One of the main additions to the AirPods Pro 3 was a built-in heart rate sensor that allows users to track over 50 types of workouts. But how accurate is it?
AirPods heart rate sensor outperforms most wearables tested
An interesting test, CNET Lab (via mac magazine) Compare AirPods Pro 3 with Apple Watch Series 11, Garmin Venu 4, Google Pixel Watch 4, Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, and Amazfit Bip 6.
We compared all devices with Polar H10 chest strap. CNET describes it as the gold standard in consumer heart rate tracking. For each test, CNET‘s Vanessa Orellana ran four laps around the same university track for a total of one mile, varying the intensity of each lap to get measurements of different heart rate zones.
Orellana previously tested the Apple Watch Series 11 and recorded an average error rate of 0.98% and an average heart rate difference of 1.40 BPM compared to the Polar chest strap.
Interestingly, both numbers have improved this time, dropping to 0.63% and 0.89 BPM respectively. This places the Apple Watch Series 11 squarely at the top of the list, with measurements closer to the Polar chest strap than any other device we tested.
In second place was the AirPods Pro 3, with an average heart rate difference of 2.02 BPM and an average error rate of 1.23%. In other words, it proved more accurate than all non-Apple wearables tested, even though Orellana had to run the course three times to get the complete dataset. (My first attempt somehow didn’t record the entire workout, but my second attempt ended when a sprinkler droplet hit my iPhone’s stop button.)
Orellana said of the results:
Whether you’re building on the Apple Watch, benefiting from its ear position, or just having a really good sensor (probably all of the above), your AirPods can get hung up. It’s on par with the Apple Watch when it comes to heart rate tracking, and it outperforms every other smartwatch I’ve tested. If you’ve already spent $250 on AirPods Pro 3, there’s no need to drop another $400 on a watch just for heart rate data.
Click this link to learn more about the experiment, including why your ears are better than your wrist for measuring your heart rate, the tradeoffs of using AirPods instead of a smartwatch during your workout, and the performance of Garmin Venu 4, Google Pixel Watch 4, Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, and Amazfit Bip 6.
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