Myzone adds New Switch HR Tracker – Full Line Recap and Review

Myzone recently announced the new Switch Physical Activity Tracker to their line of heart rate monitors. It is their first model that offers multiple sensor placement locations, and also their first option for swimming. Read on to learn more about the Myzone platform, along with their full product offerings and a review of the MZ-3.

Myzone is more than just a heart rate monitor that you can pair with your phone, cycling computer, running watch, or equipment at the gym. It is a platform that allows users to earn points called Myzone Effort Points, or MEP’s, based on their heart rate during an activity. The higher percentage of your max heart rate, the more MEP’s you earn. When you spend a minute in the 90-100% zone, you earn 4 points. 80-90% is also 4, 70-80% earns 3, 60-70% earns 2, 50-60% earns 1, and anything below 50% is 0 MEP’s. While you can set your own goal for the month, Myzone sets a goal of 1,300 MEP’s. For each month you hit that goal, it sets you on a path to increase your status level. You start at Iron. After three months, you hit Bronze, six is Silver, twelve is Gold, twenty four is Platinum, thirty six is Diamond, and forty eight is Hall of Fame. If you miss a month, it resets you back to start over at that level, and if you miss a second month, you drop down to the previous level.

Myzone uses a companion app (iOS or Android) to upload your activities, view your workouts, and track your MEP’s over time. Adding a social aspect to working out, you can connect with other users and compete to earn the most MEP’s per month or participate in other challenges. Many gyms and fitness studios use the Myzone platform and will have displays that your Myzone device will connect to. These displays show your nickname, heart rate, MEP’s, calories burned, and HR Zone color, allowing you to compete in person with other people in the class. Don’t worry though, if you are not a gym-goer, or your gym doesn’t have Myzone, you can use it anywhere you workout.

Below is a recap of their current product line. A bit further down in my review of the MZ-3 and the Myzone platform.

MZ-Switch – $159.99

The latest device, the MZ-Switch, is a new form factor for the brand. It features a circular pod that can be moved between three different straps, allowing you to wear it on your wrist, forearm, or chest strap. On the chest, it provides 99.4% accuracy using the ECG sensor, similar to other straps on the market. On the wrist or arm, it drops slightly to 95% using a PPG sensor. The sensor connects to your phone or fitness device by Bluetooth Lowe Energy (dual-channel capability) or ANT+. the MZ-Switch pod uses a color-changing LED to let you know what heart rate zone you are working in, without needing to look at your phone or another display.  Inside, it has memory to store 36 hours of workouts and battery life to last 3-6 months, depending on use. It recharges with a proprietary USB cable. A new feature is that it is waterproof to 10m, which means you can finally swim with your Myzone.

MZ-3 – $149.99 / MZ-1 – $89.99

The staples of the Myzone family are the MZ-3 and MZ-1 chest strap models. These use the oval-shaped pods the mount onto the chest strap and utilize an ECG sensor to provide 99.4% accuracy as well. They are water-resistant though, so not something that you can swim with. The MZ-3 and MZ-1 connect to your devices through ANT+ and Bluetooth 4.0, as well as an analog signal for fitness equipment. Both should last for about 300 hours of use and is rechargable using a special cable that attaches to the pod, but the main difference is the MZ-3 has built-in memory to hold 16 hours of heart rate data. With the MZ-1, you’ll need to keep it connected to your smartphone and the dedicated app to track your MEPS. Both are available in three sizes, Small, Standard, and Large, to accomodate users of all sizes.

MZ-60 – $59.99

The MZ-60 Watch works as a display for the MZ-3. It’s a fairly basic watch, showing day, time, and during workouts, heart rate, MEP’s, and calorie burn. It also has a stopwatch, count-down timer, alarm, and interval times that can all be set. It has a backlight and is water-resistant, so again, not something that you’ll swim in, but it will get you through a rainy workout. It’s available in a 40mm or 44mm design to fit smaller or larger wrists.

