Moov HR Sweat Review

Get ready, it’s time to Moov.

Remember that little voice in your head which tells you to keep going during or workout, or reasons with you to give in? Now Moov HR is here to act like your conscience, with artificial intelligence persuading you to push harder and get the best from every workout.

Moov HR is your very own artificial intelligence powered PT, which keeps you updated on how hard you're working throughout your workout via a heart rate monitor in a headband.

Heart rate in a head band? We’ve heard of chest straps, wrist watches and even in-ear heart rate, but in a head band is a new one!

What is HIIT?

HIIT has become somewhat of a buzzword in the industry and I’m sure you must have heard of it. High-intensity interval training has taken the fitness world by storm and with good reason. HIIT has been scientifically designed to burn more fat in less time by having you give an all-out blast of effort followed by a short rest interval and then repeating intense bursts of effort to keep you heart rate high.

According to the Journal of Sport Sciences, this will cause your body to increase the calorie burn by up to 15 percent for as long as 30 hours post workout.

How effective is HIIT?

HIIT is most effective when you listen to your heart rate, and no I don’t mean listening out for that pounding in your chest. I mean using an accurate monitor to ensure you’re getting the best from your workout. For most people, this will involve wearing a strap, which can often be difficult to pick up real-time data from, as either you review the data post workout, or you’re constantly having to look at a screen to see how you’re doing whilst trying to keep up the intensity of your exercise.

The Moov HR sweat is designed to give real-time coaching as you follow MOOV's very own HIIT workouts, to ensure you get maximum results.

Moov HR HIIT Workout Review

Setting up the Moov HR is really easy, you simply charge the sensor itself for around two hours and then insert it into the pouch in the sweatband.

Wearing the headband was daunting and I did feel self conscious, where the heart rate monitor causes the headband to stick out, I did feel like Mr Bump and having a pea head doesn’t help keep the band discreet- it covered half my face and did get a lot of attention.

Appearance and fit of the band : 5/10 - As this is a test product it’s likely that the sweat band will come in better sizing for males and females which can be more discreet and a better fit for female users.

The Moov HR works by tutoring you through a choice of 5 HIIT workouts, pictured below.

From the app you can view the exercises in each of these workouts which is worth doing so you’re familiar before your coach starts bossing you around.

In order to test the heart rate accuracy of the band, I wore my Wahoo TICKR X, which is reviewed here, this strap has the most accurate reading of all the monitors I have used (and there’s been plenty).

The head-based heart rate is easy to pick up and takes about 20 seconds with minor adjustments of the headband and the reading matched that of the Wahoo Tickr X.

The workouts are simple and guide you through a warm up before entering into the workout itself.The electronic voice of your coach is a little weird when it first starts shouting at you through your headphones, but you soon get used to it. The coach is great as you move through the exercises, keeping you posted on your heart rate so that you can make sure you're putting in enough effort to get results.

Whilst at the moment there are only a few different workouts, I’m sure once the app develops there will be more, making this a far more useful tool.

Moov HR Running

The Moov app is a great tool to use to accompany a run. I found that it was less embarrassing training in the headband, as it’s more of a familiar sight to see a headband being worn on a run, plus you’re never by one person for more than a few moments' glance.

The run feature can be set up for indoors or outdoors, as I mentioned I wore the band outdoors and I found it great to know whether I needed to up the speed thanks to my in-ear Moov coach.

The running workout can also be set up and customised for high intensity intervals which is great for burning extra calories and making the most of heart rate training.

Moov HR Heart Rate Accuracy

The heart rate on the Moov is great for those who struggle wearing a chest strap, it’s easy to put on and take off in public and has far superior accuracy to a wrist based watch, you can read our reviews on heart rate watches here.

To test the heart rate accuracy I compared the headband with the Tickr X and whilst it did remain accurate most of the time, I did experience a few technical difficulties.

1.As you move throughout the workout naturally the headband slips which can cause you to lose connection.

2.The headband makes you really hot, but if you mop your brow, you risk interfering with your heart rate. At one point I even became to sweaty to get a reading.

This aside, it is a great monitor, simple to set up with accurate readings.

Moov HR: Overall verdict

Overall I love the idea of a heart rate headband, and the personal coach, though odd at first, you will grow to love.

I struggled with the material of the band and size and do feel it needs to be made in varying sizes and a better sweat wicking material - this may well come in future developments of the band.

I would recommend this to those who are running outdoors or training alone and need extra motivation to stay on track.