CES 2021: Scosche unveils the new & improved Rhythm+ 2.0
Wearable tech announcements at CES 2021 have kicked off with the Scosche Rhythm+ 2.0 heart-rate armband. The improvements come in the form longer battery life and sensor upgrades.
Scosche has a timeline of churning out a new heart rate monitor every few years. Rhythm+ was released in the now distant 2014. The beauty of the device is that there are a number of ways to wear it. This includes your upper forearm, biceps or triceps.
This type of optical heart rate monitor is a great alternative to the traditional chest strap. It is not as cumbersome to put on and the accuracy is on par.
Rhythm+ was followed up by Rhythm24 in 2018. We reviewed it at the time and gave it an excellent 8.5 rating. A no hassle heart rate monitor that simply works well.
It goes further than the original device in that it offers 24 hour battery life, a sports mode, heart rate variability data (HRV), cadence statistics, on-board memory and a 5-color LED indicator.
Rhythm 2.0+: What’s new and different?
However, most of this upgraded functionality is missing from Rhythm+ 2.0. Apart from the battery life, that is.
This is because the device is an upgraded version of the original Rhythm+. Hence, Rhythm 24 remains the most high specs of the three. Retailing for $99, it is also the most expensive option.
With the release of Rhythm+ 2.0 Scosche will phase out the original device. There’s no sense in keeping it.
The battery life has been bumped up from 8 hours on the original to 24 hours. There are also the usual sensor improvements that come with each new generation. The only other change is the removable clasp system on generation 2 versus Velcro on the original.
Other than that, you still get the IP68 water resistance. We would have preferred it if Scosche improved the heart rate strap to be fully water-proof. Other companies such as Polar have done this with some of their devices. The OH1, for example, is waterproof down to 30 meters making it suitable for swimming.
As far as other specs, worth noting is Dual ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart connectivity. The brain of the unit is a custom Valencell PerformTek sensor that comes with two green LEDs and one yellow one.
Essential reading: Best heart rate tracker 2021
Scosche is putting the finishing touches on Rhythm+2.0. The $79.99 heart rate monitor is expected to be available in the Spring 2021 in a number of different color options.
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