Wahoo Fitness has introduced TICKR Run and they sent me one to try! (Full disclosure, the device was given to me for free and the thoughts here are all my own.) TICKR Run is the first heart rate monitor with activity tracking that provides real-time analysis of a runner’s form, helping to improve efficiency and avoid injury rates. The device pairs with iOS and Android smartphones and other devices and retails for $79.99.

Want the official lingo on how it works?

Using a triple axis motion sensor, TICKR Run contains an accelerometer that measures a runner’s form in three planes: vertically, side-to-side and front-to-back. Those sensors and Wahoo’s fitness app for iOS and Android (update to be released in the coming months) produce a measurement of each runner’s form called Running Smoothness. Developed exclusively by Wahoo, Running Smoothness is a sophisticated algorithm that assigns varying levels of importance to each axis and combines them into a single, easy-to-understand index. Using Running Smoothness, athletes can improve their form to avoid unnecessary body motion, which improves efficiency and reduces the risk of common running injuries. Using Wahoo’s app, runners can even track Running Smoothness through their workout history to see improvements over long periods of time.

The TICKR Run review in Jill-speak… It paired really easily with both my iPhone and my Garmin Forerunner 220 watch. Using it with the Forerunner alone you get a solid and consistent heart-rate reading, one of the most reliable I’ve ever used. Used with the app, you get the added benefit of Running Smoothness, which I don’t use all the time because I’m content with my Garmin, but when I’ve played with it I’ve been impressed. It usually has pretty comparable stats for stride rate as my Forerunner, but there’s also the added information about side-to-side motion and ground contact time. There is a treadmill mode as well, so you can use your connected device, TICKR Run and get all the same data.

If you don’t want to use a new app for tracking, it pairs with over 50 of the most popular fitness apps out there (including Runkeeper, Strava, MapMyFitness, etc.)

An additional perk from Wahoo is they offer BURN & BURST heart rate training plans. The BURN plan is designed to optimize fat burn and the BURST works on your speed and performance. This is a nice benefit for those who want to use the power of tapping into their heart rate for training optimization but aren’t quite sure how to approach that.

I’ve been impressed with the strap. It is comfortable and easy to put on, the closure is controlled by hooking on the sensor, so no reaching behind to blindly fiddle for a little hook closure. Once on and after it’s been paired, I’ve not once had a problem with it losing the connection or failing to recognize my heart rate.  Since it has the bonus of being able to pair with your phone and various apps, that frees you up to use it for a multitude of sports/fitness activities, which makes it a more universally appealing option.