Today, Mio announced their newest product, the dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart optical heart rate wrist band: Mio Link. This new product is about half the size of their previous product (the Alpha), and transmits across both protocols. This is notable as prior to Link the Alpha was Bluetooth Smart only (they did a special ANT+ production run for Kickstarter, but not for full production). Finally, Mio Link, costs $99US – half the cost of their previous unit which was $199US.
I’ve been playing with the product now for a few days, and thus can give you a bit of an overview of how it works – though, I can kinda just start off with the simple version: It rocks.
Why’s that? Well, it’s exactly what folks have been asking for since Mio’s first generation Alpha: Make it smaller, have it transmit both ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart, and oh, reduce the price.
Understanding Optical HR Monitoring
But first let’s start back at the beginning though and explain what exactly an optical heart rate (HR) monitor is. These are heart rate monitors that use optical light sensors to view down into your capillaries and then read your heart rate, which is typically transmitted to you in beats per minute (BPM). While the end metric is the same, the measurement technology is different from heart rate straps of the last 30 years, which have been worn around your chest and pickup your heart rate electromagnetically. In the photo below you can see this green light emitting from inside the band of the watch:
Mio initially introduced this technology about 18 months ago with their Kickstarted funded Mio Alpha unit, which I subsequently reviewed once they produced final units. During the Kickstarter deal, they offered both an ANT+ version as well as a Bluetooth Smart version. However, after launch and public availability, they were only able to offer a Bluetooth Smart version to non-Kickstarter folks (Kickstarter people got what they ordered). As you saw in my review, the unit did exceedingly well for sport use – producing accurate data.
Following Mio’s launch, another company – Basis, launched an optical HR device, the Basis B1 watch. However, that device wasn’t aimed at the sports crowd, but rather more at the activity monitor/tracker crowd. For example, it worked well for the 23 hours of the day you weren’t exercising, but didn’t measure HR during exercise. Ultimately, it uses slightly different technology and algorithms on the optical side.
Finally, fast forward to a few months ago, and Adidas launched their Smart Run GPS with the optical HR sensor built in. That sensor was provided by Mio. And just like the Alpha, it worked spot-on for me as well in measuring heart rate optically.
Now, we find ourselves looking at Mio’s second generation product, the Link. As you can see below more clearly, they reduced the size by nearly half, where it’s about the width of a stick of gum. The Mio Link is on the left/right, and the older Mio Alpha in the middle:
This is an impressive technical feat, because the ‘enemy’ of accurate optical HR measurement is actually light. You need to reduce/eliminate ambient daylight from clouding the sensor’s view of things from the (green) light it emits. Thus far, from what I’ve seen in extremely limited testing over the past few days, they’ve done that well.
Dual ANT+ & Bluetooth Smart:
Next, and probably the most important change is the addition of both ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart to the unit. No more choosing between one or the other (or rather, only having one choice). The unit will concurrently broadcast on both ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart your heart rate. For example, this means you could pair it to a Garmin cycling computer (via ANT+) at the same time as an iPhone app (via Bluetooth Smart):
Using ANT+, you can pair it to as many devices as you’d like concurrently. For example, I did a test run where I paired it to two ANT+ devices (an Edge 810 and a Garmin FR220). The unit acts just like any other ANT+ heart rate strap. Which means that basically every ANT+ device ever made on the planet can talk to it (any Garmin/Timex/Magellan/etc… watch/device). I often hear from cyclists, especially woman, who have been extremely interested in Mio offering the ANT+ variant. This now solves that problem, and does it in a smaller package than the Alpha.
On the Bluetooth Smart front, it can be connected to any device that supports Bluetooth 4.0 and apps that support Bluetooth Smart heart rate profiles. On iOS, that’s the iPhone 4s and higher, as well as the iPad Gen 3 and higher. On Android, that’s any Android 4.3 device and higher, along with an app that supports it. On Windows Phone, that’s WP8 and higher, with an app that supports it (Handy tip: Adidas app on WP8 supports it).
Note that in the case of Bluetooth Smart, like most all Bluetooth Smart devices on the market, you can only connect the Link to a single display device at at time (i.e. a phone, watch, etc…).
Data Accuracy Samples:
I’ve done a few test runs, along with a number of hours of generic HR monitoring with the device. First, we’ll start with a nice 40 minute run I did. In this run it was paired concurrently to an Edge 810, Garmin FR220, and an iPhone 4s with the Wahoo Fitness app – all at the same time. Below, is the HR file from that run:
Of course, a HR file by itself isn’t terribly useful. Instead, you need to compare it to a HR strap to see how things performed. Below, is a HR strap worn at the same time:
(Note: I’ve slightly cropped the above, since the battery on my FR220 ran out three minutes early. This makes it easier to compare the two graphs.)
Now, you know what’s funny above? It just happened that this shows exactly why optical HR can be so handy. In my case, on this run, my legacy chest HR strap was funky for the first portion of it. It was reading low – about 20bpm low. I know it was reading low merely because I know my paces and perceived efforts pretty well. Plus, later when I adjusted the chest strap a little bit, it then immediately matched the Mio Link optical HR:
In the above cases, the extreme dryness of the air, and 17*F (-8C) weather contributed to the legacy fabric chest HR strap being wrong. I had waited too long after wetting it (since I was taking photos), and on top of that, I wasn’t really wearing enough clothes for that weather, so it quickly dried things below my shirt.
Next, we look at a longer run I did the next day. In this case, I ran for 90 minutes. I made an effort to quickly get out the door to keep the chest strap on-target to see a better comparison. However, the @#*$&#@ battery gods struck again, but this time on the Mio Link, dying about 8 minutes into the workout. Sigh.
For fun, I also wore the HR strap on my wrist for a few hours the previous evening – just sitting around, going to the movies, dinner and other miscellaneous activities (all, non-fitness). Since I hadn’t fully charged it, it didn’t last the full duration of the activity file. In this case, I paired it via Bluetooth Smart to the Wahoo Fitness app. Here’s the results from that:
As you can see, almost all of it looks fairly normal, and within 80-120bpm. There’s an initial ‘flat-line’ section there that doesn’t make a lot of sense, but otherwise, being up and moving around you’ll get pretty normal variation. The 145bpm or so spike also seems out of line. But then again, I don’t see unexplained spikes while doing sporting activities – so I’m not terribly concerned yet with it for non-sports activities that the unit doesn’t really target. And of course, we’re still 1-2 months away from the unit being on the market.
I’ll be doing a ton more running over the next 24-48 hours, so I’ll keep updating this section with new comparisons as I do it. And as I head back home next weekend I’ll layer in cycling too.
Other Functionality:
Unlike the original Mio Alpha, this doesn’t have a display on it. Instead, it just has a single status light. Honestly, I think this is just fine. The overwhelming feedback I got from folks is that because the original unit, Mio Alpha, didn’t actually record anything (only display of current HR), it always was being streamed somewhere else. Thus, there was more interest in that ‘somewhere else’ device and using that as the primary display (or audio feedback from a cell phone app).
The unit does however allow you to set zones on it. You can set zones in two different schemes. The first is a 3-zone scheme, and the second is a 5-zone scheme. Each scheme will use the LED on the front of the unit to indicate your exact placement within the zone. The unit does not include any audio or vibration functionality.
Sizing and Fit:
The unit comes in two sizes, a smaller one for wrists 145-187mm in size, and a longer one for wrists 162-216mm in size. The internal pod can be popped out of the rubber casing, thus allowing you to change the band color if you’d like (from white to black, or black to white). Mio says down the road they may make additional color bands if there’s interest there. The unit is waterproofed to 3ATM, which equates to roughly 30m (90ft).
You can see these two straps on my wife’s (small) wrists (she’s tiny, 5’2” tall). In her case, both straps actually did fit her. Though, the larger strap required it be placed on the absolute very last connection knob, so the smaller/shorter strap was a better fit. This is notable because the previous Mio Alpha strap was too large for her to use. Like her, I was able to wear both strap lengths without issue however.
Charging and Battery Life
To charge the unit, you’ll use the included USB adapter. The battery is currently lasting 7 hours in active-on mode (measuring HR), though, can last weeks in a standby mode (hanging out looking pretty) (Update: They’ve increased it to 10hrs). You can use any USB port on the planet to charge the device. The USB adapter in the beta version is about the only area I have complaints on (not quite secure enough), but I’m told that it’ll be fixed in the next beta iteration.
Mio Go Mobile App:
Lastly, Mio will also be releasing an App – Mio Go, to complement the Link. The app connects to the Link and has various fitness gamification scenarios designed around having you hit your target heart rate to progress through the app:
Since I just got to the app moments ago, I’ll be diving into the app more as part of the final in-depth review:
Availability wise, the Link should be available starting March, for $99US. In Europe, it’ll be 99€. Price-wise, this is fairly impressive, as most other chest-based Bluetooth Smart heart rate straps on the market aren’t too much cheaper. There’s only one other strap that does dual transmission at the exact hour I’ve published this, the 4iiii’s Viiiiva.
As usual, once the final unit is available later in February/March I’ll be doing a typical full in-depth review then on the final hardware (and any applicable software). Thus, like any other beta/pre-release product, things could change for better or worse between what I’ve written now and when the final device is released.
As always, thanks for reading – and feel free to drop any questions below!
Found this review useful? Or just want a good deal? Here’s how:
Hopefully you found this review useful. At the end of the day, I’m an athlete just like you looking for the most detail possible on a new purchase – so my review is written from the standpoint of how I used the device. The reviews generally take a lot of hours to put together, so it’s a fair bit of work (and labor of love). As you probably noticed by looking below, I also take time to answer all the questions posted in the comments – and there’s quite a bit of detail in there as well.
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Thanks for reading! And as always, feel free to post comments or questions in the comments section below, I’ll be happy to try and answer them as quickly as possible.
Day 2 with the Link mated to a Fenix for a run instead of the 305. Less spikes and erratic behavior shown than yesterday after uploaded to Strava. I really do like the comfort of not having a strap. May try mated to an iphone 4 with ant+ dongle tomorrow. It should be great once I finally upgrade the iphone to a btle 4.0 phone. Although it may not be as accurate as a strap, I fully expect to use it much more than I ever did a strap and that makes it worth it for sure.
I’ve been using my Link for about two weeks and haven’t noticed any major problems. I did browse the comments in this thread before using it, though, and per your recommendations I have been wearing it a few inches up from my wrist and on the same arm as my 910. The fit is a little on the snug side but I barely notice it, if at all, once I start exercising. I have also it paired with my 510 and I’ve yet to notice any dropouts or any dubious readings on either device.
I’ve always had problems getting consistent and reliable readings on the bike with the traditional chest strap (aero position, lack of sweat in cool weather) and the Link solves this for me.
I’ve meant to test the Link vs a chest strap to verify accuracy and the response rate… it’s just that I hate the chaffing and irritability of the chest strap so much I don’t want to ever go back. However, just to be sure, I’ll make a point to compare the two during this evening’s workouts and report back.
Got mine a bit back. After a bit of working to get it in a good spot it reads very well. It needs to have a firm grip on your arm to read well, which means it has to be reasonably tight. Honestly, though, the strap is very comfortable, so I don’t even feel it. Works great for running, biking, and swimming. In fact, I’m getting some awesome HR readings in the water. Stoked about that. Sadly Strava won’t recognize it, but Garmin Connect will display it.
My only real complaint with the unit is the charger. Why give us a charger with an integrated cord that is 2″ long? Good grief – just give us something with a female microUSB input. I have zillions of cords for that.
All I have is the 310XT. It captures the swim in the “other” category. From what I understand the 910 doesn’t have the HR capture activated during swim capture. My swim practices are pretty predictable, so I know what HR spike is associated with what suffering I put myself through.
I didn’t have any problems on pre-prod units with it (I haven’t tried again since). Did you ensure that nothing else is ‘blocking’ the BLE connection though (like a phone app?). Try and temporarily disable BT on your phone, and see if the Loop can find the Link then.
So my Mio Links (2 of them) finally turned up today after delays and issues with the order. They were shipped from Canada in the end rather than from the UK (which is where they should have come from as I’m in the UK). The upshot of this was that when they arrived the courier (UPS) said that they couldn’t let me have them unless I paid the ‘Import Duty’. Having already paid all the duty that is due on them at the time I placed the order I politely declined. I am therefore still without a Mio Link. Is it possible for me to walk into a store and buy one off of a shelf?
Maybe you should contact the support team at Mio ?
I’m in Canada, and I had a UPS notice on my door yesterday, with a mention that I had to pay duty fees !
Earlier yesterday, I received an email from Mio staff that says that they will repay me the duty.
I’m not sure if it applies only to Canadian customers. But If you already paid, I think it would make sense.
That’s random! I’m guessing that yours was shipped from somewhere outside of Canada :-/
I’ve emailed the Mio Support team (to be fair to them they’ve been excellent, very helpful, and very responsive) – UPS have already taken the packages away, I’m guessing they’ll send them all the way back to Canada now.
Their site says that any packages that are refused are automatically refunded (less any shipping costs) so I’ll have to wait to hear from the support team and then see what actually happens I guess.
Thanks for your thoughts – hope you get yours soon :)
I used mine with my 620 and it worked pretty flawlessly – I noticed just one spike on a 5 miler. We’ll see how it goes this weekend on my long run.
I wore it on the same wrist as the watch and I kept it pretty snug. Haven’t tried wearing it on the opposite wrist yet.
However, since I have quickly grown accustomed to seeing the new Running Dynamics data on Garmin’s updated HRM (which, btw, is much more comfortable than its predecessor) I’ll probably only use the Mio for long runs.
The Mio Link is awesome. I’ve had mine for a week now. LOVE IT. The thing is always within a BPM of the Garmin HRM or Polar HRM. So worth the money. After several runs and rides, I’ve found it to be within 0.5% of the other two and it doesn’t have the crazy spikes as the Garmin. Can’t say enough about this thing.
The only bad thing is being an android user and not being able to download the MIO Go app unless you have Android 4.3 or higher. Thankfully my wife just got Android 4.4 so now I can configure the LEDs instead of the default settings.
seeing some of the trouble others are posting, I thought I’d expand a bit. I have used mine for a week running and cycling and have been very happy. Never misses a beat. Verified HR by manually counting my pulse. I wear it on my right arm upside down with buckle over wrist bone and sensor pressing underside of wrist so that the LED is facing me. Has been bullet proof. when running I wear a forerunner 620 on my left wrist and it syncs great. when cycling I mount the forerunner on handle bars (using foam insert that came in box) and also a moto-x smart phone on handle bar using mapmyride. Again, works great. got mine at clever training with 10% discount. FYI, this is a great way to mount a smart phone on handle bars: link to getfinn.com (I am only a happy customer). Not sold in US but can be found on ebay
Is anyone using the Mio for strictly gym workouts? Not cycling but other group exercise classes such as strength or Interval training or their own personal workouts?? If so, what good apps are you using? I’ve got the Mio Go but it doesn’t seem to have all that much info. Any good recommendations would be much appreciated!
Thanks Roger for the support! Though, bummed to hear of the charger wonkiness. Definitely hit up Mio support, they should be able to direct-ship you a new charger/unit pretty quickly.
Hi Ray, we are already looking into Roger’s issue with him and replacing the pod. Never seen that before in any Mio product. We will definitely look into it closely.
So, today, 56.8 km with 673 m of climbing, mostly over 3 kms. I tried the MIO on the underside of the wrist. Quickly went up to the “expected” heart rate and accurately tracked power output and expected effort. Nice work by the Link!
I tried the “underside” method as well yesterday afternoon. But the outcome was similar to before: The MIO Link HR lags behind the Garmin chest strap HR.
Moving it to another position won’t change the smoothing of the output. Mio are aware of the questions around smoothing – both here, on Facebook and via support channels. I’ve not heard anything from them about it however, but hopefully they will clarify what the position is, and if they have plans to tweak it.
Hi Tony, after you pair the link with your app, it will give you the choice to set 3 zones or 5 zones. If you are sill having trouble, please give support a shout at support@mioglobal.com.
I contacted support, and they basically just attached the manual to the email. I did read the manual first thing when I received the unit.
I’m unable to “Switch between Training Zone Mode and Zone Alert Mode”
Using the android app.
I did setup my training zones and hit save, it looks that it saves the zone configuration to the unit, unfortunately It does not switch the mode of the LINK. I still have only 3 zones (blue, green, red).
I see that the communication between my phone and the device works as it read my pulse. Also If I go to the Zone Alert Mode (3 modes), and bring the second zone (green one) to low value (in the 40s), then save. the led on my LINK becomes green. So I guess that my device is able to save values from the Android App. However If I do the same thing for the training zone, the led never become (cyan, blue, green, yellow, magenta or red).
I will try to post something on youtube to show my problem.
Here’s the extract of the manual :
=========
CUSTOMIZING HEART RATE ZONES
To achieve the full potential of training with Mio LINK, you should configure your LINK through
the Mio GO app. Mio GO allows you to:
• Customize your upper and lower limits of each HR zone
• Switch between Training Zone Mode and Zone Alert Mode
• Register your LINK to receive full warranty service and product updates
==========
been using mio link paired with samsung S4 active past week. No problem with running (consistent HR output). Biking however is a little erratic (jumping from 90-ish zone to 150-ish in a couple occasions)… I wear it a lil higher up on my small wrist so far, tried the inverse method which was not accurate at all for me. Anyone has suggestions? :) thanks! I’ll still take this over chest strap anytime!
How are you holding your hands? Are your wrists flexed? if you have small wrists and there is wrist flexion due to hand position, the light that leaks in and around the sensor will impact the readings. Since you are already wearing it higher up the arm, you can try to wear it more snugly (not too tight as that is counter productive). Also, we will be releasing a firmware upgrade in a few weeks time that will be more forgiving to wrist flexion and work for swimming, gym activities and weight lifting. Thanks for your comment!
thanks for the quick reply! i think my wrist is more extended than flexed (on the road bike handle). I did another quick ride with a more snug fit (enough to see the indentation after the ride but not cutting off circulation!). still very funky reading in groups. will be curious to see if the firmware update help in the coming weeks!
yah did some test as well. switching hands and underside method. nothing changes. we are unable to do very short intervals with Link atm. its useless because of lags :(
How short is ‘very short’?? I would question using hr as a goal measure in an interval less than 800m/half mile. For intervals of that length or less, hr is an interesting metric but I wouldn’t use hr as a target measure. Instead, I’d be looking at interval pace/time.
I understand that, but surely in that case the interval is based on effort or speed, not hitting and maintaining a heart rate? It could take 20s to get to the target rate, whilst a target speed is just about instantaneously hit. What I guess I’m saying is that a lagging hr doesn’t matter when in itself it’s not the basis of target of the interval.
Interval training could be based on HR or power. If you are on the kind of trainer (LeMond Revolution), there is no speed indicator, unless you purchase the really expensive display.
Still no link….it was apparently shipped it with with UPS “adult signature required”, so I have now missed the delivery 2x now and they don’t even give you the option of signing the slip and authorizing the driver to leave the package – so I finally called UPS and asked them to hold it for me to pick up – which I won’t be able to do until Monday. Just annoyed, as delivery was already later than advertised (which I expected). One more weekend with the hated chest strap.
Kat, just FYI. If you sign up for UPS My Choice (free), you get notification whenever you are getting a package from UPS. You can change the delivery option as as soon as you get the notification. In the notification, it will let you know if signature is required for the package.
Gingerneil replied
April 25, 2014 at 5:06 pm #536
How short is ‘very short’?? I would question using hr as a goal measure in an interval less than 800m/half mile. For intervals of that length or less, hr is an interesting metric but I wouldn’t use hr as a target measure. Instead, I’d be looking at interval pace/time.
By very short i mean less than 20 seconds interval. Link will notice your properly HR just at the end or after time :(
There is one thing that i don’t understand.
I read tips from mio advising wearing the watch on top of the wrist.
But was it the same tips for mio alpha ?
And the tomtom runner with Mio sensor must be worn too on top of the wrist ?
It’s strange because for me Mio alpha or tomtom runner are watches and worn as watches on the wrist.
It should be the same thing for mio link ? Don’t you think ?
A small question for Ray (if you have comments for bugs from Mio).
Is there any explanation for the weak ANT+ connection ?
For conclusion, i’m very confused. Because mio global (in comments) promise a firmware update in several weeks (without mentionning Heart rate lag and weak connection).
But if i want my money back… i have 30 days to return my Mio Link.
PS : Ray when i read your posts and i see all the things you can do !! i think that you must live in a parallel dimension where each day have 48 hours .
Thanks for your great job. Keep on going :)
For Ant+ connection I believe it is related to the watch you are paring with. I paired the LINK with a Garmin 910XT and I get between 2 to 3 meter range.
The only thing I see, it takes about 30-45s to get the first reading on my watch even if it detect the HR monitor as soon as I start it.
Also I’m still wondering on how to toggle the LINK to training mode with the Android application….
My understanding is that they slightly reduced power on the signal to save battery life. Hence (as I understand it) why I see issues I didn’t see in pre-prod devices which had slightly lower battery life but no signal issues.
Upon review of the comments here, we here at Mio Global Support thought it would be worthwhile to summarize our comments and responses into one general post. Hopefully this is helpful information.
Where to wear MIO:
We advise wearing the MIO with the sensor on the dorsal (top) side of the wrist because when you wear it on the ventral side, the flexion from the tendons MAY impact the readings. It is really important to understand that human physiology varies greatly. What is true for many is not true for all. It is definitely possible that people may find they get superior performance on the ventral side of the wrist. The other thing that impacts the reading is how fleshy your skin is. If you have a little bit of fat/flesh, the sensors can be “buried” in the skin to block out ambient light which is the great enemy to OHR. If you have very little or no body fat on your wrist, this is a less conducive environment for the technology. But then again, many people’s body morphology cannot support chest straps either. If you have little fat on your wrist and/or if you have a “hollow” wrist (rather large head on your Ulna), it is more difficult for the sensor to sit snugly on your arm. In these cases the only things to do are to wear MIO higher up on your arm and/or more tightly. Some people are tightening the LINK way too much though. If it hurts it is actually counter productive in that it will impede blood flow. So, wear it snugly, make sure the sensor is flush to the skin (and if you have low fat which is true for most people on this forum likely) try various spots until you find one that works.
Connectivity:
The ANT+ radio is not weak; it is according to spec. That was an earlier misstatement we made. Upon further testing we have found that when MIO is on one arm, and the watch (Garmin or other) is on the other arm, when running, you will swing your arms in opposite directions and the ANT+ signal will be blocked by your body resulting in signal loss. The solution is to wear both technologies on the same arm. This is a brand new technology and a brand new use case not really contemplated by us or the developers of ANT+. We expected the majority of people to use the LINK/ANT+ connectivity for biking, not running with a watch on one arm and strap on another.
Sprinting:
We have always been very up front that the MIO OHR tech is not ideal for short burst intensity sprinting. This is not the use case it was developed for. Our research to date has been focussed on making it useful for high performance running speeds and cycling. What we have achieved in terms of accuracy there is truly a breakthrough. We next turned our attention to gym activities, activities requiring greater wrist flexion and swimming. That firmware update is coming soon but it will not improve the short burst sprint use case. We are working on that use case but we cannot provide a firm release date yet.
Warm up:
Finally, blood perfusion is really key to the technology working well. Like wrist size, or body fat content, everyone is different in this regard. Some people have to warm up more than others. If your blood is really circulating strongly, it will help the technology work better. Swimming is a tough use case because cool water causes the blood vessels to constrict and that is what has been the bigger gating factor to using the technology.
So, bottom line:
Be warm; wear it snugly in an area where the sensor can really “bury” into the skin; use it for what it is supposed to be used for and hopefully LINK will solve a frustration that many people have with the chest strap. The technology will continue to improve and we will make what improvements we can regularly available through firmware upgrades. The patience and support of this particular community is more important than any since if our technology passes muster here, we are that much more likely to have a viable solution for the population at large. Your continued constructive feedback will allow us to further evolve and improve the technology. Thank you! The Mio Global Support Team
I hate to be argumentative, but I don’t believe this is a true statement: “We have always been very up front that the MIO OHR tech is not ideal for short burst intensity sprinting.” All I see on the website is that it has 99% EKG accuracy. I don’t find a heart rate monitor that only works if your heart rate doesn’t change to be terribly useful or accurate. That said, I don’t think the 10 second lag as efforts ramp up makes the link useless, but it certainly would have been nice to know about before purchasing and it is a bit of a nuisance. I’m surprised the lag didn’t come up in Ray’s initial review. Considering the other problems he noticed with the production units, it sounds like the pre-production unit he evaluated may have had a little extra juice. I have 60 days from purchase to decide if this needs to go back to clever training, and I’ll wait a few weeks before I make my final decision.
Hello Mio and thank you for an awesome produkt. I have been using the Link for almost three weeks while I was on Mallorca guiding participants at a training camp for cyclists. I have been wearing the link on my right arm while riding on all kinds of tarmac both smooth and ruff while leading groups all over Mallorca up to 7 hours per day. Furthermore I have been wearing the Link both with and without sunscreen cream with no issues at all. Only once have I had an HR spike. I do see HR trailing that of a Garmin chest strap but that for me is not a big deal while training.
I also do want to take the opportunity to thank you for opening up sales to the Scandinavian countries and more precise Sweden.
Keep up the good work and I’m looking forward to using the Link even more once I get home from Mallorca.
DItto for wondering about the firmware updates. Currently I’m not running an Android version high enough to support the MIO Go app. Will there be an alternative download that could be piped through the charging cradle?
Thank you for your participation on this forum, as it appears to be the only one discussing your groundbreaking product. I’m eager to rid myself of the constant static interference laden chest straps and purchased a Link today (clever training).
I’m staring at the back of my wrist, wondering if I have sufficient blood profusion- and my wrist doesn’t look like the right environment. My 50 year old skin is without plumpness. It’s dry and wrinkled from years in the sun. So- is old, thick, wrinkled, aged skin with low body fat less likely to be a good host for your technology? I was thinking that might be the reason some are having better luck on the inside of their wrists- as that area tends to be less sun damaged and the skin appears younger, smoother? Or isn’t there a correlation here?
@Chris Thanks for the comment. Not argumentative at all and a fair point. I just looked through our website again and it used to be more prominent that we said “For runners and cyclists” but we just redid the site and it is not as prominent. We list who can benefit from the tech and we list a number of activities and sprinting is not listed but that being said it could be more obvious. For certain the units Ray had did not have any extra juice and extra juice would not impact the lag. And the lag is different for different people and it has to do with blood flow so it may actually work sprinting for some and not for others. All we are saying is it is not an officially supported use case. Today it also works swimming for some and not for others but, again, that will vary by individual. With our future upgrade, alot of the variability will be compensated for and we will feel comfortable saying that it will work while swimming. Eventually we will be able to say that too about sprinting. We really are not trying obfuscate and hopefully this community will understand we are trying our best to solve a very real problem for many athletes.
I appreciate Mio responding to our comments here. That said, i have to agree with Chris that all the promotional material i have seen regarding Link, i have not seen anything mentioning it not being suitable for intense interval workouts. For many who have purchased or are intending to purchase Link, the fact that they no longer need to wear a chest strap is sufficient enough. For me personally, i have never found the chest strap to be uncomfortable. I wanted Mio Link to replace my chest straps because occasionally, they would give me wildly inaccurate HR (like more than 220 BPMs). This is especially so for the Garmin fabric-type of chest straps. One of my coworkers has resorted to replacing his chest strap every 3 or 4 months to avoid getting erratic HR.
I find the HR provided by Link not only lags when my HR goes up, it also lags when my HR goes down. From the tests i’ve done so far, the lag averages about 10 seconds.
The lagging issue is more of an annoyance with me. As a cyclist, i primarily use my power data for training, so i can live with it. However, what concerns me is the occasional inexplicable fluctuations. I hope that can be addressed via future firmware updates.
I don’t want to be all negative about this product. My wife, who had never used HR as part of her training because she hated wearing a chest strap, is really happy now that she is able to finally get HR data from her Link.
Mio – be careful assuming that just because something isn’t stated as a use case that people won’t expect it to be. Your literature says the Link can be used up to ~14mph. Customers reading this won’t think about how they get to that speed and how long they stay there…. If the current iteration does not support a standard training type, I think you need to state that. A simple red/amber/green table of activities would be ideal and very clear.
Only the original Kickstarter purchased ALPHAs needed the firmware update. It was in an email sent to the Kickstarter Backers. If you have a Kickstarter unit, please email support and we can email it to you.
So you understand the lag issue and what causes it? I would guess something to do with detecting and removing movement artefacts? But rather guess would you be able to explain it?
Also curious as to how an a firmware change would be made, via PC connection or BT and phone?
Just wanted to chime in and say I had success using poles (or “sticks” for the Europeans reading) with the Link yesterday. I was roller skiing, and the heart rate readings were right on.
I’ve only had the Link for two days, but so far on two runs and one ski I’ve been completely happy with the readings. For today’s treadmill run I also wore a Polar chest strap that displays HR on the treadmill, and the Link was either right on or one beat high the entire run (it was off while I was tying my shoes and starting up the treadmill, so I assume you need to get the blood flowing just a bit before it’s accurate). No lag to speak of either.
I have skinny wrists and wore it on the opposite hand, where I’d put a watch. Not sure why it’s working for me and not others, but I’m not complaining. Hopefully they can fix it for everyone with firmware updates, because it’s a great product.
Gotta say, spent the weekend in the Australian Alps, two big climbs and one 60 km round trip on the flat in three days. The Link seems to be working really well, tracking my Vectors almost exactly on the climbs, from a visual comparison on the Training Peaks file. Unfortunately, I forgot my charger and it ran out of “juice” on the third day! As power is the key for cyclists, the Link, in my view, does the job and not having a heart rate strap to wear is an absolute delight. Keep up the good work, Ray!
That being said, a option to choose the BT/ANT+/both at startup could improve battery life !
I’m sure there’s not a lot of people using BT/ant at the same time :)
I was generally very happy with it but in recent days the unit won’t finish charging no matter how long I leave it plugged in, and now the battery only lasts one hour. Waiting on a reply from support now.
How long should this unit take to charge under normal circumstances?
As an aside, people with bony forearms may want to reconsider this as a HRM – to avoid spikes I have to tighten the strap enough to leave a mark on my hand after I take it off. Almost uncomfortably tight. I wonder whether the aim of keeping ambient light out could have been better addressed at a design phase – still it is a step up from cutting my chest open repeatedly on a “soft” garmin HRM cheststrap.
Having the Motoactv – will there be any issues since the watch both uses Ant+ and Bluetooth?
I use the Bluetooth for my wireless headphones while running and since I cant turn off bluetooth at the mio link, I fear that it could cause some problems. I would prefer that the mio link used the Ant+ – both due to better signal strengh and battery live.
Is there any way to turn off bluetooth? I can imagine that the signal is weaker using Bluetooth (especially if using on other hand than the Motoactv) and is it even possible with two Bluetooth connections at the same time?
The Motoactv can’t use both the BT Smart stack and ANT+ stack at the same time, it’s one or the other. That said, I don’t remember how (if) it affects the BT legacy side of the stack used for audio headphones.
Though, ultimately, it won’t really impact the Motoactv’s connectivity to the device, as it’s just extra noise in the air that has no impact on the Motoactv’s connectivity to it if not paired to either.
I don’t know if the Motoactv will pair to the Link offhand. In theory, it should. But in reality, the Motoactv has always been a tiny bit finicky when it comes to BLE HR connections with many other devices I’ve tried. In part because it was on the leading edge of that device profile when it was still being formulated, and as a result, I don’t think it actually has the 100% final spec BLE HR profile on it (though, I could be wrong there).
Hmm…I already use booth bluetooth (headphones) and Ant+ (HR strap) at the same time. No problem.
I was just wondering if I can use the Mio link instead of the HR strap with the Ant+ connection or if it will try to use the bluetooth connection automaticly instead (which im not interested in due to worse connection than Ant+ and battery drainage).
Cool, so the BT legacy stack is separate, good to hear.
As for the Motoactv, you search separately for ANT+ HR straps, and BLE HR straps, so it won’t ‘accidentally’ find one instead of the other. It’s just what you specify.
I’ve been using the Mio Link for the last 1.5 weeks, paired with a Garmin 910XT. Bought using my REI dividend. In my case the 910XT DOES pick up pulse info from the Link during swims, with the two mounted on the same wrist (the Link goes right next to the 910XT). The pulse info has been accurate for swims. It’s worked well for cycling (I hit 36 mph in the Ohio University triathlon and the Link did fine, so don’t worry about 14 mph as a limit) and runs (pulse up to 173 during intervals on the track). This is 63-year-old skin, so at least in my case, age doesn’t keep the Link from tracking pulse. Only a few anomalies so far: Pulses were reported inaccurately high briefly near the start of one training ride, and while running from the pool during the first transition of the O.U. race. And there have been a few dropped segments, mostly while testing the Link for sleep (but fewer drops than when wearing a chest strap for sleep) but occasionally while riding or running (when I notice loss of signal, I just push the Link higher up the arm to make it tighter). I’m quite pleased so far with the Mio Link. I haven’t noticed much more lag, if any, in pulse data than with a chest strap. One caveat: If you wear it tight, the strap will leave a definite mark on your wrist for a few minutes after you take it off. The tightness hasn’t bothered me, but for an Olympic-distance or longer race you might want to move it to the other wrist after the swim. My Link takes about two hours to charge, and a charge goes eight to 10 hours.
Did you wear a chest strap as well while using Mio Link during the triathlon? The Mio Link HR lag, in my case, is not easy to observe if you are not comparing it with the HR from a chest strap.
I’ve been using the Mio Link for the last 1.5 weeks, paired with a Garmin 910XT. Bought using my REI dividend. In my case the 910XT DOES pick up pulse info from the Link during swims, with the two mounted on the same wrist (the Link goes right next to the 910XT). The pulse info has been accurate for swims. It’s worked well for cycling (I hit 36 mph in the Ohio University triathlon and the Link did fine, so don’t worry about 14 mph as a limit) and runs (pulse up to 173 during intervals on the track). This is 63-year-old skin, so at least in my case, age doesn’t keep the Link from tracking pulse. I tested it against a chest strap reporting to a different device, and the pulses were virtually identical, with the Link about five seconds behind at the most. Only a few anomalies so far: Pulses were reported inaccurately high briefly near the start of one training ride, and while running from the pool during the first transition of the O.U. race. And there have been a few dropped segments, mostly while testing the Link for sleep (but fewer drops than when wearing a chest strap for sleep) but occasionally while riding or running (when I notice loss of signal, I just push the Link higher up the arm to make it tighter). I’m quite pleased so far with the Mio Link. I haven’t noticed much more lag, if any, in pulse data than with a chest strap. One caveat: If you wear it tight, the strap will leave a definite mark on your wrist for a few minutes after you take it off. The tightness hasn’t bothered me, but for an Olympic-distance or longer race you might want to move it to the other wrist after the swim. My Link takes about two hours to charge, and a charge goes eight to 10 hours.
