Zephyr HxM Bluetooth Wireless Heart Rate Sensor for Android and Windows Phone 8

by Zephyr

• Uses Bluetooth to provide heart rate, speed, and distance to your Android or Windows Phone 8 device
• Machine Washable strap that offers both comfort and accuracy
• Long Transmission Range (~10m)
• Rechargeable Battery with 26 hours of continuous usage per charge
• Water Resistant up to 1m
• Supports Dozens of Apps with No Subscription Required!

Product Description

Works with both Windows Phone 8* and Android
The Zephyr HxM BT is the first fitness-tracking device supported by both Android and Windows Phone 8 devices. It combines our Smart Fabric, heart rate sensor technology, movement sensors, and Bluetooth connectivity on a chest strap for athletes who live on the cutting edge of technology. Paired with the HxM, your phone can track exercise intensity level, speed, and distance while playing your music, tracking your GPS location, and providing calling services.

Strap-on comfort for all-day performance
Smart Fabric is conductive fabric that provides market-leading comfort and accuracy. It is woven onto a soft, elastic, adjustable (up to 40 inches) Machine Washable strap worn around the chest. The Bluetooth 2.0 module has 26-hour battery life per charge and is snap-detachable letting you recharge the HxM on the USB charger. It is covered by a 12-month limited warranty from defects and the strap itself is replaceable.

The freedom to run: your phone, your app...no subscription fees!
Why should you be tied to a device that only lets you use one app and charges you a subscription fee for the privilege? With an open communication design, the HxM provides unparalleled flexibility with the phones and applications you use. Supported by dozens Android apps including: Endomondo, Strava, SportsTrackerLive, Runtastic, Run.GPS and more!

Workout smarter
Physiologists and fitness trainers recommend working out within certain heart rate zones to achieve goals such as weight loss or cardiovascular improvement. You no longer have to hold on to dirty handle bars on treadmills because the HxM continuously monitors you for faster feedback. With Zephyr, you can measure life anywhere!

*Windows Phone 8 supported through Run.GPS app

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 2 x 5.5 x 4 inches ; 8 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B002PL33AQ
• UPC: 793573538024
• Item model number: HxM-BT
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (161 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,148 in Health & Personal Care (See Top 100 in Health & Personal Care)
  • #12 in Health & Personal Care > Medical Supplies & Equipment > Health Monitors > Heart Rate Monitors
  • #69 in Sports & Outdoors > Accessories > Electronics & Gadgets

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 52 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this and you won't be disappointed! August 17, 2010

By Scott Raisch

Amazon Verified Purchase

The Zephyr HxM heart rate monitor is without a doubt, the best bang for my buck that I've found while looking for a HRM. While new to biking and just getting back into weight lifting, this is the first HRM that I've used, and while expensive, it provides seemless, live, heart rate information on my Droid. I get to track my biking route through the Droid's GPS, as well as my avg and top speed, average and top BPM's, and so on.

This little baby frees me up from having to keep track of multiple devices, and allows me to use one device to track all of my information needs, and provide a little musical entertainment while on those long bike rides.

It's accurate (when compared to the manual method of checking your pulse for 15 seconds then multipying that by 4), extremely light weight, and the belt is extremely easy to clean (just pop the monitor itself off the belt and wash!)

My only complaint is that the device only comes with a USB charger. Not very handy if you're on vacation and not near a laptop of computer. However, the monitor's battery gives you approximately 23 hours of use on a single charge, and after having it now for almost four weeks, it still has the same charge that I put on it after opening up the box!

If you're into exercising and want to know where your heart rate is for optimal weight loss and muscle development, AND own an Android OS based smartphone, I *HIGHLY* recommend this baby!

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great piece of kit! July 25, 2010

By Matthew Lloyd

Amazon Verified Purchase

Everything about this heart rate monitor seems so perfect - from the soft comfortable fabric strap, the great battery life, the Bluetooth connectivity and range, to the compatibility with lots of great Android apps. I previously thought that the heart rate detection was inaccurate, because I found that it worked fine if you stay very still, but if you are moving around at all (e.g. using an elliptical, or jogging) the sensor will confuse the jogging motion for the heart rate. However, I have now found that I can solve that problem completely by prewetting the sensors with a little bit of water. I'm guessing this is a particular problem for me because I live in an air conditioned building, so my skin is usually very dry.

