What does this research mean for the field?

Wearable heart rate monitors are most accurate when placed on the upper arm, especially during rest and steady-state exercise, but their accuracy decreases significantly during high-intensity activities. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.CONFIRMATORY. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.SUPPORTS_CONSENSUS.

What question did this study set out to answer?

The research aims to assess how different anatomical placements affect the accuracy of wearable heart rate monitors during various physical activities.

January 10, 2026SensorsOpen Access

Impact of Anatomical Placement on the Accuracy of Wearable Heart Rate Monitors During Rest and Various Exercise Intensities

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Key result

Upper-arm wearable HR monitors outperform wrist and forearm placements for accuracy at high intensities.

Why the study?

This study evaluated the accuracy of arm-based photoplethysmography wearable heart rate monitors compared to a validated chest strap reference across various activity levels.

Does anatomical placement of arm-based PPG wearable heart rate monitors affect their accuracy compared to a chest strap reference during rest and various exercise intensities?

Comparison

Arm-based PPG wearable HR monitors at different anatomical placements vs Polar H10 chest strap

Design

Validation study

Authors

MMMasoud Azadi Moghaddam JCJames P. Collins CGCaroline E. Gardner

Discussion

Member takes

Overview

Upper-arm placement may improve wearable HR accuracy at high intensities; hypothesis-generating and should not yet change practice.

Key Points

The research aims to assess how different anatomical placements affect the accuracy of wearable heart rate monitors during various physical activities.
Twenty-eight healthy adults participated, using six different HR monitors.
Monitors included chest strap, forearm, wrist, and upper arm placements.
Participants performed activities ranging from rest to high-intensity burpees and treadmill exercises.
Data analyzed using mean absolute percentage error, Bland-Altman analysis, concordance correlation coefficient, and Deming regression.
Accuracy was highest at rest, decreasing with increased activity intensity.
All devices showed high agreement during rest, with Verity Sense having the lowest mean absolute percentage error.
During warm-up, upper arm placements outperformed others, but burpees resulted in the lowest accuracy.
Upper arm placement showed stronger agreement with chest strap data, indicating anatomical placement significantly influences accuracy.

Structured PICO

Does anatomical placement of arm-based PPG wearable heart rate monitors affect their accuracy compared to a chest strap reference during rest and various exercise intensities?

Population

28 healthy adults (14 males, 14 females; aged 23.8 ± 1.1 years)

Intervention

Arm-based photoplethysmography (PPG) wearable heart rate monitors (Polar Verity Sense on forearm, Garmin Forerunner on wrist, and three Whoop 4.0 devices placed on the left wrist, forearm, and upper arm)

Comparator

Polar H10 chest strap (validated reference)

Outcome

Accuracy of heart rate monitoring across various activity levels (rest, warm-up, high-intensity burpees, and graded treadmill exercise) measured by mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), Bland-Altman analysis, concordance correlation coefficient (CCC), and Deming regressionsurrogate

Proximal placement (upper arm or forearm) of PPG wearable heart rate monitors significantly improves their accuracy compared to wrist placement, though accuracy universally declines during high-intensity, full-body motion.

Cite This Study

Moghaddam et al. (2025) studied this question. At high intensities, accuracy of wearable heart rate monitors decreased, with the upper-arm placement outperforming forearm and wrist positions.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6963221f91e05aa366cb8a4c https://doi.org/10.3390/s26010176

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January 10, 2026SensorsOpen Access

Impact of Anatomical Placement on the Accuracy of Wearable Heart Rate Monitors During Rest and Various Exercise Intensities

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Key result

Upper-arm wearable HR monitors outperform wrist and forearm placements for accuracy at high intensities.

Why the study?

This study evaluated the accuracy of arm-based photoplethysmography wearable heart rate monitors compared to a validated chest strap reference across various activity levels.

Does anatomical placement of arm-based PPG wearable heart rate monitors affect their accuracy compared to a chest strap reference during rest and various exercise intensities?

Comparison

Arm-based PPG wearable HR monitors at different anatomical placements vs Polar H10 chest strap

Design

Validation study

Authors

MMMasoud Azadi Moghaddam JCJames P. Collins CGCaroline E. Gardner

Discussion

Member takes

Overview

Upper-arm placement may improve wearable HR accuracy at high intensities; hypothesis-generating and should not yet change practice.

Key Points

The research aims to assess how different anatomical placements affect the accuracy of wearable heart rate monitors during various physical activities.
Twenty-eight healthy adults participated, using six different HR monitors.
Monitors included chest strap, forearm, wrist, and upper arm placements.
Participants performed activities ranging from rest to high-intensity burpees and treadmill exercises.
Data analyzed using mean absolute percentage error, Bland-Altman analysis, concordance correlation coefficient, and Deming regression.
Accuracy was highest at rest, decreasing with increased activity intensity.
All devices showed high agreement during rest, with Verity Sense having the lowest mean absolute percentage error.
During warm-up, upper arm placements outperformed others, but burpees resulted in the lowest accuracy.
Upper arm placement showed stronger agreement with chest strap data, indicating anatomical placement significantly influences accuracy.

Structured PICO

Does anatomical placement of arm-based PPG wearable heart rate monitors affect their accuracy compared to a chest strap reference during rest and various exercise intensities?

Population

28 healthy adults (14 males, 14 females; aged 23.8 ± 1.1 years)

Intervention

Comparator

Polar H10 chest strap (validated reference)

Outcome

Cite This Study

Moghaddam et al. (2025) studied this question. At high intensities, accuracy of wearable heart rate monitors decreased, with the upper-arm placement outperforming forearm and wrist positions.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6963221f91e05aa366cb8a4c https://doi.org/10.3390/s26010176

Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

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