I’ve been using the Mio Link for the last 1.5 weeks, paired with a Garmin 910XT. In my case the 910XT DOES pick up pulse info from the Link during swims, with the two mounted on the same wrist (the Link right next to the 910XT). The pulse info has been accurate for swims. It’s worked well for cycling (I hit 36 mph in the Ohio University triathlon and the Link did fine) and runs, including a maximum pulse of 173. I tested it against a chest strap reporting to a different device, and the pulses were virtually identical, with the Link about five seconds behind at the most. Works fine with 63-year-old skin. Only a few anomalies so far: Pulses were reported inaccurately high briefly near the start of one training ride, and while running from the pool during the first transition of the O.U. race. And there have been a few dropped segments, mostly while testing the Link for sleep (but fewer drops than when wearing a chest strap for sleep) and occasionally while riding or running (when I notice loss of signal, I just push the Link higher up the arm to make it tighter). For running and cycling, I wear the Link and the 910XT on opposite wrists. One caveat: If you wear it tight, the strap will leave a definite mark on your wrist for a few minutes after you take it off. The tightness hasn’t bothered me, but for an Olympic-distance or longer triathlon you might want to move it to the other wrist after the swim. My Link takes about two hours to charge, and it runs eight to 10 hours per charge.
I can see on mio site that mio link works with strava. It must be for ihoine not Android version. It’s strange but strava must the last activity app without bluetooth smart support.
used mio for the first time tonight, overall I am happy w/ the device.. The main downside it it took anywhere from I’d say 10 to 30 seconds to respond to efforts. It seemed that for some if I rode harder for 20 seconds then back to where I was before effort wise, heart rate wasn’t affected at all. For an accurate steady effort I think it works well but the lag is noticeable versus a garmin soft strap HR monitor, I really hope this can be fixed w/ a software update. It doesn’t need to be instantaneous but hopefully they can get it to really only be 5 to 10 seconds. I definitely was seeing over 30 second delays.
Was really great to not have to fumble w/ a chest strap and way more comfortable. I also noticed a few small spikes similar to what I’ve seen on garmins when not tight enough. nothing major though.
“It seemed that for some if I rode harder for 20 seconds then back to where I was before effort wise, heart rate wasn’t affected at all.”
I had similar experience on a ride this afternoon. On a 0.6 mile Strava segment, i put in an average effort of 354w in almost 1.5 minutes, my HR should have been in the high 160 to low 170 range. However, the average Mio Link HR was only 144 bpm.
This afternoon, i went back to Ray’s review of Mio Alpha and i put one of the HR comparisons between the Mio Alpha and a chest strap in Excel and plotted a graph. The Mio Alpha HR tracked really well with the chest strap HR. Most importantly, there was no lag.
I’m waiting for Ray to post the links to his Garmin Connect activities from his first look at Mio Link so i can do a similar comparison.
I tried on the inside of my arm tonight, still lagging, maybe not quite as bad but I’m not sure. I had an interesting measurement, where i was going fairly hard for a while ~180bpm for 5mins+, then less intensity for about 20s then hard again, strangely after I was going hard again for about 20s I noticed a 20bpm drop, maybe due to the previous easier effort. There seems to be some strange measurements going on w/ me at least. Otherwise the ride seemed pretty accurate w/ no more than about a 10-15 second lag I’d say. Overall quite usable but I’m definitely not 100% satisfied. I’ve found measurements below around 150bpm to have less lag in general and feel more accurate.
I will try my left arm next time to see if I get any better results.
There are some questions here related to lag. Some people experience a lag and others (in our test experience, the majority) of people are not (or it is so insignificant as not to be bothersome). The lag is a phenomenon that varies by individual. If the MIO is not certain of the accuracy of the reading, it waits before outputting values. When you are sprinting, really clenching your hands, or running with fierce hand/finger movements, the motion artifacts and arm tendon movements (which lift the sensor of your arm) impact the clarity of the HR signal. Also, running cadence is very similar to HR so fierce movement makes it that much more difficult to distinguish one from the other. The best way to reduce the lag is to improve the quality of your reading. Try putting the sensor on the under side of the arm, put it on your non-dominant arm, or move it up much higher to a fleshier part of the arm. Hopefully these tips help those of you experiencing the lag and that the trial and error is worth it!
@Mio Global, would it help reducing the lag and accuracy when I put a sweat band over it? Since the quality of the readings is affected by ambient light. I’ve just recieved mine and I’m not very pleased about the accuracy and the lag in particular. I use it for (road) cycling only. Thanks in advance.
In the tests i did last week, all the rides were done in long sleeved Castelli Gabba jersey. Light does get through the sleeve. So i do not think putting a sweat band over it is going to help.
I have tried placing it higher on my forearm, tried wearing it on the other arm, tried it on the underside of my arm. It made no difference where i placed Mio Link. The HR from Mio Link simply lagged behind the chest strap HR.
I’ve returned it anyway, it’s not for me this product. Having read the above troubleshoot options and possible causes for my problem gave me no solution. The lag stayes to big for what I use it for even after “some” improvement.
I liked the Link just doing normal stuff though, seemed pretty ok than.
@Frank, yes try a sweatband. We have a rower in Australia that put a tensor bandage over his and it worked well. When this issue occurs, it occurs in a small part of the population and it is because human physiology is so different person to person. The root cause for the lag varies from person to person as does any potential solution. It’s certainly worth a try and from the feedback we are getting generally, people are really getting significant benefit from the technology.
I’ m disapointed and wish to return my mio link.
I read 30 day to return the product : i say great !!
I read that it must not be used : i say it’s a joke.
How can i test a product without test it ?
@Tommies please contact support@mioglobal.com if you purchased it from MIO. We really don’t want to take take your money and leave you with a product you are not happy with. Thanks!
Here’s an interesting read on 2.4GHz transmission through water in a swimming pool link to ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
(I think it is open, but I’m inside a University right now so possibly that’s how I can see it).
With the devices they were using, every packet got through up to 13 cm, every packet was lost by 18cm separation between transmitter and receiver.
They probably used higher power than the Link does, but you’d expect the Link to communicate fine with a watch next to it on the same arm.
Since i have two Mio Links, i decided to put one on each wrist to test them during my commute to work. I’m a right-hander so my right wrist is slightly bigger than my left. I adjusted the straps so that they were of equal length and therefore the fit was snugger on my right wrist. The Link on my left arm was paired with an Edge 800 while the one on my right arm was paired with an Edge 500.
The first 6 minutes of my ride, they tracked quite well with one another. From that point on for more than 10 minutes, the Link on my right arm went off to the deep end. The HR readings were way off. I noticed that almost immediately during my ride and made multiple attempts to adjust the strap. No dice. The HR from that Link did not rejoin the other one until almost 19 minutes into my 22.5-minute ride. The Link on my left arm seemed to track better today than yesterday. Around the 14:15 mark, there was a 2-minute effort when i averaged 380W and the HR averaged 156 BPM with a max HR of 167 BPM. It’s a little lower than what i would expect from a chest strap and again, without a chest strap, i don’t know how much it was lagging or how accurate it was.
If you are interested, here’s the excel spreadsheet with the chart that compares the two.
I had really high hope for the Mio Link prior to using it. It was meant to replace my occasionally erratic chest strap. However, it has turned out to be even more erratic and unreliable than the chest strap. This is a question for Mio Global. Will the upcoming firmware update resolve some of the issues i have experienced?
@ Mio Global. I did email support@mioglobal.com more than a week ago regarding the erratic HR and lagging issue. The response was: “We recognize it is an inconvenience and do hope to release a firmware update to resolve the matter in the future.”
First day using my link. Question; is there any possibility to configure/set the HR zones using Windows7/USB?
I don’t have any Android/iOS device to install the mio app.
I can emulate Android on my PC to install the mio app but this makes only sense to me if I can connect the link just using USB connection.
Any ideas? Thanks.
No method. Though, I assume you do have some device (such as a Garmin ANT+ device), to ultimately receive the data? Or are you just going to use the little lights for zones.
As noted, finding a friend to set the zones up is your best bet.
I pair a FR110 – that works fine. FR110 can’t show HR zones so I may use the internal LED of mio link to check what is going on. I just have some zones because of an lactate test a year ago ;-). Whatever, I really do not need to set this zones@all. I just ask an colleague who has an iPad e.g. to finally define my zones on the link.
General; I think the mio link works. It needs some time if the HR changes/reacts if my activity changes. A bit more than by using an ordinary HR-Strap. The jumps between the shown beats per minute are bigger than I imagined.
Wearing by endurance run should no issue.
Quite surprised by all the negative comments here. I have been running with it for quite some distance now, including interval training, a temporun and a 5 hour training run. readings are very accurate. I wear the LINK next to my garmin 610 or 910 and that works very well. No blank readings so far, no inaccurate readings. I wear the LINK wuite snugly on the wrist and indeed have the markings on the skin after running but it doesn’t bother me at all. Not during the run, not after the run. It doesn’t itch, I simply don’t feel it at all. On link to bit.ly (dutch but you can translate) is the image of my wrist with the two devices during training.
I’ve just received my Link yesterday. Work fine, had a swim with Link and my 910xt. Here are a few notes:
1) Works perfectly fine underwater when put onto the bottom part of the wrist (since there are more veins close to the skin).
2) Transmits HR to 910xt when the latter is put next to Link, that is on the same arm and aside from the Link or on top of it. In both cases the combo looks pretty big and ugly.
3) 910xt does not support logging HR in the swim mode which makes all the above pretty useless. I’d even say that HR in the swimming pool is pretty useless in any case, as I you just don’t have much time to look at your watch (I used to have Polar RCX5 with their kHz HRM for some time).
4) Putting the Link on one arm and 910xt on the other you get no signal at all. The working distance is around 5-10 cm, as GHz are perfectly absorbed by water molecules :)
Does the LINK also store HR data on the device itself or is an external ANT+ or BTLE device necessary to store the data? I think it’ll be really nice to use it during swimming and then download the HR data afterwards, and combine it with the swim metrics from another device.
Hi Devorak, tried to find your email to support but nothing came up as Devorak. Please resend with “Devorak on DC Rainmaker” in the subject line. Thanks, Mio Gobal Support
If you only need general heart rate, then the Mio Link is great. If you are trying to hit a narrow heart rate zone, not so much. The lag and often decoupling from actual heart rate is a real problem. I,had no connectivity problems with the Mio positioned next to the 910xt, but when comparing the numbers to my Garmin chest strap, it was obvious that the Mio lacked accuracy.
Two questions for Mio support:
1. From the discussion here, I am understanding that you may be swamped with RMA emails, but I have not receive a reply from an email requesting return authorization. How long should that take?
2. Have you given any thought to extending the return time period until after the firmware update addresses some of the problems people are having? Having early unhappy buyers return the unit and later repurchase if there is improvement from updated firmware seems like a a loss for you and hassle for early buyers.
Hi Devorak, tried to find your email to support but nothing came up as Devorak. Please resend with “Devorak on DC Rainmaker” in the subject line. Thanks, Mio Gobal Support
@Mio Global: so the same for myself:
I raised up a ticket asking for RMA support twice (1st on 23.04.2014 ticket# 129887 in German – 2nd on 28.04.2014 ticket# 130455 in English) and didn’t get any answer until now.
15 of 30 days are now over, so I hope that Mio doesn’t want to delay to the whole 30 days, that I’m not able to give it back afterwards. Hopefully not!
Sorry, for me it just doesn’t work. I’ve tried every position. Sometime it works, sometimes not – but I don’t want to think about it – I just want to run and heart rate monitor should work everytime.
Hey, can I exchange my production unit for Ray’s test unit? LOL! I too never got a response from my email request for a RMA, but was able to do so by telephone.
@Mio Support — Seriously, given so many unhappy customers who will need to return this unit shortly to keep within the 30 days, if you have firmware coming out that you think will fix the unit, what about the suggestion above that you extend the 30 days so we can see if that resolves the issues? It does seem to be a better idea than me returning it now, getting a refund, then re-purchasing later if people say the problems are fixed.
could anyone tell me, what kind software i could use to count calories (based on body measurement, not predefined workout count) using mio link. Endomondo is working fine, but im getting double calorie count as my H7 strap + polar watch. Runtastic is good, but is not counting calories, only sometimes using H7, the count is accurate. BLE HRM is crap app and is not counting as well. I like polar beat app, simple and accurate, but works only with polar HRM and not too many features.
You seem to be assuming that using HR data you can truly be accurate. That’s not really possible, all calorie counts are guessing based on exertion level so you just need to figure out which implementation is closest to how your body works
No, the Polar Beat app is for some odd reason restricted not to just 4.3+ units, but to specific handsets. And why the latest Samsung units aren’t on the white-list is beyond me.
Interesting…. I used two apps at the same time for an circuit training workout today. The Mio Go app said I burned 1043 calories and the Digifit app said I burned 326. Yesterday I did a HIIT workout, the Mio said calorie burn was 1040 and another app (Map My Fitness) said calorie expenditure was 420. What the what??
Which, is ultimately to Eli’s point above. Calorie counting algorithms are all over the map. And every company/app/organization believes they have the best one out there. In reality, none might be correct. There’s really no way of knowing.
In general, when I test devices I try and ensure that the calorie metric pases the basic sniff-test. For example, in running that’s generally agreed as about 100cal per mile for the average person. Less if you’re smaller, more if your heavier. Slightly more again for high intensity workouts, etc…
Just got my white one in the mail today. Am supposed to get the slate one in the mail tomorrow. It paired up ok with my 310xt and had no problem finding my heart rate while I’m sitting here at my desk at work. I have a workout scheduled for after work namely a couple of long intervals, 2wu+2(2m@HMPw1mr)+2cd = 10 miles.
I wear my 910xt paired to my chest heart rate monitor and the 310xt paired to the Mio Link and see how they compare and report back tomorrow.
OK 2 weeks ago or more I ordered this after reading your review from the website you recommended. Either they didnt ship the USB adapter or I didnt notice it and tossed it out with the packaging. I have gone back to the website and direct to the products website and emailed numerous times asking if I can just purchase the damn adaptor getting emails back but never directed how I can order one. They are not Garmin friendly that is for sure!
Are you referring to Clever Trainining or Mio shipping you the product. If Clever Training, from a packaging standpoint, they’re never opened (sealed and all), so it’d definitely be something omitted at factory or thrown away (more likely). Mio doesn’t list a charger-only SKU that Clever Training could sell.
Have you reached out directly to Mio about buying an charger (or perhaps that’s what you’re referring to above)?
Thanks for the quick reply. I first contacted Clever Training then went direct to Mio. Clever Training said they would try contacting Mio also but I never heard back. I am not asking for a free charger as I understand it doesnt jump out at you when you unpack and I could have mistakenly toss it. That we will never know. I am willing to purchase one but cant get them to respond other than this on Monday: Thought maybe you could light a fire under them?
Your request (ticket# 129981) has been received and is being reviewed by our support team.
To add additional comments, please reply to this email or give us a call at US/Can: 1 877 770 1116.
Danny Kerecman
Apr 23 01:24 PM
Can I purchase the USB adapter for my Mio Link Heart Band as I never found one in the box? I dont find accessories on your website. Thanks!
The USB adapter is kinda hidden away in the packaging. I got mine today in the mail. It’s tucked away into a compartment in the packaging itself. It’s a small, compact design.
DJ: Sorry to hear that. We’ll be receiving another batch of Mio LINK chargers within the next two weeks, at which point you’ll be able to purchase a replacement charger from our website.
I just got my device 2 weeks ago but it has proven to be a huge disappointment so far. I can pair it easily with my phone (HTC one) but it then keeps getting disconnected every 2 minutes or so (I am using “BLE heartrate monitor” android app because the Android version of the MIO GO app is totally useless at this stage)…
The only help I got from Mio customer support was to return the product to the vendor but as I live in Asia and bought it in US during a business trip, i guess I am pretty screwed.
Thank you Mio, hope you will put those 99 bucks i gave you to good use (like improving your Quality Control processes for instance).
Yes I’ve tried Whahoo fitness but since there is no chart to be displayed on the app, I can’t see if there also was disconnection. Nevertheless, if I keep looking at it for a few minutes, I can see that heart rate sometimes disappear, which means that there are disconnection as well obviously.
All workouts can simply be exported to CSV, so from there you can graph it. Though, HR is actually shown on a graph within the WF app at the summary screen of the workout. So you can do that too.
Got my white MioLink yesterday and used it for the first time on yesterday’s 10 miler doing long intervals (2wu+2(2m@HMPw1mr)+2cd). I had it paired with my 310xt. I also wore my 910xt with its chest heart rate monitor. I had both Garmins on my left arm and the MioLink immediately above them. In fact, all three were touching. I also wore my MioLink with the light oriented under my wrist since my veins seem to be more visible there. It worked perfectly. The graphs are essentially identical.
If only the device wasn’t so person-to-person (and worn location, and tightness, and…) dependent. I have done a series of similar experiments and have had ~20 bpm errors for minutes at a time in most workouts!
Still holding out hope that an update will fix my issue or I will be RMA’ing the device before my 30 day window is up.
I really am glad it works for some people, I still do have hopes that the product can be successful and improved to work for more people. The convenience is great.
Hi Ray,
thank you for an excellent, detailed, constructive review. For me this kind of independent report is highly useful. After reading your report, I decided to buy the Mio Link. It was delivered today. Fabulous!
I am like a kid with a new toy. It feels soooooo good to dump the chest strap and all the hassle connected to that.
The Mio Link is elegant, absolutely easy to set up. The design is highly aesthetic, comfortable to wear. So far, so good.
Thanks agin for your valuable reporting.
David
I was very happy to get mine today but I’m disappointed since I cannot pair it with my Suunto Ambit 2R !
Does somebody here has already try the Link with this watch ?
The Link itself seems to correctly detect HR as the led blinks but it is never detected by the watch.
And I don’t think it may come from the watch as I use it with a 4iiii Viva chest strap.
Is there a special setting to configure with the Link ?
Any help would be appreciated.
It’s the Ambit. They’re incredibly finicky when it comes to pairing ANT+ sensors, often taking multiple attempts. It seems to have the attention span of a gnat.
The simple workout as put both units right next to each other (like, rubbing), and then re-try pairing. It might take 1 or 12 times. But eventually, it will find it. Once paired you won’t have any future distance problems.
I see it on tons of ANT+ accessories that aren’t Suunto made, specifically with pairing with the Suunto Ambit.
Thanks for your quick reply and for your indications.
Unfortunately I didn’t manage to get both units paired although I have tried more than 20 times having units right next to each other.
What puzzles me is that I hadn’t get problems with the 4iiii’s viva chest strap.
Now, I’ll see next week with a friend having a Garmin unit to double check if Link could get paired with it…
My ‘Link’ arrived today from CleverTraining. Wearing it on my wrist just above my watch, and it found my HR in just a few seconds. I guess I’m one of the lucky ones. Suunto Ambit2 pairing took me 13 tries (I counted), and now seems to be stable. I already ran this morning- so I guess I’ll try it out on its maiden voyage tomorrow. Pretty excited not to have to wet, goop, and static guard spray a chest strap every morning – and then still battle with static issues. We’ll see how well it works- I’ll report back. I don’t care about the ‘delay’ during intervals. Just want something that -works-.
Not that I was planning on using the Mio app and its training zones – but the app was freezing on my iPhone whenever I try to set up zone 4. Figured out why: the zone 4 max was set at 179, whereas the zone 5 max was 174. After resetting the zones, I was able to build my own without creating an overlap error.
Size: I’ve got pretty small wrists for a guy. So, I ordered a small/medium. It’s just long enough to reach around my arm- where I’m wearing it successfully -above my watch. I’ve got 2 holes of margin. When I place it on my alternate wrist- lower, where a watch would go, I’m mid-band, but I can see some green light peeking out. I’m presuming this will be a less optimal location, however it still gave me my HR in 10s. I guess all good here.
Charger dongle is very short, and only lightly holds the strap. not an optimal design.
I’ll report back after a few runs. So far- very excited!
Thanks for your detailed feedback — we really appreciate it!
We’re thrilled to hear you’ve been freed from the uncomfortable chest strap! That’s exactly why we created this product. We’ll be sure to pass along your comments (regarding the charger) to our Product Development Team).
It’s working well with Runtastic Mountain Bike. I guess it’s OK with other Runtastic pro apps !
You just have to choose “Runtastic Bluetooth Smart Combo Heart Rate Monitor” in the sensor list.
Strange, but it’s working :)
Endomondo Pro is excellent with MioLink too. No single disconnect on many hours of my road cycling and running. If you have phone with ANT+ inside (like Galaxy S5), you can choose for connecting with MioLink BLTE or ANT+, both protocols are working well.
The Mio Link is working extremely well for me and this is just two days in.
On Friday, I used it on a 10-mile run and it transmitted to my Polar Loop and to my 910XT in parallel. It was great being able to glance at the 910XT and see my heart rate during the run — all without an uncomfortable chest strap. This meant that I had three devices on my left arm. When I started my run, I had the 910XT on my right wrist and the Loop and the Mio Link on my left wrist. However, the ANT+ connection occasionally dropped; so I moved the 910XT to my left arm which stopped the communication time outs.
This morning, I used it with the Polar Loop for a 3,000 yard swim workout and it worked well. When swimming, I couldn’t tell what color was flashing to know the zone; but on the wall between intervals the flashing colored light let me know what zone I just completed.
It would be valuable if Mio Link or Polar had instructions on their respective websites explaining how to pair. Ultimately, I figured it out from the comments on this blog. The key was physically tapping the Loop to the Mio Link.
In sum, this $99 was a worthwhile investment and this is now my standard heart rate sensor. When the Polar V800 launches with swimming capabilities, I’ll take a serious look at getting that to replace the 910XT and the Polar Loop.
I should also add that you have a fantastic blog and this is my primary source to keep up on what new exercise-related gadgets in the works and which ones are worth purchasing.
It seems you succeeded in pairing the Mio Link to a Polar Loop. Could you collaborate on the exact steps you needed to do before it worked?
I’ve tried unpairing the Loop from all other devices (phone, H6 HRM), turned airplane mode on/off to reset the BT, turned on the Link, held the devices together, tapped them together, smashed them together :), but still no luck. Am I missing something?
I made the Mio very tight today, but not uncomfortble… Tight enough to leave a mark for a few minutes and I think the lag/ accuracy was vastly improved. Sucks that the battery only lasted about 7 hours, maybe a tad less. Wasn’t able to get my whole ride. But I rarely ride so long so not the end of the world.
Just took delivery of mine and went out riding yesterday. I had to secure it pretty tight to get to work properly. It really got uncomfortable after 6 hours of riding. But worse part was that when it wasn’t able to get good readings it keep transmitting the last good values (may be it was just some lagging). I had to press on it, despite the already very tight strap, to get it to read properly.
Today I tried it again, but this time I wore it upside down and it seemed to work very well and I didn’t have to wear it so tight either.
Got mine yesterday. No problems at all finding my heartbeat, nor with connecting to the Garmin 500.
Today on my 2nd ride with it, it showed me at up to 203bpm (average 193bpm) for almost 5 minutes, with the highest value on a road that is slightly downhill. I was just rolling along at 26km/h, though with a slight headwind I was in the drops. I wasn’t feeling like that kind of heartrate and even on my hardest climbs I’m never getting nowhere near this kind of heart rate, with my absolute max observed heart rate at 188bpm.
So: 1.) this is not just a spike (HR jumping up for one or two data points) and 2.) it doesn’t looks like “just giving some random value” when the heartbeat couldn’t be found, as it goes up and down regularly (although not really in sync with my activity).
Maybe this is related or similar to the “issues” you’re seeing in the production units?
@Betabug, did you warm up first before starting your ride? You really need to do that to make sure the blood is circulating well. Also, do you hold the handle bars with flex wrists? That also causes problems although the new firmware will improve that.
“Warm up”: yes, I was warmed up, this was after a 3 hour recovery ride. Also the air temperature was somewhere around 25-28 degrees Celsius, so my capillaries shouldn’t have been too tightened :-)
“Flex wrists”: over a 5 minute period like this that has some downhill and uphill, I’ll variate my hand position a lot on the handlebars. I was in the drops, on the brakeks, on the top of the handlebars.
I’ll now try different positions (e.g. under the wrist) to wear the link.
A followup: I’ve done more rides with the Link now. I have exactly those wrists that were described here. By putting it on the underside of my wrist it seems to fit much better. Also that way I can tighten it one step more without bothering me. Result: It’s mostly working fine now. I had one “failure”, where I had stopped to take off my jacket and it kept insisting I’m on 85bpm (while going at perceived AT on a 6% climb), but the classic “turning it off and then on again” while on the go fixed it.
I have no lag, I have no disconnects (Garmin 500), battery life is totally sufficient for my training rides, the charger is a bit “special”, but it works. I totally ignore the LED (they could have left it out as far as I’m concerned).
So in conclusion, I’m happy I can work with heart rate without having to wear the chest strap. This is a big improvement on comfort. It means I have HR data and can train with HR on more rides than before, as many times I wasn’t willing to put on the chest strap.
@Mio Support — Seriously, given so many unhappy customers who will need to return this unit shortly to keep within the 30 days, if you have firmware coming out that you think will fix the unit, what about the suggestion made in an earlier comment that you extend the 30 days so we can see if new firmware resolves the issues? It does seem to be a better idea than me returning it now, getting a refund, then re-purchasing later if people say the problems are fixed. Or is it that there is no new firmware on the horizon?
@Leaves are Green, we expect the firmware to be released end of May but it won’t compensate for extremes in human physiology. The firmware update is designed to improve readings where blood circulation is impeded. It does not compensate for light leakage. If you have a certain kind of wrist, typically with a deep hollow starting at the head of the Ulna, the sensor will lift from the skin and that causes the lag. A lot of people like that are having success moving the sensor to the underside of the wrist. If someone buys the LINK and waits for the firmware update to test if that makes a difference but still wants to return it within a reasonable period of time afterwards, of course we will honor that.
Does the Mio Link work differently than the Mio Alpha? It is my understanding that the underlying HR technology is the same in both products. But after reading many comments on the Mio Alpha, I don’t see mention of some of the issues associated with the Mio Link. For example, the Mio Alpha finds my heart rate quickly without having to warm up, but I see Mio Global suggesting that you should warm up in order for the Mio Link to provide an accurate heart rate. (I don’t have access to the Mio Link.) Also, the lag issue that so many have mentioned here, is that an issue specific to the Mio Link or does it also occur with the Mio Alpha? And my last question with respect to the lag issue, is the lag introduced by the Mio Link in detecting the correct heart rate and then reflecting it on the Mio Link LED or is it a lag getting the heart rate to the paired device? I’m trying to understand what is the root cause of the lag, and if eventually, it can be resolved by a firmware update or if this is just a limitation of the technology before purchasing a Mio Link. Thanks.
There are two specific differences between Link and Alpha:
1) Size of the watch platform (Alpha covers up more, and reduces light coming in more than Link)
2) The power level used for communications.
To that end, my understanding is there is only a single difference between the pre-prod and prod versions I have:
1) The power level used for communications
I don’t really see any lag on me. If you look at my helmet post from last week, there’s actually some production Link data in there, and you’ll see it mirrored across other devices.
My understanding is the power item can indeed be tweaked via firmware.
I’d like to reinforce the lag is not a universal problem. It occurs in a small number of cases. It is not some weird averaging algorithm. It happens when the LINK cannot get a good reading. It’s that simple. It does not happen on everyone. In fact, it reads perfectly on the vast majority of the population. There is no difference between ALPHA and LINK except the differences Ray points out.
The tips we give for ALPHA are the exact tips we give for LINK. The same issues exist with ALPHA but because LINK has a smaller width and smaller sensor it is less forgiving on “difficult wrists”. The same issues: 1) lack of blood circulation (need to warm up); lag (move it up the arm, tighten it, wear it on the underside of wrist, don’t flex your wrists as much) are more noticeable in this crowd because a higher than typical percentage of you tend to have the most difficult type of wrist physiology for optical heart rate. On the communication side, the dropped signals can vary by mobile app. We cannot control that. Also, ANT+ cannot travel through the body so it’s really not a surprise that the signal is impeded or dropped if LINK is on a different arm than your watch and your arms fully swing in opposite directions while you run. So, if you have a lag, try the tips above.
The firmware update MAY help. We are testing it now on a few “difficult” wrist shapes but it was designed to improve the quality of readings for activities that require greater wrist movement and flexion which impede blood circulation. It is not designed to solve light leakage. The best tip right now to solve lag, if you are one of the few that has it, is to try and wear LINK on the underside of your wrist. Hopefully it works out but, if not, of course we will accept returns.
Really, what we are trying to do, and what has been our mission since 1999, is to find a reliable, comfortable, non-intrusive and accurate way to deliver heart rate without a chest strap. It’s great to read the overwhelming number of positive experiences people have posted. It means we really are offering a solution to a great majority of people that have been frustrated with the chest strap. And, for what it’s worth, I was never able to wear a chest strap because it always slips down on me and disconnects. Technology is never perfect, whatever form it takes. And remember, the other guys have been doing this since 1976. They have had many more years to optimize sensor designs, communications, etc. but they still haven’t got it off the chest.
I appreciate your personal message here. I have now tried wearing LINK on the underside of my wrist and it seems to work well. Most importantly I don’t have to overtighten it to cause discomfort.
I have big forearm bones and can almost see the green light from the sensor even wearing it very tight.
I am a cyclist ,so haven’t had a connection problem with BLE on iPhone and ANT+ with Garmin 510.
Thank you Ray and Liz for your comments. Since I did not have any problems with the Mio Alpha, I doubt that I will have a problem with the Mio Link. Also, glad to read in Ray’s reports that he did not encounter any lag as well. I will be purchasing one and I am looking forward to it.
I’ve had one since launch and may be in your edge case of tough to measure wrists. I see a typical ~10 second delay on a hard effort change, and often really rough early readings (first 1-3 minutes can be really wrong). Often during the workout I see periods of “Crazy” readings…
I hope to hold onto the unit until after the software is updated to determine if it will work for me, I like the open communication channel, it should help alleviate some amount of support contacts and e-mails.
Are there any thoughts on modifying the strap to better seal any stray light (with a better “light gasket” around the sides)?
A secondary question… Do you plan to sell replacement straps separate from the sensor pod? Perhaps one is in between sizes and needs a small and a large? Or the strap breaks or somehow damaged… Just a thought.
Liz,
As the module and strap are seperate, is there any scope to make a different strap available that will provide more of a ‘lip’ around the outside to block ambient light ? Or if the problem that on slim wrists the LEDs and sensor are not sitting directly on the skin surface, and blocking ambient light would not help further ?
I can see different challenges for both… You could create a strap with a ‘lip’ around the sensor module, or you could have a strap that pushes the module down more on the skin without having to over tighten the strap. Either approach would be a change to the strap rather than the module, so would hopefully be something you could sell/offer as a cost effective solution.
Good idea for the ‘lip’. And a longer strap for arm positionning !. I got the longer one , but as I have a big wrist , I can’t imagine positionning it on my arm Oo
Only a good idea if the issue is ambient light. I was surprised not to see a lip on my unit when it first arrived – but depending on the problem/design that could actually lift the array off your skin and cause more problems! I am sure the Mio R&D team are looking at ways to improve the device (which I am sure they would be doing anyway, even if all comments were 100% positive).
I haven’t used the Alpha (other than trying one on in a shop – I wasnt allowed to turn it on though!), and I wonder if the larger size helps with ambient light blocking… and the Link would benefit for an increase in strap size or a ‘lip’. Just something for the team to consider (although I am sure they are doing that already – its hardly a novel idea!)
Greatly appreciate your comments. But I don’t understand the following:
“The same issues: 1) lack of blood circulation (need to warm up); lag (move it up the arm, tighten it, wear it on the underside of wrist, don’t flex your wrists as much) are more noticeable in this crowd because a higher than typical percentage of you tend to have the most difficult type of wrist physiology for optical heart rate.”
Are you implying that because this crowd is skinny/lean we “have the most difficult type of wrist physiology for optical heart rate”? Isn’t this watch geared towards athletes?
I think need to go scientific and compare results. I have a BLE chest strap that works well.
Any suggestions on two iPhone apps that I can run side by side to capture Mio and the chest strap’s data, then export the data side by side to chart in say Excel?
Using my Mio has been a disaster. Effectively it’s been a random number generator. I’m very sad, because i so wanted to love this product! I think i have pretty normal shaped wrists, but there you go. I can’t understand how it worked so well for you Ray on the pre-production model, but on shipping it’s a failure. The Mio technology sensor on the new Tom Tom watch seems to have a flange on the side to prevent ambient light problems. Seems odd that the Link’s edge’s just roll away. But thats to my very untrained design eye.
I was getting nothing back from Mio about how to return it on email for a while, but props to them, after my 3rd and slightly angry email they have now already refunded by purchase, and i await instructions/prepaid envelope on how to return it from New Zealand. Good on you! I would love to come back to this or a similar product…if they got it working like they did for Ray in his pre-production model! Good luck.
I had lot of trouble with the link until I moved it to the underside of the arm. Still have to watch it and give it a little movement once in a while when it doesn’t want to keep up with the heart rate. Overall I give it a 3.5/5 and do recommend it. Longer battery life would be great. I will have to use the strap when doing 100+ mile events. I wish I could use it on the top of the arm. The android app is pretty weak and really not of much use. I have about 80% trust in it so far, if I was training to a point that I needed 100% reliability I would have to stick with the chest strap.
Not Mio related but if Strava would enable sbt or ant+ for android that would really rock.
The link worked great for me EXCEPT it has to be on the same hand as my Timex Run Trainer. This is a major set back IMO. Do you really expect runners/cyclist to wear two things on one arm? Seems like this was designed mainly for folks using their phone and not runners with GPS watches. The ability to wear on the opposite hand would make this a much better product and unfortunately thats what I thought it was capable of when purchasing. Holding out that a firmware update will fix this. Other than this I was pleased with the HR readings on my 12 mile run Saturday.
Know there is a lot of debate about accuracy and lag-time compared to the Garmin HRM1 and other straps. So far my experience with it has been pretty good. Below is a snippet from a trainer interval workout today. Notes on the graph should be pretty clear. Graph was created by importing both HR tracks into SportTracks and using the activity overlay function.
