be resting on your aero bar pads. After several hours, your skin will basically push through the little holes in the Rhythm strap and blister. I didn’t notice it during my ride, but I now have an “imprint” of the strap holes “tattoo’d” to my lower arm. Several rows of raised circles. Painful!!
Some get IM tattoos, others get Scosche tattoos…to each their own… 😉
Hi,
I am interested in hrv/rr/vo2max too. Valencell and pulseon says on their sites that their optical technology can track vo2max (and so hrv I suppose). So Scosche should do it.
Can you do a test to see it their data is accurate?
Otherwise I will buy a chest strap. Do all chest straps provide hrv? Here in Italy few models can be bought. I am planning to buy a Wahoo Tickr base model because it is bluetooth and ant+.
Thanks for help!
Valencell makes Scosche’s sensors. Both Scoshe and Valencell are clear that today, no current in-production units do HRV. Rather, that Valencell is planning it for the end of the year.
As for chest straps, yes, virtually everyone does HRV since it’s so trivial there.
I bought the TomTom cardio multisport and I love it. The only thing, is that with my longer bike rides I need to have some sort of msg. alerts in case I have a work emergency (without having to go in my bag and take out my phone. I use the strava app on my phone, so the GPS for me, doesn’t really matter as much. With heart rate monitoring and phone alerts being the two most important factors to me, what product combination do you suggest? I’m loving this HR band because I don’t have to strap something around my chest.
You’re somewhat up a creek there as far as optical goes. There’s no GPS optical device on the market with truly accurate workout functionality that also does alerts.
Hi all, Hi Ray (first time I write but so so many times I have read your useful reviews, thanks a lot never had the chance 😉 )
Maybe Joshua can help me with my concerns 🙂
I have just bought a scosche rhytm+ and I have tried it two times (with Gmy Garmin 310xt and 1sec recording), comparing it with my previous HR strap (old monitor, 310xt’s) I can see the avg is pretty similar but I have noticed it looks like scosche’s is much more sensible to changes?
My graphs don’t look like the ones in the review, almost equal. With the Garmin HR strap during intervals I can see a perfect line, constantly going up and scosche’s is full of small spikes, not wrong spikes or drops, it looks like it is working fine but I see 3-5 bpm down and then going up again. is this normal? it wasn’t in a perfect flat track but with a light uphill and then a light downhill.
I were playing with the parametric values, ok I know just was curious since I am a developer, and don’t know if that can affect in some way, for example the age? height? I suppose weight is intended for calories consumed? should I better put the default values?
Thanks in advance !!
Thanks!
Have you had a chance to double-check that the tiny clear sticker on the bottom of the sensor is removed?
Yes, actually it was the first thing I did !
I had already read all the comments before I got the scosche 🙂
Mine is the 2.4 firmware btw
I dont know if thats possible, but somehow, optical HR does not work for me.
I have testes Mio and Scosche (2 units):
– readings are not stable (variation is big)
– readings seem too high (i mostly cycle so there is a chance that the bumping is affecting the measurement)
– redings seem to be delayed (i guess that this is due to the nature of the measurement – you check far from your heart)
– readings are too low in water (i know it is not for swimming but i tested both Scosche and Mio in pool – always 10-20 BPM lower than strap and not stable – really fluctuating all the time)
Hi again,
Last weekend I was doing some tests, maybe it is because I though it is supposed to be able to wear the scosche in almost any place but it isn’t. At first I tried closer to the wrist and I have found best spot is in the forearm near the elbow just as Ray recommends in his review, it looks like the sensor likes “meat” (I am not fat).
And I still have changed the parametric values, I don’t know if this matters in any way.
Placed here and it worked perfectly, I love I didn’t have any spike running wearing a jacket, due to the static electricy I hate, neither going fast while riding due to the wind (also I had found a lot of spikes for example trying to ride a TT >40km/h keeping bpm near threshold).
Hi Jose, I see you have been experimenting with the parametric values. The only parametric field that affects heart rate is the user filter. This value applies a running average heart rate filter is seconds. (i.e. a 3 setting is constantly averaging the last 3 seconds of heart rate values) this is to smooth the heart rate reading. The default value is zero and the setting is reset each time the armband is powered off. All other parametric values are for calorie burn estimates (not recommended) and distance estimates. Scosche currently has 4 app partners in development to take advantage of this for indoor workouts.
Anyone know what is going on with the Rhythm+? It seems to be out of stock in a lot of places…Scoche’s own web-site. Are they coming out with a new model? or is it just that popular. None of the local stores around me carry it. They only have the Mio products.
