Where To Put The Orangetheory Armband So It Registers

Fifty-fifty if you lot've only been scouring my site or social channels for a few months, you already know there are 2 things I love fiercely: Orangetheory Fitness and gear. And so information technology seems fourth dimension to put them together (hello, Orangetheory gear!) and break downward each of the Orangetheory heart-rate monitors (including the fancy new OT Burn down) I've personally used during the past ii years in instance you're wondering which one to buy — or to buy next— to continue tracking those splat points.

There are four OTF heart-charge per unit monitors available, and yous'll need one of them after you sign up for an OTF membership. Whether you lot purchase a new or pre-loved Orangetheory heart-rate monitor is entirely up to you and how you feel about someone else'southward sweat.

But showtime: read this if y'all're wondering "what is Orangetheory Fitness?"

I love the wait and experience of the OT Flex (equally seen on my left arm here), simply wish it was more responsive and held a charge longer. (Photo credit: Kristina Laukkanen)

What are the different Orangetheory centre-rate monitors?

Since joining Orangetheory Fitness dorsum in 2017, I've amassed a nice amount of Orangetheory gear and take been able to try all iv OTF center-rate monitors — the OT Core, OT Flex, OT Burn and a at present-defunct wristband that'south no longer on the OTbeat Wearables site. So let's start by talking about what each of these are and some of their individual pros and cons.

Delight keep in listen that the cost of OTF heart monitors may vary from ane location to another, but like the cost of an Orangetheory Fitness membership does, so instead of including prices, I'll use a single, double or triple dollar sign to denote where they fall in the price range.

As I mentioned, before, there used to be another OTbeat wristband bachelor when I first joined. Some locations may still sell them and you can probably detect them used pretty easily on your local Kijiji or Facebook Marketplace. I only tried information technology a few times and I didn't like it. It was stiff on my wrist (and you lot had to wear it just slightly in a higher place your wrist for the all-time results, which felt weird) and information technology ALWAYS got caught in my hair if my arm happened to go anywhere above neck level.

Now let'south become on with the three Orangetheory heart monitors I've used ad nauseum:

OT Core | $

This is the OG of the OTF middle-rate monitors! It's sometimes referred to equally the "Orangetheory band," and it's basically a stretchy chest strap that has a pocket-sized Hour monitor that easily snaps in and out of the strap (so you tin can make clean it). Every bit the name suggests, you habiliment it around your chest, simply under the pecs, with the monitor resting dead eye in the front end. The Orangetheory band is VERY adjustable, and with a thick strip of silicone effectually the inside, information technology's highly sideslip-proof — fifty-fifty in the sweatiest conditions.

OT Core pros:

Without a doubtfulness, the OT Core offers the most real-time, accurate centre rate of all the monitors. And that's because — you lot guessed it — it comes closest to your eye
In my experience (I wore this Hr monitor for nigh a year), the OT Core has the least Bluetooth lag-fourth dimension connectivity and offered the almost consistency from class to grade
Hands down, it'southward the near user-friendly of all Orangetheory's centre monitors since it doesn't need to be charged. You lot just walk through the front door of your local Orangtheory location (big shout out to OTF Oshawa!) and the system will selection you upwards automatically. There are no on/off buttons and no recharging required. Batteries are cheap and like shooting fish in a barrel to come by at the dollar store and final a good 9-12 months
Oftentimes, new memberships come up with an OT Core every bit part of a promotion — and I don't know about y'all, simply I LOVE gratuitous!

OT Core cons:

While it's mostly a i-size-fits-all breast strap, if your chest is too pocket-size or too large for the adjustable strap, the OT Cadre won't be an option for you, unfortunately
You'll desire to have a small stash of replacement batteries in your gym bag because there's no telling when your OT Core volition die
If y'all accept any scars around your chest expanse (similar I exercise from breast-reduction surgery), the OT Cadre has the potential of rubbing them. This tin can both irritate the scar or even create more scar tissue; this is why I chose to try ane OTF heart-charge per unit monitor later some other
Women with larger breasts will probably have to tuck the monitor up and nether the front of their sportsbras to proceed information technology in place

OT Flex | $$

With the OT Flex centre-rate monitor, you have options — and you go to bear witness your orange! Printing and hold the logo on the front of the monitor to turn it on and off (yous'll run into a blue and red flashing light followed by a dark-green light as it powers on, and a flashing red light followed by no low-cal at all once it'due south successfully powered off).