Dave, looking at your graph, it does look like the HR from Mio Link trails behind the HR from the Garmin HRM1. It is especially apparent if you look at the 8 sawtooth peaks after the 10 minute mark.
Noted and certainly, it’s not a perfect fit. But personally I really rely on power as the ultimate precision training tool anyway.
For me HR is only a rough indicator of how hard I’m working because there are so many variables that can affect it. But power is power, whether I like the numbers on any given day or not. However as a supplement to power (or when riding a bike/wo a meter) I think overall the Link would appear to do a decent job. Certainly over the course of a long ride I don’t feel the need for second to second correlation with another device. I think ultimately it would boil down to a decision about whether you want to wear the strap or not. And there are probably times I still would… like longer events. If anything battery life is the biggest reservation I have about using the Link.
Agree with your analysis. I don’t have a lot of problem with the “lag”. My main issue is with how erratic it could get occasionally. During my 4-hour ride on Saturday, there were four occasions, for a total of about 35 minutes, when it reported my HR significantly lower than normal. In fact, it went as low as 40 BPM.
In spite of my issues, my coworker, after using one of my Mio Links for a few days, decided to buy two, one for his wife and one for himself.
A good test could be to remove the mio link from the strap and tie it with adhesive strip on the arm or torso. This way, no leak of light and on torso ni problem or mouvemement. May be no lag like this ?
I’m afraid my experience is more of the “random number generator” sort. Some days it seems pretty good; other times the numbers are off wildly, such as 180 BPM while doing an easy warm-up, and this weekend, 90 BPM during a 7K race. I’ve yet to wear it along with my Garmin chest strap, but I’m clearly getting crazy inaccurate results at times. I’ve experimented with different placements–higher and lower on the forearm, sensor on different sides of the arm, and no one spot leads to data that’s never suspect.
I’m also disappointed by the “wear on some wrist as the watch” necessity. My Ant+ speed/cadence sensor has no problem transmitting from my left chainstay to my right wrist, and my Tempe temperature sensor does just fine when it’s behind me in a pack, so I’m not sure why the Link can’t link across my torso.
If I just had the lag issue, I could live with it. But fundamentally, the data needs to be consistent, as well as accurate, and it’s not happening for me. Having it look about right some of the time isn’t acceptable, so I’m afraid it’s going back.
I have had this for about 2 weeks now and it works great. My pregnant wife uses it to keep below 150 bpm as the garmin heart rate strap was useless when 7 months pregnant.
For me, I use it running along side my Garmin FR220 and it works great, but it is on the same wrist as I found it worked the best that way. Additionally, this forced me to move it up the arm a bit and get a nice secure fit. No real drops and the lag seems to be non existent.
I do also have a Vivofit on the other arm and sometimes there is dropout on the vivofit especially when my arms are front/back from each other. However, for activity tracking, it works well and gives me another source to read my heart rate when my FR220 fields are focused on distance/speed measurements.
Overall, very happy thus far for my wife on the elliptical and for me during my daily 5 mile runs.
Only complaint is I wish the bezel glowed the hear rate zone color as the LED blinking period is too long to get a quick view during a running arm swing.
Just as an FYI, I received last night replacement production units from Mio with the new firmware to test. These were to swap out my first set of production units where I’ve been seeing accuracy issues as I’ve noted both above in the comments as well as the banner at the top of the post.
I’ll be following up over the next day with those initial results, though, keep in mind that one test do not make validation either direction. I can sometimes get the Mio Link to be ‘happy’ for a single activity. So it’s happiness over multiple activities that I’m looking for.
Is there anything different about the hardware in these new production units? (Seems like they could have gotten you firmware updates on your current units, so I’m curious.)
The singular difference is that the transmission power has been increased.
I suspect it’s easier for them to simply drop-ship me updated units rather than trying to get a firmware updater mechanism working before they’re ready to do so.
Cool! I guess I’ll hold off on my return pending your review of the new firmware. I really hope this fixes things. And thanks so much for all your efforts here!
I’m curious to see what you find. You got the pre-production units that were dead accurate. Then there were “rumblings” about the 7 hour battery life. Then the battery life was adjusted to 10 hours and the people rejoiced. But then the production units were delivered and are more problematic/less accurate compared to pre-pod units. Now the transmission power is increased. So are we back to the 7 hour batter life again with a more accurate unit?
Also, thanks for all the info Ray. You have a great site.
RE trying to get an adapter so that I can just plug a regular micro usb phone charger connection to the cradle I found a female USB to female micro USB connector on ebay from china for a dollar including postage, so should have it by Christmas ;-). No wires just a simple adapter plug that I can leave on the cradle- now why oh why didn’t Mio just do that.
Couldn’t you just plug the USB into a USB stepped down plug? It charges fine in my old white iphone 3 pin uk plug, my daughters nexus plug and I would imagine a USB in car charger.
Yes- you can plug it into any USB outlet/charger block. It doesn’t need to be plugged into your computer. In fact- I don’t believe that there is any direct communication between the Link through the USB. The way you communicate to the link is via Bluetooth.
In fact, to keep things tidy and simple I’ll use the Garmin Edge charging block as I’ll be using the Edge together with the Link. I also assume charging the Mio will be quicker by USB to mains right?
When I plug my LINK in to my cradle I am pretty sure I see an actual device show up in my device manager — implying it does have communication lines to the PC.
Another reason to believe this is the cradle has 4 contacts, if it were only a charger I would guess only 2 would be provided.
Finally, I believe I saw somewhere (but I guess don’t quote me on it, I can’t recall the source), that a firmware upgrade would be likely through the USB charger connection to a PC.
Yeah, sorry. I was following on an earlier post buried further back about many people having their plug stuck behind a bedside cabinet etc so they can charge phone at night. Having a micro USB connection saves having to reach plug and unplugging the USB connector that probably lives most of time in most peoples adapters. Add to that the fact that some phones like the samsungs in my household come with a plug into which the micro USB outlet is permanently wired in. It’s just a small but unnecessary inconvenience that could have been avoided if the ubiquitous female micro USB port option had been utilized by mio in first instance.
little adapter arrived and works a treat now I can just plug any micro usb outlet into it. I messed upon the postage though, gave a delivery address which is one of those parcel motel jobbies, ended up paying €3.50 extra which wasn’t necessary at all- that’ll teach me to pay more attention to the address I select on ebay
Glad I discovered this review and the direct comments from MIO. Sorry to say that I have another random number generator device here. The only thing I haven’t tried yet is running with the sensor on the underside of my wrist.
Only a generic support email sent in response to fairly detailed experiments with the thing. I guess they are swamped with complaints.
Not sure that I’m ready to give a full report yet on my experience with the Mio Link. My first two runs had mixed performance. A combination of ‘random number generator’ and seemingly good data. I moved the device all over the place in search of the right location- which didn’t work out so well doing it while I was running. Then, I keyed into something that Ray noted; that it’s about keeping the light out. (or really, keeping the light ‘in’). While indoors, you can easily see, as you position the mio link, if there is any green light leakage. I found the right position, just up my arm from my watch, but rotated the Link 1/8 turn so that it touched a part of my arm that matched its curvature. Now- No light leakage. Last two runs- the Mio Link has been giving me what appears to be stable and reasonably responsive HR data. (pretty happy about that).
I haven’t directly compared it to chest strap data yet- but given the sub-zero dewpoints and single digit relative humidity percentages, I seldom get decent chest strap data with which to compare. For those keeping track- my skin is 50 years old, dry and well sun damaged. I’m thinking that green light would need to go pretty deep to find blood on my arm.
So- my suggestion is to spend some time indoors, finding a good spot where you cannot see any green light peeking out, and where the device stays without slipping. The rubber strap is a great material. Just stretchy enough. A little soft. A little sticky. That all said- you can see where picking up HR via light like this, is no easy task. It’s on the edge of engineering capabilities, to do it all conditions, all arms, under constant motion. A real engineering problem.
Just as a general FYI on swimming and the Link, I was able to use it today swimming for a handful of test laps connected to both a FR620 (ANT+) and a Polar V800 (BLE), as separate tests. The HR values appeared inline with what I would have expected, and increased appropriately when I pushed the pace, and decreased when I eased up.
Obviously, the units were right next to each other in order to ensure transmission underwater – since you only get a few inches there to work with on either ANT+ or BLE.
I’ve also been swimming with the Mio Link today with the Garmin Vivofit to log the data. Data also looked pretty solid to me.
Swimming with the Garmin Vivofit and Mio Link
I had the vivofit lowest so the that it would break some of the water pressure before hitting the link.
Turned it on, made sure it had found my pulse, and then jumped in the pool. Fist I crossed over to my lane, and then spent a minute or two getting the goggles on and checking the gadgets were good.
First i did 1000m and then took a breather, then another 500m but my legs were tired after the days bmx race so even trough the plan was another 1000m i backed off the pace after 250-300m and cut it short at 500. Instead i played with Toypedos with the kids (link to swimways.com they are good fun for any age)
Hello, I tried pair mio link withouth succes with excite+ technogym equipment(compatible with ant+ and working with my old chest strap)….maybe ant+ from mio link is very weak??
Good new:
I tested mio link for measure HRV(SDNN,LH,ANS BALANCE, etc..) and mio link is very capable and accurate for that purposse.
I compare HRV measurement with zephyr bluettoth 4.0 chest strap and oximeter bluetooth 4.0.
Hi Tooraj, it looks like the first third of the graph is spot on between Mio Link and Oregon Scientific, and then at distance 15577.8, the Mio Link started to lag. Did you notice anything change around that time? Your graph is interesting, but it looks like there was a long period of time in the beginning where the Mio Link was tracking well. Just curious if you think there may be an explanation for that. Thanks.
Good point John. But even before that there is a slight lag that keep growing. But I can see the big lag.
Nothing really happened around 15.7km mark that I can remember. Around the 18.4km mark, I went over a bump through an underpass and and my tail light fell off. So I stopped to pick it up and mount it again. I lost GPS reception and my Garmin may have also lost connection to LINK.
Up until there I kept checking my HR and on a couple of occasions I notice the lag and pressed on LINK to get it to pick up its act! :-) I really felt I was in zone 4 and it I was just getting zone 2 readings. But after the little bump, I felt it was getting dark and cold so I rushed through the ride and did not pay any attention to the heart rate. So no more teasing of LINK to perform! ;-)
I received my Mio Link yesterday.
I tested it wile working on my desc.
Everything seemed to be ok, but sometimes the HR increases to nearly the double of the correct value.
Only when I tight the band, so that the blood circulation becomes limited, the values are correct all the time.
I tried several positions of the band.
I think I will have to return it.
I purchased the MIO link and have been very disappointed. While it paired very easily with my Garmin 910 and Edge 510, neither device was able to continuously register the HR broadcast signal. I called MIO customer support and they told me it must be a weak signal coming from the Link. They also told me that this is a fairly common issue right now. The returns department is so backed up right now they are at least a week behind in sending out return information so I can return the defective Link. Could be another week I am told . I usually know better than to buy a brand new device/technology until the bugs are worked out. I guess it is buyer beware. Beginning to get the feeling I may just be out $90.00 with a dud device. At least I kept my Garmin heart rate strap. My advice would be to look elsewhere or wait until MIO is able to correct these issues.
@Frank, firstly, allow me to say that I personally checked yesterday before end of business day, as I do every day, as to the status of the call centre and we are not backed up so I am surprised at this comment. Please post your ticket number and I will have it looked into. Secondly, please don’t worry about your $99. We will of course refund your money. It is absolutely not in our interest to keep the money of people who wanted to benefit from our technology but were not able to. We want happy customers, not people whose money we have that are not getting the benefit of our technology. Also, although there are several people who describe connectivity issue with LINK, please rest assured that the signal is definitely within spec. If you were advised it is weak, that is not correct. That was a miscommunication from early on in our investigation of the connectivity issues that has not died away. What we are finding is that wearing LINK on one arm and the watch on the other creates a situation where the arms swing in opposite directions causing the body to interfere with the signal transmission. Ant+ does not travel through the body. The solution is to wear the LINK and watch on the same arm. Even if we boost the signal, depending on your arm swing pattern this may not help. We are looking at releasing a firmware upgrade to boost the signal but we are testing this first. We are also looking at releasing a firmware upgrade that will improve the quality of the OHR in conditions where there is lower blood perfusion – such as weight lifting, greater wrist flexion, less vigorous exercises or less time to warm up. The lag, not present on all people, can only be solved by improving the quality of the way the sensor is picking up an individual’s signal. If there is a large hollow on the wrist, or little body fat, it is difficult for the sensor to be buried into the skin enough to prevent light leakage. So that is why pressing on the LINK has shown to be helpful.
To all: The particular group of men on this forum that have wrists that are very,very lean, or with large ulna heads (wrist knuckle), a “hollow” by the wrist, and large tendons have difficulty because the sensor does not fit on the wrist well enough to prevent light leakage. The solution seems to be to wear LINK on the other (usually non dominant) arm or on the underside of the wrist. Some men though, also have large tendons there. The best solution then is to wear it higher up the arm. There is no one technology that can cover all physiologies. We will most certainly find a solution that works on these particular kinds of wrists but if you want to try LINK and it does not work for you, by all means, take comfort that we are happy to offer a refund. The overwhelming majority of people are getting great results from LINK and ALPHA. Will our OHR products get better over time? Of course – as does all technology. We want to make this product work for all athletes since we think heart rate is the most important aspect of training and it should be more accessible – and that means getting rid of the chest strap. Your successes and failures help us learn which is why we read and participate in this forum. You rely on our integrity as a company to make sure that we are open and fair in our dealings. Also, if any of you that have had particular issues would like to be part of our testing group, please send an email to support@mioglobal.com and put “Test Candidate” in the subject line and we can look at adding you to our ongoing test program. Thank you for your patience. To all of you that are having success with your LINK, it would would be great to hear from you too just so I can get a little pumped up from the good that I am certain we are doing with our products! Liz Dickinson, Founder and CEO Mio Global
Thanks for the reply. I did not receive a ticket #. I was told I would receive an email with return instructions but have not seen that yet. I understand your argument re the hands putting the body in between the ant+ signal. However that does not explain the same issue while cycling. My wrist is essentially on the hoods and the garmin 510 is mounted to the handle bars just a few inches away. Also it would seem chest straps would have the same issue when the wrist swings behind the body. I would prefer that my Mio work for running, cycling,etc rather than getting money back. I was told they would ship another one but I have heard nothing. I was also relaying what I was told from Mio customer service re the weak signal. Again I’d just like to get one that works. From the led light on band I don’t think I am having an issue with it picking up my heart rate just the transmission to my garmin devices.
Frank, if you are getting signal drops during your bike ride, i suspect you may have a defective device. I am part of the test group that Liz mentioned in her response to you. I personally own two Mio Links, my wife has one, and i have two other Mio Links sent by Mio Global for testing purpose. I have been testing all of them extensively during my bike rides and i have never experienced any drop in HR signal (ANT+ or Bluetooth). I have tested them while cycling with my Garmin Edge 800, Garmin Edge 500, iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S. My wife has been using hers in her runs (she’s about 5’4″ 115 lbs) with her Garmin watch (don’t remember the model number). So far, none of us have experienced any problem with HR signals dropping.
In my interactions with Mio Global as part of the testing group, they have been very responsive. I truly believe Mio Global is genuinely interested in troubleshooting the issues that i’ve described in some of my comments here and in finding the solutions for them. Hopefully my participation in this testing group will help make this a more reliable product for those of us that are having issues with it.
The ANT signal issue is a weird one for sure — similarly I have ridden with the Link on my wrist for my trainer… picking up the signal from my Garmin (1 ft away) and a laptop (6 feet away). In general both have no problems on the brake hoods. However, if I place my hand on my aerobars the Link drops out to the laptop. This is not a huge deal for me, since it is 5-6 feet away, but shows a strange sensitivity. My Garmin HRM straps will pickup on this same laptop from 20-30 ft away walking around, through walls.
I think Liz was looking for a ticket # that gets auto sent back to you when you first start the communication with support@mioglobal.com
I actually called the 1-800 customer support number and spoke to someone there. Therefore, I never received a number. I have followed up since and was told again the returns department was backed up and it could be another week before I get the e-mail for return label/instructions, etc. Hope I can end up getting one that works for all activities. I am going to try wearing the link next to my 910 Garmin watch, however that is a whole lot of items going up my arm. I still need to solve the issue on cycling. That one is puzzling to me. I appreciate Liz’s responsiveness to me and others on this blog. I put a lot of trust into the reviews on this site so perhaps I just have an isolated bad link. It is odd that the customer service rep told me this was a very common problem right now and this is why the return process is taking so long.
So I added to the fuel here on the service after my unit was stuck in shipping for 3 weeks and Mio stopped responding to my emails. Coincidence or not, the day I posted here I got a phone call. Good conversation and was shipped 1-day shipping a new unit. So just tested it out with my 910xt. I was able to wear it on the opposite wrist than watch and worked perfectly on run.
Seeing that people mostly post issues only, thought I would add that besides the early issue, once I was dealt with by Mio and used the product, it was all I had hoped for. I’ll probably add my name to the testers group mentioned earlier, if possible.
Thought I’d post an update. I received my replacement Mio link and so far it has worked perfectly with both my 910xt and my edge 510. Data synced to garmin connect appears good too. I am wearing the link on the same arm as my. 910 for runs. I am putting it just above the watch (elbow side of watch). I got used to it very quickly and plan to continue to do this. I don’t typically wear my 910 when riding unless racing. Overall I’m pleased and much prefer this over a heart rate chest strap. I think with any new technology there will be done bumps along the way with the 1st gen products. I like what Mio is doing. Hopefully others will get their problems resolved as I have.
Heads up on the customer service…my order has been stuck for 3 weeks in limbo, sent them a message and things were good but when I said this was no longer acceptable, sent 4 follow up messages with no replies yet…not what I expected in service.
We should be able to choose the protocol at startup . How many will use ANT+ and BT at the same time ?
One protocol == less power consumption , so the ability to increase ANT+ power for the same battery life …
Nordic 922 based on earlier discussions, though, they may have swapped to the 422. Those are the same chipsets that the vast majority of dual products out there are using, and everyone I’ve talked to has stated that going to a single-protocol transmission mode gives “negligible” battery life savings.
Sadly, I have to agree with that statement. I’ve tried to contact the support as well, both before my order arrived and afterwards, and never got any reaction whatsoever. After complaining to them on Twitter, I got a pretty quick and nice reaction, asking me to follow them so they could send me a direct message. Which I did, but never got any message from them. It’s really, really hard not to abandon all hope and get the impression that all they currently do is trying to look as good as possible. I’d much more appreciate an honest statement that says “Sorry, we’re fucked, our support is not able to deal with the amount of problems people are having with the Link. It will take forever, but we won’t abandon you.” I can forgive a lot of things when I don’t have the feeling of being lied to.
@Manu. Our call centre is not over run. Is it true we are having a larger than expected number of questions about the connectivity? Yes. Is it overwhelming us? No. We were overwhelmed with the queries regarding the delivery issues but we are caught up. On the connectivity concerns, we never anticipated the volume of people that hated the strap enough that they would be willing to wear one strap on one arm and a watch on the other. LINK was designed for the bike market. The running use case with another watch is exciting but we will need to take that into consideration for future antenna design. The majority of accuracy problems are being experienced by men with very little body fat and wrists with hollows. In future our module design will need to be adjusted to accommodate this type of wrist physiology. Other than wearing LINK on the underside of the wrist, the best tactic I read earlier in this forum is to make sure no light is escaping from under the module and try to fit the module curve to your arm curve and wear it snugly.
Although the people on this forum are a hugely important group to us, this forum does not represent the general physically active population. We have delivered tens of thousands of LINK worldwide and we offer global support in multiple languages. One of our uses of Twitter, FB and forums such as this is to listen for any mishandled situations. Mistakes happen. And because of this we are glad to offer an additional level of support and if it makes us look good, that’s a bonus because our intention is to be good and keep getting better.
@alan Smithee (clever!). I will look into your comment about your email address. I am not aware that we pull in service emails to our marketing database.
Gentlemen, thank you all for your comments.
Liz Dickinson Mio Global CEO and Founder
“LINK was designed for the bike market. The running use case with another watch is exciting but we will need to take that into consideration for future antenna design.”
Very interesting. On the Link product page on your site, it sure seems like you are marketing towards runners. Here are some quotes directly from your site:
—————————— HOW MIO HEART RATE TECHNOLOGY WORKS
LED lights and an electro-optical cell “sense” the volume of blood under the skin. From there, sophisticated algorithms are applied to the pulse signal so that the heart’s true rhythm can be detected, even while cycling or running at performance speeds.
Have we mentioned our technology is award-winning?
—————————— BUILT FOR PERFORMANCE.
During extensive testing against the top heart rate chest strap brands, Mio LINK consistently performed with 99% EKG accuracy, even while running at speeds of up to 14.4 mph.
@Glen MIO products are mostly used by runners that run with their smart phones and need BTLE. We are discussing here the issues with ANT+ connectivity between a running watch on one arm and LINK on the other. The problem, which can be solved by wearing both devices on one arm, is not something we took into consideration during design because we added the ANT+ for bikers. ANT+ is still the dominant protocol in that activity.
@Liz – I hope you understand the point we are trying to make. All this detail you are now supplying regarding ANT+ connectivity, especially related to runners, is not mentioned anywhere (I can find) on your website or even in the user guide. It’s almost as if it was something you expected your consumer to intuitively know. It is that lack of information that is now creating some unhappy customers. When I purchased the Link, I was intending to wear a watch on one arm and the Link on the other.
With that said, I’m happy with the Mio Link and I would recommend it to runners willing to wear it on the same arm as their watch. (As a side note, most of the runners I know run with a GPS watch, not a phone). I do notice the lag in readings versus the chest strap, but that is a minor issue for me. I initially had trouble with inaccurate spikes, but moving the sensor to the underside of my wrist fixed that issue. So far I have used on it on 4 hour run and several hour plus runs and I am satisfied enough to ditch the chest strap.
I wish I could, but both me and my girlfriend are both still waiting to even get a ticket number. We contacted support@mioglobal.com as is stated on link to mioglobal.com – one a few weeks ago, one a few days ago. So far not even an automated reply with an assigned ticket number. I’d be happy to tell you our order numbers, if that helps.
We understand what you’re saying and thank you for your feedback (regarding the website). We’ll pass this over to our Content Management Team who will take all of your feedback into consideration and update the website/user guide accordingly.
I’ve preordered the Mio Link from germany and got my first device a few weeks ago.
It does not work properly. Lags, signal losses, not nearly similar to a chest strap weared at the same time.
Your support said, I should return it. I did that. I had to pay 15€ on my own to send your defective product back. I got a new one without anything to see from the 15€.
Now the new device has even more problems. I can confirm the signal losses when the device is moving “against” the receiver (Garmin FR60, ANT+). A watch is also moving opposit to a chest strap and it works nevertheless. Why not the Link? And we are not talking about bodyparts in between. Just move the both (clock and Link) in front of your body opposit to each other and you will see the signal losses.
I also use it with BT4.0 and Ant+ with an Xperia Z1 Compact and it is still lagging compared to my chest strap.
So at the moment it is useless. I do not want to send it back because than I have to pay 15€ again. 30€ for sending a defective part back that is worth 99€.
When will there be the firmware update? What is the roadmap?
Thanks
BTW: I’m one of the skinny men and tried several different positions
Hello Joachim
Please post your ticket number and we will contact you. We don’t charge for returns within the 30 day period so you were not correctly advised. We will correct this.
Just wanted to add my thoughts on the Mio Link. I’ve been using it since mid April and have done maybe 20 or so runs with it. I’m very happy. I do wear it on the underside of my wrist and above the wristbone as that seems to be where it is happiest. I’ve been wearing it on the opposite wrist to my Garmin (610) with no issues – until I read the comments here I hadn’t even considered putting it on the same wrist.
I do see my HR rise above where I’d expect it to be for maybe a km before settling back to “normal”, but this happens on pretty much every run – including those where I’ve doing a harder run but I’ve already done a warm up run and I know the unit is working fine, so I’m beginning to think maybe my HR actually does that.
Anyway – I’m very happy with it. I’ve never been able to use a chest strap successfully so I’m really pleased.
The Mio link is working for me. have had clean HR data for the last bunch of runs, including a 17mi trail run today. All looks perfect.
that said- the Link needs to be placed on the same arm as my Suunto Ambit 2. If I move it to the other arm, it doesn’t pick up the ANT+ signal reliably. This does seem a little weird- but I’m happy to have HR that isn’t a constant battle against static interference.
I’ll throw my 2 cents in…just went for my first run with Mio Link (ANT+ paired to Garmin 910). Paired easily and picked up my HR. I started the run with the Mio on my right wrist and 910 on the left. Immediately noticed the same issues reported above: standing still HR was transmitted and displayed on the 910. As soon as I started running the HR disappeared and stopped transmitting. I switched the MIO to the left wrist next to the 910. HR began transmitting and displaying again. I ran 7.5 miles trying different combinations of locations for each unit. The only place I could get consistent readings was when both units were next to each other on the same wrist. I’m not sure I buy the whole “arm swing signal issue” because I don’t have a wild and violent swing when running (like a pure sprinter would). I feel like my hands/wrists are generally in front of my body. I’ve got a brick workout planned for tomorrow and will test out the biking functionality.
My wife and I each pre-ordered a Mio Link and received them a few weeks ago. We both have had issues with the signal to our Garmin’s cutting out but we have not tried wearing on the same arm as the watch yet – we will try this soon.
Another issue I’ve been having is that the HR readings occasionally drop, gradually, to unrealistically low values and stay low for several minutes. Tightening the strap to discomfort sometimes worked in getting the values back up to where they should be. I’ve tried wearing the Link on either side of my arm and higher on the forearm with variable results. I just purchased a wrist band that might help keep light out. Still troubleshooting. We want very much to like this product as it is very cool technology and has the potential to eliminate the chest strap! For now I’m using a chest strap linked to my watch via ANT+ and at the same time using the Link with my iPhone (Wahoo Fitness) via Bluetooth (sometimes the other way around – chest strap to Wahoo and Link to watch). So far the Link needs more experimentation before I can be comfortable using it alone.
A third problem (my fault) is that Mio said that they would refund the duty charges (delivery to Canada) but I lost the package slip / receipt. Will Mio take my word for it? I do have an email trail.
I had exactly the same dropout issues, plus occasional spikes with the Alpha, despite try it in a variety of positions and tightnesses on both arms, but I have precisely the “problem” wrists Liz describes…
Hello Glen
Please post your ticket number if you have one and we will contact you. If you don’t have one, please send an email to support and post that number when you get it.
Thanks, Mio Global Support
I had been fairly impressed that the Mio Global CEO had been on this site posting damage control, but her last post where she says “LINK was designed for the bike market. The running use case with another watch is exciting but we will need to take that into consideration for future antenna design” is just rubbish.
If this were true, then why does the Mio Global site prominently feature a woman running, with the tag line “Train with Heart” if they were not targeting runners?
The bottom line continues to be that something seems to have changed between pre-production units sent to reviewers and the production units being received.
damn You are right Sir.. if They said somewhere “LINK was designed for the bike market. The running use case with another watch is exciting but we will need to take that into consideration for future antenna design” then its a REAL JOKE :O i just dont know what to say…. Ray you knew that ?
@David, when we added ANT+ to LINK it was to address the use case of the biker. We saw the biggest demand for ANT+ to be in the bike market. Please remember that LINK also broadcasts BTLE for the runner as well as ANT+. The marketing images you refer to address the BTLE running market since the largest user group that use MIO products run with their phones.
maybe its true Liz but You cant forget about runners using standard running watches + ANT+ sensors (99% chest straps).. its big part of seriously running community as well. i think You cant defend weak ANT+ with this argument ;-(
Ray posted this comment on his Stages Power Meter review that i thought may be applicable here. Several users are having issues with pairing the crank-arm-based Stages Power Meter with the Garmin 910XT multi-sport watch. One user was able to pair them together but was getting dropouts. I am guessing this is similar to what some of you are experiencing here regarding dropouts.
And here’s the official Garmin response on the dropouts experienced by users, as quoted by Ray:
“We recommend that anyone who is having trouble to try the 910XT on the opposite wrist, or the opposite side of the wrist; or to use the quick release kit to mount the 910 directly to the bike when riding.”
So perhaps the issue may be related to the type of watch you are using? My wife has a Garmin Forerunner 210 and she has been using the Mio Link since it became first available. She wears the Forerunner 210 and Mio Link on opposite arms. I have not seen any HR dropout issue in her Garmin activities. I don’t run with her but i’m pretty sure she does not run with both arms swinging in the same direction at the same time :)
hey. honestly i am happy user and have no bigger problems with Link paired with my FENIX 2. I use it only with FENIX 2…but it works well only when wearing it on same hand as watch , very tight and 5-10 cm higher (than watch) on my arm. its only way i found its working well in 95%. Frustrating is only that sentence about its designed for bikers (where there is nothing about it Links main Mio Global page. There is arso woman running on it :O) this sentence is shield for them for any further problems from runners using ANT+ paired to their watches. I just found its very unfair..
It’s likely true that the receiver has some impact on the reception of ANT+ messages… but still it is clear that the Mio is substantially different than any of the garmin straps I have used (HRM1, HRM-SS 1 and 2).
When wearing on the same wrist I see OK signal (just poor accuracy at times).
When wearing on opposite wrists with a Garmin 610, 910xt or Vivofit I have seen drop outs. If using on a bike trainer I see OK signal from ~5 ft away, but if my wife walks in front of me briefly it drops out. My old chest straps (any of them) would easily work from this distance, including through walls. I cannot say whether or not this is acceptable for someone, but the range isn’t even comparable.
All of that being said, my return is hinging on new software fixing my random accuracy issues. Perhaps I am just a fringe case that cannot use the device reliably…
Dear Mio,
After 4 calls, about 7 emails, with no consistent plan for return I have decided to post here to see if I can get a response. Simply put, your product doesn’t work for me. I have had dropped readings, erratic readings, and now the unit wont turn on and wont charge. I am not satisfied with the purchase and would like to return the products(one for my wife and one for me). However, each time I call your customer service I get a different answer in how it is to happen. The first two calls I was told I would be sent a shipping label(either email or mail), but nothing ever came. Then I was told I would be refunded and you would either send a courier or send me a shipping label. No refund, no label came. The fourth call I was told to send the product back to a certain address and then I would be issued a refund. So which is it? I have been trying to get these things returned for the last 3-4 weeks. My ticket # is 130570 so you can look into it. Its unfortunate that the product is having so many issues, but poor customer service is probably worse in my opinion.
We are beating you up a bit Liz, so I want to recognize that. But I don’t get your repeated comments about the largest customer base being runners who use their phones to track activity. You’ve made this reference a couple of times now:
“The marketing images you refer to address the BTLE running market since the largest user group that use MIO products run with their phones.”
Assuming you cannot or will not share that market data I’d just like to say from observation, and almost ten years of long distance running, the ‘runners’ I know generally wear some type of watch to this day. Even new runners I speak with end up purchasing a GPS watch within a matter of months. All the smartphone apps are great nowadays. But until there is a smartphone that is as comfortable to wear/carry as a watch – I think runners will stick with the watches.
OH NO, I ordered the Mio Link today just to realize i was cheated by MIO’s marketing nonesense?
Even if you didn’t count with the watches, lots of Android phones use ANT+ (my Xperia Mini for example) and don’t accomodate the BT4.0. This should be clearly stated on the product. IF your ANT+ doesn’t work, than state it. Poor antenna design is not the problem of your customers!
FWIW in my experience the Link’s Ant+ and BLE are about the same — albeit neither is very good.
In a gym environment, anyway, you can forget about using it with a phone unless you have the phone strapped to your arm. Using an SGSIII (BLE) drop-outs were frequent and auto-reconnect rarely worked even though the phone was never more than a couple of feet away — I tried several different apps with the same result. Even with wrist-based devices, both a Vivofit (Ant+) and Loop (BLE) saw frequent loss of signal if the Link was on the opposite wrist. When on the same wrist both the Vivofit and Loop seemed to be able to maintain a signal, though the frequently odd readings made it hard to be sure what was caused by signal loss and what was just the Link, well, being the Link.
Granted, between the WiFi and all the people running around with Bluetooth headsets and such, my gym is apt to be a bit noisy in the 2.4ghz band, but, even so, as far as I can tell the Link BLE and Ant+ signal has a range best measure in fractions of an inch.
i am doing a mio swap as now i have charging issues. if i charge it and leave it off for a few days it’s dead. when i try to charge it 50% of the time it charges the other 50% it acts as if it’s charged (and trust me it’s not.. as i just learned 5 minutes into my workout).
i also don’t like the drop issues.
i may land up returning it for the Scosche yet.. but will give them one more try …
i also like that the Scosche comes with both sm and lg bands so you can move it as needed (hint mio … most now come with both bands)
This is similar to issues I am having – The unit never completes a charge (I can leave it plugged in all day and the light doesn’t go off). As soon as I take it out of the charger, it’s good for about an hour recording and then dies. Sounds like at least two bad batteries in the first shipment.
Support still haven’t replied to my problem, they’ve sat on it for a week now.
My number is still #130366 if anyone is paying attention.
Mio were responding fairly quickly when I was only having issues. Once the unit died and I starting asking about how to go about getting a replacement they have stopped answering. I’m now waiting for Clever Training to respond.
I had one of these devices. I could not run with the device on my right wrist and my Garmin on my left. I had to put them both on the same wrist. Not at all comfortable to have both on the same wrist.
I lost my Link at a race a couple of weeks ago. The price to replace it is not an issue. But I will not be replacing it. This is a good concept, but it felt like a first gen product.
I received my Mio link 3 weeks ago. I tried it on different occasions ( run, bike) and in different positions. It doesn’t work for me.
So i asked to Mio to be refund . I have send two messages … but didn’t receive any answer. I’m surprised and disappointed. It doesn’t seem very seious.
I used the mio link a few times. Wearing forerunner and mio link on same wrist, mio on the upper position was best result for me until now (using ANT+). I am really convinced of the optical HR measuring concept. Imagine how many products (for example: from tomtom, adidas etc.) with integrated optical HR will be released in the next weeks.
My experience by training excercises and competition is the following (only running!):
– between garmin chest strap and mio link there are no significant differences; if you look on the average HF-values each round (1KM).
– only by strong changing your HR-activity rapidly the optical sensors seems not that quick like a chest strap but in sum there is no need to argue.
