Fitiv Works with Any Bluetooth Heart Rate Monitor
Unlike apps locked to proprietary hardware, Fitiv Pulse supports any Bluetooth LE heart rate monitor. If your HR monitor transmits standard Bluetooth heart rate data, it works with Fitiv.
Supported Bluetooth HR Monitors
Chest Straps (Most Accurate for HRV)
- Polar H10 — Gold standard for HRV accuracy
- Polar H9 — Excellent performance, previous generation
- Wahoo TICKR — Reliable Bluetooth + ANT+ dual-mode
- Wahoo TICKR X — Adds cadence and motion data
- Garmin HRM-Pro — Bluetooth LE + ANT+ (use BT mode with Fitiv)
- Garmin HRM-Dual — Dedicated dual-mode HR strap
Arm Sensors (Optical)
- Scosche Rhythm+ — Popular forearm optical sensor
- Scosche Rhythm24 — Updated version with longer battery
- Polar OH1 — Clip-anywhere optical sensor
- Polar Verity Sense — Multi-sport optical sensor
Wrist-Based
- Any Apple Watch (via Fitiv app)
- Most Bluetooth LE fitness watches
Why Use a Dedicated HR Monitor?
Accuracy during high-intensity exercise: Wrist optical sensors struggle with motion artifacts during high-cadence cycling, jump rope, or intense HIIT. Chest straps measure electrical activity (ECG) — motion doesn't affect the reading.
HRV precision: Beat-to-beat timing accuracy is critical for HRV calculation. Chest straps measure RR intervals to within 1ms; wrist optical sensors vary by 5–30ms.
Battery life: Most HR straps last 400+ hours; Apple Watch lasts 18 hours.
Cost: A Polar H10 costs ~$90 and lasts 5+ years — less than two months of WHOOP.
Connecting a Bluetooth HR Monitor to Fitiv
- Turn on your HR monitor (most activate automatically when worn)
- Open Fitiv Pulse
- Navigate to Settings → Sensors → Bluetooth Devices
- Tap "Scan for Devices"
- Select your monitor when it appears
- Pair and save
Fitiv remembers paired devices. Your sensor will auto-connect when you start a workout.
Wahoo TICKR with Fitiv
The Wahoo TICKR and TICKR X are popular dual-mode (Bluetooth + ANT+) straps. To use with Fitiv:
- Enable Bluetooth on your iPhone
- Wet the strap electrodes before wearing (improves conductivity)
- The TICKR connects automatically when you open a workout in Fitiv
- Wahoo TICKR X also broadcasts cadence data (useful for cycling)
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I use both Apple Watch and a chest strap at the same time? A: Fitiv lets you prioritize your preferred heart rate source. You can use a chest strap during workouts (for accuracy) and Apple Watch for continuous monitoring and sleep.
Q: My HR monitor isn't listed — will it still work? A: Any Bluetooth LE device transmitting the standard Heart Rate Service (UUID 0x180D) will work with Fitiv. Most consumer HR monitors use this standard protocol.
Q: Does Fitiv work with ANT+ sensors? A: iPhones don't have native ANT+ radios. Most modern HR monitors also transmit Bluetooth LE (dual-mode), so use the Bluetooth mode. If your sensor is ANT+-only, you'll need an ANT+ bridge dongle.
Q: Will Fitiv use my chest strap for HRV? A: Yes. When a chest strap is connected, Fitiv uses its RR interval data for HRV calculation — significantly more accurate than wrist optical for HRV readiness scoring.