Hi Jeff, first I can say that the RHYTHM+ model isn’t going away anytime soon and even when the next model launches Scosche will continue to sell and support RHYTHM+. As for inventory it is pretty interesting that since the launch of the Apple Watch Scosche has seen RHYTHM+ sales quadruple. Depending on your location I know several online retailers still have inventory and most retailers will be receiving new shipments in July.
Do HR monitors do smoothing? If so, is it done by the monitor (e.g. Rhythm+) or at the head unit (e.g. Garmin Edge)
Generally never the head unit, rather, the straps do. It varies by company.
Interesting — the only reason it occurred to me is that the Scosche Rhythm seemed to smooth “slower” than the Garmin, or maybe the Garmin doesn’t smooth at all. Can you speak to that?
There is typically less noise to deal with in chest straps than optical, thus sometimes you see some delay if it’s struggling. I’ve never seen much/any of concern though in my tests.
While I’m ready to try one of these I worry about something which may sound foolish, tan line around the arm!!?? Anyone that can speak to this?
Better than around the chest — that’s why I got one. But one thing I will say, is that you have four spots you can wear it — left/right above/below elbow. So you can rotate to avoid tan lines.
I currently have the Garmin Vivoactive watch and want a heart rate monitor for when I run/workout. Any suggestions on if I should get the Rhythm+ or the TICKR Run? I was leaning more towards the run for the internal accelerameter for indoor runs and the extra data it provides, but not sure I’ll use it and the Rhythm+ seems preferable over a chest strap. This is my first heart rate monitor and I’m just becoming a little more serious about my workouts so any advice will help!! Thanks!
When using the Vivoactive or any other ANT+ watch the TICKR Run will only transmit heart rate. (no running metrics) While the list is growing, only certain iOS and Android Apps even support running metrics while all fitness apps will support heart rate.
I recently decided recently to swap my Mio Link for a Scocshe R+. The Link was giving me the odd dropout, and proving unreliable when doing strength workouts. Having to place it on the wrist meant that when doing barbell work I was getting odd readings due to tensing/flexing/working the wrists when lifting the bar. The limited range also meant that I had to be over-concerned about where my phone was sat to ensure it picked up the signal and logged in the Wahoo Fitness app properly. It sold quickly on ebay for only a little less than I bought it for.
The Scocshe is a breath of fresh air. Much lighter, much more comfortable to wear, and a full range of position options. Paired perfected with my 220 and tracks without fail so far. Putting it on my forearm, just below the elbow as in Ray’s pics, has worked great for weights, and the increased range means I can just throw my phone down wherever.
I fitted a Velcro band to my FR220 some time ago (far better than the bundled band), and the scocshe unit fits perfectly onto this instead of the scocshe band and therefore sits on the underside of my wrist opposite the FR. A sort of ‘DIY FR225’, but with the ability to put the HR back on its own band and under clothes in the winter. Perfect combination!
My only criticism is that it feels a little flimsy. For example, there is LOADS of flex in the case when you press the top button, and it feels almost hollow.
Despite this, I am very pleased I made the swap.
Does anyone know of a HRM strap or band that does ANT+ and analog? I know the Suunto Dual does Suunto ANT and analog, but sadly Suunto ANT is not ANT+ compatible. It does not work with any Garmin devices. I want a device that will synchronize with my Garmin device, but also broadcast to gym equipment. I am really surprised there is nothing out there.
Zilch unfortunately. 🙁
I’m looking to buy an optical HR sensor and wonder if you can answer me three questions:
Alternatives are the Scosche Rhythm+ and Mio Link.
1. Can I wear the Scosche on my wrist? Annoyingly wide hips and chest: when running I always hit my arms on them, thus that would not be the best location for a HR sensor. Would the small strap fit around a thin girl’s wrist at all?
2. How does the Mio compare to the Scosche? Is it equally quick to pick up changes?
3. I want to pair the sensor with the ismoothrun app. Do I need to somehow set custom HR zones in either of the two devices, maybe via a dedicated app that needs to run the whole time? My HRmax is way off the chart and I don’t want any warning beeps coming from the device nor have unnecessary apps run in the background when out running. My phone drains quickly enough.
Thanks a lot.
Does anyone here know of an app that can record the HR data from the Scosche Rhythm+ and export it to either Google Fit and Apple Health?
which watch has both the virtual trainer/partner and optical hrm?
Using the rhythm+ and wahoo fitness app on iOS, how do you get the LED light on the unit to blink colors according to your chosen zone? Mine just blinks purple all the time, even though the wahoo audio cues are successfully telling me when I am out of my HR zone. Thank you. PS: bought Rhythm+ via Clever Training, and even when discounted price brought purchase to $72, they honored the free shipping. Ray – Thanks for saving me money.