– I used mio link by fitness training as well. My impression by using a bench press (vertically) is that the HF-values are not correct (much to low) because of that vertical alignement of arms/wrist. The blood circulation could be different then…
My overall impression is very good if you can accept that immediate reaction is not given and if you can handle with that some body-positions makes a true measuring impossible.
I am very happy with my mio link. I hope you will get lucky soon!
Well contrary to what the review says I can not get the Mio Link to pair with my Nokia 920 with Black update through the Adidas micoach mobile app. It shows up in the gear screen as ‘Mio Global Link’ but won’t pair. I have uninstalled and re-installed the micoach app and still no change. Adidas support pretty much said they couldn’t help because they don’t or didn’t test the compatibility of this configuration. I contacted Mio Global for help and they replied with Android setup instructions not Windows Phone 8 instructions. I like the feel and look of the Mio Link but disappointed that I can’t get it to pair up.
Thank you, you do an excellent job here.
I ordered Mio Link yesterday and today I was able to try it out.
I tried Mio app and Endomondo with Note2. Works like it should so far.
Which is the best free app for Android? Endo has expensive monthly plan.
I was just wondering whether the firmware update has helped at all. I’d love to be able to switch away from the chest strap, but obviously it’s not worth it if the link just doesn’t work.
I’ve been trying a bunch of different things. It’s seemed to help a little bit in some cases. For example, I had an indoor ride that was completely flawless over the weekend (with both units). But, I also had a run last week that was half and half. One unit fairly solid, one unit kinda a mix all over the place.
I’ve switched to trying it on the inside of my wrists and am collecting data on that now.
Thought I’d post an update. I received my replacement Mio link and so far it has worked perfectly with both my 910xt and my edge 510. Data synced to garmin connect appears good too. I am wearing the link on the same arm as my. 910 for runs. I am putting it just above the watch (elbow side of watch). I got used to it very quickly and plan to continue to do this. I don’t typically wear my 910 when riding unless racing. Overall I’m pleased and much prefer this over a heart rate chest strap. I think with any new technology there will be done bumps along the way with the 1st gen products. I like what Mio is doing. Hopefully others will get their problems resolved as I have.
Thought I’d post an update. I received my replacement Mio link and so far it has worked perfectly with both my 910xt and my edge 510. Data synced to garmin connect appears good too. I am wearing the link on the same arm as my. 910 for runs. I am putting it just above the watch (elbow side of watch). I got used to it very quickly and plan to continue to do this. I don’t typically wear my 910 when riding unless racing. Overall I’m pleased and much prefer this over a heart rate chest strap. I think with any new technology there will be done bumps along the way with the 1st gen products. I like what Mio is doing. Hopefully others will get their problems resolved as I have.
Bought the link after seeing your initial review of the prototype, after it was ordered I then saw your disclaimer regarding the production units and was concerned. Having used it for several rides with my Garmin 510 it has been flawless (inside of the wrist). I’ve tracked it comparatively to the chest strap and it seems to track extremely close.
Great upgrade from the old chest strap I just hope I don’t start to encounter any issues noted above.
Purchased the Mio Link to use with my windows 8 Phone as well as gym’s ant+ cycling computer. But frankly i am at a loss as to how to add it to the adidas micoach. Any insights would be most appreciated.
Kevin…same issue for me. The mio link shows up in the micoach ‘gear’ list but I can’t get it to pair up. I really like the look and feel of the mio link but not being able to pair it up to my Nokia 920 is a bit discouraging.
Hmm, seems the trend is the 920. I’ll try my 920 when I return back tomorrow. I’ll also try my 820 and see if that’ll work, a little later tonight. Depending on the results, I’ll also try a few other BLE straps I have with me and see if anything of them work with any of those phones. Should help narrow it down between being a phone thing, an app thing, or a Link thing. My money is on phone thing, since the BLE profiles are fairly well established and everything else works with the Link.
How did you even get it to show up in the micoach gear list? I have an HTC 8X phone but the Mio Link doesn’t show up under the bluetooth listing (or at least I can’t recognize it) and I couldn’t figure out on the adidas site where I could add it to my gear. I could use the larger strap version but I like the look of the Mio Link.
I didn’t do anything other than turn the mio link on and start up the micoach app. It just showed up in the gear list. I got a response from Mio tech support today and quote unquote….”We apologize for the inconvenience, unfortunately, Windows Phones are not supported”. As much as I like this Windows Phone I am getting really tired of no support for device compatibility.
I can confirm the same issues with pairing and the 820 (little brother to the 920) and Link via the Adidas miCoach app. I was able to successfully pair to both the Wahoo TICKR and the Polar H7.
That said, I think it may be an Adidas issue. So i sent over an e-mail last night to the guys at Adidas and they think they might know what it is and will loop back to me after checking/confirming.
Thanks Rainmaker for the help. Since the Mio Link was showing up in the ‘Gear’ menu it seemed like it could be an app issue. Hopefully they can figure it out as I would really like to get this working. If I can get it going I will probably get the Speed Cell as well.
I heard back from the Adidas folks. They were able to confirm it wasn’t BLE encryption causing the issue (it was their initial thinking, but Mio Link didn’t enable that). They’re working on another WP 8.1 app update right now, and will try and address it towards the end of that cycle in the next few weeks, but it may slip to the next update.
Rainmaker, appreciate your update from Adidas on the Windows Phone Micoach App issue. Looks like I am going to need to find another HRM as I need to monitor my heartrate for some cardio rehab and can’t really wait for Adidas. Right now I am looking at the Zephyr HxM BT but it doesn’t look like it works with Micoach so will need a different app. The thing I like about the Zephyr is it says it also tracks cadence or steps which would be handy if its accurate. I was hoping to find something that wasn’t a chest strap that was compatible with my WP 8 but that doesn’t appear to exist at the moment.
Ah. Well my HTC 8X didn’t do that at all. It’s too bad because I really like the form factor. My iPod Touch is too old, my Android tablets are too old (less than a year) and now this phone is too old (four months old) to use the Bluetooth technology. I need a heart rate monitor that is ant+ and also will work with the Windows 8 phone. If this was $50 I might keep it just for the ant+ functionality but otherwise I think it goes back or up for sale.
I just purchased the Mio. Having multiple problems with it. First it never fully charges.Second it only pairs with half my apps on Android. I want to use polar beat app but it won’t pick up the signal. I have a Nexus 5 so they phone isn’t the issue. Having to wear a watch on the same arm as mio is annoying if you ask me. I might just return this and get the TomTom watch with optical sensor.
I tried the Wahoo app tonight, it worked good. I personally just like the Polar Beat app but I might change to Wahoo, it has alot of options and works good
Yup, the Wahoo App is pretty strong. It’s much more capable on the iOS platform, but they’re catching up quickly on the Android side (it was just recently released on Android).
Quick update to my comments above. Gotten a few rides in with the mio link ANT+ paired to Garmin 910 (mounted via quick release on my bike). Don’t see any issues with HR transmission, seems to work well here. As to running, I still cannot get the Link to transmit from one arm to the other while running. The link has to be right next to the 910 on the same arm. When looking at my arms swing while running the distance doesn’t seem to be much greater than when my arms are on the bars on a standard road bike. And my hands are generally in front of my body. So why do I have to wear the unit on one arm like a bionic man? Mio any other thoughts on this transmission issue? Really enjoying the product otherwise.
It seems really strange to me … The chipset on the Mio Link is using the same RF transceiver for ANT+ and Bluetooth, at 2.4Ghz for both protocols. So , if the RF power is the same, the transmission distance should be approximately the same
On android, I tried Wahoo Utility, a tool providing informations about BLE Devices. Wahoo Utility gives signal Strengh.
The Mio link near my Smartphone gives a very very weak signal. If i distant 30 cm, no more signal.
I want to love this product. But i think it’s a failure
Really disappointed
Two possibilities :
– A bad antenna design
– The battery is a really tiny one , and they want to keep battery life to the max, so they’re using low RF power. If it’s the case it can be corrected by updating the firmware. But the battery life will be impacted…
I don’t think that increase power should impact battery life.
With a simple CR2032 an heart rate strap can be used 300 hours.
I think the led impact much more battery life and to increase to 10 hours, they must avec reduce the power of leds.
May be that could explain the lag ?
A part of the lag is probably the use of a average in the algorithm, you can verify that by allowing some external light , the HR will increase second by second. If you put back correctly the Mio on your wrist, yo don’t obtain your correct HR instantaneously , but after several second.
Dear Mio,
After 4 calls, about 7 emails, with no consistent plan for return I have decided to post here to see if I can get a response. Simply put, your product doesn’t work for me. I have had dropped readings, erratic readings, and now the unit wont turn on and wont charge. I am not satisfied with the purchase and would like to return the products(one for my wife and one for me). However, each time I call your customer service I get a different answer in how it is to happen. The first two calls I was told I would be sent a shipping label(either email or mail), but nothing ever came. Then I was told I would be refunded and you would either send a courier or send me a shipping label. No refund, no label came. The fourth call I was told to send the product back to a certain address and then I would be issued a refund. So which is it? I have been trying to get these things returned for the last 3-4 weeks. My ticket # is 130570 so you can look into it. Its unfortunate that the product is having so many issues, but poor customer service is probably worse in my opinion.
Thanks for bringing this to our attention. We’ve recently changed our refund/exchange policy for Mio LINK (which, while we’ve communicated this to our Customer Support Team, may be causing the confusion. We’ll be sure to re-communicate the policy to ensure everyone understands it and that this doesn’t happen again). In the meantime, We’ve personally arranged for your refund to be issued today and your shipping label to be sent out to you as soon as possible. We will send you an email as soon as your refund has been issued and your shipping label has been sent.
Can you clarify what the new policy is? I’m still holding on to mine, waiting for Ray’s review and how firmware updates might improve things. But so far, the readings are too erratic for me to have any confidence in the data.
To help us better understand why you might be getting erratic readings, can you tell us what do you use your Mio LINK for and where on your arm/wrist do you wear it?
If you purchased your Mio LINK on mioglobal.com, you may refund your LINK within 3 days from the purchase date. We will send you a pre-paid shipping label in the mail. To begin the refund process, you need to email support@mioglobal.com, who will arrange for your refund to be processed.
I did my intervals today. 10 mins in 132-145 bmp , 10x (70s in 145-158 bmp & 20s in 170-183 bmp) , 10 mins in 132-145 bmp. So very short max sprints… unfortunetly. completly unreal to achieve real readings in such short bursts. it grown with lag to max 162 bmp… when that were really max sprints (i am sure it was at least 172 bmp each one). I know its not designed for runners and not for sprinting but i just wanted to prove it here.. with that i must say its sad thing for runners with serious running plans where intervals are often :( :( MIO, is it possible that you make improvement in this area? just honestly please!
It’s a shame, but the lag means that the Link is no good for short hr based intervals. I do minimum of 800m intervals, so I expect it will have time to catch up. However, I do them based on pace so this lag isn’t too much of a concern for me. It would seem that you need a chest strap for sprint intervals, but the Link is excellent for longer sessions.
How did you read from graph that i had Smart Recording turned on ? :O (im curious)
And why You think it may give any diffrence during such short intervals?
I turned on “every 1 sec recording” and ll test it with intervals tommorow….
“2) Are you wearing it on the inside of your wrist, or the outside?”
Not sure about that question… But i am sure i tried every possible combination of wearing it. On two hands alone, on one hand together, up and down of wrist. I found it works most stable worn both on same hand, on upper side of wrist. Link closer elbow and Fenix closer to wrist (about 10 cms away from each other). Did you try to test it on down side and noticed better effect in intervals ? (smaller lag?)
When looking at your graphs, if I drag my cursor over the line, you’ll see it skips the seconds – i.e. 12:01, 12:07, 12:10, etc… this tells me it’s only recording data points every few seconds, as opposed to in 1-second recording it’d be: 12:01, 12:02, 12:03, etc…
I’ve been using that a bit lately and it’s definitely improved some. Though, I don’t have clarity why it’s any different between now versus the pre-prod units that worked just fine on the other side. For me, I do intervals as short at 30-seconds without any real issue. And I’m doing 800m repeats without any issues in pickup. Of course, everyone’s skin is turning out to affect things different ways.
Thank You very much for fast and detailed answer !
I found a problem in my FENIX 2. I am doing specific training plan (before each training i select workout -> my workouts -> xxx workout and then go). When i try to set “data recording every 1 sec” by menu -> configure -> activity -> and there we have a list of sports.. there is everyone but no “workout”… i tried to be tricky and set “1 sec recording in every sport from menu” and my girlfriend tried it yestarday on walking by workout… i still see 6 sec delays on graph. What can i do ? Any idea ? it looks like a bug or i am so dumb ;-) here is graph from her walk with “1 sec recording” for every activity from menu.
Hmm, that’s odd. I don’t have a good answer there. It might be worth posting to the Garmin Forums, and the Fenix2 sub-forum (or, sending to the Fenix e-mail address).
Just talked with support. They confirmed its a bug. In workout mode FENIX 2 records only in Smart Mode. They ll fix it soon. I said them its your job … Thanks Ray !
still bigger delays on it. its not every 1 sec. are you sure that in longer activities > 30 mins there are just less details on graphs ? :O
here is my last very short test in Trail Run mode when i did 3 series of pushups outdoor and it recorded my HR every second.. im totally messed now. what is happening ?
Looking at those, both of them are now recording correctly at 1-second, so that’s good. You can see it now as you mouse-over the HR graphs that ever second is visible.
As for whether or not the HR data is accurate for you, I wouldn’t be able to tell you since I don’t have anything to compare it too unfortunately. But transmission-wise things look reasonable outside of one issue for about 7-10 seconds in the 3-minute marker where it appeared to repeat values. That may be true, but hard to say.
Thanks for taking the time to try our Mio OHR Technology, certain exercise movements such as those of high intensity and short duration have been known to cause some lags in heart rate reading. This is because the mode of activity, speed, and duration of the movement has an impact on the noise filtration algorithms, making it more difficult to dissociate artifacts from true pulse rate. Additionally, these types of intensities combined with gripping activities are often associated with low blood perfusion, meaning blood flow to the extremities is reduced. We have a new device firmware upgrade, which will be released relatively soon, that should be much better at tolerating those more extreme conditions.
Thanks for taking the time to try our Mio OHR Technology, certain exercise movements such as those of high intensity and short duration have been known to cause some lags in heart rate reading. This is because the mode of activity, speed, and duration of the movement has an impact on the noise filtration algorithms, making it more difficult to dissociate artifacts from true pulse rate. Additionally, these types of intensities combined with gripping activities are often associated with low blood perfusion, meaning blood flow to the extremities is reduced. We have a new device firmware upgrade, which will be released relatively soon, that should be much better at tolerating those more extreme conditions. Hope that helps! :)
“Looking at those, both of them are now recording correctly at 1-second, so that’s good. You can see it now as you mouse-over the HR graphs that ever second is visible.”
Strange.. Check it twice on first graph i posted (link to connect.garmin.com). Where you can see every second delay on HR or pace ? I checked it 10 times (with max zoom as well) and i see 3 sec delay. Its in trail mode… On second graph with my 3 series of pushups its same trail mode and i see 1 sec delay (link to connect.garmin.com) .. what is going on ? Please, can you paste me any graph with activity longer than 30 mins with every second data recording ?
Thats really cool about firmware update. As i said , overally i am fascinated with OHR tech and i am happy user of Link. I just want to help improving it. Im with You !:) Tell me please where can i check/download if update is ready? (any more accurate aproximation of date of release?) Good luck!
Interesting, you used to be able to do it in the previous GC for any activities. Odd. In any case, that’s not really the core of your issue though – as a rendering difference doesn’t really change what you are or aren’t seeing.
btw. inside the wrist didn’t helped on my side, but moving it at bit more to the middle of the arm helped. I had shaved off my (dark-blonde) hair to be sure it works fine for a longer period as I used it for a 9 hours run. Worked well for me.
Have a mio link and love it, but want to get either a vivo fit or loop to pair with it as I’m wanting an activity monitor with time for my daily activities. I also have a galaxy 4 that the mio is currently paired with via ant+. I like the look of the vivo fit, but not sure what the best choice would be.
Hmm, that’s tough. You can really go either way since both Polar and Vivofit would pair to your Mio Link. By the same token, you could also use the S Health app on your Samsung S4 and get steps there too. :)
Right now the Garmin online site is a bit more deep than the Polar one as far as fitness activities go, but I feel like the Polar site has a slight edge for daily step tracking.
I have the Mio Link and really like it so far – possibly some connection problems with my Galaxy4. Currently connected via ant+ (can’t connect via BT) and not sure if the reading is 100%. But I digress.
I am thinking of getting either the Polar Loop or Garmin Vivofit to use as a watch/activity monitor when I’m not actively working out. I love the look of the Vivofit, but don’t know which is the best solution for me. I use Endomondo for tracking my workouts. Has anyone successfully connected the mio link with android via BT that would allow me to simulataneously connect the Mio to both the Vivofit & my phone? Or other ideas of an activity monitor (with watch & HR) to consider?
I’d read through some of the comments above. In short, people have having problems with transmission strength while worn on opposite wrists, as well as in some cases unreliable readings.
What Rainmaker said is correct. There are some people who have experienced a few issues with transmission strength when Mio LINK is worn on a different arm than their GPS watch. This is due to ANT+ not being able to transmit through the body. When the arms swing while running, the ANT+ signal tends to get blocked. Second, some people are seeing unreliable readings — mostly caused by where the Mio LINK is being worn on the arm/wrist. However, many thanks to Rainmaker’s advice, a lot of these issues have been/are being resolved.
Would those signal strength issues still exist if using with cycling, being paired to phone in jersey pocket? If so, would it be better to pair via bluetooth instead of ANT+?
I am interested in getting a Mio Link for use in clycling, but don’t want an ugly computer or phone mounted on my bars… Is having it connected to a phone in back jersey pocket too far away to get reliable readings?
Please explain me why Bluetooth is working well then, and not ANT+ !
It’s the same frequency range and both are using the same transceiver . At the same power MIO should reach the same TX distance !
Are you trying to wear the Mio Link on the opposite wrist of your ANT+ device? That’s the issue. It’s annoying and not mentioned anywhere in the user guide or reviews. Only the comments seen above sorted this one out.
Try wearing the device on the same forearm as the watch. Or if another device make sure Mio Link is not trying to send the data through your body.
Thank you both for your comments. The ANT+ signal is something we are working on strengthening via firmware update. In the meantime, we have reworked our user guides (to be published soon) and have begun auditing and editing our online and printed content to ensure we make it clearer to LINK users that, for optimal use, Mio LINK and ANT+ watches should be worn on the same arm.
At the moment, wearing the Mio LINK and pairing it with an ANT+ device, such as a bike computer is best done when the computer is mounted on the handle bars. However, when you pair via Bluetooth to apps on your phone, it should be fine to have your phone in your pocket or on your arm.
Hi….just go my mio link the other day, and had first proper ride today. My phone (Galaxy S2) was in my back middle pocket of my bike shirt with link on my right arm….I was running endomondo app on the phone showing HR on the samsung gear fit on my left arm. I had my polar cs500 and rs800 on the aero bars with my wind chest strap on. Almost perfect agreement between what was on my polar and endomondo on the gear fit. Sometimes the mio seemed to lag a bit. Later on changed bikes and had phone on handlebars running strava – got almost same result HR almost perfect but sometimes phone lagged a bit behind the polar. End result had same average HR for polar and mio, so not a big deal. I’m pretty sure I was using bluetooth each time.
Is it possible to change the max heart rate setting on the Mio Link? I’ve used the app to change to the relative values of the 5 zones, but I have not been able to increase the max bpm value. Am I missing something obvious?!
I tried also to return my Mio Link and to be refund ( (ticket# 131719) , but it doen’t work. THey send a number ticket, and askdetails, but after …. silence. Why ? It doesn’t seem to be very serious.
Take care, this technology doesn.’t work with each one, and after it is impossible to be refund.
As the Mio Link doesn’t work for me, i’m searching a chest strap i could pair it to a Garmin cycling computer (via ANT+) at the same time as an iPhone app (via Bluetooth Smart). Does it exist ?
I’m having a really hard time reading HR on my Garmin 610 while wearing the Mio Link on the opposite forearm. Sure, as described by the Mio Link support team it works well when I wear the Mio Link on the same forearm as the Garmin 610. Not a huge deal, but kind of annoying.
Since the issue appears to be interference with the inability of Mio Link to send data via Ant+ through the body I’m wondering if there are any decent running watches (very basic ideally) that receive HR data via Bluetooth Smart? This would allow me to wear one unit on each wrist, no?
The TomTom units receive via Bluetooth Smart, as does the Polar V800.
To that end however, I’m not 100% certain I agree that ANT+ transmission should be the issue here. ANT+ devices are typically certified against the same transmission standards as Bluetooth Smart. While I’ve heard various minimum distance tossed about, I was unable to find the current certification requirement offhand.
Compounding this, if one watches videos of runners, most actually don’t pull their arms behind their body at all – short of you running a 100m sprint like you’re going to win an Olympic medal. For most runners here, both your wrists will stay forward of your body at all times.
Wander over to YouTube and poke around at videos of people running races. Here’s a random one you can skip around in the middle to: link to youtube.com
So hearing that I’d love to hear how your tests are going with the new software update that boosted signal strength? Have you been testing it while wearing on the opposite forearm/underside of wrist?
I would agree with you on being uncertain whether the issue is the inability send via ANT+ through the body. Because if this was the case wouldn’t we see the same issue with HR straps? Picture your arm swing at the side of your body and the HR receiver on the front. The signal still has to pass through half the body in this hypothetical scenario, right? I guess the difference with the Mio is that it’s not passing all the way through the body from one side to the other.
It’s better, not perfect, but better. It’s also better moving to inside of wrist.
I’m in a slight holding pattern as the tool that I use to collect data from a bunch of devices at once had to be replaced, so there’s been a bit of no-testing the last few days. Hopefully that’ll resume Thurs or Fri.
I really love this little bracelet. :-)
Well designed, something you’d like to wear.
At first I had some issues with rising HR. Then I tighten it a little more and the reading got equal to the one of the HR-strap. But it felt to snugg. So I put it on the other Arm, and everything is fine :-). What I try to say is, I think you have to try different positions until it works for you.
@ Mio
If you read this. Is there a chance to change the flashing light to a permanent light. While running I want to have a instant feedback. In the moment I have to look at the link for a few seconds until the next flash appeares (and if I didn’t get the color even more sec). If it’s eating battery, than give us the choice (app settings).
I’ll second the motion for a faster blink rate :-) Dos’ent have to be solid
Yes i could try to read my pulse of my watch/vivofit but that is often difficult cause of ligting etc. The color led is so much easier to see and understand.
1) Verifying that it is measuring the heartrate corretly (it is in the expected range)
2) increase/decrease intensity to stay in the chosen zone
I also back the above idea about faster/permanent light for better safety bike riding.
I already sent email (# 132139) about this idea along with my device compatibility problem before Stefen’s posted. But what surprise me that Mio responses here faster than email portal.
In my eyes the mio link activity led is only to know if the measuring works fine; so I can connect my PRIMARY HR-Monitor then. I only have the Garmin FR110 which shows my pure HR without zones, percentages and so on. Best praxis is for me to wait until the mio link is blinking in the first zone (strong blue), then switch HR-Monitor (FR110) function on, then connection should be shown as established.
That’s it.
If you prefer complete information on one item then buy products like mio alpha, tom tom, adidas.
May be there will be activity tracker on the market which measuring HR optical and show permanently HR zones as well.
If you compare the mio link with a chest strap then you have to realize that the pure measuring item normally has no viewable indicators at all.
Thank you both for your comments. runnershigh0815 is right, Mio LINK was created to replace the cumbersome chest strap (which doesn’t provide real-time data unless you pair it with a watch or bike computer). However, we do appreciate you comments, k2w2. We’ll be sure to pass them along to our Product Development Team for consideration. With regard to your comment on the time it takes/took for our Support Team to reply, we apologize for the delay and thank you for your patience. If it’s any consolation, we are aware of the issues some our customers have been experiencing, and have made arrangements to add additional people to our team in order to keep up with the volume of calls and emails we’ve been receiving (we’ve grown quite a bit recently, so it’s time to bring in more staff).
Thanks again for your feedback.
If you need anything else at all, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Well, unfortunately my Mio Link has died and will not power on or charge. I used it for a 50K last weekend, and it worked well, but this morning it wouldn’t turn on.
I ordered it through Clever Training, so I contacted them for an exchange. I’m hoping I just received a faulty unit.
Interesting. I’ve been having accuracy concerns on and off with hopes of an update to improve things… Then last night mine died. It will not turn on or charge (it had just been fully charged the day before)
Mine died a few weeks ago and I eventually just sent it back to Clever Training because I heard nothing more back from Mio on what to do. I’m waiting for a replacement for that unit.
Yesterday I received an email from Mio with the following suggestion which btw I had tried before I sent it back.
“Have you attempted to clean the charger contacts?
We recommend a q-tip dipped in 75% isopropyl rubbing alcohol.”
Hey, Does anybody have news on when / if the signal boosting firmware update will be released? I’ve had similar issues with transmission as stated above, this has largely been solved by wearing it on the same wrist as my Ambit2 but i’d rather not do this if I can help it as it looks goofy. I’d personally settle for a reduction in battery life if it means improved transmission as I still have my standard HR strap for extra-long outings. I think everybody is really wants this product to work, hence the strength of feeling in the comments above. Fingers crossed…..
I have been trying to use the Mio Link with my Suunto Ambit 2 but the signal keepa on dropping. It is hard to train when you look at your watch only to see that your heart rate info is missing. I do not have time to wait for this information to appear when training. There have been suggestions to wear the Mio on the same wrist or wear in opposite wrist as the watch but with the Mio dongle positioned on the inside of the wrist. I don’t believe anybody spent $99 of their hard earned money only to make compromises. Who wants to wear the Mio on the same wrist as your watch only to make it work? Why should it be worn on the inside of your wrist in hopes that it will work. With the amount of positive reaponse i have seen from this website as well as other , I was expecting to aee an official response from Mio that they are working on an update with a concrete time frame on when the firmware will be released. Because I have not seen one, I have lost all confidence in this company. Mine is definitely going back to the store. It’s a great product too bad the company can’t act in a timely manner. You’re not the only game in town Mio! And to think i exchanged the first Mio Link that I had because I thought it was defective. Little did I know that they are all defective…by design.
I have been trying to use the Mio Link with my Suunto Ambit 2 but the signal keepa on dropping. It is hard to train when you look at your watch only to see that your heart rate info is missing. I do not have time to wait for this information to appear when training. There have been suggestions to wear the Mio on the same wrist or wear in opposite wrist as the watch but with the Mio dongle positioned on the inside of the wrist. I don’t believe anybody spent $99 of their hard earned money only to make compromises. Who wants to wear the Mio on the same wrist as your watch only to make it work? Why should it be worn on the inside of your wrist in hopes that it will work. With the amount of positive responses that I have seen from this website as well as others , I was expecting to aee an official response from Mio that they are working on an update with a concrete time frame on when the firmware will be released. Because I have not seen one, I have lost all confidence in this company. Mine is definitely going back to the store. It’s a great product too bad the company can’t act in a timely manner. You’re not the only game in town Mio! And to think i exchanged the first Mio Link that I had because I thought it was defective. Little did I know that they are all defective…by design.
I have been trying to use the Mio Link with my Suunto Ambit 2 but the signal keepa on dropping. It is hard to train when you look at your watch only to see that your heart rate info is missing. I do not have time to wait for this information to appear when training. There have been suggestions to wear the Mio on the same wrist or wear in opposite wrist as the watch but with the Mio dongle positioned on the inside of the wrist. I don’t believe anybody spent $99 of their hard earned money only to make compromises. Who wants to wear the Mio on the same wrist as your watch only to make it work? Why should it be worn on the inside of your wrist in hopes that it will work. With the amount of positive responses that I have seen from this website as well as others , I was expecting to see an official response from Mio that they are working on an update with a concrete time frame on when the firmware will be released. Because I have not seen one, I have lost all confidence in this company. Mine is definitely going back to the store. It’s a great product too bad the company can’t act in a timely manner. You’re not the only game in town Mio! And to think i exchanged the first Mio Link that I had because I thought it was defective. Little did I know that they are all defective…by design.
We are sincerely sorry to hear that you’re disappointed, but we thank you for your honest feedback.
We understand your frustration with the fact that you’ve seen some dropouts with your Mio LINK/Suunto Ambit 2 when you weren’t wearing the two devices on the same arm. We also understand that you don’t want to wear the two devices on the same arm as your watch. To optimize Mio LINK’s communication with other ANT+ watches, we continue to recommend that the two devices be worn on the same arm. We’re proactively working on updating our website and adding some videos to YouTube that should make this more clear.
It’s our aim to provide consumers with comfortable, accurate products of the highest quality. Based on customer feedback (such as yours), we are continually working on improving Mio LINK.
With regard to your firmware update inquiry, we are working on a firmware update, which will improve the ANT+ transmission to reduce dropouts, but we can’t offer a timeframe as of yet. With that said, we would love for you to join our testing process. If you’re interested in doing that and being the first to know about product updates, please send us your email address in a private message on Facebook and we’ll have someone reach out to you.
As it seems the only way to get any response is to complain about it with as large an audience as possible, I want to stress again how insulting I find the way you’re treating your customers: link to twitter.com
We’re sorry you weren’t able to get a hold of Support. We understand that you are frustrated and sincerely apologize for that. If it’s any consolation, we are aware of the issues some of our customers have been experiencing, and have made arrangements to add additional people to our team in order to keep up with the volume of calls and emails we’ve been receiving. (We’ve grown quite a bit recently, so it’s time to bring in more staff.)
After you sent us a tweet, we tried searching in our system for your name, but it didn’t show up for some reason. We then tried to send you a direct message on Twitter, but we were unable to reach you because you weren’t following us — this is Twitter’s rule. We would be more than happy to get this resolved for you, so when you have a moment, would you mind please sending us a direct message on Twitter or on Facebook with your ticket number so we can look into your purchase? We’ll need that number in order to get the refund process started.
Thanks again for your patience and feedback.
If you need anything else, please don’t hesitate to ask.
I want to buy Mio Link to pair with LG Lifeband . Someone knows if it is possibile ? I see that LG Lifeband is compatible with some others Heart monitoring devices like wahoo or other.
Thanks for the heads up. Any chance that it’s redirecting you to one of the non-US Amazon sites when you click the link?
I just tried from my end, and it appears to go to the right US Amazon one. But, if the server thinks you’re outside of the US, it’ll try and find it in the local Amazon store for your country. Sometimes that works…sometimes, not so much.
No matter, if you just click the big Amazon logo in the right corner of any page on the site, and then search for whatever you’d like (the Mio Link, toilet paper, TV’s, etc…), it’ll work out and support the site.
Would this work with tacx advanced trainer software and genius for the heartrate?
The Polar analog bealts often have failures in the tacs software like only 60 beats or over 200 beats.
On the polar watch is everything ok.
Yes, the unit transmits via ANT+, so that will work with the Tacx. However, be aware that the Link seems to have a much lower transmission distance than many other ANT+ devices. As such, you’ll want to ensure you’ve got line of sight to your computer with the ANT+ USB stick in it. And, that it’s not terribly far away.
And what about the Scosche Rhythm+? Is there a higher transmission distance?
It would be great if I do not need to wear a breast strap on my tacx genius.
Both would work with the Tacx, as both transmit ANT+. In my testing, I find the Scosche will transmit a bit further.
If I look at signal strength measurements, the Scosche is generally substantially stronger than the Link – even in cases when it’s actually further away from the receiver.
We are sincerely sorry to hear that you’re disappointed, but we thank you for your honest feedback.
We understand your frustration with the fact that you’ve seen some dropouts with your Mio LINK/Suunto Ambit 2 when you weren’t wearing the two devices on the same arm. We also understand that you don’t want to wear the two devices on the same arm as your watch. To optimize Mio LINK’s communication with other ANT+ watches, we continue to recommend that the two devices be worn on the same arm. We’re proactively working on updating our website and adding some videos to YouTube that should make this more clear.
It’s our aim to provide consumers with comfortable, accurate products of the highest quality. Based on customer feedback (such as yours), we are continually working on improving Mio LINK.
With regard to your firmware update inquiry, we are working on a firmware update, which will improve the ANT+ transmission to reduce dropouts, but we can’t offer a timeframe as of yet. With that said, we would love for you to join our testing process. If you’re interested in doing that and being the first to know about product updates, please send us your email address in a private message on Facebook and we’ll have someone reach out to you.
I don’t really understand the term HRV but one of these posts mentioned the Mio doesn’t calculate this? Before I fork out any money, if I pair the Mio Link with my Fenix 2 will I get a VO2 figure and a recovery time and a race time prediction etc that I do from my normal Garmin HRM chest strap?
You can pair the mio link with an smartphone for example. You can install HRV-Apps like myHRV and you get an calculated HRV-value then. The app works.
As far as I know depends VO2 “measuring” in your case on an software algorithm on your Fenix2.
If the calculated HRV-value by using ordinary chest strap and mio link are the same, then there is no difference in calculating VO2 between both units. That’s because HRV beeing used to calculate recovery time and VO2 as well.
In truth you have to know that HRV is influenced by your breathing. So…to measure VO2 is tricky anyway and may be not very meaningful then.
I switched from a chest strap to a Mio Link for my Ambit 2 , and I 1. still get VO2, Recovery time, Respiration Rate (I have no idea how this is calculated), and 2. the numbers are all consistent between the two HR type devices.
There are also apps that have been developed (ambit) that calculate VO2 which include not only HR, but also achieved running paces. I’m not sure how much of the FirstBeat work was implemented in the algorithms of either of these watches. Very cool ExPhys work tho’.
Just to briefly clarify. The Mio Link will transmit HRV/RR information (like the Scosche unit). They’re required to per the spec. Said information may or may not be accurate though. The information transmitted to devices/apps isn’t a true measurement, but rather a guesstimate. For some, it’ll work out.
For me, it works out sometimes, but not all the time. For example, times where I get 170+ hours of recovery time for a 40 minute run. In this case, it doesn’t much matter which backend app/device you use, it all kinda follows the tried and true saying of: Junk in, junk out.
It’s just that sometimes, the junk-in happens to be in the ballpark, so it’s still in the ballpark when going out. As always, your mileage may vary…
I use Ithlete to check my physical form.
For me, the mio link has incoherente results for my HRV. The results is typilcally underestimate 15 compared to my Chest strap bluetooth
Add me to unreliable readings and dropped signals (or could it be simply that the reading becomes so high that the unit doesn’t know what to do with it?