OT Flex pros:

No more than lifting up your shirt among your fit-fam to put on a breast strap!
From a purely corrective standpoint, I love the orange strap on the OT Flex; it's vivid and centre-catching and very on-theme for Orangetheory Fitness fanatics like moi
From a functional standpoint, the OT Flex strap is dainty and wide, like shooting fish in a barrel to become on and off and adjustable enough that it can be worn around your forearm or bicep
You'll get a flickering red-light alert when your battery is virtually to die, so at to the lowest degree you know it's coming

OT Flex cons:

You'll need to charge your OT Flex every four to seven classes, depending on how good your battery life remains
Or you'll need to charge it the very side by side day later on a fresh charge because you lot forgot to turn it off later on grade (been there, washed thatsooooomany times)
Information technology requires a special charging "station" to which the monitor clicks into — and although this comes in the box, if you lose information technology, you're toast
I found the OT Flex had the most lag-fourth dimension of all the monitors, taking up to 8-10 seconds longer to show me my agile center rate during class

OT Burn down | $$$

This OTF heart-rate monitor is chosen the OT Fire, and it'south the newest option available to rail your splat points during an Orangetheory Fettle grade and in your OTbeat app. (Photo credit: Kristen Recalis Photography)

If you, too, want to add to your never-ending Orangetheory gear arsenal, the OT Burn is the latest and greatest toy out in that location from OTF. Information technology's slick, and you'll pay a bit more for that slick-ness, simply information technology'due south worth it if you absolutely won't wear a breast strap.

Note that to plow it on, information technology'due south a quick but firm press to the center of the logo merely to plow information technology off, you'll need to press and hold that spot until the lights turn off. And then the on/off function differs slightly from the OT Flex you may be used to.

OT Burn down pros:

The OT Burn is really easy to article of clothing: on your wrist like a lookout (with the "face up" on top of your wrist or underneath it); or on your forearm or bicep similar the OT Flex
Very responsive in existent-time, with few lags — quite close to the OT Cadre chest strap monitor!
Astonishing battery life; yes, you'll still accept to charge it only just virtually every twenty to 24 classes
There'due south a simple charging cord included that plugs right into the OT Burn, and don't worry if y'all lose it — you lot take a meg of these chargers kicking around the business firm from other/older devices
You tin can continue the OT Burn on all day and continue to runway steps and splat points in your OTbeat app, exterior of your scheduled Orangetheory Fitness classes

OT Burn cons:

The band on the OT Burn HR monitor is much stiffer than the one on the OT Flex, and then you may struggle putting it on a bit more if you lot're used to the Flex (it gets easier)
The band is likewise much shorter than the OT Flex and so there's no risk I'd exist able to fit mine around my bicep if I wanted to
When you pull your new OT Burn down monitor out of the box, you'll need to remove the strap/band and flip information technology so the soft Velcro is facing out — information technology is otherwise damn near incommunicable to put on properly
As far as I tin tell, I don't become a warning when the battery is dying and needs to be recharged

And so…what's the best Orangetheory middle-charge per unit monitor?

These are my two original OTF center-rate monitors. On the left is the OT Flex, often chosen the Orangetheory armband. On the correct is the original Orangetheory band, called the OT Cadre.

In a perfect world, I'd merge the OT Burn down'due south wristband design with the ultra-responsiveness of the OT Core HR monitor (which also gets bonus points for only needing a battery replacement virtually one time a year).

Merely since we don't live in a perfect earth, and most of us aren't fabricated of money, I'd probably go with the OT Core if (a) it was presented to me a free promo for signing up at Orangetheory Fitness and (b) I had already tested information technology out in an Orangetheory studio to brand sure it fit and felt comfortable throughout the one-60 minutes HIIT workout.

Just if you lot're given the option to forego the free promo and put something like $50 toward either the OT Flex or OT Burn monitors, and you know you don't want a chest-strap 60 minutes monitor (that Orangetheory band thing!), I'd choose the Burn down every time over the Flex. I call back it's pretty clear from my listing of pros and cons above that when it comes to OT Flex vs OT Burn, the Burn has much more than going for information technology overall, even if it will cost you more at the showtime.

With up to four different Orangetheory heart-charge per unit monitors available through the new and resale market, you have plenty of choice in plenty of toll brackets. (Photo credit: Kristina Laukkanen)

At the stop of the day, the near important thing is that you lot have the Orangetheory gear you need to get yous through each form. You tin can have all of the OTF T-shirts and leggings in the world, but if you're not armed with one of the Orangetheory centre-charge per unit monitors, yous won't be able to rails your splats in the app nor see what'due south happening with your torso during the classes themselves, which is really the key to post-obit the "Orangish theory."

Now that you've got the run-downwards on all of the OTF heart monitors, you'll want to check out a few of my other OTF posts:

Does Orangetheory Fettle work?
Orangetheory results
Orangetheory etiquette

And…GO Go THOSE SPLAT POINTS!

DISCLAIMER: I am an Orangetheory Fitness Oshawa ambassador and have been gifted these center-rate monitors. All opinions are my ain.

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