You cant… The Mio Link does this, but not the Scosche. The LED blinks different colours depending on the state of the connection – BTLE or ANT+.
You are probably right on this, but I hope you are wrong. The manual for the Scosche (see link to scosche.com).
On page 3, it says”
“LED Indicators (Bluetooth Smart Operation)
…
“3. Slow PURPLE blink – you are in your HR zone, or no HR zone has been selected, but the monitor is running.
4. Slow BLUE blink – you are below your HR zone.
5. Slow RED blink – you are above your HR zone.
Note: HR zones are only supported in the RHYTHM App and will also work with Apps that have integrated the Scosche BLE SDK.”
Are there any iOS apps that support this?
ah, good spot. There are loads of app listed in the graphic on the Scosche product page.
Their iOS app, called “Fitness Utility” lets you set the minimum and max heart rates. Once you have them set, the LED will blink bue/purple/red like the manual states, depending on if you’re below/in/above your set zones.
What’s the latest firmware? I bought from Amazon UK a week or two ago, and the device is reporting version 2.4. Have I got the newest available?
I just recently purchased a Rhythm Scosche monitor, in large part due to this review (purchased through your Clever Training link).
I apologize if the following seems like a very obvious question, but I ask as someone who doesn’t use much in the way of smartphones/apps, etc.: once you have the Rhythm optical sensor, what do you need to do to get a read-out of your heart rate?
I originally thought the band itself would have a read-out, but I’ve gathered that you either need another HR watch, or else a smartphone. I do have an Android (Moto E), and was able to pair it via Bluetooth with the Rhythm and download an app (called Strava) which then started to give a read-out, but I’m wondering how to use this practically for running purposes.
Do people normally just carry their IPhone with them on a 10 mile run, or is there some more convenient way to get the data (this would be tough to do on a faster or harder run, or if it’s raining or snowing)? The other question I had was whether the Strava app and/or the Rhythm monitor itself has a feature which allows you to remain within some specific HR range. For example, if you want to run 8 miles between 150-155 HR, is there a feature or app which would lock those numbers in and then set off an alarm of some kind if and when you passed that zone?
Thanks to anyone who has answers.
Mike
This new kickstarter product seems interesting. Unfortunately seems like only Bluetooth. Should do VO2Max, etc. though. Probably hard to wear glasses with it as well. Nevertheless, seems intriguing. link to kickstarter.com
Yeah, they reached out to me asking for a post. I responded with the usual: Let me have hands-on time with a unit to understand where it really sits*. They said that wouldn’t be possible till the fall.
Thus, I can only assume they don’t have a fully functional prototype.
(*There are many ways companies can do this – but most can manage, even if only for a single test run/ride/etc, or even just hands-on at a table can tell a lot.)
I take it back, seems to be ANT+.
Will this device work with my Ambit 3 Sport?
If so, will it work concurrently while paired to my iPhone 6, and a footpod if I can find a footpod for the treadmill that is Bluetooth smart?
If so, anyone know a good footpod to display speed/distance for the Ambit 3?
Lastly, I’m aware of the metrics you lose when using this with Garmin, but do you lose anything on the Ambit 3?
It will work with the Ambit3 Sport, but not concurrently with the iPhone 6.
So this means I couldn’t get notifications on my phone while running if using the rhythm plus at the same time? That’s all I really am concerned about.
The concurrency limitation is at the sensor side (the sensor can only connect to one master device at a time). For the phone, you can still use notifications/etc no issues, since there’s no limitations on that side of the equation.
understood thank you. Who then would be limited and what would an example be?
If you had one Scosche, and wanted to connect to both a Polar V800 (via Bluetooth Smart) and a Suunto Ambit3 (via Bluetooth Smart). Alternatively, if you wanted the Scosche to connect to both a V800 and an iPhone app, both are Bluetooth Smart and thus only one can be connected concurrently.
Thank you very much.
Are there any Android apps that alert athletes if their heart rate goes outside a pre-determined zone? For example, if you want to run for an hour staying between 140-145 bpm, is there an app which you could set to that range, then have it beep or alert you if you strayed into the 150’s?
I bought the Scosche Rhythm, but the whole point of my buying it was to be able to use the feature I just mentioned, and I haven’t found any apps that can do it.
Digifit should be able to do that. I used it several years ago for iOS. But I know they also have an Android app. When I used it, the app was free, but there was an IAP to enable sensors. Not sure of they’re still using that income model.
take a look at adidas micoach. you can configure complex hr based workouts. a voice guides you when you are outside the target zone.