I did a race on the weekend. 10km run at race pace, average HR 169, max 189. This seems correct from my previous experience with my HR chest strap. Just did a 8km recovery run at more or less 75% of race pace, average 172 with 204 max. I’m not saying impossible, but I’m saying highly unlikely. I could hold a very spirited conversation, no heavy breathing at all… It just seems very fishy.
I’ll see if wearing on same wrist as watch makes any difference. I also noticed that very often it fails to start up (brings up the red light then turns off) and takes a few tries to get running. Today was actually one of those days (and race day wasn’t). I’ll try to see if there’s a link.
Curiously, when using it with a computer ANT+ dongle for TrainerRoad, I never have issues – and my dongle is much farther than the distance between my arms.
Just wanted to add… signal seemed fine for the first 30% of my run. I was averaging 145 and it was in line with how I felt. Then suddenly bang! shot through the roof and stayed at 190+ for the reminder of the workout.
Am I correct in understanding that most of the somewhat disgruntled comments above apply primarily to ANT+ operation, and that therefore Bluetooth Smart functionality is performaing as it should? Or are there underlying issues with accuracy that affect basic operation irrespective of transmission type?
I’m hoping to use a wrist strap with the Polar V800, and this seems the obvious choice, assuming basic functionality is sound.
My wife use the unit with her TomTom Multisports (BT).
I just went over her recent workouts; there are no “through the roof HR” like I was experiencing, but there is one (possibly two) workouts with fishy data (10 miles tempo run – tempo pace – but with a 100 HR average – my wife usually average 165-170 in these types of run).
I wouldn’t conclude the issue is only related to ANT+.
Some (maybe most?) complaints are poor ANT+ signal strength — leading to mio recommending wearing the devices on the same arm.
I don’t know how many have accuracy issues, but at least some do. I personally often look down when working hard on the bike and see my HR in the 60-80 range. This is clearly an error. I will also often be running a consistently moderate pace on flat terrain and see large sections 20-30 BPM off… possibly for 5 minutes at a time.
I’m still waiting to try the rumored software update to see if things improve. If they do not, then I am sending mine back. Apparently I have an odd wrist or blood flow…
I use Wahoo utility to check Mio Link Bluetooth signal. The bluetooth signal is weak too. I have a Geonaute Bluetooth Chest strap and the signal is much more powerfull.
II suggest to test Mio with wahoo utilities : great app
I wonder if the Link’s antenna gain pattern is not circular. i.e. it has a higher signal up and down your arm, but not out to the side? Is that something you could check with your app?
Mine works fine, but time from time it seems to stay somewhere and not to update HR or have a error in comparison to Tomtom Cardio watch or my Sigma HR watch with chest band sensor.
I have no idea if its Endomondo app bug or actual data from Mio Link. I am returning it and keeping Tomtom Multisport Cardio GPS watch.
I note a few people do not want to wear the Mio link on the same arm, but from my experience it does not feel heavy or uncomfortable to have the watch and Mio link next to each other. I have been pairing with the garmin FR220, which I admit is much lighter than previous watches. I have also been wearing the Mio Link sensor on the inside of the arm, about 2 inches above the watch. So far, the readings have been accurate, although i do not have another HRM to compare lag.
In conclusion, i am very happy with the Mio link. I think people should give wearing it on the same arm a go, because honestly, its not that bad and much better than the chest strap.
I really dislike chest straps so I pre-ordered one of these. Delivery was absolutely bang on time – well done Mio.
I wore it for the ‘Tour du Lac’ (cycle around Lake Geneva/Lac Leman in Switzerland) with a certain amount of trepidation as I did not bother with the tried and tested chest strap. I need not have worried – it worked perfectly paired to a Forerunner 910 and and an Edge 810.
Next step is to test it in the lake when it is next to the Forerunner 910.
Finally bought the Mio Link and ran the third time with it today. Here are my observations:
Had to cheat with my age to configure max. HR when setting it up.
Wearing it too loose ups the HR by 10-20 beats – easily noticeable.
Loving the light as means of control of the HR.
Using the Mio Link with the Polar Beat app, I do not get any spikes whatsoever.
Wearing the Mio Link on the same arm as the smartphone.
Same reading when wearing it on top or underneath my arm.
Strap sits a little tight – gotta continue experimenting…
Bought the shorter strap version – right decision.
Does the double-blink indicates the upper half of a HR zone? Bet it does – single blink for the lower.
Am a little curious about my lower Polar running index – went down to 47 from my usual 50/52. Overall I seem to have a slightly higher HR with the Mio Link compared to the Polar H6, but I try to use both units on one of my next runs.
What I do not like? Not much: the complete Mio Link user guide has to be downloaded from the web site, is hard to find and does not come in my first language. Single and double blink in training mode and battery replacement is not documented. A replacement strap is currently not available.
Well, nothing what would stop me to recommend buying the Mio Link. So go and buy it :D
Using it on the bike today was OK, too. Looking forward to take it to the pool soon.
Got my Link over the weekend. Definitely took some tweaking to fit the sweet spot on my arm where it is able to read the HR without error. Unfortunately it high up the arm, so the small/medium size band is a little narrow. Running is 100% correct, cycling seems to be suffering from some sort of adjustment period in the first 5-10 mins of the ride – the HR reads high but then it adjusts to the correct value.
Overall – I am sold. No more heart rate strap for me once I exchange my link for the large size strap.
Got my Link over the weekend. Definitely took some tweaking to find the sweet spot on my arm where it is able to read the HR without error. Unfortunately it is pretty high up the arm, so the small/medium size band is a little narrow. Running is 100% correct, cycling seems to be suffering from some sort of adjustment period in the first 5-10 mins of the ride – the HR reads high but then it adjusts to the correct value.
Overall – I am sold. No more heart rate strap for me once I exchange my link for the large size strap.
That’s fantastic to hear, Alex! Thanks for sharing your feedback.
For those of you who are having trouble with your Mio LINK finding your heart rate, check out this blog post on how best to wear your Mio LINK: link to blog.mioglobal.com.
An update after about using this for 4 months. Started out working really well, but about 3 weeks ago the unit started showing erratic HR readings. It is usually either 10bpms or about 10 bpms under. I have it paired with Garmin 910xt and Edge 500. Emailed support. Let’s see what happens. Sucks that I have a marathon next week that I will probably have to run with the old HR strap.
I did. Still it spikes way too high – I saw a 180+ bpm reading during a long run today when it should have been more like 142-145 bpm max. Let’s see what their support says.
he unit comes in two sizes, a smaller one for wrists 145-187mm in size, and a longer one for wrists 162-216mm in size. The internal pod can be popped out of the rubber casing, thus allowing you to change the band color if you’d like (from white to black, or black to white).
Hi,
are you sure about wrist lenght of the product as above ? Because, on the website it is written as “Comes in two sizes (wrist sizes: S/M – 21-175mm / 4.8”-6.9”, L: 149-208mm / 5.9”-8.2”)”
How did you measure the size ? I orderded regular size one, is it possible to replace the band with the longer one afterwards ?
Did more testing. When cycling, the HR is spot on. I rarely lose the signal, but sometimes I do for a few seconds (even though TrainerRoad rates the Mio signal as “excellent”, whereas my speed/cadence sensor is rated as “good” but never loses signal).
When I run it’s 50/50. 50% of the time I get what I think are good results, and the rest of the time my heart beats at 200 even though I’m doing a casual jog in the neighborhood.
Wearing the Mio next to the watch didn’t solve the issue.
I can’t get the Mio tighter without losing bloodflow to my fingers.
In my not so professional opinion, there seems to be something screwy with arm motions and Mio Link. Only reason I can see why it’s perfectly fine for biking, and perfectly not fine for running…
Usually Mio link is working well for me (moutain biking and elliptical cycling) , but today I observed a strange
thing on the HR chart for a 30min elliptical cardio training : link to i59.tinypic.com
The first 5 min is OK, but the 5 to 15 is too low . Then, in several seconds HR is going from 75 to 143 and finally , it’s stable.
Usually when light is going under the strap , HR is too high Oo Maybe someone has an explanation ?
I was getting an abnormally low reading halfway into the first mile of a 5k last month. I turned the unit off then on and it latched onto a more appropriate reading within a second or two, you might try doing that if you’re getting abnormal readings for any length of time.
Bought one last night. Used it in the swimming pool with a Suunto Ambit 2 Sapphire. Spent over an hour under water with fins, mask, and diving weights on. Swam about 30 laps in about 4.5 feet of water. Got great heart rate readings. Almost no spikes or drop outs. I wore both watch and Mio Link on my left arm with the Mio located about three inches up my arm from my wrist. I got much better results than the Mio Alpha I tried 3 months ago and returned. I believe their is less water turbulance around the lower profile Link that can hide next to my Ambit. I consistantly got a steady 95 to 105 beats per minute practicing free diving. As long as I didn’t break the surface of the water and create a lot of turbulance with my arms, I was getting great results.
The Mio Alpha I returned had a tendency of reporting 40 beats per minute below water and then 90 beats above water. Nice job Mio!
I just wanted to add a little more info. I like to train in a pool to become more oxygen efficient. I hold my breath and see how far and long I can swim underwater with one breath. The pulse monitoring in realtime has been a challenge for me. I used to use a Polar FT7 with strap, which works, but never liked having multiple watches and websites for all the data. I prefer having everything in Movescount.com (Suunto). The Mio Link maybe my grail heart rate monitor from the looks of things. If it handles the ocean water and can go 30 feet with me, I can have all the details of my dives using my Ambit 2. GPS tracking, heart rate, calories. (Depth metering is done on a Aeris F10 dive computer.) Just wanted to balance out all the problem reports with one potential success note. Going to spend the next several weeks trying the Mio Link out on dives!
Seiji,
good news. Are you able to pick up HR while using the Indoor Swimming mode? I can’t figure out how to get my Ambit2 to see HR while in swim mode. Granted, it will pick up HR if in another mode (like running)- but I also want to have it count laps for me.
Wow! Thank you so much for taking the time to let us know how happy you are with your Mio LINK. We’re really glad you shared your thoughts.
On a different note, we’d love to see your diving photos! If you’re interested in sharing them with us, you can post them on our Facebook page (facebook/mioglobal) or send them to us in a private message. Diving is such an amazing sport.
You are correct. In standard indoor swimming mode, Ambit 2 won’t activate heartrate monitoring/recording. You have to create an outdoor activity like “trekking” and then rename it indoor hr swim. Add all the Movescount screens and data fields you want to see and record on the watch including HR, then go swim :- ) . Suunto locked hr out on swim.
Sure, will. Is the Mio Link ok in salt water? If it is, I will take some pictures of it on my next ocean dive next to the Suunto Ambit 2 and my Aeris depth meter. I’m pretty confident it can show heart rate, which is critical in gauging when I can make safer deeper free dives.
Usually during the entry and first 20 minutes during aclimation, my heart is beating pretty hard as I get out into the sea. Then, it gradually settles down as I get passed the waves and use to the temperature and ocean currents. Once my heart stops beating hard and feels slow, I can start to go deeper and farther underwater. It would be great to actually see it happen so I know when I’ve reached the magic zone and can safely take a one breath dive longer than a minute. Trying to reach maximum depth and time before my heart slows can result in “Shallow Water Backout”, which means I’ve become unconscious and that leads to drowning. Heartrate monitoring that really works underwater could be a great safety tool! Please let me know if Mio Link can handle salt water!
You may be able to dive to a great depth but are you confident the Link will take it?
My understanding is that it’s only 3 bar water resistant and obviously not sealed or pressure tested…..beware, you may have a problem with the warranty if you kill it !
30 meters water resistance is almost 98 feet under water. For all but scuba, 30 meters is plenty deep. Also, fresh water rinse afterwards should be good enough to prevent corrosion from salt water, but we should wait for Mio Global to say yes, just wash it open sea use.
Seiji,
When I create a new sport- I don’t see access to the indoor swimming variables. So, you can display time and such, but nothing else of value for swimming. Can you?
I have an ambit2 and keen to use the mio link for swimming mode. I can create HR screens via movescount to the swimming mode, but can’t get this mode to search for a hr pod. Is this possible?
You’ll need to create a new swimming mode – i.e. ‘Swim with HR’, while creating that mode, you must at that point check the box to search for a HR strap (before you click save). After you click save, it’ll save that setting, even though it won’t show the box checked on the screen. On your device, you can then search for a HR module through the normal HR module menu, which will then be used in the swim mode.
Thank you for such a quick response. May I say upfront, as a lover of “toys”, I use DC Rainmaker as my key reference site and enjoy your analysis and advice. Thanks and keep it up.
Re your response, Unfortunately I haven’t been able to make this work. When creating a new swimming mode, Suunto have locked out the checkbox to enable it to search for a HR strap. I have tried starting in non-swim mode and checked the HR strap, but when change activity type, it clears this. As a result, on the watch, there is no way I can find to then search for a HR strap when starting the swim mode. Please advise if I have misunderstood!
I rang Suunto support and they advised that have deliberately turned this checkbox off – hopefully this is not to get us all upgrading to an ambit3, as that would be disappointing.
I did create another non-swimming mode as a workaround, and the HR tracking from the Mio Link was great. No drops out when worn adjacent to the watch. I just can’t get the swimming functionality. Hopefully Suunto will soon realise the Ant+ technology can work in water and unlock this for the Ambit2.
Hmm, you’re right, just tried it. That’s unfortunate. It used to work, I wonder if that’s one of the things that hanged this past weekend in their ‘updates’. :(
Wow, maybe I was just a couple of days late. At least I’m not going mad, just getting mad. I have found the Ambit2 to be a great watch, and this is a little disappointing. Surely Suunto can insert a disclaimer so we can decide if the potential hr error is acceptable to us or not.
Wow, some great news for all Suunto Ambit2 users. After 2 months working with them, the Suunto team have agreed to open up the HR Belt/pod detection in swimming modes, so that you can now use the Mio Link with your Ambit2 while swimming. It isn’t being advertised, so you have to activate it via Movescount by double-clicking the actual word “HR Belt”, and then it opens the box for selection. A great and sensible outcome – thanks Suunto. Of course, you need to wear the them on the same wrist, but I am getting consistently good results. Very happy.
I think I understand why the Mio Link has so many disconnect issues. I took the Mio Link a part to check out the antenna and I think I found a clear reason why… I wrote about it here with some pics link to fitnesstrainingbyjon.com I think you will find this interesting.
Hello,
Very interesting you comparison.
But have you any interest in selling Scosche Rhytm plus ?
In this case your comparison could appear hyprocrisy.
He was clear in his (interesting) post that he’s been brought on as a consultant for Scosche for testing. Given that, I think he did a fair job in declaring that.
With a minimal technical background, you can clearly see that MIO did the choice of minimizing space, and then chose the poorest design you can use for a 2.4Ghz antenna…
Jon Ham did that because there’S some communication trouble with the link in some cases. And he probably found why.
Looks like the antenna is on one edge of the pcb. Where is that edge in relation to the exterior of the device. I’m interested as if I know where it is located I could try to orientate the device on my other hand in such a way that gives it the best line of vision to my garmin 910xt
The antenna is located directly under the status LED on the Mio and runs perpendicular to the direction of the armband. I am curious to see if your experiment improves your connection experience. Unfortunately I do not know where the antenna is on the Garmin 910xt.
Found one interesting issue with my Link. If I wear an exercise band with my smart phone on my upper left arm (same arm as I wear my Link on), it seems to distort the readings somewhat (usually jacking the rate up by 5-6 bpm). Probably has to do with the band constricting the blood flow a bit.
Ah, good to read that observation – was wondering about my heart rate being a bit too high since switching to the Mio Link (letting my Polar Running Index sink by 3-5 points).
Did you test the heart rate simultaneously with a strap to verify it?
Just as a general reminder that nearing 1,000 comments it gets fairly difficult for new folks to wade through things that aren’t specifically focused on the product’s functionality. Thus, if you’re accurately working with customer service already on a return/etc, it’d be ideal to minimize churn here with posting of ticket numbers, etc…
I have no problem with people posting experience, but ultimately the comments section doesn’t make for a good place for companies to try and track refunds/deliveries/tickets.
after problem with connectivity Ant+ and then battery failure I decided to contact Mio – on the phone they were great, could fix Mio AND send extra band! … followup no so much… after 1.5 weeks of waiting for a reply to my information and no contact I sent it back to REI (the last email was we don’t do bands at this time thank you. which was not my issue with the unit but an ‘add on’ they promised) I got an email yesterday telling me the shipped me a replacement (over 3 weeks from original contact) and no response for last 1.5 weeks.
I replied back that I didn’t need a replacement as I returned the unit but have not heard from Mio yet…
I have the sorche armband and it works great with Ant+ (whether on my wrist or ankle or pocket) and bluetooth (pretty far away from my phone too) with no drops (plus I love that I get both bands sm and lg).
I was disappointed in the unit but more disappointed in Mio’s customer service.
Sorry to hear you’ve had some communication issues with Support. As mentioned in a previous post, we have recognized the need to hire more Support staff (we’ve grown quite quickly) and have begun bringing more employees in house to keep up with the volume of customer calls and emails. If you would like, we’d be more than happy to assist you. When you have a moment, please send us a private message on Facebook (link to facebook.com) with your email address or/and ticket number so we can resolve this issue.
I have been using MIO LINK for two weeks and i can say the following:
*Excellent piece of sports equipment works fine on my wrist.
*MIO GO app needs improvement….practically cant be used with my 4s iphone because keeps loosing signal all the time
same goes for Polar Beat.
*Works perfect with Endomondo.
*Works perfect with Runkeeper.
Today i will try Mio Link in the swimming pool with my Suunto Ambit…
I ll keep u posted…
That’s fantastic to hear! Thanks for sharing! We are continually updating Mio GO in the Apple AppStore. Stay tuned on Twitter (@MioGlobal) and Facebook for updates.
Today I received my mio link a few questions i have;
1. how can i record my hr activity on my iPhone and export file to my computer ? I know it is only streaming data to iPhone but i need to track my activities just like sleeping, walking, running..
2. I have Suunto Ambit 2s, how can i use it while swimming ? the swimming mode on the watch is disabling HR option and for all other sports swimming is disabled.
1. There’s probably quite a few iphone apps that will pick up the Mio Link HR data and allow you to export it. I’ve recently used the Wahoo Fitness app- and it will output the file in the following formats: .tcx, .gpx, .pwx, .csv, ,wf
2. yeah- that’s the problem! Garmin’s won’t do it either. This is a job for Ray- as he’s kinda’ the voice of our community to Garmin and Suunto. This would seemingly be a fairly straightforward firmware update to any of the watches (910xt, Fenix2, Ambit2, TomTom Cardio) to allow HR pickup during swim mode. Whoever does it first will have a killer feature! HR + full Swim metrics!
Although in Ray’s defense, he exposed this issue very clearly in his TomTom Cardio review.
Received mine yesterday. Go out for a run (8*1km (rec:1´)). In the warm up, I tried four different positions, always suunto ambit1 and mio link in the same arm.
Left arm, with optical sensor in the outside of the forearm: wrong (high values); Right arm, with optical in the outside of the forearm: wrong (high values); Right arm, with optical inside the forearm: wrong (high values), and finally left arm, with optical inside the forearm: perfect, accurate. I have a good run with perfect hr values.
I’m also regularly getting values that are obviously too high, and then also getting values that are more in line with what I expect.
But I wonder: how can we be confident that the apparently good values are “perfect, accurate”, except by always wearing multiple h.r. monitoring devices and then discarding outlying data? (Personally, I’m more than happy to let Ray be the guy wearing 3 watches, two chest straps, and a couple of other doohickeys so that I don’t have to. Thank you Ray!)
Getting really bad data from the Link on a regular basis forces me to wonder how reliable the apparently good data is. I can easily tell when it’s off by 20 bpm, behavior that I still sometimes see even after trying all the placement options (sensor on inside of forearm works best for me, too). But I can’t feel confident that the numbers are good even when they look “about right.”
I suspect I can probably estimate my HR to within 5 bpm most of the time while running, in which case, why bother with a device that is sometimes wildly off?
Hi Chris: I´ve been running seeing my heart rate about 20 years (first marathon, with hr, in 1998) and not only for experience I could know it, I have the garmin connect or the movescount (sometimes I use the 910 and the ambit at the same time) to compare the values obtained with chest strap previously. Second day, today, (one hour, low aerobic, running), it seems very accurate too (in exactly the same position of the Mio link and the ambit). One thing that surprises me: the r-r values seems correct too (and all the values that depend of it: recovery time, EPOC….) in the two training days (always been compared with other days with chest strap).
I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Mio Link!!! I am a “big” girl in more than one respect and I started triathlon about 8 months ago. I tried three different chest straps with my Garmin and thought I was just going to have to give up the idea of heart rate training. Then I got this wonderful device and it works perfectly for me!!! Thank you to the Mio guys. The only complaint/request—when can I get a replacement strap in hot pink???? or green, or purple??? If they were priced right, I might buy all three!!
I want to do interval training using the Mio Link, like this program from Wahoo: link to wahoofitness.com
What I want to know is if there is an app that can help me similar to the C25K apps. With the C25K apps, I would get voice prompts over running letting me know when it was time to run and when it was time to walk. What I want is app that says to increase hr and then decrease hr based on times I setup. Even better if it tells me if my hr is too high/low for the zone I’m in. Does such an app exist?
Thanks so much for the useful info. I’m just starting HR training and wondered what the best kit would be? I want to run, cycle and swim and be able to see my heart rate easily. I have an iPhone 5 but don’t like to run with it in my hand (plus it doesn’t work for swimming obviously). Do I need to get a watch, chest band and this Mio Link or maybe the old one would be better? Not wearing a chest band is preferable (comfort wise). What’s the most affordable, best kit in your opinion? I’m in the UK.
Given you don’t prefer to run with your phone, I’d look at a dedicated watch instead. Without a HR strap (but does optical heart rate), the cheapest option is the TomTom Runner Cardio – which works quite well.
Else, you could cut the price in half and go with something like the Garmin FR15 – but that would require a heart rate strap. Or, the TomTom Runner is even cheaper (also requiring a HR strap).
I’ve the ambit2 and the mio Link. It works fine. I’m very happy with that combination.
Only one thing doesn’t work.
Why there is no HR-Measurement in the Profile indoor-swimming?
In the other profiles it works. But i want the indoor swimming Profile. But there is no HR ;-(
Anyone a hint what i can do?
There’s not much you can really do there to be honest. Neither Garmin or Suunto support HR modes within swimming unfortunately. So you either have to choose heart rate data or swim/stroke/lap data. Ironically, the choice is the inverse if you go with the Polar watches (i.e. V800). I’m sure sooner or later though we’ll see the two halves come together…
My sister got a Mio Link, but for her the thing didn’t work for squat. No idea why, but comparing it to professional grade equipment (she’s a nurse, thus has routine access to such things) the Link was wildly inaccurate, to the point where she felt it was useless.
She passed it on to me, and for whatever odd reason, given that we have basically the same complexion et al, it seems to work okay for me. I haven’t yet compared it to professional grade equipment, sometime when I’m bored I’ll go to the hospital when she’s on and do so, but I’ve compared it to my regular Ant+ strap and to what I know to be my normal range (in my case, absurdly low, with a resting rate in the low fifties, dipping into the high forties at times, and a high that tops out around 120 – 130 under heavy cardio) and it seems to be close enough for my purposes.
While I do some running and swimming, I’m primarily a bodybuilder. I spend about 10hours a week at the gym, 3/4 of that lifting and the rest doing cardio. Overall I like the Link, it doesn’t get in the way and doesn’t seem to get uncomfortable over time the way chest straps tend to (at least for women, probably a bit easier for you guys).
There are some caveats, though:
1) The MIO Go app on Android (I’m using an SGSIII with CM11) is a bad joke. Seriously, why even put something that limited out there?
2) The Link seems to take forever to pair with the app. Not really sure if that’s the Link or the BLE stack on my phone, though.
3) The Link seems to “get lost” (drop signal) at least once or twice a 2.5hr workout. Given that I’m rarely more than a few feet from my phone, if even that, that just doesn’t seem acceptable.
4) Worse, it doesn’t seem to auto-reconnect. If I don’t notice that something is off, usually that the light stopped blinking, and go in and tell the app to re-connect and/or cycle the Link, I get no data. That’s really not acceptable.
Overall I like being able to wear a relatively unobtrusive and reasonably comfortable wrist strap well enough to put up with some of the downsides and try and figure out ways around them, but I’m really hoping that the next generation of this kind of device doesn’t have the connection issues this one seems to have.
Thanks for your comments. We appreciate your feedback and have told our Product Dev Team to look into the issues you mentioned and work to resolve them. We value all of our customers’ feedback and are continually working to improve our products. Your feedback, along with our other customers’ feedback will be taken into consideration when developing new Mio watches and wristbands.
Stay tuned for product updates and announcements on Twitter and Facebook.
I’ve been giving my Mio Link an extended trial, and I have to say that it’s been a disappointment.
The biggest problem that I have found with it (other than not being able to signal across the gap from one wrist to the other) is that it will start to reduce HR until you power cycle the device, at which point it starts reading correctly again.
i.e. you are at 300 watts, HR is reading ~165 and you are in a fairly steady state.
Then the HR starts to drop until you have the somewhat puzzling combination of 300 watts at 89 bpm.
Power cycle the device (at least this is easy!) and it jumps back up to what you feel it should be.
This is annoying, albeit you only have to do it 2 to 3 times at the start of a ride, but you should not have to do this at all.
I’d send it back if I didn’t anticipate the support process I’d have to navigate to do so being horrific (based on the comments here).
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We’re sorry to hear you’re not happy with your LINK and would be more than happy to help you with an exchange or return. We’ve added more Support staff and have significantly improved our Support Team’s response times.
Well, I’ve been using the Mio Link for a couple of months exclusively for Road Cycling now and have read all of the comments on here both positive and negative. I’ve had no issues whatsoever other than dropping the signal once when the Link dropped down my wrist and spilled the light sensors.
The Link works with my Garmin Edge 500 perfectly over at least a distance of two metres.
I charge the unit after every ride, cleaning the contacts with Isopropyl to prevent sweat contamination.
Readings are where I’d expect them to be with the occasional odd anomaly.
Very pleased with the Link!
I read all the positive and negative reviews here before I bought mye MioLink for 160 dollars (yes I know, Norway is expensive).
I was really hoping it would work, but it did not. Pairing with the forerunner 910xt was very easy. Same with app on android. I tried wearing it on the other hand, but that didnt work. How is it possible to make a gadget in 2014 with that bad transmitter/antenna? The range is like 5cm!
The problem that occour when I have it on same place as my watch is that the watch touch the miolink while im running. I can get the miolink to work OK when I ride my bicycle, but while im running? Forget it!
ive tried so many times on so many different places and same happends every time. Heartrate that is way off. I can put the miolink so tight that the blood stop moving, then it works – for a while.
I tried upside down, different places on the arm etc etc.
I really wanted this product to work but its not for me.
It works very well to measure your resting heart rate in the morning when you dont move your arm.
Will use it only for that purpose. Using it while running is just frustrating.
We’re so sorry to hear you’ve had such a tough time getting your Mio LINK to work for you. We want to help you out — even if that requires an exchange (which should fix the issue). Please send us a private message on our Facebook page (link to facebook.com) or an email at support@mioglobal.com and we’ll do our best to resolve this for you.
No public firmware update has been released to date. I know Mio has noted above in the comments (do a quick search here) opening a beta program for some individuals, but I’m not clear if they’re getting firmware updates or simply getting shipped new units with newer firmware.
Comments about battery life is spot on. 7-8 hours max. I do not have any drop out issues but the battery life is my problem. Not sure if I am going to keep it or look elsewhere. Major issues with drop outs from my chest strap and thought the link would be the answer. I use this for cycling and some events/rides go longer than 7-8 hours. Not sure if there is a way to check if I have the latest FW. Android app is incompatible with my phone. If I can get the 10 hours battery life then I keep it.
It works fine for me since I started wearing it upside down, over my watch. Not ideal for LED visualization, but at least I’m getting consistent HR readings…
after app. 2 months running by using mio link in connection to a FR110 I can give an final result how it’s works for me. I only tried one time to wear the mio link on a different wrist like the FR110. Forget it. I never tried to wear the mio link upside down because I allways like to have an eye on the LED indication.
Best practise/progress for me is:
1. do wearing the mio link in the upper position to the FR110 (above it)
2. First, if the FR110 GPS is fixed then you should take care that the HR-Monitor option is off!
3. Just power on the mio link and WAIT for LED-indication that means that meassuring starts to work well (deep blue colored short blinking).
4. THEN go into FR110 setup and switch the HR-Monitor option to “on”. Now the HR-Monitor should detected.
If the shown hr-values are reasonable then just start your training. If not (too high or much too low) then deactivate the HR-Monitor option at FR first before turn off the mio link. Try then to “recalibrate” the position of the mio link and go ahead.
For me, in about 80% it works well at the beginning. But sometimes I have to rearrange the stuff if I can truly start to run.
At different competitions (races) I have the problem on the first 1-2KM that the values are too low or too high. After app. 10 minutes everything seems fine.
Against this backround I would not still change to any chest strap back…
Hi,
I have the Mio Link for a few days now, have used it for the 4th time today.
Before today it was fine, great for running, crossfit, yoga, swimming; have not used it for cycling yet.
Today however after charging it, doing an hour of yoga, for lunch at crossfit it ran out of juice. I dont know if it is the mio I have or what but I was not happy about that.
It is great not to have the chest hrm but it has to last longer than it has so far for me. I use it with Polar V800.
The software for the mio app is a bit buggy with iphone 5 so far too and everything is updated.
To be continued as I use it a few more times before making a decision to keep it or not.
Been following these comments loosely. After my chest getting shredded by the HRMrun that came with my Garmin Fenix2, I am rethinking the Mio. A couple of concerns. More than a few people commented that it seems the mio must be on the same arm as the watch for adequate results. Is that still true? I noticed that battery life is upto 10 hours. How quickly does it charge? Will is charge with the usb cable and a portable battery. during an upcoming Ultra, I have the ability to recharge the Fenix2 some during the run, as the unit will record and charge at the same time. With charging contacts on the bottom, that wont work with the Mio.. was wishing for a optical HRM with 16+ hours.
As far as how close the Link has to be to your device, I expect that’s going to vary somewhat depending on the particular Link, the device in question, and environment.
For me, at the gym, and I am primarily a bodybuilder so that’s mostly where I want an HRM, the link really had to be on the same wrist as the recording device. I tried it with both a Vivofit and Loop, and found that putting the Link on the opposite wrist led to occasional drop outs whilst trying to use it with my phone (an SGSIII) was an exercise in futility due to frequent and unpredictable drop outs with no reliable auto-reconnect.
Keep in mind. however, that there’s going to be a lot of RF noise in the 2.4ghz band at some place like my gym. OTOH, other RF devices using that range that I routinely use there — Garmin Ant+ based HRM, bluetooth headset, phone’s wifi — all work fine, so take from that what you may.
As for battery life, I’ve tried using the Link as an overnight HRM with the Polar Loop twice now, only to have it cut out after about four hours. That may just be something wrong with my particular unit, though, probably is. Since I don’t find it useful otherwise, I’ve not bothered investigating further.
I haven’t really paid attention to the recharge time, so I’m afraid I can’t help you there. As for charging it on the fly, I don’t think that’s reasonably possible. Even if the device would work whilst charging, and I don’t think it would, the charging pins are on the bottom of the ‘watch’ part and, at least without substantial modification, any attempt to access them would interfere with the optical sensor array being close enough and light-tight enough to work.
I’m late to the party but, I’ll toss in my experience. I use my Link both on the bike and running quite a bit. Never have any issues with my watch on the handle bars, and the link on a wrist (usually opposite side of the bars).
Running gets interesting…
With my fenix 2, I’d always run with Link on the opposite wrist, never once had an issue.
I have recently (long story) purchased an Ambit 2s. With the Ambit, I can’t run with it on the opposite wrist, otherwise it is frequently dropping the signal. On the bike however, the Ambit 2 and Link work just fine, watch on the left side of my bars, link on right wrist. But I’ve never seen it drop signal. Weird.
Been using Mio Link for cycling for a two months now. No problems with it on my wrist and my Samsung Galaxy S5 in jackets back pocket. I guess, reception depends on antennas in the receiving device too. Watches have less space and thus smaller less effective antennas. With battery life, I have had several times it runs out of juice, probably because it has not been fully charged and has been laying on the shelf for several days. My conclusion is to fully charge it before every ride. I Have not had rides longer than 5 hours, so cant tell what is the max battery life for me. Mostly it runs flawlessly for me.
Hi Ray,
In your first description of mio fuse you talk about new version of mio link. Any news of a new firmware for poor first owners ? I’m very very sad.
I have had my Mio Link for about 3 weeks and use on a daily basis, with both my phone and Ambit2. I know there were questions about battery life. I have successfully used the Mio Link for 11 hrs. (just monitoring HR; no working out) before it died. It was only connected to my Ambit2 so I cannot speak to the length of time using BTLE (or both at the same time). I am afraid my iPhone will likely die before the Mio.
Hi Ray,
I recently found your blog and I find it very interesting and comprehensive, I would like to know if there is a product with an optical sensor HR compatible in some way with Nike +, I would not be forced to change software to avoid wearing an uncomfortable band after years of recording workouts on the nike + website.
Pretty frustrated. Hoping there’s a simple solution to this.
I tried the Link for the first time tonight and found it basically useless. The heart rates we’re always about 20% lower than expected and there were frequent drop outs.
Also heart rate would drop during sets when clearly it should rise.
Tried every position I could think of.
I’m fairly muscled so can’t go more than 2-3 inches above my wrist bone.
just bought my mio link and tried it for 2 days. i put it to use during my sleep. and notice that the heart rate would soar from 50bpm to 150-180 bpm range and then come back down. not sure if it’s the location of the strap or wut. any idea? i put it in my left hand left my iPhone 5 on the left side of the bed, right next to my hand.
When you sleep the restrictions your body places on your heart rate are removed so you will see very quick changes in heart rate. Mainly during REM sleep.
I bought one of these to pair with my Garmin 310XT mostly for running, but also with my Concept 2 rowing machine, the monitor of which is ANT+ based.
I was a bit worried how the Mio Link would work given some of the complaints I read about here, but for me it has worked flawlessly. Perhaps I have the right combination of blood vessel distribution and skin colour :). It finds my HR quickly and stays locked on, whether running outdoors or rowing indoors on the Concept 2. I’d been through lots of soft HR straps, all of which stop working in a short time. In the end, a Garmin hard strap worked well, with only the occasional glitches at the start or a run. However not having to worry about the strap at all any more is wonderful.
