Moov’s fitness tracker thinks your wrist heart is rubbish

Those guys need to go back to school

No, apparently it’s all to do with sub-optimal photoplethysmography – which is what the glowing lights on the bottom of your fitrness device are doing. But your wrist, for all that it’s a fab place to have a watch, is a busy, sweaty junction of muscles, tendons and bones that makes getting an accurate heart rate reading somewhat scattergun.

The Moov HR goes on your temple, via a specially designed sweatband or swim cap. The light from its optical heart rate sensor can easily pierce the thin skin found on your noggin, rapidly registering BPM changes as you transition through your intervals.

I’m all about the intervals. I run round the block, then do nothing for a month.

It shows. Well, perhaps this could be the device to coax you out of your sedentary existence. The Moov HR comes with the app-based coaching so beloved of Moov Now users. Rather than simply record and report on your run – or indoor cycle, or circuit training – you get dynamic voice feedback on your exercise, urging you to hit your target zones or whatnot.

It’ll have to shout pretty loud to be heard in the pool

OK, clever clogs: the swim version doesn’t have the live feedback. You hit ‘go’, get in the pool and then sync up again afterwards. And, in fact, there’s an ‘Offline Tracking’ mode for other activities, too, if you decide you don’t want to take your phone. Just you and your sweatband. Maybe some running shoes.

Moov HR comes boxed either with a sweatband or a swim cap for a pre-order price of £45, which will eventually rise to £75 to punish slow-pokes. You will be able to buy the headgear separately, but Moov is keeping schtum on the price while it’s tempting pre-orders.