Pros & Cons
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- Thinner, lighter, and better battery than its predecessor
- Records three advanced running metrics
- Offers ANT+ and Bluetooth support
- Can pair three Bluetooth devices at once
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- Doesn't record heart rate during swims
- App could have more engaging programs
Wahoo Tickr X Heart Rate Monitor (Gen 2) Specs
| ANT+ | |
| Bluetooth | |
| Form Factor | Chest Strap |
The best heart rate monitors (HRMs) do more than measure your pulse. The second-generation Wahoo Tickr X ($79.99) is a chest strap HRM that captures three advanced running metrics (cadence, vertical oscillation, and ground contact time) and doubles as a tracker for cycling. It works indoors and out, and in many cases is better for activity than a fitness tracker used for running. It can't record heart rate in the water, however, so it comes up shy for triathletes. Compared with the first generation Tickr X, this new model is lighter, slimmer, and has longer battery life. For the price, it's a value-packed HRM for runners and cyclists, and worthy of our Editors' Choice.
What's New?
Compared to the first-generation Tickr X, the new model has an updated design, added running features, and is lighter, at 1.7 ounces for the pod and strap together. The device supports up to three simultaneous Bluetooth connections, in addition to ANT+ connections. Wahoo says the new sensor has a slimmer shape, but putting the old and new Tickr X side by side, it's not a perceptible difference.
Another change is that two blinking LEDs are now placed on the top of the device so that when you glance down you can see them easily. The lights let you know the sensor is working. With most chest strap HRMs, it's really difficult to troubleshoot when something goes wrong because you have no feedback about whether the device has a dead battery or if the problem might be with the connection. The LEDs give you an indication that at least the sensor has power and is working.
The new Tickr X has nearly 50 percent better battery life than the previous model. It runs on the same coin cell battery, but now you can work out for about 500 hours before needing to change it.
Testing the Tickr X
The Tickr X is great for outdoor runs. It also works for treadmill runs, outdoor cycling, and indoor cycling (like an exercise bike), and it's fully compatible with the Wahoo Kickr indoor cycling trainer.
When you go for a run wearing the strap, you can either let it track your run entirely or launch the Wahoo Fitness companion app (for Android and iOS). If you go without your phone, the heart rate sensor syncs data back to the app the next time you launch it and have the Tickr X nearby. The Tickr X can store up to 50 hours of workout data.
If you run with your phone, you can use its GPS to calculate speed and distance. Otherwise, there's an option in the Wahoo Fitness app to make it rely on data from the Tickr X instead.
The new analytics add a lot of value for runners. The Tickr X measures not only heart rate, distance, pace, and elevation changes, but also cadence, vertical oscillation, and ground contact time. Those last three measurements are helpful when working on improving your running form and efficiency.
The Tickr X isn't the only chest strap HRM to double as a run tracker, however. The Garmin HRM-Run captures everything the Wahoo Tickr X does, plus ground contact balance, stride length, and vertical ratio.
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In the Wahoo app, you see an overview of your activity, both in real time while running and after you're done. At the end of a run, the app saves detailed graphs for each metric it captured. A filter in the app lets you reorder these graphs or remove any you don't want to see.
You can also customize what data you see in the app while working out. You do this by selecting options from the settings in the Wahoo app. That's where you find Running Smoothness, a data page that tells you how efficient your running form is overall. It still doesn't offer all the advanced details that you get from the Garmin HRM-Run, however. Running Smoothness is more like a simplified score, comparatively speaking.
The Wahoo app has some nice touches. For one, if you tap on a point in time in any of the graphs to get more details about your stats, the app locks onto that point for all the graphs. That way, you can scroll through all your data without losing your place. Another welcome detail is that Wahoo takes the elevation graph and lays it underneath the other graphs, as a sort of shadow graph. It lets you see, for example, that perhaps your ground contact time was higher for part of the run because you were heading up a steep hill.
You can connect your Wahoo data to other fitness apps such as Apple Health, Strava, TrainingPeaks, Komoot, MyFitnessPal, MapMyFitness, and others. It's compatible with Apple Watch as well.
Accuracy
While testing the second-generation Tickr X, we compared its heart rate readings at rest with those of the Polar H9 and a pulse oximeter from AccuMed. The Polar H9 and Tickr X, which are both ECG rather than optical HRMs, were within one beat per minute of each other. The pulse oximeter, which is optical, showed as much as 8bpm difference, but on average was different by 5bpm.
During runs, we didn't see any heart rate readings that would raise any red flags. At high intensity, for example, it captured the heart rate in zones 4 and 5. At rest, it was within the expected range, too.
Conclusions
Considering its reasonable price and advanced running features, the Wahoo Tickr X earns our Editors' Choice. It's especially compelling if your activities are primarily running and cycling. It won't record your pulse underwater, though it is waterproof enough to withstand sweat, rain, and even a dip in a pool.
If you want more running data, the Garmin HRM-Run might be a better fit. And if you want a HRM that engages you with interesting training and fitness test programs, the Polar H9 and H10 are both excellent picks.