The only annoyance is that while I have an Android Phablet, it is not equipped with Bluetooth 4.0, so I can’t program the HR zones into the Link, or potentially update firmware in future. However that is a minor issue as eventually I’ll update my phablet to something that is appropriately equipped, but being able to use Mio Go on a Windows PC would have been convenient.
… and thanks Ray for all the wonderfully comprehensive reviews!
My max HR is 201 and i’m 36. When I was 18 and doing flat-out time trials I’ve seen 220 before. If your heart has a normal stroke volume then it’s not something to worry about.
A HR of 180 and above is often symptomatic of a heart condition named Supraventricular Tachycardia or perhaps Atrial Fibrillation. If you have never had such high heart rates previously, and such events don’t recur, then your heart rate was probably not, in fact, that high. If you felt nothing unusual and you don’t continue seeing such high heart rates, then the MIO was probably inaccurate. If you continue seeing such high heart rates and feel, in any way unusual, then see a Cardiologist.
I would keep it set at 187 for a max. To clarify the above comment about the heart condition named SVT, it is usually a sustained high HR, an electrical loop, that continues for extended periods, regardless of whether you are exercising or not.
It’s better (the most recent versions). I don’t tend to get too many issues with bad readings. Sometimes in the first minute or two, but then it’s stable. Wearing on the same arm as the wrist is generally good for connectivity on ANT+. And wearing it on the opposite arm is mostly good (like 90-95% good), but I still see some drops there.
Getting problems with my Mio Link the last three weeks – bought it in late May, must be an early production unit. Puzzling, never experienced it before: heart rate is either 20bpm too high or too low when activating it just before heading out of the door. Or the HR stays at 70bpm when about 2mins into the run, when it already should be around 130bpm – I restart it and get good readings instantly.
Annoying. What to do about it? Start the unit 2mins+ before the run?
Some good news….I was able to get the Mio Link to pair with my Nokia Lumia 920 after downloading the Lumia Cyan update which is Windows Phone 8.1. Before the Cyan update miCoach recognized the Mio Link but it wouldn’t pair but its now working and miCoach is showing a HR. Looks like I might be in business now. :)
Ray (or anybody else),
I am thinking about getting one of these, but would like to know if it will pair up with the Garmin Fenix 2. I keep hearing about the quality getting better (more in line with the pre-production models) and am thinking about purchasing one. If anyone can tell me the answer, I would greatly appreciate it.
So during spin my HR will fall below 100. No matter how tired I am, I’m doubtful I’m at 80 while working out. Do you think I really dip that low or that it’s misreading it?
Probably and error. I’d contact Mio support and see if they can troubleshoot it. You can also try changing the position/location of Link, which often will fix it (such as on the inside of your wrist).
Someone may have addressed similar issues, but here goes. Using the mio link with a fr305 seems to give good consistent results when wore on the same arm next to the 305. But, usually not bad on the other arm either. When used with a Garmin Fenix it appears I have much more fluctuations or possible dropouts. But not completely horrible. Yesterday, for kicks, I ran with my new iphone 6 and Runkeeper app, no watch. I paired the link but had it on the opposite arm. The phone was in a myband sweatband type holder around my right forearm. I saw lots of dropouts and about 20 bpm lower overall heart rates for my usual run. Question, are others seeing this issue from bluetooth le instead of ant+ or is it because it was on the other arm. I do have an early production model as I prepurchased from mio but have been mostly happy. Just wondering if I am going to have problems with the bluetooth side of this thing since this was the first time to use it with bluetooth.
You’ll want to ring up Mio support there to get it swapped out. I know from the very early models there were changes made in the BLE connection side to eliminate those issues.
Spoke to Mio and they are reluctant to swap somewhat blaming the issue on the iphone 6. Have you seen or heard any issues with the iphone 6 versus 5, 4s, etc.?
Generally speaking I prefer the Scosche, due to it having stronger ANT+ transmission, so I can wear it away from the watch without issue. Accuracy of the optical aspects seems like a wash to me between the two.
Hi,
I have bought both the MIO LINK and the RYTHM+ and I would recommend RYTHM+ and day of the week.
The RYTHM+ is much more pleasant to wear and do have a better range than the MIO LINK.
When wearing the MIO LINK I had to strap it really tight on my left wrist which caused my hand to get less circulation and therefor felt much colder than my right hand. Furthermore the MIO LINK do slip down on my wrist due to the fact that I had to wear it slightly higher up on my wrist and the rubber/plastic material of the MIO LINK is kind of slippery and slips downwards towards my hand when I started to sweat and that caused miss readings of my heart rate while I’m out running.
When wearing the RYTHM+ high up on my forearm just below the elbow I do not get any circulation problems and the RYTHM+ strap is made of fabric and stays put on my forearm.
Does that mean that you’ve been ok with swimming with the Scosche on your upper arm and having it connect to a watch on your wrist? I was planning on getting either a Scosche or a Mio to go with my 920xt, and I was leaning toward the Mio because it’s on the wrist. I’d probably prefer the Schosche if it works for swimming purposes, but I noticed you used a Mio for your Malta swim the other day. Thanks.
No, it won’t connect from the upper arm. I’ve done some minimal testing next to it on the wrist, so watch and Scosche side by side, with some success. But these were very short tests.
I’ve also done some (all) of my swim testing with the Link and 920XT side by side with some mixed success. I need to keep tweaking positioning there to find the ‘ideal’ position.
Thanks, Ray. This follow-up probably belongs in the 920XT thread, but. . .Do you know if Garmin meant for HR to be available in OWS? Or was this some sort of coding goof? Why would they have it available for OWS but not indoor swimming? In other words, is OWS HR on the 920XT likely to disappear at some point?
i really liked the idea of the mio link instead of a hr-strap. The disadvantage of the tomtomcardio is the fact that i can only use wearing under my running clothes. In winter when it’s cold and a nasty (north or east) wind is blowing i want to wear my watch over my gear. So no tom tom cardio for me. So i decided that i would buy a mio link. Glad that read the review and all the reactions. I do not want to wear to devices on one wrist. I’ll stick with my fr620 including hr-strap
I do an outdoor rain or shine fitness boot camp style workout. I don’t want to take my iPhone with me. I could just use the LED to see my heart rate. Can I turn off the Bluetooth and still see the LED indicator?
I am looking for an app that I can use to monitor my heart rate while using my Nordic Track indoors. I really just want to see the heart rate and time and time in target zones. The apps I have tried all “turn off” after a period of time.
I use runkeeper on my bicycle, but despite searching around, I can’t seem to get it to show my heart rate for a stationary activity.
At times, I feel like going back to the old Polar strap and watch, but my old eyes can’t see it that well. I was looking forward to big bright numbers on my iphone.
Any app suggestions are GREATLY appreciated. Thank you.
I use iCardio from Digit on my Android – but it looks like they have a iTunes app too. Mio connects to that, and it logs the session and puts it into nice charts etc. Also provides a download option that I then put into SportTracks.
I spoke to Mio support on some bluetooth connection issues I am having two weeks ago. I have no ant+ issues. They confirmed no firmware updates have ever been released. I didn’t get the impression there would be any. I basically got the “we don’t know what issues you are talking about and we won’t acknowledge any problems but if you insist we’ll swap out your unit if you send it in.”
I notice the Mio Link is now available with a yellow band, listed as “Electric”. A few places have this, eg Amazon. Though it seems its not listed on the Mio Global website. Is the yellow band a special edition model?
If you had bought the Mio Link when it was first released, you will notice one major difference between what’s being shown now on Mio’s website: Looking at the side profile, the sensor sticks out quite a bit more (about 1 mm). The grey band and electric band Mio Links both have this change.
I don’t think you’re right mate. I took delivery in the early days back in May.
When I hold my Link at the same angle as the image on the website mine looks exactly the same. There is a rectangle in the centre that stands out proud by about 1mm.
Mine has behaved brilliantly tbh but I use it exclusively with ant+ on my Garmin edge 500 on all three of my bikes about three fingers from the crease of my wrist on my left arm.
Garmin sits on a Barfly 2 and I never drop the signal……I must be one of the lucky few!
To be clear, the comparison is made between the “original” Mio Link and a more recent one. The two Mio Links that came with my pre-order, other than the size of the bands (one was for my wife), are exactly the same.
Ah yes, I can see it now. mine is the same as the top image.
That change was under the radar wasn’t it? Still waiting for the promised firmware upgrade but I guess thats reserved for the mark two if and when that arrives.
The CEO has been conspicuous by her absence since the early appearances on here.
Chris,
As I stated earlier in the the thread, in talking to Mio lately there is no indication there will be a firmware upgrade. Also, as you point out there appear to be no issues on the ant+ side but many on the bluetooth side of the Link. I have no issues with ant+ but bluetooth is horrible. Last night I ran with a Garmin Fenix on my right wrist with the Link just beside it and a Motorola Motoactv on the left wrist. Both connected to the Link through ant+ and both had an almost scary identical chart when uploaded to Garmin Connect and the Motoactv websites respectively. However, in the past when I have ran with the Link connected by bluetooth to the iphone 6 and by ant+ to either a 305, Fenix, etc., I got wildly different readings off the bluetooth side on the iphone 6. Mio has agreed to swap it out and I intend to stick it in the mail this week.
I was comparing the Scosche Plus to a Polar watch monitor, and had the scosche paired to Polar Beat.
The watch was a lot more responsive in changes to the heart rate. I don’t know if this is a function of the lag with bluetooth, a lag in optical measurement, sampling rates, or the Polar Beat iOS app.
Has this been addressed anywhere?
I’m noticing some seasonal effects with my Mio link, and wondering if anyone else has the same. In summer the measurement seemed reliable and line with expectations of my HR. On cold runs, without gloves and my hands feeling very cold(I keep forgetting/ underestimating the coldness in Munich) I’m seeing really unreliable, unexpected HR readings. I expect this could be due to my body reducing blood circulation through cold extremiites, at least that seem logical, and thus the sensor having less blood flow to work on.
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Day 2 with the Link mated to a Fenix for a run instead of the 305. Less spikes and erratic behavior shown than yesterday after uploaded to Strava. I really do like the comfort of not having a strap. May try mated to an iphone 4 with ant+ dongle tomorrow. It should be great once I finally upgrade the iphone to a btle 4.0 phone. Although it may not be as accurate as a strap, I fully expect to use it much more than I ever did a strap and that makes it worth it for sure.
I’ve been using my Link for about two weeks and haven’t noticed any major problems. I did browse the comments in this thread before using it, though, and per your recommendations I have been wearing it a few inches up from my wrist and on the same arm as my 910. The fit is a little on the snug side but I barely notice it, if at all, once I start exercising. I have also it paired with my 510 and I’ve yet to notice any dropouts or any dubious readings on either device.
I’ve always had problems getting consistent and reliable readings on the bike with the traditional chest strap (aero position, lack of sweat in cool weather) and the Link solves this for me.
I’ve meant to test the Link vs a chest strap to verify accuracy and the response rate… it’s just that I hate the chaffing and irritability of the chest strap so much I don’t want to ever go back. However, just to be sure, I’ll make a point to compare the two during this evening’s workouts and report back.
used my link a few times. For me, it works flawlessly if I wear it upside down (so buckle on top of wrist).
Anyone know how to make the link work with strava on the galaxy S4?? running android 4.4.2
Strava Android doesn’t support bluetooth smart…then no mio link with strava Android. Runtastic Works. And you need 4.4.3
Got mine a bit back. After a bit of working to get it in a good spot it reads very well. It needs to have a firm grip on your arm to read well, which means it has to be reasonably tight. Honestly, though, the strap is very comfortable, so I don’t even feel it. Works great for running, biking, and swimming. In fact, I’m getting some awesome HR readings in the water. Stoked about that. Sadly Strava won’t recognize it, but Garmin Connect will display it.
My only real complaint with the unit is the charger. Why give us a charger with an integrated cord that is 2″ long? Good grief – just give us something with a female microUSB input. I have zillions of cords for that.
Hi Jacques,
Which watch do you use it with to get HR metrics while swimming ? Do you also get stroke/speed infos ?
Thanks !
All I have is the 310XT. It captures the swim in the “other” category. From what I understand the 910 doesn’t have the HR capture activated during swim capture. My swim practices are pretty predictable, so I know what HR spike is associated with what suffering I put myself through.
Was hoping to use the Mio Link with my Polar Loop, but it doesn’t seem to connect :(
Has anybody else tried this pairing?
I didn’t have any problems on pre-prod units with it (I haven’t tried again since). Did you ensure that nothing else is ‘blocking’ the BLE connection though (like a phone app?). Try and temporarily disable BT on your phone, and see if the Loop can find the Link then.
Disabled the BT on my phone and once the two were disconnected, the Loop found the Mio Link! Thanks for your help!
BTW, love the site!
So my Mio Links (2 of them) finally turned up today after delays and issues with the order. They were shipped from Canada in the end rather than from the UK (which is where they should have come from as I’m in the UK). The upshot of this was that when they arrived the courier (UPS) said that they couldn’t let me have them unless I paid the ‘Import Duty’. Having already paid all the duty that is due on them at the time I placed the order I politely declined. I am therefore still without a Mio Link. Is it possible for me to walk into a store and buy one off of a shelf?
Rob,
Maybe you should contact the support team at Mio ?
I’m in Canada, and I had a UPS notice on my door yesterday, with a mention that I had to pay duty fees !
Earlier yesterday, I received an email from Mio staff that says that they will repay me the duty.
I’m not sure if it applies only to Canadian customers. But If you already paid, I think it would make sense.
Hi Tony,
That’s random! I’m guessing that yours was shipped from somewhere outside of Canada :-/
I’ve emailed the Mio Support team (to be fair to them they’ve been excellent, very helpful, and very responsive) – UPS have already taken the packages away, I’m guessing they’ll send them all the way back to Canada now.
Their site says that any packages that are refused are automatically refunded (less any shipping costs) so I’ll have to wait to hear from the support team and then see what actually happens I guess.
Thanks for your thoughts – hope you get yours soon :)
Hi RobM, please send your order number and shipping details to support so they can re-ship out from UK tomorrow. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Hi – thanks :)
I have already emailed support@mioglobal.com – I’ll just copy the same email across to ‘orders’.
I used mine with my 620 and it worked pretty flawlessly – I noticed just one spike on a 5 miler. We’ll see how it goes this weekend on my long run.
I wore it on the same wrist as the watch and I kept it pretty snug. Haven’t tried wearing it on the opposite wrist yet.
However, since I have quickly grown accustomed to seeing the new Running Dynamics data on Garmin’s updated HRM (which, btw, is much more comfortable than its predecessor) I’ll probably only use the Mio for long runs.
The Mio Link is awesome. I’ve had mine for a week now. LOVE IT. The thing is always within a BPM of the Garmin HRM or Polar HRM. So worth the money. After several runs and rides, I’ve found it to be within 0.5% of the other two and it doesn’t have the crazy spikes as the Garmin. Can’t say enough about this thing.
The only bad thing is being an android user and not being able to download the MIO Go app unless you have Android 4.3 or higher. Thankfully my wife just got Android 4.4 so now I can configure the LEDs instead of the default settings.
seeing some of the trouble others are posting, I thought I’d expand a bit. I have used mine for a week running and cycling and have been very happy. Never misses a beat. Verified HR by manually counting my pulse. I wear it on my right arm upside down with buckle over wrist bone and sensor pressing underside of wrist so that the LED is facing me. Has been bullet proof. when running I wear a forerunner 620 on my left wrist and it syncs great. when cycling I mount the forerunner on handle bars (using foam insert that came in box) and also a moto-x smart phone on handle bar using mapmyride. Again, works great. got mine at clever training with 10% discount. FYI, this is a great way to mount a smart phone on handle bars: link to getfinn.com (I am only a happy customer). Not sold in US but can be found on ebay
Is anyone using the Mio for strictly gym workouts? Not cycling but other group exercise classes such as strength or Interval training or their own personal workouts?? If so, what good apps are you using? I’ve got the Mio Go but it doesn’t seem to have all that much info. Any good recommendations would be much appreciated!
I use icardio on Android. Captures the hr well, and gives me a tcx file for upload to sporttracks.
Got mine from clever training, paired well with cyclemeter, great data, then when charging got extremely hot, burned finger, now will not work at all
Thanks Roger for the support! Though, bummed to hear of the charger wonkiness. Definitely hit up Mio support, they should be able to direct-ship you a new charger/unit pretty quickly.
Hi Ray, we are already looking into Roger’s issue with him and replacing the pod. Never seen that before in any Mio product. We will definitely look into it closely.
So, today, 56.8 km with 673 m of climbing, mostly over 3 kms. I tried the MIO on the underside of the wrist. Quickly went up to the “expected” heart rate and accurately tracked power output and expected effort. Nice work by the Link!
I tried the “underside” method as well yesterday afternoon. But the outcome was similar to before: The MIO Link HR lags behind the Garmin chest strap HR.
Moving it to another position won’t change the smoothing of the output. Mio are aware of the questions around smoothing – both here, on Facebook and via support channels. I’ve not heard anything from them about it however, but hopefully they will clarify what the position is, and if they have plans to tweak it.
Anyone knows how to toggle the unit into Training Zone Mode with the Android App ?
It looks like that my unit is in the HR mode (3 zones only : blue, green, red).
Hi Tony, after you pair the link with your app, it will give you the choice to set 3 zones or 5 zones. If you are sill having trouble, please give support a shout at support@mioglobal.com.
I contacted support, and they basically just attached the manual to the email. I did read the manual first thing when I received the unit.
I’m unable to “Switch between Training Zone Mode and Zone Alert Mode”
Using the android app.
I did setup my training zones and hit save, it looks that it saves the zone configuration to the unit, unfortunately It does not switch the mode of the LINK. I still have only 3 zones (blue, green, red).
I see that the communication between my phone and the device works as it read my pulse. Also If I go to the Zone Alert Mode (3 modes), and bring the second zone (green one) to low value (in the 40s), then save. the led on my LINK becomes green. So I guess that my device is able to save values from the Android App. However If I do the same thing for the training zone, the led never become (cyan, blue, green, yellow, magenta or red).
I will try to post something on youtube to show my problem.
Here’s the extract of the manual :
=========
CUSTOMIZING HEART RATE ZONES
To achieve the full potential of training with Mio LINK, you should configure your LINK through
the Mio GO app. Mio GO allows you to:
• Customize your upper and lower limits of each HR zone
• Switch between Training Zone Mode and Zone Alert Mode
• Register your LINK to receive full warranty service and product updates
==========
been using mio link paired with samsung S4 active past week. No problem with running (consistent HR output). Biking however is a little erratic (jumping from 90-ish zone to 150-ish in a couple occasions)… I wear it a lil higher up on my small wrist so far, tried the inverse method which was not accurate at all for me. Anyone has suggestions? :) thanks! I’ll still take this over chest strap anytime!
How are you holding your hands? Are your wrists flexed? if you have small wrists and there is wrist flexion due to hand position, the light that leaks in and around the sensor will impact the readings. Since you are already wearing it higher up the arm, you can try to wear it more snugly (not too tight as that is counter productive). Also, we will be releasing a firmware upgrade in a few weeks time that will be more forgiving to wrist flexion and work for swimming, gym activities and weight lifting. Thanks for your comment!
thanks for the quick reply! i think my wrist is more extended than flexed (on the road bike handle). I did another quick ride with a more snug fit (enough to see the indentation after the ride but not cutting off circulation!). still very funky reading in groups. will be curious to see if the firmware update help in the coming weeks!
Anyone know how this firmware update will be implemented? I’m not running Android high enough to support the app nor any Apple devices.
yah did some test as well. switching hands and underside method. nothing changes. we are unable to do very short intervals with Link atm. its useless because of lags :(
How short is ‘very short’?? I would question using hr as a goal measure in an interval less than 800m/half mile. For intervals of that length or less, hr is an interesting metric but I wouldn’t use hr as a target measure. Instead, I’d be looking at interval pace/time.
Cycing intervals can be as short as a minute.
I understand that, but surely in that case the interval is based on effort or speed, not hitting and maintaining a heart rate? It could take 20s to get to the target rate, whilst a target speed is just about instantaneously hit. What I guess I’m saying is that a lagging hr doesn’t matter when in itself it’s not the basis of target of the interval.
Interval training could be based on HR or power. If you are on the kind of trainer (LeMond Revolution), there is no speed indicator, unless you purchase the really expensive display.
Still no link….it was apparently shipped it with with UPS “adult signature required”, so I have now missed the delivery 2x now and they don’t even give you the option of signing the slip and authorizing the driver to leave the package – so I finally called UPS and asked them to hold it for me to pick up – which I won’t be able to do until Monday. Just annoyed, as delivery was already later than advertised (which I expected). One more weekend with the hated chest strap.
Kat, just FYI. If you sign up for UPS My Choice (free), you get notification whenever you are getting a package from UPS. You can change the delivery option as as soon as you get the notification. In the notification, it will let you know if signature is required for the package.
SUPER AWESOME!!!!!!!! Best $90 I have spent so far.
Gingerneil replied
April 25, 2014 at 5:06 pm #536
How short is ‘very short’?? I would question using hr as a goal measure in an interval less than 800m/half mile. For intervals of that length or less, hr is an interesting metric but I wouldn’t use hr as a target measure. Instead, I’d be looking at interval pace/time.
By very short i mean less than 20 seconds interval. Link will notice your properly HR just at the end or after time :(
Hello,
There is one thing that i don’t understand.
I read tips from mio advising wearing the watch on top of the wrist.
But was it the same tips for mio alpha ?
And the tomtom runner with Mio sensor must be worn too on top of the wrist ?
It’s strange because for me Mio alpha or tomtom runner are watches and worn as watches on the wrist.
It should be the same thing for mio link ? Don’t you think ?
A small question for Ray (if you have comments for bugs from Mio).
Is there any explanation for the weak ANT+ connection ?
For conclusion, i’m very confused. Because mio global (in comments) promise a firmware update in several weeks (without mentionning Heart rate lag and weak connection).
But if i want my money back… i have 30 days to return my Mio Link.
PS : Ray when i read your posts and i see all the things you can do !! i think that you must live in a parallel dimension where each day have 48 hours .
Thanks for your great job. Keep on going :)
Hi Tommies,
For Ant+ connection I believe it is related to the watch you are paring with. I paired the LINK with a Garmin 910XT and I get between 2 to 3 meter range.
The only thing I see, it takes about 30-45s to get the first reading on my watch even if it detect the HR monitor as soon as I start it.
Also I’m still wondering on how to toggle the LINK to training mode with the Android application….
My understanding is that they slightly reduced power on the signal to save battery life. Hence (as I understand it) why I see issues I didn’t see in pre-prod devices which had slightly lower battery life but no signal issues.
Upon review of the comments here, we here at Mio Global Support thought it would be worthwhile to summarize our comments and responses into one general post. Hopefully this is helpful information.
Where to wear MIO:
We advise wearing the MIO with the sensor on the dorsal (top) side of the wrist because when you wear it on the ventral side, the flexion from the tendons MAY impact the readings. It is really important to understand that human physiology varies greatly. What is true for many is not true for all. It is definitely possible that people may find they get superior performance on the ventral side of the wrist. The other thing that impacts the reading is how fleshy your skin is. If you have a little bit of fat/flesh, the sensors can be “buried” in the skin to block out ambient light which is the great enemy to OHR. If you have very little or no body fat on your wrist, this is a less conducive environment for the technology. But then again, many people’s body morphology cannot support chest straps either. If you have little fat on your wrist and/or if you have a “hollow” wrist (rather large head on your Ulna), it is more difficult for the sensor to sit snugly on your arm. In these cases the only things to do are to wear MIO higher up on your arm and/or more tightly. Some people are tightening the LINK way too much though. If it hurts it is actually counter productive in that it will impede blood flow. So, wear it snugly, make sure the sensor is flush to the skin (and if you have low fat which is true for most people on this forum likely) try various spots until you find one that works.
Connectivity:
The ANT+ radio is not weak; it is according to spec. That was an earlier misstatement we made. Upon further testing we have found that when MIO is on one arm, and the watch (Garmin or other) is on the other arm, when running, you will swing your arms in opposite directions and the ANT+ signal will be blocked by your body resulting in signal loss. The solution is to wear both technologies on the same arm. This is a brand new technology and a brand new use case not really contemplated by us or the developers of ANT+. We expected the majority of people to use the LINK/ANT+ connectivity for biking, not running with a watch on one arm and strap on another.
Sprinting:
We have always been very up front that the MIO OHR tech is not ideal for short burst intensity sprinting. This is not the use case it was developed for. Our research to date has been focussed on making it useful for high performance running speeds and cycling. What we have achieved in terms of accuracy there is truly a breakthrough. We next turned our attention to gym activities, activities requiring greater wrist flexion and swimming. That firmware update is coming soon but it will not improve the short burst sprint use case. We are working on that use case but we cannot provide a firm release date yet.
Warm up:
Finally, blood perfusion is really key to the technology working well. Like wrist size, or body fat content, everyone is different in this regard. Some people have to warm up more than others. If your blood is really circulating strongly, it will help the technology work better. Swimming is a tough use case because cool water causes the blood vessels to constrict and that is what has been the bigger gating factor to using the technology.
So, bottom line:
Be warm; wear it snugly in an area where the sensor can really “bury” into the skin; use it for what it is supposed to be used for and hopefully LINK will solve a frustration that many people have with the chest strap. The technology will continue to improve and we will make what improvements we can regularly available through firmware upgrades. The patience and support of this particular community is more important than any since if our technology passes muster here, we are that much more likely to have a viable solution for the population at large. Your continued constructive feedback will allow us to further evolve and improve the technology. Thank you! The Mio Global Support Team
I hate to be argumentative, but I don’t believe this is a true statement: “We have always been very up front that the MIO OHR tech is not ideal for short burst intensity sprinting.” All I see on the website is that it has 99% EKG accuracy. I don’t find a heart rate monitor that only works if your heart rate doesn’t change to be terribly useful or accurate. That said, I don’t think the 10 second lag as efforts ramp up makes the link useless, but it certainly would have been nice to know about before purchasing and it is a bit of a nuisance. I’m surprised the lag didn’t come up in Ray’s initial review. Considering the other problems he noticed with the production units, it sounds like the pre-production unit he evaluated may have had a little extra juice. I have 60 days from purchase to decide if this needs to go back to clever training, and I’ll wait a few weeks before I make my final decision.
Hello Mio and thank you for an awesome produkt. I have been using the Link for almost three weeks while I was on Mallorca guiding participants at a training camp for cyclists. I have been wearing the link on my right arm while riding on all kinds of tarmac both smooth and ruff while leading groups all over Mallorca up to 7 hours per day. Furthermore I have been wearing the Link both with and without sunscreen cream with no issues at all. Only once have I had an HR spike. I do see HR trailing that of a Garmin chest strap but that for me is not a big deal while training.
I also do want to take the opportunity to thank you for opening up sales to the Scandinavian countries and more precise Sweden.
Keep up the good work and I’m looking forward to using the Link even more once I get home from Mallorca.
Cheers,
Peter
DItto for wondering about the firmware updates. Currently I’m not running an Android version high enough to support the MIO Go app. Will there be an alternative download that could be piped through the charging cradle?
Thank you for your participation on this forum, as it appears to be the only one discussing your groundbreaking product. I’m eager to rid myself of the constant static interference laden chest straps and purchased a Link today (clever training).
I’m staring at the back of my wrist, wondering if I have sufficient blood profusion- and my wrist doesn’t look like the right environment. My 50 year old skin is without plumpness. It’s dry and wrinkled from years in the sun. So- is old, thick, wrinkled, aged skin with low body fat less likely to be a good host for your technology? I was thinking that might be the reason some are having better luck on the inside of their wrists- as that area tends to be less sun damaged and the skin appears younger, smoother? Or isn’t there a correlation here?
@Chris Thanks for the comment. Not argumentative at all and a fair point. I just looked through our website again and it used to be more prominent that we said “For runners and cyclists” but we just redid the site and it is not as prominent. We list who can benefit from the tech and we list a number of activities and sprinting is not listed but that being said it could be more obvious. For certain the units Ray had did not have any extra juice and extra juice would not impact the lag. And the lag is different for different people and it has to do with blood flow so it may actually work sprinting for some and not for others. All we are saying is it is not an officially supported use case. Today it also works swimming for some and not for others but, again, that will vary by individual. With our future upgrade, alot of the variability will be compensated for and we will feel comfortable saying that it will work while swimming. Eventually we will be able to say that too about sprinting. We really are not trying obfuscate and hopefully this community will understand we are trying our best to solve a very real problem for many athletes.
Does the “upgrade” mean a different firmware or is it hardware changes to newer units?
I appreciate Mio responding to our comments here. That said, i have to agree with Chris that all the promotional material i have seen regarding Link, i have not seen anything mentioning it not being suitable for intense interval workouts. For many who have purchased or are intending to purchase Link, the fact that they no longer need to wear a chest strap is sufficient enough. For me personally, i have never found the chest strap to be uncomfortable. I wanted Mio Link to replace my chest straps because occasionally, they would give me wildly inaccurate HR (like more than 220 BPMs). This is especially so for the Garmin fabric-type of chest straps. One of my coworkers has resorted to replacing his chest strap every 3 or 4 months to avoid getting erratic HR.
I find the HR provided by Link not only lags when my HR goes up, it also lags when my HR goes down. From the tests i’ve done so far, the lag averages about 10 seconds.
The lagging issue is more of an annoyance with me. As a cyclist, i primarily use my power data for training, so i can live with it. However, what concerns me is the occasional inexplicable fluctuations. I hope that can be addressed via future firmware updates.
I don’t want to be all negative about this product. My wife, who had never used HR as part of her training because she hated wearing a chest strap, is really happy now that she is able to finally get HR data from her Link.
Mio – be careful assuming that just because something isn’t stated as a use case that people won’t expect it to be. Your literature says the Link can be used up to ~14mph. Customers reading this won’t think about how they get to that speed and how long they stay there…. If the current iteration does not support a standard training type, I think you need to state that. A simple red/amber/green table of activities would be ideal and very clear.
The upcoming updates for swim, gym activities and low blood perfusion activities will be firmware upgrades and delivered through the charging USB.
Hey Mio,
Are there firmware upgrades for the original Alpha as well? I can’t find anything on your support pages saying anything about it?
Only the original Kickstarter purchased ALPHAs needed the firmware update. It was in an email sent to the Kickstarter Backers. If you have a Kickstarter unit, please email support and we can email it to you.
Hi Mio Global,
So you understand the lag issue and what causes it? I would guess something to do with detecting and removing movement artefacts? But rather guess would you be able to explain it?
Also curious as to how an a firmware change would be made, via PC connection or BT and phone?
Just wanted to chime in and say I had success using poles (or “sticks” for the Europeans reading) with the Link yesterday. I was roller skiing, and the heart rate readings were right on.
I’ve only had the Link for two days, but so far on two runs and one ski I’ve been completely happy with the readings. For today’s treadmill run I also wore a Polar chest strap that displays HR on the treadmill, and the Link was either right on or one beat high the entire run (it was off while I was tying my shoes and starting up the treadmill, so I assume you need to get the blood flowing just a bit before it’s accurate). No lag to speak of either.
I have skinny wrists and wore it on the opposite hand, where I’d put a watch. Not sure why it’s working for me and not others, but I’m not complaining. Hopefully they can fix it for everyone with firmware updates, because it’s a great product.
Gotta say, spent the weekend in the Australian Alps, two big climbs and one 60 km round trip on the flat in three days. The Link seems to be working really well, tracking my Vectors almost exactly on the climbs, from a visual comparison on the Training Peaks file. Unfortunately, I forgot my charger and it ran out of “juice” on the third day! As power is the key for cyclists, the Link, in my view, does the job and not having a heart rate strap to wear is an absolute delight. Keep up the good work, Ray!
That being said, a option to choose the BT/ANT+/both at startup could improve battery life !
I’m sure there’s not a lot of people using BT/ant at the same time :)
Picked up this unit at the Paris Marathon Expo.
I was generally very happy with it but in recent days the unit won’t finish charging no matter how long I leave it plugged in, and now the battery only lasts one hour. Waiting on a reply from support now.
How long should this unit take to charge under normal circumstances?
As an aside, people with bony forearms may want to reconsider this as a HRM – to avoid spikes I have to tighten the strap enough to leave a mark on my hand after I take it off. Almost uncomfortably tight. I wonder whether the aim of keeping ambient light out could have been better addressed at a design phase – still it is a step up from cutting my chest open repeatedly on a “soft” garmin HRM cheststrap.
Alan, mine takes no more than 2 hours to charge from empty to full.
I left mine plugged in charging for 20 hours to no avail. Looks as if the battery is faulty, it won’t hold a charge at all now.
Mio have suggested that I have it in shipping mode (nope) – I’ve been waiting three days for suport to reply.
bad form
Having the Motoactv – will there be any issues since the watch both uses Ant+ and Bluetooth?
I use the Bluetooth for my wireless headphones while running and since I cant turn off bluetooth at the mio link, I fear that it could cause some problems. I would prefer that the mio link used the Ant+ – both due to better signal strengh and battery live.
Is there any way to turn off bluetooth? I can imagine that the signal is weaker using Bluetooth (especially if using on other hand than the Motoactv) and is it even possible with two Bluetooth connections at the same time?
The Motoactv can’t use both the BT Smart stack and ANT+ stack at the same time, it’s one or the other. That said, I don’t remember how (if) it affects the BT legacy side of the stack used for audio headphones.
Though, ultimately, it won’t really impact the Motoactv’s connectivity to the device, as it’s just extra noise in the air that has no impact on the Motoactv’s connectivity to it if not paired to either.
I don’t know if the Motoactv will pair to the Link offhand. In theory, it should. But in reality, the Motoactv has always been a tiny bit finicky when it comes to BLE HR connections with many other devices I’ve tried. In part because it was on the leading edge of that device profile when it was still being formulated, and as a result, I don’t think it actually has the 100% final spec BLE HR profile on it (though, I could be wrong there).
Hmm…I already use booth bluetooth (headphones) and Ant+ (HR strap) at the same time. No problem.
I was just wondering if I can use the Mio link instead of the HR strap with the Ant+ connection or if it will try to use the bluetooth connection automaticly instead (which im not interested in due to worse connection than Ant+ and battery drainage).
Cool, so the BT legacy stack is separate, good to hear.
As for the Motoactv, you search separately for ANT+ HR straps, and BLE HR straps, so it won’t ‘accidentally’ find one instead of the other. It’s just what you specify.