MZ-20 – $69.99

Last up is the MZ-20, their connected home scale. It provides much of the same data that you’ll find on other smart scales these days, like weight, body fat, muscle mass, visceral fat, body water, basal metabolic rate, and bone mass. For Myzone users though, it connects to the app and automatically uploads your information into the platform. This lets you track your metrics in different part of the app. It connects using Bluetooth Low Energy, and comes in a sleek white or black design.

MZ-3 Review

I first started using Myzone back on March of 2018. My wife had used it at a gym where she previously lived and a new local spin studio she was teaching at began using it. I wasn’t much for spin classes, but I could use it when I was running and riding and my wife wanted to compete on the platform.

First things first, you need to set up a Myzone account. Besides adding the usual info about yourself, you also need to add the belt ID. If you are using it at a specific facility, you can add their code, or just use the generic Myzone US code. If you link to a facility, if they use Myzone for scheduling classes, you can do it right through the app.

Next, pair it with your devices. For cycling computers, running watches or your phone, it’s no different than any other bluetooth or ANT+ sensors. When you first put on the MZ-3 it will beep to let you know that it’s activated. Just like other straps, it sometimes helps to add a little moisture to get it started. From there, start working out.

While I never did a direct comparison, as in wearing two straps at a time, I’ve never felt like the data was any less accurate than any other strap I’ve used (Wahoo, Garmin, Polar). Connecting to a Garmin 920XT, multiple Wahoo computers, and a few others computers was a breeze, and signal was always strong and never dropped. In the gym, it automatically connects to different bikes and treadmills, most recently Stages SC3 bikes. The only times I would sync it directly with my phone to use as a display would be when I would spar and can’t wear a watch.

At the end of a workout, it’s time to sync with the app, if you weren’t already connected. After making sure it isn’t still connected to another device by bluetooth, start up the app and make sure the MZ-3 is active. From there, give it 10 seconds or so to sync, and hit the refresh button or pull down on the screen. The app will ask if you want to edit the name of the activity or upload a picture, and you are all set.

There are four main areas of the app that I go to. The Home screen provides a feed of recent activities for you and your connections. It also has your monthly and lifetime MEP’s, and your status level. Next is My Stats. This area lets me check my weekly, monthly, yearly, and total MEP’s, calories burned, and number of activities. Connections is the area where you can find people to connect with, but also see where you stack up against your connections. The last section is Challenges. You can create your own challenges here, or create some that you can invite others.

 

One of the biggest things that I like about Myzone is the competitive aspect of it. Whether you connect with a bunch of your friends at the gym, or random strangers, there’s a competitive aspect about it. Between challenges or just watching your monthly tally climb with every workout, it motivates you to keep working out. It’s like what they say, if it’s not on Strava, it never happened. We joke that if you forget your belt, you didn’t workout.

It’s also interesting about how Myzone can level the playing field. It doesn’t matter if you are in the gym or on the road, or how many watts you are putting down, it is all about your heart rate. I can go out and ride, a friend can run a 10k, or my wife can teach a spin class, and we are all able to compete against each other to keep earning MEP’s. It also challenges you to work harder as you get fitter. As your cardiovascular fitness improves, you have to work harder to get your heart rate up. To stay competitive, you need to push harder to earn the same MEP’s.

Myzone might not be the cheapest option out there if you are just looking for a heart rate monitor for your workouts. There is so much more to it than reading your heart rate though, which I feel is worth the price of the device. There is no monthly fee, unlike some other platforms out there. Having used the MZ-3 for multiple years, the belt is accurate and even with daily workouts, it lasts for months between charges.

For my wife and I, the Myzone platform has been addicting. There have been times when one of us forgot our belts before teaching a class, and had to run home to get it, even if it meant we were cutting it close to the start of the class. We are both active people to begin with, but watching the MEP’s add up each month and competing against our friends has been something we both enjoy. If you don’t already train with heart rate data, or are looking to add a little something to give you some extra motivation, Myzone is a great option.

http://www.myzone.org