Are there any other companies offering optical heart rate bands that would be providing alternatives to the Scosche bands?
Mio provide several. But I switched from a mio link to the Scosche as I found the link a little unreliable.
My main reason for buying the Scosche Rhythm was to be able to make use of a HR zones alarm: set your HR zone to 150 beats per minute, go training, and have an alarm beep if you start going outside the proper zone.
My frustration with Scosche is that it doesn’t seem to have this: you either have to find an app (none of which seem to do this), or else buy some very expensive Garmin or Polar watch to register the HR. Most of the apps just give you current HR, but unless you want to look at the app every 15 seconds during the run, you can’t tell if you’re staying in the right HR zone or not.
My question for anyone who might know: is there an all-in-one watch/optical monitor which does what I just described? It seems like maybe one of the Mio watches might do this? If I understand correctly, the Mio watch both gives you the HR itself and reads it out on the display, without needing to be paired with something else (app, Garmin watch, etc.)?
I’m thinking of returning the Scosche for something else which has this feature; I’m very surprised it’s not available for the Rhythm, since many HRM users get monitors precisely for this reason.
This kind of comment never ceases to amaze me… I can only assume you did no research at all before buying – not even reading this article!?
The mio products will provide a numerical readout on a display, or via a blinking led. There are reviews/previews on all such devices available on this very site… If you care to just look.
I can only agree with you @gingerneil.
I researched; it was this article that convinced me to make the purchase. I assume, so of course I read through it. I assumed–apparently wrongly–that all HRM’s would have a feature with alerts for targeting HR zones (that seems to be one of the primary purposes for which athletes use them), whereas it hasn’t been easy to find that feature for the Scosche Rhythm.
I’m really confused by this comment:
you either have to find an app (none of which seem to do this)
Since I had just posted this:
link to dcrainmaker.com
Which you can find here (sorry, the name is iCardio, but it was the first hit when searching for Digifit)
link to play.google.com
It does appear to still require an in-app-purchase to enable the heart rate monitoring.
as some other people have said, i think you are being unfair. the rhythm+ is nothing but a HR sensor, which sends data to your choice app/gps watch using ANT+/BT4. the advantage is, it is much more comfortable that the typical belt. the features you demand, are implemented in the app/gps watch. because the rhythm+ implements both ANT+/BT4, you have lot of possibilities.
in my case, i use it with my suunto ambit2s. very happy with it.
before i bought the watch, i used to run with adidas micoach app. for me this is the best in terms of workout flexibility. you can configure complex pace based and HR based intervals. a voice guides you during the workout to the target zone. this app is available for ios, android and wp8. i used it for one year on ios, but with a different hr sensor. now i have a wp8, a lumia 520, and a i could pair the scosche, and even read remaining battery, very useful. take a look.
David, thank you for the link. I didn’t see this in your original reply. I will check it out.
Daniel, thanks for the suggestions. I will look at the Adidas micoach. Which you have found more effective and useful for your own training: the pairing with the app, or the use of a GPS watch to receive the HR?
hi,
in my case i prefer to use the watch. it is very convenient to have the data in your wrist. and you get much more data than in the app. i am sorta geek, i spend much time during training looking at different data.
but the user experience with the micoach app was very satisfactory too. the app is very well done, you can listen to music, music will be interrupted to get the alerts or the summary every 1km, and then music goes on. for following a training plan (and adidas gives many for free), the app is more than enough.
i guess it depends from your priorities.
I use the iCardio app from the Google play store (the Digifit app offered by iTMP Inc., which David links to) to give a voice announcement when HR zone thresholds are crossed. My recollection is like David’s, that the app was free with a small IAP to enable connecting to a HR sensor. I’m using a small LG Optimus Fuel running Android 4.4 to record the data with the app, paired via Bluetooth to the Scosche RHYTHM+.
I’ve also got the data going from the Scosche RHYTHM+ to a Garmin GPS running watch, where I can display the data on my wrist as one of the data fields, if desired.
(I like having a small cell phone with me when out running, the LG Optimus Fuel is a small inexpensive Tracfone here in the US, so I have the phone available to record sensor data, play music, do ZombiesRun!, whatever, as well as for emergencies.)
Hi there, have invested in a Vivoactive, a Rhythm+, and shortly to arrive an iHealth HS5.
Have setup Myfitnesspal & Garmin Connect accounts. All fine and the Rhythm+ connects to the VA correctly.
But I’m struggling find the right app. i know there are lots but my need is to measure heart rate ongoing and use this to create an accurate measurement of calories burnt.
I understand that you can install apps that allow you to choose an exercise type and then stop/stat measure it. But can I simply install an app that measures HR ongoing and then converts that to calories burnt into Myfitnesspay?