I’ve been using the Mio Link for the last 1.5 weeks, paired with a Garmin 910XT. Bought using my REI dividend. In my case the 910XT DOES pick up pulse info from the Link during swims, with the two mounted on the same wrist (the Link goes right next to the 910XT). The pulse info has been accurate for swims. It’s worked well for cycling (I hit 36 mph in the Ohio University triathlon and the Link did fine, so don’t worry about 14 mph as a limit) and runs (pulse up to 173 during intervals on the track). This is 63-year-old skin, so at least in my case, age doesn’t keep the Link from tracking pulse. Only a few anomalies so far: Pulses were reported inaccurately high briefly near the start of one training ride, and while running from the pool during the first transition of the O.U. race. And there have been a few dropped segments, mostly while testing the Link for sleep (but fewer drops than when wearing a chest strap for sleep) but occasionally while riding or running (when I notice loss of signal, I just push the Link higher up the arm to make it tighter). I’m quite pleased so far with the Mio Link. I haven’t noticed much more lag, if any, in pulse data than with a chest strap. One caveat: If you wear it tight, the strap will leave a definite mark on your wrist for a few minutes after you take it off. The tightness hasn’t bothered me, but for an Olympic-distance or longer race you might want to move it to the other wrist after the swim. My Link takes about two hours to charge, and a charge goes eight to 10 hours.
Did you wear a chest strap as well while using Mio Link during the triathlon? The Mio Link HR lag, in my case, is not easy to observe if you are not comparing it with the HR from a chest strap.
I’ve been using the Mio Link for the last 1.5 weeks, paired with a Garmin 910XT. Bought using my REI dividend. In my case the 910XT DOES pick up pulse info from the Link during swims, with the two mounted on the same wrist (the Link goes right next to the 910XT). The pulse info has been accurate for swims. It’s worked well for cycling (I hit 36 mph in the Ohio University triathlon and the Link did fine, so don’t worry about 14 mph as a limit) and runs (pulse up to 173 during intervals on the track). This is 63-year-old skin, so at least in my case, age doesn’t keep the Link from tracking pulse. I tested it against a chest strap reporting to a different device, and the pulses were virtually identical, with the Link about five seconds behind at the most. Only a few anomalies so far: Pulses were reported inaccurately high briefly near the start of one training ride, and while running from the pool during the first transition of the O.U. race. And there have been a few dropped segments, mostly while testing the Link for sleep (but fewer drops than when wearing a chest strap for sleep) but occasionally while riding or running (when I notice loss of signal, I just push the Link higher up the arm to make it tighter). I’m quite pleased so far with the Mio Link. I haven’t noticed much more lag, if any, in pulse data than with a chest strap. One caveat: If you wear it tight, the strap will leave a definite mark on your wrist for a few minutes after you take it off. The tightness hasn’t bothered me, but for an Olympic-distance or longer race you might want to move it to the other wrist after the swim. My Link takes about two hours to charge, and a charge goes eight to 10 hours.
I’ve been using the Mio Link for the last 1.5 weeks, paired with a Garmin 910XT. In my case the 910XT DOES pick up pulse info from the Link during swims, with the two mounted on the same wrist (the Link right next to the 910XT). The pulse info has been accurate for swims. It’s worked well for cycling (I hit 36 mph in the Ohio University triathlon and the Link did fine) and runs, including a maximum pulse of 173. I tested it against a chest strap reporting to a different device, and the pulses were virtually identical, with the Link about five seconds behind at the most. Works fine with 63-year-old skin. Only a few anomalies so far: Pulses were reported inaccurately high briefly near the start of one training ride, and while running from the pool during the first transition of the O.U. race. And there have been a few dropped segments, mostly while testing the Link for sleep (but fewer drops than when wearing a chest strap for sleep) and occasionally while riding or running (when I notice loss of signal, I just push the Link higher up the arm to make it tighter). For running and cycling, I wear the Link and the 910XT on opposite wrists. One caveat: If you wear it tight, the strap will leave a definite mark on your wrist for a few minutes after you take it off. The tightness hasn’t bothered me, but for an Olympic-distance or longer triathlon you might want to move it to the other wrist after the swim. My Link takes about two hours to charge, and it runs eight to 10 hours per charge.
Hello,
I can see on mio site that mio link works with strava. It must be for ihoine not Android version. It’s strange but strava must the last activity app without bluetooth smart support.
Ray, do you mind providing the links to your Garmin Connect activities that you did a comparison between the HR from a chest strap and Mio Link?
used mio for the first time tonight, overall I am happy w/ the device.. The main downside it it took anywhere from I’d say 10 to 30 seconds to respond to efforts. It seemed that for some if I rode harder for 20 seconds then back to where I was before effort wise, heart rate wasn’t affected at all. For an accurate steady effort I think it works well but the lag is noticeable versus a garmin soft strap HR monitor, I really hope this can be fixed w/ a software update. It doesn’t need to be instantaneous but hopefully they can get it to really only be 5 to 10 seconds. I definitely was seeing over 30 second delays.
Was really great to not have to fumble w/ a chest strap and way more comfortable. I also noticed a few small spikes similar to what I’ve seen on garmins when not tight enough. nothing major though.
“It seemed that for some if I rode harder for 20 seconds then back to where I was before effort wise, heart rate wasn’t affected at all.”
I had similar experience on a ride this afternoon. On a 0.6 mile Strava segment, i put in an average effort of 354w in almost 1.5 minutes, my HR should have been in the high 160 to low 170 range. However, the average Mio Link HR was only 144 bpm.
This afternoon, i went back to Ray’s review of Mio Alpha and i put one of the HR comparisons between the Mio Alpha and a chest strap in Excel and plotted a graph. The Mio Alpha HR tracked really well with the chest strap HR. Most importantly, there was no lag.
I’m waiting for Ray to post the links to his Garmin Connect activities from his first look at Mio Link so i can do a similar comparison.
I tried on the inside of my arm tonight, still lagging, maybe not quite as bad but I’m not sure. I had an interesting measurement, where i was going fairly hard for a while ~180bpm for 5mins+, then less intensity for about 20s then hard again, strangely after I was going hard again for about 20s I noticed a 20bpm drop, maybe due to the previous easier effort. There seems to be some strange measurements going on w/ me at least. Otherwise the ride seemed pretty accurate w/ no more than about a 10-15 second lag I’d say. Overall quite usable but I’m definitely not 100% satisfied. I’ve found measurements below around 150bpm to have less lag in general and feel more accurate.
I will try my left arm next time to see if I get any better results.
There are some questions here related to lag. Some people experience a lag and others (in our test experience, the majority) of people are not (or it is so insignificant as not to be bothersome). The lag is a phenomenon that varies by individual. If the MIO is not certain of the accuracy of the reading, it waits before outputting values. When you are sprinting, really clenching your hands, or running with fierce hand/finger movements, the motion artifacts and arm tendon movements (which lift the sensor of your arm) impact the clarity of the HR signal. Also, running cadence is very similar to HR so fierce movement makes it that much more difficult to distinguish one from the other. The best way to reduce the lag is to improve the quality of your reading. Try putting the sensor on the under side of the arm, put it on your non-dominant arm, or move it up much higher to a fleshier part of the arm. Hopefully these tips help those of you experiencing the lag and that the trial and error is worth it!
@Mio Global, would it help reducing the lag and accuracy when I put a sweat band over it? Since the quality of the readings is affected by ambient light. I’ve just recieved mine and I’m not very pleased about the accuracy and the lag in particular. I use it for (road) cycling only. Thanks in advance.
increase accuracy off course
In the tests i did last week, all the rides were done in long sleeved Castelli Gabba jersey. Light does get through the sleeve. So i do not think putting a sweat band over it is going to help.
I have tried placing it higher on my forearm, tried wearing it on the other arm, tried it on the underside of my arm. It made no difference where i placed Mio Link. The HR from Mio Link simply lagged behind the chest strap HR.
I meant to write “light does NOT get through the sleeve”.
I’ve returned it anyway, it’s not for me this product. Having read the above troubleshoot options and possible causes for my problem gave me no solution. The lag stayes to big for what I use it for even after “some” improvement.
I liked the Link just doing normal stuff though, seemed pretty ok than.
Someone with bad HR tried the foam adhesive trick ?
@Frank, yes try a sweatband. We have a rower in Australia that put a tensor bandage over his and it worked well. When this issue occurs, it occurs in a small part of the population and it is because human physiology is so different person to person. The root cause for the lag varies from person to person as does any potential solution. It’s certainly worth a try and from the feedback we are getting generally, people are really getting significant benefit from the technology.
I’ m disapointed and wish to return my mio link.
I read 30 day to return the product : i say great !!
I read that it must not be used : i say it’s a joke.
How can i test a product without test it ?
@Tommies please contact support@mioglobal.com if you purchased it from MIO. We really don’t want to take take your money and leave you with a product you are not happy with. Thanks!
Hello,
I will do.
Thanks
Here’s an interesting read on 2.4GHz transmission through water in a swimming pool
link to ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
(I think it is open, but I’m inside a University right now so possibly that’s how I can see it).
With the devices they were using, every packet got through up to 13 cm, every packet was lost by 18cm separation between transmitter and receiver.
They probably used higher power than the Link does, but you’d expect the Link to communicate fine with a watch next to it on the same arm.
Since i have two Mio Links, i decided to put one on each wrist to test them during my commute to work. I’m a right-hander so my right wrist is slightly bigger than my left. I adjusted the straps so that they were of equal length and therefore the fit was snugger on my right wrist. The Link on my left arm was paired with an Edge 800 while the one on my right arm was paired with an Edge 500.
The first 6 minutes of my ride, they tracked quite well with one another. From that point on for more than 10 minutes, the Link on my right arm went off to the deep end. The HR readings were way off. I noticed that almost immediately during my ride and made multiple attempts to adjust the strap. No dice. The HR from that Link did not rejoin the other one until almost 19 minutes into my 22.5-minute ride. The Link on my left arm seemed to track better today than yesterday. Around the 14:15 mark, there was a 2-minute effort when i averaged 380W and the HR averaged 156 BPM with a max HR of 167 BPM. It’s a little lower than what i would expect from a chest strap and again, without a chest strap, i don’t know how much it was lagging or how accurate it was.
If you are interested, here’s the excel spreadsheet with the chart that compares the two.
link to dl.dropboxusercontent.com
I had really high hope for the Mio Link prior to using it. It was meant to replace my occasionally erratic chest strap. However, it has turned out to be even more erratic and unreliable than the chest strap. This is a question for Mio Global. Will the upcoming firmware update resolve some of the issues i have experienced?
@ Changren Yong, please email support@mioglobal.com and we can help you more easily and hopefully get LINK working for you. Thanks!
@ Mio Global. I did email support@mioglobal.com more than a week ago regarding the erratic HR and lagging issue. The response was: “We recognize it is an inconvenience and do hope to release a firmware update to resolve the matter in the future.”
Already lost my mio link charger. When can we expect a link get a replacement ? Thanks !!
Did you reach out to Mio support?
Nothing yet- other than an acknowledgment of my inquiry. Happy to pay for one, but the website isn’t selling them yet.
First day using my link. Question; is there any possibility to configure/set the HR zones using Windows7/USB?
I don’t have any Android/iOS device to install the mio app.
I can emulate Android on my PC to install the mio app but this makes only sense to me if I can connect the link just using USB connection.
Any ideas? Thanks.
Just find anyone with Android/iOS: it takes 30 sec to pair the Link :)
No method. Though, I assume you do have some device (such as a Garmin ANT+ device), to ultimately receive the data? Or are you just going to use the little lights for zones.
As noted, finding a friend to set the zones up is your best bet.
I pair a FR110 – that works fine. FR110 can’t show HR zones so I may use the internal LED of mio link to check what is going on. I just have some zones because of an lactate test a year ago ;-). Whatever, I really do not need to set this zones@all. I just ask an colleague who has an iPad e.g. to finally define my zones on the link.
General; I think the mio link works. It needs some time if the HR changes/reacts if my activity changes. A bit more than by using an ordinary HR-Strap. The jumps between the shown beats per minute are bigger than I imagined.
Wearing by endurance run should no issue.
Quite surprised by all the negative comments here. I have been running with it for quite some distance now, including interval training, a temporun and a 5 hour training run. readings are very accurate. I wear the LINK next to my garmin 610 or 910 and that works very well. No blank readings so far, no inaccurate readings. I wear the LINK wuite snugly on the wrist and indeed have the markings on the skin after running but it doesn’t bother me at all. Not during the run, not after the run. It doesn’t itch, I simply don’t feel it at all. On link to bit.ly (dutch but you can translate) is the image of my wrist with the two devices during training.
I’ve just received my Link yesterday. Work fine, had a swim with Link and my 910xt. Here are a few notes:
1) Works perfectly fine underwater when put onto the bottom part of the wrist (since there are more veins close to the skin).
2) Transmits HR to 910xt when the latter is put next to Link, that is on the same arm and aside from the Link or on top of it. In both cases the combo looks pretty big and ugly.
3) 910xt does not support logging HR in the swim mode which makes all the above pretty useless. I’d even say that HR in the swimming pool is pretty useless in any case, as I you just don’t have much time to look at your watch (I used to have Polar RCX5 with their kHz HRM for some time).
4) Putting the Link on one arm and 910xt on the other you get no signal at all. The working distance is around 5-10 cm, as GHz are perfectly absorbed by water molecules :)
Does the LINK also store HR data on the device itself or is an external ANT+ or BTLE device necessary to store the data? I think it’ll be really nice to use it during swimming and then download the HR data afterwards, and combine it with the swim metrics from another device.
No, it only allows for live streaming of your HR data via SNT+ or BT. If you want it to store something, look at Mio Alpha or Addidas new thing.
Hi Devorak, tried to find your email to support but nothing came up as Devorak. Please resend with “Devorak on DC Rainmaker” in the subject line. Thanks, Mio Gobal Support
If you only need general heart rate, then the Mio Link is great. If you are trying to hit a narrow heart rate zone, not so much. The lag and often decoupling from actual heart rate is a real problem. I,had no connectivity problems with the Mio positioned next to the 910xt, but when comparing the numbers to my Garmin chest strap, it was obvious that the Mio lacked accuracy.
Two questions for Mio support:
1. From the discussion here, I am understanding that you may be swamped with RMA emails, but I have not receive a reply from an email requesting return authorization. How long should that take?
2. Have you given any thought to extending the return time period until after the firmware update addresses some of the problems people are having? Having early unhappy buyers return the unit and later repurchase if there is improvement from updated firmware seems like a a loss for you and hassle for early buyers.
Hi Devorak, tried to find your email to support but nothing came up as Devorak. Please resend with “Devorak on DC Rainmaker” in the subject line. Thanks, Mio Gobal Support
@Mio Global: so the same for myself:
I raised up a ticket asking for RMA support twice (1st on 23.04.2014 ticket# 129887 in German – 2nd on 28.04.2014 ticket# 130455 in English) and didn’t get any answer until now.
15 of 30 days are now over, so I hope that Mio doesn’t want to delay to the whole 30 days, that I’m not able to give it back afterwards. Hopefully not!
Sorry, for me it just doesn’t work. I’ve tried every position. Sometime it works, sometimes not – but I don’t want to think about it – I just want to run and heart rate monitor should work everytime.
Hey, can I exchange my production unit for Ray’s test unit? LOL! I too never got a response from my email request for a RMA, but was able to do so by telephone.
@Mio Support — Seriously, given so many unhappy customers who will need to return this unit shortly to keep within the 30 days, if you have firmware coming out that you think will fix the unit, what about the suggestion above that you extend the 30 days so we can see if that resolves the issues? It does seem to be a better idea than me returning it now, getting a refund, then re-purchasing later if people say the problems are fixed.
hi guys,
could anyone tell me, what kind software i could use to count calories (based on body measurement, not predefined workout count) using mio link. Endomondo is working fine, but im getting double calorie count as my H7 strap + polar watch. Runtastic is good, but is not counting calories, only sometimes using H7, the count is accurate. BLE HRM is crap app and is not counting as well. I like polar beat app, simple and accurate, but works only with polar HRM and not too many features.
thx
The Polar Beat app works just fine with any BLE HR strap.
You seem to be assuming that using HR data you can truly be accurate. That’s not really possible, all calorie counts are guessing based on exertion level so you just need to figure out which implementation is closest to how your body works
I use icardio on Android – works great and gives me a tcx file for sporttracks.mobi
doesn’t work with mio link on galaxy s4
Oh. I’m using a Nexus 5. Does it not pair in the app? Sometimes takes me a couple of goes for it to be picked up.
No, the Polar Beat app is for some odd reason restricted not to just 4.3+ units, but to specific handsets. And why the latest Samsung units aren’t on the white-list is beyond me.
damn so there is no way to know how many calories i burn during my workout ? :(
try icardio, works for me.
do i have to subscribe to get tcx file export? somehow it doesn’t work for me (android s4)
Interesting…. I used two apps at the same time for an circuit training workout today. The Mio Go app said I burned 1043 calories and the Digifit app said I burned 326. Yesterday I did a HIIT workout, the Mio said calorie burn was 1040 and another app (Map My Fitness) said calorie expenditure was 420. What the what??
Which, is ultimately to Eli’s point above. Calorie counting algorithms are all over the map. And every company/app/organization believes they have the best one out there. In reality, none might be correct. There’s really no way of knowing.
In general, when I test devices I try and ensure that the calorie metric pases the basic sniff-test. For example, in running that’s generally agreed as about 100cal per mile for the average person. Less if you’re smaller, more if your heavier. Slightly more again for high intensity workouts, etc…
Just got my white one in the mail today. Am supposed to get the slate one in the mail tomorrow. It paired up ok with my 310xt and had no problem finding my heart rate while I’m sitting here at my desk at work. I have a workout scheduled for after work namely a couple of long intervals, 2wu+2(2m@HMPw1mr)+2cd = 10 miles.
I wear my 910xt paired to my chest heart rate monitor and the 310xt paired to the Mio Link and see how they compare and report back tomorrow.
OK 2 weeks ago or more I ordered this after reading your review from the website you recommended. Either they didnt ship the USB adapter or I didnt notice it and tossed it out with the packaging. I have gone back to the website and direct to the products website and emailed numerous times asking if I can just purchase the damn adaptor getting emails back but never directed how I can order one. They are not Garmin friendly that is for sure!
Hi DJ-
Are you referring to Clever Trainining or Mio shipping you the product. If Clever Training, from a packaging standpoint, they’re never opened (sealed and all), so it’d definitely be something omitted at factory or thrown away (more likely). Mio doesn’t list a charger-only SKU that Clever Training could sell.
Have you reached out directly to Mio about buying an charger (or perhaps that’s what you’re referring to above)?
Sorry!
Thanks for the quick reply. I first contacted Clever Training then went direct to Mio. Clever Training said they would try contacting Mio also but I never heard back. I am not asking for a free charger as I understand it doesnt jump out at you when you unpack and I could have mistakenly toss it. That we will never know. I am willing to purchase one but cant get them to respond other than this on Monday: Thought maybe you could light a fire under them?
Your request (ticket# 129981) has been received and is being reviewed by our support team.
To add additional comments, please reply to this email or give us a call at US/Can: 1 877 770 1116.
Danny Kerecman
Apr 23 01:24 PM
Can I purchase the USB adapter for my Mio Link Heart Band as I never found one in the box? I dont find accessories on your website. Thanks!
The USB adapter is kinda hidden away in the packaging. I got mine today in the mail. It’s tucked away into a compartment in the packaging itself. It’s a small, compact design.
Thanks Tom. I probably tossed it out by mistake, just need to be able to purchase a replacement.
Hi Tom and DJ,
Tom: Thanks for sharing!
DJ: Sorry to hear that. We’ll be receiving another batch of Mio LINK chargers within the next two weeks, at which point you’ll be able to purchase a replacement charger from our website.
Hope that helps!
Thanks,
The Mio Global Social Media Team
Done three indoor rides, one outdoor ride, very good connectivity and seems to measure well, I have small wrists and use the small wristband
Hi guys
I just got my device 2 weeks ago but it has proven to be a huge disappointment so far. I can pair it easily with my phone (HTC one) but it then keeps getting disconnected every 2 minutes or so (I am using “BLE heartrate monitor” android app because the Android version of the MIO GO app is totally useless at this stage)…
The only help I got from Mio customer support was to return the product to the vendor but as I live in Asia and bought it in US during a business trip, i guess I am pretty screwed.
Thank you Mio, hope you will put those 99 bucks i gave you to good use (like improving your Quality Control processes for instance).
Cheers,
AG
Have you tried other apps? Perhaps the Wahoo Fitness app or similar to see if it’ll hold the connection?
Hi Ray,
Yes I’ve tried Whahoo fitness but since there is no chart to be displayed on the app, I can’t see if there also was disconnection. Nevertheless, if I keep looking at it for a few minutes, I can see that heart rate sometimes disappear, which means that there are disconnection as well obviously.
All workouts can simply be exported to CSV, so from there you can graph it. Though, HR is actually shown on a graph within the WF app at the summary screen of the workout. So you can do that too.
Understood, thank you for your help !
Got my white MioLink yesterday and used it for the first time on yesterday’s 10 miler doing long intervals (2wu+2(2m@HMPw1mr)+2cd). I had it paired with my 310xt. I also wore my 910xt with its chest heart rate monitor. I had both Garmins on my left arm and the MioLink immediately above them. In fact, all three were touching. I also wore my MioLink with the light oriented under my wrist since my veins seem to be more visible there. It worked perfectly. The graphs are essentially identical.
Link to Garmin chest HRM graph: link to connect.garmin.com
Link go MioLink HRM graph: link to connect.garmin.com
nice comparison – no visible differences – well done; it’s truly perfect.
I like your comparison.
If only the device wasn’t so person-to-person (and worn location, and tightness, and…) dependent. I have done a series of similar experiments and have had ~20 bpm errors for minutes at a time in most workouts!
Still holding out hope that an update will fix my issue or I will be RMA’ing the device before my 30 day window is up.
I really am glad it works for some people, I still do have hopes that the product can be successful and improved to work for more people. The convenience is great.
Hi Ray,
thank you for an excellent, detailed, constructive review. For me this kind of independent report is highly useful. After reading your report, I decided to buy the Mio Link. It was delivered today. Fabulous!
I am like a kid with a new toy. It feels soooooo good to dump the chest strap and all the hassle connected to that.
The Mio Link is elegant, absolutely easy to set up. The design is highly aesthetic, comfortable to wear. So far, so good.
Thanks agin for your valuable reporting.
David
I was very happy to get mine today but I’m disappointed since I cannot pair it with my Suunto Ambit 2R !
Does somebody here has already try the Link with this watch ?
The Link itself seems to correctly detect HR as the led blinks but it is never detected by the watch.
And I don’t think it may come from the watch as I use it with a 4iiii Viva chest strap.
Is there a special setting to configure with the Link ?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thierry.
It’s the Ambit. They’re incredibly finicky when it comes to pairing ANT+ sensors, often taking multiple attempts. It seems to have the attention span of a gnat.
The simple workout as put both units right next to each other (like, rubbing), and then re-try pairing. It might take 1 or 12 times. But eventually, it will find it. Once paired you won’t have any future distance problems.
I see it on tons of ANT+ accessories that aren’t Suunto made, specifically with pairing with the Suunto Ambit.
Hi Ray,
Thanks for your quick reply and for your indications.
Unfortunately I didn’t manage to get both units paired although I have tried more than 20 times having units right next to each other.
What puzzles me is that I hadn’t get problems with the 4iiii’s viva chest strap.
Now, I’ll see next week with a friend having a Garmin unit to double check if Link could get paired with it…
No problem at all with pairing MioLink with my Ambit 2. I only needed to put Ambit 2 in physical contact with MioLink for the first pairing.
Thanks for this info. I did the same but it does not work.
Well, a lot of patience was necessary, I just managed to get both units paired !
Next step will be to try the Link during a run.
See…2, 20, 200 times…eventually it does always work. ;)
My ‘Link’ arrived today from CleverTraining. Wearing it on my wrist just above my watch, and it found my HR in just a few seconds. I guess I’m one of the lucky ones. Suunto Ambit2 pairing took me 13 tries (I counted), and now seems to be stable. I already ran this morning- so I guess I’ll try it out on its maiden voyage tomorrow. Pretty excited not to have to wet, goop, and static guard spray a chest strap every morning – and then still battle with static issues. We’ll see how well it works- I’ll report back. I don’t care about the ‘delay’ during intervals. Just want something that -works-.
Not that I was planning on using the Mio app and its training zones – but the app was freezing on my iPhone whenever I try to set up zone 4. Figured out why: the zone 4 max was set at 179, whereas the zone 5 max was 174. After resetting the zones, I was able to build my own without creating an overlap error.
Size: I’ve got pretty small wrists for a guy. So, I ordered a small/medium. It’s just long enough to reach around my arm- where I’m wearing it successfully -above my watch. I’ve got 2 holes of margin. When I place it on my alternate wrist- lower, where a watch would go, I’m mid-band, but I can see some green light peeking out. I’m presuming this will be a less optimal location, however it still gave me my HR in 10s. I guess all good here.
Charger dongle is very short, and only lightly holds the strap. not an optimal design.
I’ll report back after a few runs. So far- very excited!
Great feedback! Thanks, Rainmaker.
Hi Moorey000,
Thanks for your detailed feedback — we really appreciate it!
We’re thrilled to hear you’ve been freed from the uncomfortable chest strap! That’s exactly why we created this product. We’ll be sure to pass along your comments (regarding the charger) to our Product Development Team).
Thanks again!
It’s working well with Runtastic Mountain Bike. I guess it’s OK with other Runtastic pro apps !
You just have to choose “Runtastic Bluetooth Smart Combo Heart Rate Monitor” in the sensor list.
Strange, but it’s working :)
Endomondo Pro is excellent with MioLink too. No single disconnect on many hours of my road cycling and running. If you have phone with ANT+ inside (like Galaxy S5), you can choose for connecting with MioLink BLTE or ANT+, both protocols are working well.
The Mio Link is working extremely well for me and this is just two days in.
On Friday, I used it on a 10-mile run and it transmitted to my Polar Loop and to my 910XT in parallel. It was great being able to glance at the 910XT and see my heart rate during the run — all without an uncomfortable chest strap. This meant that I had three devices on my left arm. When I started my run, I had the 910XT on my right wrist and the Loop and the Mio Link on my left wrist. However, the ANT+ connection occasionally dropped; so I moved the 910XT to my left arm which stopped the communication time outs.
This morning, I used it with the Polar Loop for a 3,000 yard swim workout and it worked well. When swimming, I couldn’t tell what color was flashing to know the zone; but on the wall between intervals the flashing colored light let me know what zone I just completed.
It would be valuable if Mio Link or Polar had instructions on their respective websites explaining how to pair. Ultimately, I figured it out from the comments on this blog. The key was physically tapping the Loop to the Mio Link.
In sum, this $99 was a worthwhile investment and this is now my standard heart rate sensor. When the Polar V800 launches with swimming capabilities, I’ll take a serious look at getting that to replace the 910XT and the Polar Loop.
RM,
I should also add that you have a fantastic blog and this is my primary source to keep up on what new exercise-related gadgets in the works and which ones are worth purchasing.
Thanks a lot.
Hi Robert,
It seems you succeeded in pairing the Mio Link to a Polar Loop. Could you collaborate on the exact steps you needed to do before it worked?
I’ve tried unpairing the Loop from all other devices (phone, H6 HRM), turned airplane mode on/off to reset the BT, turned on the Link, held the devices together, tapped them together, smashed them together :), but still no luck. Am I missing something?
Thanks
in case you were not successful yet: put the loop next to the link and continue pressing the loop’s and mio’s buttons.
I made the Mio very tight today, but not uncomfortble… Tight enough to leave a mark for a few minutes and I think the lag/ accuracy was vastly improved. Sucks that the battery only lasted about 7 hours, maybe a tad less. Wasn’t able to get my whole ride. But I rarely ride so long so not the end of the world.
Just took delivery of mine and went out riding yesterday. I had to secure it pretty tight to get to work properly. It really got uncomfortable after 6 hours of riding. But worse part was that when it wasn’t able to get good readings it keep transmitting the last good values (may be it was just some lagging). I had to press on it, despite the already very tight strap, to get it to read properly.
Today I tried it again, but this time I wore it upside down and it seemed to work very well and I didn’t have to wear it so tight either.
Got mine yesterday. No problems at all finding my heartbeat, nor with connecting to the Garmin 500.
Today on my 2nd ride with it, it showed me at up to 203bpm (average 193bpm) for almost 5 minutes, with the highest value on a road that is slightly downhill. I was just rolling along at 26km/h, though with a slight headwind I was in the drops. I wasn’t feeling like that kind of heartrate and even on my hardest climbs I’m never getting nowhere near this kind of heart rate, with my absolute max observed heart rate at 188bpm.
So: 1.) this is not just a spike (HR jumping up for one or two data points) and 2.) it doesn’t looks like “just giving some random value” when the heartbeat couldn’t be found, as it goes up and down regularly (although not really in sync with my activity).
Maybe this is related or similar to the “issues” you’re seeing in the production units?
@Betabug, did you warm up first before starting your ride? You really need to do that to make sure the blood is circulating well. Also, do you hold the handle bars with flex wrists? That also causes problems although the new firmware will improve that.
“Warm up”: yes, I was warmed up, this was after a 3 hour recovery ride. Also the air temperature was somewhere around 25-28 degrees Celsius, so my capillaries shouldn’t have been too tightened :-)
“Flex wrists”: over a 5 minute period like this that has some downhill and uphill, I’ll variate my hand position a lot on the handlebars. I was in the drops, on the brakeks, on the top of the handlebars.
I’ll now try different positions (e.g. under the wrist) to wear the link.
A followup: I’ve done more rides with the Link now. I have exactly those wrists that were described here. By putting it on the underside of my wrist it seems to fit much better. Also that way I can tighten it one step more without bothering me. Result: It’s mostly working fine now. I had one “failure”, where I had stopped to take off my jacket and it kept insisting I’m on 85bpm (while going at perceived AT on a 6% climb), but the classic “turning it off and then on again” while on the go fixed it.
I have no lag, I have no disconnects (Garmin 500), battery life is totally sufficient for my training rides, the charger is a bit “special”, but it works. I totally ignore the LED (they could have left it out as far as I’m concerned).
So in conclusion, I’m happy I can work with heart rate without having to wear the chest strap. This is a big improvement on comfort. It means I have HR data and can train with HR on more rides than before, as many times I wasn’t willing to put on the chest strap.
@Mio Support — Seriously, given so many unhappy customers who will need to return this unit shortly to keep within the 30 days, if you have firmware coming out that you think will fix the unit, what about the suggestion made in an earlier comment that you extend the 30 days so we can see if new firmware resolves the issues? It does seem to be a better idea than me returning it now, getting a refund, then re-purchasing later if people say the problems are fixed. Or is it that there is no new firmware on the horizon?
@Leaves are Green, we expect the firmware to be released end of May but it won’t compensate for extremes in human physiology. The firmware update is designed to improve readings where blood circulation is impeded. It does not compensate for light leakage. If you have a certain kind of wrist, typically with a deep hollow starting at the head of the Ulna, the sensor will lift from the skin and that causes the lag. A lot of people like that are having success moving the sensor to the underside of the wrist. If someone buys the LINK and waits for the firmware update to test if that makes a difference but still wants to return it within a reasonable period of time afterwards, of course we will honor that.
Does the Mio Link work differently than the Mio Alpha? It is my understanding that the underlying HR technology is the same in both products. But after reading many comments on the Mio Alpha, I don’t see mention of some of the issues associated with the Mio Link. For example, the Mio Alpha finds my heart rate quickly without having to warm up, but I see Mio Global suggesting that you should warm up in order for the Mio Link to provide an accurate heart rate. (I don’t have access to the Mio Link.) Also, the lag issue that so many have mentioned here, is that an issue specific to the Mio Link or does it also occur with the Mio Alpha? And my last question with respect to the lag issue, is the lag introduced by the Mio Link in detecting the correct heart rate and then reflecting it on the Mio Link LED or is it a lag getting the heart rate to the paired device? I’m trying to understand what is the root cause of the lag, and if eventually, it can be resolved by a firmware update or if this is just a limitation of the technology before purchasing a Mio Link. Thanks.
There are two specific differences between Link and Alpha:
1) Size of the watch platform (Alpha covers up more, and reduces light coming in more than Link)
2) The power level used for communications.
To that end, my understanding is there is only a single difference between the pre-prod and prod versions I have:
1) The power level used for communications
I don’t really see any lag on me. If you look at my helmet post from last week, there’s actually some production Link data in there, and you’ll see it mirrored across other devices.
My understanding is the power item can indeed be tweaked via firmware.
I’d like to reinforce the lag is not a universal problem. It occurs in a small number of cases. It is not some weird averaging algorithm. It happens when the LINK cannot get a good reading. It’s that simple. It does not happen on everyone. In fact, it reads perfectly on the vast majority of the population. There is no difference between ALPHA and LINK except the differences Ray points out.
The tips we give for ALPHA are the exact tips we give for LINK. The same issues exist with ALPHA but because LINK has a smaller width and smaller sensor it is less forgiving on “difficult wrists”. The same issues: 1) lack of blood circulation (need to warm up); lag (move it up the arm, tighten it, wear it on the underside of wrist, don’t flex your wrists as much) are more noticeable in this crowd because a higher than typical percentage of you tend to have the most difficult type of wrist physiology for optical heart rate. On the communication side, the dropped signals can vary by mobile app. We cannot control that. Also, ANT+ cannot travel through the body so it’s really not a surprise that the signal is impeded or dropped if LINK is on a different arm than your watch and your arms fully swing in opposite directions while you run. So, if you have a lag, try the tips above.
The firmware update MAY help. We are testing it now on a few “difficult” wrist shapes but it was designed to improve the quality of readings for activities that require greater wrist movement and flexion which impede blood circulation. It is not designed to solve light leakage. The best tip right now to solve lag, if you are one of the few that has it, is to try and wear LINK on the underside of your wrist. Hopefully it works out but, if not, of course we will accept returns.
Really, what we are trying to do, and what has been our mission since 1999, is to find a reliable, comfortable, non-intrusive and accurate way to deliver heart rate without a chest strap. It’s great to read the overwhelming number of positive experiences people have posted. It means we really are offering a solution to a great majority of people that have been frustrated with the chest strap. And, for what it’s worth, I was never able to wear a chest strap because it always slips down on me and disconnects. Technology is never perfect, whatever form it takes. And remember, the other guys have been doing this since 1976. They have had many more years to optimize sensor designs, communications, etc. but they still haven’t got it off the chest.
