TomTom releases two sports watches with heart rate monitor

TomTom has announced two new smartwatches. The ‘smart’ sports watches are to replace the existing Runner watches and have a built-in optical sensor for measuring the heart rate as standard.

The Cardio watches have a monochrome LCD screen, where the interface is operated via a single button. TomTom states that the new smartwatch models no longer require a separate sensor to measure the heart rate: Mio optical sensors are integrated in the Cardio watches. This sensor shines light on the skin at the wrist and can thus determine the heart rate based on changes in blood pressure.

Based on the heart rate, runners can choose five so-called intensity zones, where the watch indicates whether an athlete should run faster or slower to achieve an optimal heart rate. The Cardio watches can determine the position and speed of the runner via GPS and Glonass.

TomTom states that the watches are waterproof, while the battery can last for 8 hours when measuring both the heart rate and an activated GPS sensor. The collected information can be shared with various fitness software via bluetooth. TomTom charges a price of 269 euros for the Runner Cardio, while the Multi-Sport Cardio, which supports sports such as swimming and cycling thanks to water resistance and additional training programs, has a price tag of 299 euros.