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`MIO Alpha BLE Review
`4.0 EXCELLENT
`
`By Jill Duffy
`
`January 28, 2013
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`THE BOTTOM LINE
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`For running, cycling, and plenty of other endurance sports, the MIO Alpha BLE represents a major upgrade in comfort and ease-of-use
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`in heart rate monitors, but it's also quite expensive in comparison.
`
`MSRP $199.99
`
`Amazon
`
`See It
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`PCMag editors select and review products independently. We may earn affiliate commissions from buying links, which help support our testing. Learn more.
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`PROS
`
`CONS
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`1
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`APPLE 1049
`Apple v. Masimo
`IPR2022-01291
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`

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`Reads heart rate without the need for a chest
`
`Somewhat expensive.
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`strap.
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`Accurate.
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`Comfortable.
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`Rechargable battery.
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`Waterproof.
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`Chunky.
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`Heart rate is the only personal data measured.
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`Heart rate, as athletes know, indicates fitness and exercise intensity better than most other metrics. Until very
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`recently, the only reliable way to measure heart rate was to wear a chest strap, as I did while testing the
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`Digifit iCardio Multi-Sport Heart Rate Monitor. I can say from personal experience that they're not only
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`uncomfortable, but also require another device to read their output, and try doing that while maintaining
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`speed and watching where you're going. A new wristwatch, the MIO Alpha BLE ($199 direct) ( at Amazon)
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`reads heart rate through an optical sensor on its back and displays it in real time. Simple as that.
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`For running, cycling, and plenty of other endurance sports, the Alpha represents a huge upgrade in comfort
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`and ease-of-use in heart rate monitors. It includes a number of useful features and settings, too, such as
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`stopwatch functionality during which you can record your heart rate and keep track of your time spent in the
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`zone (between the low and "up" heart rate you set for yourself). Considering the $200 price, though, the MIO
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`Alpha BLE is somewhat expensive. Because I follow the rapidly growing field of activity trackers and other
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`personal fitness gadgets, I wanted the Alpha to do a little more, such as measure distance traveled or steps
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`taken, which it does not. You can get some of these stats by pairing the MIO with a compatible app, such as
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`MapMyRun or RunKeeper, but I'd ideally like to see a pedometer-like reading right on the device itself.
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`Design
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`Much more comfortable than a chest strap, the MIO Alpha looks like a chunky sports watch, with a pliant,
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`durable silicone band. The watch face, available in two accent colors, "shadow" (black) and "arctic" (white),
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`displays data in large format using a negative dot matrix LCD, which makes it easy to read even in strong
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`sunlight. On both the left and right of the watch is a single button that's flush against the watch face, for
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`navigating the features and changing the settings.
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`SIMILAR PRODUCTS
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`3.5
`Motorola MotoActv
`
`More Details
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`It also comes with a USB charging station for the rechargable lithium polymer battery, which attaches
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`magnetically to the back of the watch.
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`I find the device rather attractive, and especially like the row of three holes in the band, for securing with a
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`three-pronged clasp, that travel its entire length. The MIO Alpha should be worn a little higher on the arm
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`and more snugly than a typical watch, as it needs to be in close contact with your skin to accurately read
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`your heart rate. Of course, when you're not taking your heart rate, you can readjust it to wherever it's most
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`comfortable.
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`How it Works
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`The MIO Alpha BLE works by using an optical sensor, located on the back of the watch, to read the volume
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`of blood under your skin, and therefore take your pulse. The heart rate function does not run constantly. You
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`have to turn it on and off. Press and hold the right side button, and it will read your current heart rate,
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`3
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`

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`displaying it on the watch face in real time. When you’re not taking your heart rate,the MIO Alpha displays
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`only the time.
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`Accuracy
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`In testing the MIO Alpha BLE, I took several readings of my resting heart rate just to get a sense of how the
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`device worked and found it to always be within two beats per minute of my own reading (using the
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`rudimentary two-fingers-to-the-neck method).
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`Then, I wore the watch to the gym and took a few more readings that I compared with the readings from the
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`hand-grip sensors on some cardio equipment, which are sometimes accurate and sometimes ghastly off. I
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`jumped on an elliptical trainer, took a few readings using the hand sensors to make sure they were at least
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`within the range of my expectations (they were), and worked up a sweat. I turned on the Alpha MIO and
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`started comparing. Every reading was once again within two beats per minute. Impressive.
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`Additional Features
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`The button to the left of the watch face activates additional features that make the MIO Alpha BLE a true
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`athletic gadget. You can adjust your minimum and maximum desired heart rate (it defaults to 110 to 130
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`beats per minute), and while you're working out, the Alpha will beep if you're not in the desired zone. It also
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`flashes a colored light to indicate whether you're over (red), under (blue), or within (green) the zone you set.
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`You can also turn on a stopwatch feature that lets you time an activity while reading your heart rate in the
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`background, which is where the colored lights and audio cues really help, as you can hear them and see
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`them from the corner of your eye without slowing down to focus on the precise reading.
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`To integrate your heart rate stats into other data from health and fitness apps, you'll need a mobile device
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`with Bluetooth 4.0, and one of the following compatible apps: Adidas MiCoach, Endomo, MapMyRide,
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`MapMyRun, RunKeeper, Strava, or Wahoo Fitness.
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`While the watch is waterproof and you can even swim while wearing it, the instructions warn against
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`pressing the watch's buttons while underwater. You'll need to turn on the heart rate function and set up the
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`timer before hopping into the pool.
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`Pricey, but Among the Best
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`I highly recommend the MIO Alpha BLE over a chest strap for any athlete or fitness buff looking to add heart
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`rate to their personal data measurements. For the price, however, I do wish it had at least one or two more
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`features for tracking activity directly, although for the time being, at least you can pair it with an app.
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`If in its second or third iteration the MIO Alpha can add a few key personal fitness tracking features, such
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`steps taken and total distance traveled, it might be a five-star product. The question is whether it will get
`
`there first, as the competition is fierce—which is a good thing for consumers.
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`4
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`

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`MIO Alpha BLE
`4.0
`
`PROS
`
`CONS
`
`Reads heart rate without
`the need for a chest strap.
`
`Accurate.
`
`Comfortable.
`
`View More
`
`Somewhat expensive.
`
`Chunky.
`
`Heart rate is the only
`personal data measured.
`
`See It
`
`at Amazon
`MSRP $199.99
`
`THE BOTTOM LINE
`For running, cycling, and plenty of other endurance sports, the MIO Alpha BLE represents a major
`upgrade in comfort and ease-of-use in heart rate monitors, but it's also quite expensive in
`comparison.
`
`Best Heart Rate Monitor Picks
`• The Best Heart Rate Monitors for 2020
`
`• More Heart Rate Monitor Reviews
`
`• More from PhysicalEnterprise
`
`Further Reading
`• Hands On: Omron's HeartGuide Wearable Blood Pressure Monitor
`
`About Jill Duffy
`Jill Duffy is a contributing editor covering productivity apps and software, as well as technologies for health and fitness. She
`
`writes the Get Organized column, with tips on how to lead a better digital life. Follow her on Twitter (below) or get in touch on
`
`the Jill Duffy contact page.
`
`Read the latest from Jill Duffy
`• Sun Basket Meal Delivery Service Review
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`• Zoom Meetings Review
`
`• HelloFresh Meal Delivery Service Review
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`• Polar H9 Heart Rate Sensor Review
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`• Green Chef Meal Delivery Service Review
`
`• More from Jill Duffy
`
`5
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