Many thanks in advance
Andrew, that iCardio app being discussed above with M does have MyFitnessPal integration. The issue might be with wearing an activity tracker during exercise and getting both devices reporting to MFP for calorie adjustments.
Digifit has a webpage discussing this issue, and with a Fitbit activity tracker they recommend linking the sites so that iCardio/Digifit => Fitbit site => MFP. link to blog.digifit.com
I don’t see Garmin listed as one of their data exchange “partners”: link to my.digifit.com
I would be interested in hearing what you end up with, as far as using a Scosche RHYTHM+, Garmin activity tracker, and MFP.
Hi Keith, I’m going to take a look at the app you mention. many thanks for that.
In researching this application area, I’ve found that the Rhythm+ needs a firmware upgrade. The folks at Scosche have been very helpful and have advised that while the unit is not currently user up-gradable, they have kindly offered to upgrade the firmware from 2.3 to 2.5 for me. After that it will be user up-gradable if I understood correctly. Certainly the Apple app has a user definable field for that.
I also heard that in fact it is difficult to use the unit in 24/7 HR mode as the battery will not last past 8 hours ish. I think that is why they only allow definable exercise measurements.
The VA profiles the calories burnt based on the user dynamics. It’s a modelled estimate as best I understand it, suppliemented by a calculated workout calorie burn. I think it means you can’t have both….unless you define a workout to be from waking at 7.30 till bed! And that that is dictated by battery life. Maybe a car battery on a wheeled trolley might do it 🙂
I’m sure some of the more technical folks on here can explain all that better than me but if I understand right it means what I’ve been looking for does not, as yet exist. I’m still going to take a look at the app mind as what I am doing does not seem very elegant. Many thanks for the advice.
Hi Ray, I am considering buying an optical HR sensor. Which one would you recommend more – this Scosche or Mio Link? I like Mio Link because of being wrist band and LED diod informing about HR zone… What would be your choice? Thanks in advance.
Scosche.
But in my case I pair it with another device, which I can display zone info.
Really interested in the Rhythm+ but wonder how it would work under a compression top – what’s to stop the compression holding down the on/off button and switching it off ?
Thanks in advance for any replies
Is there actually an optical HR band like the Scosche RHYTHM+ that has a 12h+ battery life? This is when optical HR bands would really make a lot more sense. I am not a fan of HR chest straps but for up to 2h I can take those – but if you’re looking at 50k+ ultras no way you’d want to wear chest straps! The Scosche/Garmin 620 is a good combo for up to 50k ultras (~8h in my case) and now I am looking for an HR band to pair with a Fenix or Ambit 3 for longer races. Any ideas anybody?
Looking for the same thing; 12+ battery life.
These devices are small enough that you could simply buy a 2nd one and store it (either on your, or in a drop bag) to replace the depleted one mid-run.
Do you know if the scosche will release soon a new version ? Thank you
I would also like to know if scosche will release a new version soon. The current Scosche Rhythm+ is out of stock on Amazon and Scosche.
I also interested, I have a Scosche Rhythm+ with code SEC3114 (too early version) and cannot use it with my new Suunto Ambit3 Sport. I would buy a new version…
possible sign of something new in the works. its been out awhile. Not that I want a new version EVERY year. but …
Ray alludes to the possibility of a new device at the end of the year.
“Valencell makes Scosche’s sensors. Both Scoshe and Valencell are clear that today, no current in-production units do HRV. Rather, that Valencell is planning it for the end of the year.”
Scosche Rhythm+ is now out of stock EVERYWHERE…likely being replaced I guess but I’m starting marathon training and kinda need one now. Anybody know where one can be purchased?
Brad, I have a never used spare in original packaging. $55 and you pay postage to US address?
hi William, I would love to jump on that offer as im starting my training for the nyc marathon. at 52 years old I need all the help I can get, ha! can you contact me at MarathonLou@optimum.net, thanks.
dcr, im thinking of getting a Scosche Rhythm+ to use with my garmin 620 as im drifting away from getting the garmin 225 because of all the mixed reviews. since I wont be using a chest strap that has the accelerometer in it, what features of the 620 will I lose? I assume the running dynamics like ground contact time and vertical oscillation. or will the accelerometer in the watch itself still give me that? and what about vo2 max? also, I assume cadence and stride would still be gotten from the accelerometer in the watch itself? thanks in advance.
ignore
dcr, I didn’t mean ignore my prior post with the questions, please do answer that post. I posted ignore so I could click the box that said to notify me of followup comments via email as I forgot to click it when I posted my original message, thanks.