I've been analyzing the packets the device sends over Bluetooth, and have found out that, contrary to my previous belief, in addition to the average heart rate, the device transmits the actual RR intervals in milliseconds. This means that with the right software, the device could easily be used to analyze heart rate variability, and that you aren't limited to the heart rate averaging algorithm that the device itself uses (which seems to be pretty solid anyway though).

I also love that they include a USB charging cradle. Much better than the Polar heart rate monitors with the expensive alkaline batteries that you have to replace every few weeks.

So in summary - a great piece of kit. My only ask is that Zephyr makes the API available publicly for free; I think that would boost developer adoption and we'd see a lot of Zephyr HxM apps on the market.

92 of 104 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Accuracy issues, bad customer support. July 19, 2011

By Morgan Clark

I really wanted to like this product - it's very cool to be able to integrate my HR with my Android phone & use SportsTrackLive to monitor my pace & distance, and to have my heart rate announced to me every X seconds while I'm running so I know just how I'm doing, all while listening to tunes on Pandora.

So, that's great and all, but very frequently after a half hour or so, the Zephyr will tell me that my heart rate has dropped way down - for example, from 160 to 80. It's so irritating and makes me completely lose focus on my run when I hear the thing announce such a low heart rate. It'll often happen during a very difficult part of the run when I'm really pushing myself, so it's especially distracting when I know my HR has got to be getting close to the max and the thing tells me it's at 80. I end up slowing way down and futzing with the unit, re-positioning the strap, unsnapping and resnapping the module, etc. Sometimes the HR will get back to normal again, but it's typically a bit messed up from that point on.

I've followed all of the suggestions that are on the Zephyr web site, including wetting the strap, making sure it's tight enough, and positioned high enough. I've also had several different phones in the time I've owned the Zephyr HXM, and this problem is consistent across all of them. I believe that the problem is happening after I've worked up a good sweat - it seems to mess things up when it gets too wet. Another reviewer, "S. Cronin", had this same problem, so it's not unique to me.

I have sent 4 emails to support over the past several months, and they haven't answered a single one. I posted on their forum and this has not been answered either. I believe they're ignoring me because they know that this issue has no solution. Either that or they just don't care to answer emails from their customers. Either way, it's not a good sign that the company won't take the time to answer a customer who is having issues.

I finally got so fed up with it that I went out and bought a Garmin 610 with HR monitor, abandoning the tracking-runs-using-my-phone concept altogether. The Garmin is working great. The HR readings have all been accurate with no sudden drop-outs. I do miss having the voice cues, but I'm willing to sacrifice them in the interest of accuracy. I'll just have to get used to looking at my wrist for HR data.

I recommend staying far away from this product. For me, I think it's done more harm than good - it is incredibly distracting having an inaccurate HR announced to you, especially when it happens when you're really exerting yourself. There are a bunch of positive reviews out here, and I can't say why they haven't seen the issues that I have, but there are also several negative reviews. Maybe myself and the other negative reviewers just have a faulty units. If that's the case, I still can't get through to anybody at the company to replace it, and at this point I don't even care to. Maybe my HR runs higher than the people who don't have issues, and it's confusing the unit & causing the bad data. Who knows - all I know is I can't get through to anybody to troubleshoot it, I've completely given up on the HXM and the Zephyr company in general, and will be tossing this one in the trash heap. It was a complete waste of time & money. My advice is to stay far, far away from this one. Maybe the bluetooth HRM from Polar is better......

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**UPDATE 7/21/11: I finally heard from Zephyr. They never did answer any of my emails to the support address, but I decided to give it one last try and sent an email to the address they give for requesting an RMA# to return a unit. I received instructions on how to return it, and they will be sending me a new one. Hopefully the new one doesn't have the issues that my original did. So, I'm glad that I finally heard from them and that they're willing to replace the unit, but the whole lack of answering any of the emails to support, or to the two individual addresses that I had tracked down still leaves me with a sour taste in my mouth... I can't say for sure if the new one will have the issues that the old one had, but I'll post my findings and will modify the review accordingly.