Thanks, Liz Dickinson CEO Mio Global
Liz,
I appreciate your personal message here. I have now tried wearing LINK on the underside of my wrist and it seems to work well. Most importantly I don’t have to overtighten it to cause discomfort.
I have big forearm bones and can almost see the green light from the sensor even wearing it very tight.
I am a cyclist ,so haven’t had a connection problem with BLE on iPhone and ANT+ with Garmin 510.
Cheers,
Tooraj
Thank you Ray and Liz for your comments. Since I did not have any problems with the Mio Alpha, I doubt that I will have a problem with the Mio Link. Also, glad to read in Ray’s reports that he did not encounter any lag as well. I will be purchasing one and I am looking forward to it.
Appreciate the comments…
I’ve had one since launch and may be in your edge case of tough to measure wrists. I see a typical ~10 second delay on a hard effort change, and often really rough early readings (first 1-3 minutes can be really wrong). Often during the workout I see periods of “Crazy” readings…
I hope to hold onto the unit until after the software is updated to determine if it will work for me, I like the open communication channel, it should help alleviate some amount of support contacts and e-mails.
Are there any thoughts on modifying the strap to better seal any stray light (with a better “light gasket” around the sides)?
A secondary question… Do you plan to sell replacement straps separate from the sensor pod? Perhaps one is in between sizes and needs a small and a large? Or the strap breaks or somehow damaged… Just a thought.
Liz,
As the module and strap are seperate, is there any scope to make a different strap available that will provide more of a ‘lip’ around the outside to block ambient light ? Or if the problem that on slim wrists the LEDs and sensor are not sitting directly on the skin surface, and blocking ambient light would not help further ?
I can see different challenges for both… You could create a strap with a ‘lip’ around the sensor module, or you could have a strap that pushes the module down more on the skin without having to over tighten the strap. Either approach would be a change to the strap rather than the module, so would hopefully be something you could sell/offer as a cost effective solution.
Good idea for the ‘lip’. And a longer strap for arm positionning !. I got the longer one , but as I have a big wrist , I can’t imagine positionning it on my arm Oo
Only a good idea if the issue is ambient light. I was surprised not to see a lip on my unit when it first arrived – but depending on the problem/design that could actually lift the array off your skin and cause more problems! I am sure the Mio R&D team are looking at ways to improve the device (which I am sure they would be doing anyway, even if all comments were 100% positive).
I haven’t used the Alpha (other than trying one on in a shop – I wasnt allowed to turn it on though!), and I wonder if the larger size helps with ambient light blocking… and the Link would benefit for an increase in strap size or a ‘lip’. Just something for the team to consider (although I am sure they are doing that already – its hardly a novel idea!)
Liz –
Greatly appreciate your comments. But I don’t understand the following:
“The same issues: 1) lack of blood circulation (need to warm up); lag (move it up the arm, tighten it, wear it on the underside of wrist, don’t flex your wrists as much) are more noticeable in this crowd because a higher than typical percentage of you tend to have the most difficult type of wrist physiology for optical heart rate.”
Are you implying that because this crowd is skinny/lean we “have the most difficult type of wrist physiology for optical heart rate”? Isn’t this watch geared towards athletes?
I think need to go scientific and compare results. I have a BLE chest strap that works well.
Any suggestions on two iPhone apps that I can run side by side to capture Mio and the chest strap’s data, then export the data side by side to chart in say Excel?
Found my answer… anything that can export to gpx will do, then use GPSBabel to convert to CSV file and chart! :-)
Using my Mio has been a disaster. Effectively it’s been a random number generator. I’m very sad, because i so wanted to love this product! I think i have pretty normal shaped wrists, but there you go. I can’t understand how it worked so well for you Ray on the pre-production model, but on shipping it’s a failure. The Mio technology sensor on the new Tom Tom watch seems to have a flange on the side to prevent ambient light problems. Seems odd that the Link’s edge’s just roll away. But thats to my very untrained design eye.
I was getting nothing back from Mio about how to return it on email for a while, but props to them, after my 3rd and slightly angry email they have now already refunded by purchase, and i await instructions/prepaid envelope on how to return it from New Zealand. Good on you! I would love to come back to this or a similar product…if they got it working like they did for Ray in his pre-production model! Good luck.
I had lot of trouble with the link until I moved it to the underside of the arm. Still have to watch it and give it a little movement once in a while when it doesn’t want to keep up with the heart rate. Overall I give it a 3.5/5 and do recommend it. Longer battery life would be great. I will have to use the strap when doing 100+ mile events. I wish I could use it on the top of the arm. The android app is pretty weak and really not of much use. I have about 80% trust in it so far, if I was training to a point that I needed 100% reliability I would have to stick with the chest strap.
Not Mio related but if Strava would enable sbt or ant+ for android that would really rock.
The link worked great for me EXCEPT it has to be on the same hand as my Timex Run Trainer. This is a major set back IMO. Do you really expect runners/cyclist to wear two things on one arm? Seems like this was designed mainly for folks using their phone and not runners with GPS watches. The ability to wear on the opposite hand would make this a much better product and unfortunately thats what I thought it was capable of when purchasing. Holding out that a firmware update will fix this. Other than this I was pleased with the HR readings on my 12 mile run Saturday.
Know there is a lot of debate about accuracy and lag-time compared to the Garmin HRM1 and other straps. So far my experience with it has been pretty good. Below is a snippet from a trainer interval workout today. Notes on the graph should be pretty clear. Graph was created by importing both HR tracks into SportTracks and using the activity overlay function.
Can’t paste the graph into this but you can view here:link to davemengle.blogspot.com
Dave, looking at your graph, it does look like the HR from Mio Link trails behind the HR from the Garmin HRM1. It is especially apparent if you look at the 8 sawtooth peaks after the 10 minute mark.
Noted and certainly, it’s not a perfect fit. But personally I really rely on power as the ultimate precision training tool anyway.
For me HR is only a rough indicator of how hard I’m working because there are so many variables that can affect it. But power is power, whether I like the numbers on any given day or not. However as a supplement to power (or when riding a bike/wo a meter) I think overall the Link would appear to do a decent job. Certainly over the course of a long ride I don’t feel the need for second to second correlation with another device. I think ultimately it would boil down to a decision about whether you want to wear the strap or not. And there are probably times I still would… like longer events. If anything battery life is the biggest reservation I have about using the Link.
Agree with your analysis. I don’t have a lot of problem with the “lag”. My main issue is with how erratic it could get occasionally. During my 4-hour ride on Saturday, there were four occasions, for a total of about 35 minutes, when it reported my HR significantly lower than normal. In fact, it went as low as 40 BPM.
In spite of my issues, my coworker, after using one of my Mio Links for a few days, decided to buy two, one for his wife and one for himself.
A good test could be to remove the mio link from the strap and tie it with adhesive strip on the arm or torso. This way, no leak of light and on torso ni problem or mouvemement. May be no lag like this ?
I guess adhesive foam could do the trick too . But I cannot test because I don’t have any problem at the moment with the link ;-)
I’m afraid my experience is more of the “random number generator” sort. Some days it seems pretty good; other times the numbers are off wildly, such as 180 BPM while doing an easy warm-up, and this weekend, 90 BPM during a 7K race. I’ve yet to wear it along with my Garmin chest strap, but I’m clearly getting crazy inaccurate results at times. I’ve experimented with different placements–higher and lower on the forearm, sensor on different sides of the arm, and no one spot leads to data that’s never suspect.
I’m also disappointed by the “wear on some wrist as the watch” necessity. My Ant+ speed/cadence sensor has no problem transmitting from my left chainstay to my right wrist, and my Tempe temperature sensor does just fine when it’s behind me in a pack, so I’m not sure why the Link can’t link across my torso.
If I just had the lag issue, I could live with it. But fundamentally, the data needs to be consistent, as well as accurate, and it’s not happening for me. Having it look about right some of the time isn’t acceptable, so I’m afraid it’s going back.
Forgot to add that I’ve also tried lots of different tightness settings–still no help.
I have had this for about 2 weeks now and it works great. My pregnant wife uses it to keep below 150 bpm as the garmin heart rate strap was useless when 7 months pregnant.
For me, I use it running along side my Garmin FR220 and it works great, but it is on the same wrist as I found it worked the best that way. Additionally, this forced me to move it up the arm a bit and get a nice secure fit. No real drops and the lag seems to be non existent.
I do also have a Vivofit on the other arm and sometimes there is dropout on the vivofit especially when my arms are front/back from each other. However, for activity tracking, it works well and gives me another source to read my heart rate when my FR220 fields are focused on distance/speed measurements.
Overall, very happy thus far for my wife on the elliptical and for me during my daily 5 mile runs.
Only complaint is I wish the bezel glowed the hear rate zone color as the LED blinking period is too long to get a quick view during a running arm swing.
Hi All-
Just as an FYI, I received last night replacement production units from Mio with the new firmware to test. These were to swap out my first set of production units where I’ve been seeing accuracy issues as I’ve noted both above in the comments as well as the banner at the top of the post.
I’ll be following up over the next day with those initial results, though, keep in mind that one test do not make validation either direction. I can sometimes get the Mio Link to be ‘happy’ for a single activity. So it’s happiness over multiple activities that I’m looking for.
Cheers,
Ray
Do you know ETA for firmware update for early adopters??
Thanks
I don’t know of a timeframe.
Is there anything different about the hardware in these new production units? (Seems like they could have gotten you firmware updates on your current units, so I’m curious.)
The singular difference is that the transmission power has been increased.
I suspect it’s easier for them to simply drop-ship me updated units rather than trying to get a firmware updater mechanism working before they’re ready to do so.
Cool! I guess I’ll hold off on my return pending your review of the new firmware. I really hope this fixes things. And thanks so much for all your efforts here!
I’m curious to see what you find. You got the pre-production units that were dead accurate. Then there were “rumblings” about the 7 hour battery life. Then the battery life was adjusted to 10 hours and the people rejoiced. But then the production units were delivered and are more problematic/less accurate compared to pre-pod units. Now the transmission power is increased. So are we back to the 7 hour batter life again with a more accurate unit?
Also, thanks for all the info Ray. You have a great site.
RE trying to get an adapter so that I can just plug a regular micro usb phone charger connection to the cradle I found a female USB to female micro USB connector on ebay from china for a dollar including postage, so should have it by Christmas ;-). No wires just a simple adapter plug that I can leave on the cradle- now why oh why didn’t Mio just do that.
Couldn’t you just plug the USB into a USB stepped down plug? It charges fine in my old white iphone 3 pin uk plug, my daughters nexus plug and I would imagine a USB in car charger.
Or am I missing something?
Yes- you can plug it into any USB outlet/charger block. It doesn’t need to be plugged into your computer. In fact- I don’t believe that there is any direct communication between the Link through the USB. The way you communicate to the link is via Bluetooth.
In fact, to keep things tidy and simple I’ll use the Garmin Edge charging block as I’ll be using the Edge together with the Link. I also assume charging the Mio will be quicker by USB to mains right?
When I plug my LINK in to my cradle I am pretty sure I see an actual device show up in my device manager — implying it does have communication lines to the PC.
Another reason to believe this is the cradle has 4 contacts, if it were only a charger I would guess only 2 would be provided.
Finally, I believe I saw somewhere (but I guess don’t quote me on it, I can’t recall the source), that a firmware upgrade would be likely through the USB charger connection to a PC.
Yeah, sorry. I was following on an earlier post buried further back about many people having their plug stuck behind a bedside cabinet etc so they can charge phone at night. Having a micro USB connection saves having to reach plug and unplugging the USB connector that probably lives most of time in most peoples adapters. Add to that the fact that some phones like the samsungs in my household come with a plug into which the micro USB outlet is permanently wired in. It’s just a small but unnecessary inconvenience that could have been avoided if the ubiquitous female micro USB port option had been utilized by mio in first instance.
little adapter arrived and works a treat now I can just plug any micro usb outlet into it. I messed upon the postage though, gave a delivery address which is one of those parcel motel jobbies, ended up paying €3.50 extra which wasn’t necessary at all- that’ll teach me to pay more attention to the address I select on ebay
Hi, first of all, I would just like to say your site is great. Really helpful real world reviews.
I am interested in the Mio Link but I do have a questiion that you or your readers may be able to answer –
Does the Mio Link pair with the Polar Activity Loop? And if so, does it affect the battery life of the Polar Loop?
Thank you.
Yes, it’s compatible with the Polar Loop. It doesn’t have any different impact on battery than a normal HR strap would.
Glad I discovered this review and the direct comments from MIO. Sorry to say that I have another random number generator device here. The only thing I haven’t tried yet is running with the sensor on the underside of my wrist.
Only a generic support email sent in response to fairly detailed experiments with the thing. I guess they are swamped with complaints.
Full details here:
link to runnersworld.co.uk
Not sure that I’m ready to give a full report yet on my experience with the Mio Link. My first two runs had mixed performance. A combination of ‘random number generator’ and seemingly good data. I moved the device all over the place in search of the right location- which didn’t work out so well doing it while I was running. Then, I keyed into something that Ray noted; that it’s about keeping the light out. (or really, keeping the light ‘in’). While indoors, you can easily see, as you position the mio link, if there is any green light leakage. I found the right position, just up my arm from my watch, but rotated the Link 1/8 turn so that it touched a part of my arm that matched its curvature. Now- No light leakage. Last two runs- the Mio Link has been giving me what appears to be stable and reasonably responsive HR data. (pretty happy about that).
I haven’t directly compared it to chest strap data yet- but given the sub-zero dewpoints and single digit relative humidity percentages, I seldom get decent chest strap data with which to compare. For those keeping track- my skin is 50 years old, dry and well sun damaged. I’m thinking that green light would need to go pretty deep to find blood on my arm.
So- my suggestion is to spend some time indoors, finding a good spot where you cannot see any green light peeking out, and where the device stays without slipping. The rubber strap is a great material. Just stretchy enough. A little soft. A little sticky. That all said- you can see where picking up HR via light like this, is no easy task. It’s on the edge of engineering capabilities, to do it all conditions, all arms, under constant motion. A real engineering problem.
I haven’t taken it cycling yet. Or swimming.
Just as a general FYI on swimming and the Link, I was able to use it today swimming for a handful of test laps connected to both a FR620 (ANT+) and a Polar V800 (BLE), as separate tests. The HR values appeared inline with what I would have expected, and increased appropriately when I pushed the pace, and decreased when I eased up.
Obviously, the units were right next to each other in order to ensure transmission underwater – since you only get a few inches there to work with on either ANT+ or BLE.
I’ve also been swimming with the Mio Link today with the Garmin Vivofit to log the data. Data also looked pretty solid to me.
Swimming with the Garmin Vivofit and Mio Link
I had the vivofit lowest so the that it would break some of the water pressure before hitting the link.
Turned it on, made sure it had found my pulse, and then jumped in the pool. Fist I crossed over to my lane, and then spent a minute or two getting the goggles on and checking the gadgets were good.
First i did 1000m and then took a breather, then another 500m but my legs were tired after the days bmx race so even trough the plan was another 1000m i backed off the pace after 250-300m and cut it short at 500. Instead i played with Toypedos with the kids (link to swimways.com they are good fun for any age)
link to connect.garmin.com
On the other arm i had the 910xt.
link to connect.garmin.com
The data looks pretty solid to me – Would be perfect if the 910xt could enable ant+ while svimming :-)
Went swimming with the mio link logging to the vivofit again today
link to connect.garmin.com
At the end it some 25m intervals’s with ~20s fast following by 30s of recovery (except the the last one that i made it a 50m sprint.
Again the 910xt was on the other arm: link to connect.garmin.com
Data looks fine it me.
Hello, I tried pair mio link withouth succes with excite+ technogym equipment(compatible with ant+ and working with my old chest strap)….maybe ant+ from mio link is very weak??
Good new:
I tested mio link for measure HRV(SDNN,LH,ANS BALANCE, etc..) and mio link is very capable and accurate for that purposse.
I compare HRV measurement with zephyr bluettoth 4.0 chest strap and oximeter bluetooth 4.0.
Well I have now concluded that MIO LINK lags!
See link to dl.dropboxusercontent.com.
The graph speaks for itself!
I wore an Oregon Scientific SZ999 BLE chest strap paired with Strava for iPhone and Garmin 510 connected via ANT+ to MIO LINK.
MIO LINK was worn fairly tightly on the underside of my arm/wrist.
I am hoping a firmware update will fix it, or it is going to be a complete a $99 write off. :-(
Hi Tooraj, it looks like the first third of the graph is spot on between Mio Link and Oregon Scientific, and then at distance 15577.8, the Mio Link started to lag. Did you notice anything change around that time? Your graph is interesting, but it looks like there was a long period of time in the beginning where the Mio Link was tracking well. Just curious if you think there may be an explanation for that. Thanks.
Good point John. But even before that there is a slight lag that keep growing. But I can see the big lag.
Nothing really happened around 15.7km mark that I can remember. Around the 18.4km mark, I went over a bump through an underpass and and my tail light fell off. So I stopped to pick it up and mount it again. I lost GPS reception and my Garmin may have also lost connection to LINK.
Up until there I kept checking my HR and on a couple of occasions I notice the lag and pressed on LINK to get it to pick up its act! :-) I really felt I was in zone 4 and it I was just getting zone 2 readings. But after the little bump, I felt it was getting dark and cold so I rushed through the ride and did not pay any attention to the heart rate. So no more teasing of LINK to perform! ;-)
Just in case… here is the Stava ride: link to app.strava.com.
I received my Mio Link yesterday.
I tested it wile working on my desc.
Everything seemed to be ok, but sometimes the HR increases to nearly the double of the correct value.
Only when I tight the band, so that the blood circulation becomes limited, the values are correct all the time.
I tried several positions of the band.
I think I will have to return it.
I already set training zone to 5 zones on ios.
Mio still show only 3 color. any other ways to change it?
I purchased the MIO link and have been very disappointed. While it paired very easily with my Garmin 910 and Edge 510, neither device was able to continuously register the HR broadcast signal. I called MIO customer support and they told me it must be a weak signal coming from the Link. They also told me that this is a fairly common issue right now. The returns department is so backed up right now they are at least a week behind in sending out return information so I can return the defective Link. Could be another week I am told . I usually know better than to buy a brand new device/technology until the bugs are worked out. I guess it is buyer beware. Beginning to get the feeling I may just be out $90.00 with a dud device. At least I kept my Garmin heart rate strap. My advice would be to look elsewhere or wait until MIO is able to correct these issues.
@Frank, firstly, allow me to say that I personally checked yesterday before end of business day, as I do every day, as to the status of the call centre and we are not backed up so I am surprised at this comment. Please post your ticket number and I will have it looked into. Secondly, please don’t worry about your $99. We will of course refund your money. It is absolutely not in our interest to keep the money of people who wanted to benefit from our technology but were not able to. We want happy customers, not people whose money we have that are not getting the benefit of our technology. Also, although there are several people who describe connectivity issue with LINK, please rest assured that the signal is definitely within spec. If you were advised it is weak, that is not correct. That was a miscommunication from early on in our investigation of the connectivity issues that has not died away. What we are finding is that wearing LINK on one arm and the watch on the other creates a situation where the arms swing in opposite directions causing the body to interfere with the signal transmission. Ant+ does not travel through the body. The solution is to wear the LINK and watch on the same arm. Even if we boost the signal, depending on your arm swing pattern this may not help. We are looking at releasing a firmware upgrade to boost the signal but we are testing this first. We are also looking at releasing a firmware upgrade that will improve the quality of the OHR in conditions where there is lower blood perfusion – such as weight lifting, greater wrist flexion, less vigorous exercises or less time to warm up. The lag, not present on all people, can only be solved by improving the quality of the way the sensor is picking up an individual’s signal. If there is a large hollow on the wrist, or little body fat, it is difficult for the sensor to be buried into the skin enough to prevent light leakage. So that is why pressing on the LINK has shown to be helpful.
To all: The particular group of men on this forum that have wrists that are very,very lean, or with large ulna heads (wrist knuckle), a “hollow” by the wrist, and large tendons have difficulty because the sensor does not fit on the wrist well enough to prevent light leakage. The solution seems to be to wear LINK on the other (usually non dominant) arm or on the underside of the wrist. Some men though, also have large tendons there. The best solution then is to wear it higher up the arm. There is no one technology that can cover all physiologies. We will most certainly find a solution that works on these particular kinds of wrists but if you want to try LINK and it does not work for you, by all means, take comfort that we are happy to offer a refund. The overwhelming majority of people are getting great results from LINK and ALPHA. Will our OHR products get better over time? Of course – as does all technology. We want to make this product work for all athletes since we think heart rate is the most important aspect of training and it should be more accessible – and that means getting rid of the chest strap. Your successes and failures help us learn which is why we read and participate in this forum. You rely on our integrity as a company to make sure that we are open and fair in our dealings. Also, if any of you that have had particular issues would like to be part of our testing group, please send an email to support@mioglobal.com and put “Test Candidate” in the subject line and we can look at adding you to our ongoing test program. Thank you for your patience. To all of you that are having success with your LINK, it would would be great to hear from you too just so I can get a little pumped up from the good that I am certain we are doing with our products! Liz Dickinson, Founder and CEO Mio Global
Thanks for the reply. I did not receive a ticket #. I was told I would receive an email with return instructions but have not seen that yet. I understand your argument re the hands putting the body in between the ant+ signal. However that does not explain the same issue while cycling. My wrist is essentially on the hoods and the garmin 510 is mounted to the handle bars just a few inches away. Also it would seem chest straps would have the same issue when the wrist swings behind the body. I would prefer that my Mio work for running, cycling,etc rather than getting money back. I was told they would ship another one but I have heard nothing. I was also relaying what I was told from Mio customer service re the weak signal. Again I’d just like to get one that works. From the led light on band I don’t think I am having an issue with it picking up my heart rate just the transmission to my garmin devices.
Frank, if you are getting signal drops during your bike ride, i suspect you may have a defective device. I am part of the test group that Liz mentioned in her response to you. I personally own two Mio Links, my wife has one, and i have two other Mio Links sent by Mio Global for testing purpose. I have been testing all of them extensively during my bike rides and i have never experienced any drop in HR signal (ANT+ or Bluetooth). I have tested them while cycling with my Garmin Edge 800, Garmin Edge 500, iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S. My wife has been using hers in her runs (she’s about 5’4″ 115 lbs) with her Garmin watch (don’t remember the model number). So far, none of us have experienced any problem with HR signals dropping.
In my interactions with Mio Global as part of the testing group, they have been very responsive. I truly believe Mio Global is genuinely interested in troubleshooting the issues that i’ve described in some of my comments here and in finding the solutions for them. Hopefully my participation in this testing group will help make this a more reliable product for those of us that are having issues with it.
The ANT signal issue is a weird one for sure — similarly I have ridden with the Link on my wrist for my trainer… picking up the signal from my Garmin (1 ft away) and a laptop (6 feet away). In general both have no problems on the brake hoods. However, if I place my hand on my aerobars the Link drops out to the laptop. This is not a huge deal for me, since it is 5-6 feet away, but shows a strange sensitivity. My Garmin HRM straps will pickup on this same laptop from 20-30 ft away walking around, through walls.
I think Liz was looking for a ticket # that gets auto sent back to you when you first start the communication with support@mioglobal.com
I actually called the 1-800 customer support number and spoke to someone there. Therefore, I never received a number. I have followed up since and was told again the returns department was backed up and it could be another week before I get the e-mail for return label/instructions, etc. Hope I can end up getting one that works for all activities. I am going to try wearing the link next to my 910 Garmin watch, however that is a whole lot of items going up my arm. I still need to solve the issue on cycling. That one is puzzling to me. I appreciate Liz’s responsiveness to me and others on this blog. I put a lot of trust into the reviews on this site so perhaps I just have an isolated bad link. It is odd that the customer service rep told me this was a very common problem right now and this is why the return process is taking so long.
Update
So I added to the fuel here on the service after my unit was stuck in shipping for 3 weeks and Mio stopped responding to my emails. Coincidence or not, the day I posted here I got a phone call. Good conversation and was shipped 1-day shipping a new unit. So just tested it out with my 910xt. I was able to wear it on the opposite wrist than watch and worked perfectly on run.
Seeing that people mostly post issues only, thought I would add that besides the early issue, once I was dealt with by Mio and used the product, it was all I had hoped for. I’ll probably add my name to the testers group mentioned earlier, if possible.
Thought I’d post an update. I received my replacement Mio link and so far it has worked perfectly with both my 910xt and my edge 510. Data synced to garmin connect appears good too. I am wearing the link on the same arm as my. 910 for runs. I am putting it just above the watch (elbow side of watch). I got used to it very quickly and plan to continue to do this. I don’t typically wear my 910 when riding unless racing. Overall I’m pleased and much prefer this over a heart rate chest strap. I think with any new technology there will be done bumps along the way with the 1st gen products. I like what Mio is doing. Hopefully others will get their problems resolved as I have.
Heads up on the customer service…my order has been stuck for 3 weeks in limbo, sent them a message and things were good but when I said this was no longer acceptable, sent 4 follow up messages with no replies yet…not what I expected in service.
We should be able to choose the protocol at startup . How many will use ANT+ and BT at the same time ?
One protocol == less power consumption , so the ability to increase ANT+ power for the same battery life …
Based on the chipset they use, it doesn’t really save any battery life to remove one.
Could you give me the ref of the chipset used pls ? ( I’m an electronic engineer ;-)
Nordic 922 based on earlier discussions, though, they may have swapped to the 422. Those are the same chipsets that the vast majority of dual products out there are using, and everyone I’ve talked to has stated that going to a single-protocol transmission mode gives “negligible” battery life savings.
My unit is a complete lemon – won’t charge, battery is defective
Support replied initially but have ignored my last three emails.
Very unhappy with the unit and service
@Alan we searched our CS database and cannot find a ticket number with your name. Please post your ticket number. Thanks! Mio Global Support
#130366
Alan Smithee is a Pseudonym link to en.wikipedia.org
It’s frustrating that there is no reply to an email I sent a week ago, but public comments get an immediate response.
Please address the issue by email, not here
Sadly, I have to agree with that statement. I’ve tried to contact the support as well, both before my order arrived and afterwards, and never got any reaction whatsoever. After complaining to them on Twitter, I got a pretty quick and nice reaction, asking me to follow them so they could send me a direct message. Which I did, but never got any message from them. It’s really, really hard not to abandon all hope and get the impression that all they currently do is trying to look as good as possible. I’d much more appreciate an honest statement that says “Sorry, we’re fucked, our support is not able to deal with the amount of problems people are having with the Link. It will take forever, but we won’t abandon you.” I can forgive a lot of things when I don’t have the feeling of being lied to.
What’s more insulting is that they took my email address from the support request and added it without my permission to their marketing email list.
So as I wait for them to address the issue of my broken mio link, they are sending me unsolicited emails asking me to buy a mio link for my mother.
It would be funny if it wasn’t so stupid
@Manu. Our call centre is not over run. Is it true we are having a larger than expected number of questions about the connectivity? Yes. Is it overwhelming us? No. We were overwhelmed with the queries regarding the delivery issues but we are caught up. On the connectivity concerns, we never anticipated the volume of people that hated the strap enough that they would be willing to wear one strap on one arm and a watch on the other. LINK was designed for the bike market. The running use case with another watch is exciting but we will need to take that into consideration for future antenna design. The majority of accuracy problems are being experienced by men with very little body fat and wrists with hollows. In future our module design will need to be adjusted to accommodate this type of wrist physiology. Other than wearing LINK on the underside of the wrist, the best tactic I read earlier in this forum is to make sure no light is escaping from under the module and try to fit the module curve to your arm curve and wear it snugly.
Although the people on this forum are a hugely important group to us, this forum does not represent the general physically active population. We have delivered tens of thousands of LINK worldwide and we offer global support in multiple languages. One of our uses of Twitter, FB and forums such as this is to listen for any mishandled situations. Mistakes happen. And because of this we are glad to offer an additional level of support and if it makes us look good, that’s a bonus because our intention is to be good and keep getting better.
@alan Smithee (clever!). I will look into your comment about your email address. I am not aware that we pull in service emails to our marketing database.
Gentlemen, thank you all for your comments.
Liz Dickinson Mio Global CEO and Founder
Hello Manu
Please post your ticket number.
Our apologies that your outreach via Twitter was not responded to in a timely fashion.
Thanks,
Mio Global Support.
“LINK was designed for the bike market. The running use case with another watch is exciting but we will need to take that into consideration for future antenna design.”
Very interesting. On the Link product page on your site, it sure seems like you are marketing towards runners. Here are some quotes directly from your site:
——————————
HOW MIO HEART RATE TECHNOLOGY WORKS
LED lights and an electro-optical cell “sense” the volume of blood under the skin. From there, sophisticated algorithms are applied to the pulse signal so that the heart’s true rhythm can be detected, even while cycling or running at performance speeds.
Have we mentioned our technology is award-winning?
——————————
BUILT FOR PERFORMANCE.
During extensive testing against the top heart rate chest strap brands, Mio LINK consistently performed with 99% EKG accuracy, even while running at speeds of up to 14.4 mph.
@Glen MIO products are mostly used by runners that run with their smart phones and need BTLE. We are discussing here the issues with ANT+ connectivity between a running watch on one arm and LINK on the other. The problem, which can be solved by wearing both devices on one arm, is not something we took into consideration during design because we added the ANT+ for bikers. ANT+ is still the dominant protocol in that activity.
@Liz – I hope you understand the point we are trying to make. All this detail you are now supplying regarding ANT+ connectivity, especially related to runners, is not mentioned anywhere (I can find) on your website or even in the user guide. It’s almost as if it was something you expected your consumer to intuitively know. It is that lack of information that is now creating some unhappy customers. When I purchased the Link, I was intending to wear a watch on one arm and the Link on the other.
With that said, I’m happy with the Mio Link and I would recommend it to runners willing to wear it on the same arm as their watch. (As a side note, most of the runners I know run with a GPS watch, not a phone). I do notice the lag in readings versus the chest strap, but that is a minor issue for me. I initially had trouble with inaccurate spikes, but moving the sensor to the underside of my wrist fixed that issue. So far I have used on it on 4 hour run and several hour plus runs and I am satisfied enough to ditch the chest strap.
I wish I could, but both me and my girlfriend are both still waiting to even get a ticket number. We contacted support@mioglobal.com as is stated on link to mioglobal.com – one a few weeks ago, one a few days ago. So far not even an automated reply with an assigned ticket number. I’d be happy to tell you our order numbers, if that helps.
Hi Glen,
We understand what you’re saying and thank you for your feedback (regarding the website). We’ll pass this over to our Content Management Team who will take all of your feedback into consideration and update the website/user guide accordingly.
Thanks, again!
^What Mark said
Hello MIO
I’ve preordered the Mio Link from germany and got my first device a few weeks ago.
It does not work properly. Lags, signal losses, not nearly similar to a chest strap weared at the same time.
Your support said, I should return it. I did that. I had to pay 15€ on my own to send your defective product back. I got a new one without anything to see from the 15€.
Now the new device has even more problems. I can confirm the signal losses when the device is moving “against” the receiver (Garmin FR60, ANT+). A watch is also moving opposit to a chest strap and it works nevertheless. Why not the Link? And we are not talking about bodyparts in between. Just move the both (clock and Link) in front of your body opposit to each other and you will see the signal losses.
I also use it with BT4.0 and Ant+ with an Xperia Z1 Compact and it is still lagging compared to my chest strap.
So at the moment it is useless. I do not want to send it back because than I have to pay 15€ again. 30€ for sending a defective part back that is worth 99€.
When will there be the firmware update? What is the roadmap?
Thanks
BTW: I’m one of the skinny men and tried several different positions
Hello Joachim
Please post your ticket number and we will contact you. We don’t charge for returns within the 30 day period so you were not correctly advised. We will correct this.
Thanks,
Mio Global Support.
RA#128406
Just wanted to add my thoughts on the Mio Link. I’ve been using it since mid April and have done maybe 20 or so runs with it. I’m very happy. I do wear it on the underside of my wrist and above the wristbone as that seems to be where it is happiest. I’ve been wearing it on the opposite wrist to my Garmin (610) with no issues – until I read the comments here I hadn’t even considered putting it on the same wrist.
I do see my HR rise above where I’d expect it to be for maybe a km before settling back to “normal”, but this happens on pretty much every run – including those where I’ve doing a harder run but I’ve already done a warm up run and I know the unit is working fine, so I’m beginning to think maybe my HR actually does that.
Anyway – I’m very happy with it. I’ve never been able to use a chest strap successfully so I’m really pleased.
Mandy (New Zealand)
Hello,
Mio suggest to wear the mio link on the same wrist.
But…
The manual doesn’t mention this necessity.
There is no photo on web site showing mio link and watches on different wrist.
Maybe they should mention it somewhere…
I have no problem wearing my footpod… then I don’t understand why i have problem wearing my link and my 310xt on different wrist.
The Mio link is working for me. have had clean HR data for the last bunch of runs, including a 17mi trail run today. All looks perfect.
that said- the Link needs to be placed on the same arm as my Suunto Ambit 2. If I move it to the other arm, it doesn’t pick up the ANT+ signal reliably. This does seem a little weird- but I’m happy to have HR that isn’t a constant battle against static interference.
I’ll throw my 2 cents in…just went for my first run with Mio Link (ANT+ paired to Garmin 910). Paired easily and picked up my HR. I started the run with the Mio on my right wrist and 910 on the left. Immediately noticed the same issues reported above: standing still HR was transmitted and displayed on the 910. As soon as I started running the HR disappeared and stopped transmitting. I switched the MIO to the left wrist next to the 910. HR began transmitting and displaying again. I ran 7.5 miles trying different combinations of locations for each unit. The only place I could get consistent readings was when both units were next to each other on the same wrist. I’m not sure I buy the whole “arm swing signal issue” because I don’t have a wild and violent swing when running (like a pure sprinter would). I feel like my hands/wrists are generally in front of my body. I’ve got a brick workout planned for tomorrow and will test out the biking functionality.
My wife and I each pre-ordered a Mio Link and received them a few weeks ago. We both have had issues with the signal to our Garmin’s cutting out but we have not tried wearing on the same arm as the watch yet – we will try this soon.
Another issue I’ve been having is that the HR readings occasionally drop, gradually, to unrealistically low values and stay low for several minutes. Tightening the strap to discomfort sometimes worked in getting the values back up to where they should be. I’ve tried wearing the Link on either side of my arm and higher on the forearm with variable results. I just purchased a wrist band that might help keep light out. Still troubleshooting. We want very much to like this product as it is very cool technology and has the potential to eliminate the chest strap! For now I’m using a chest strap linked to my watch via ANT+ and at the same time using the Link with my iPhone (Wahoo Fitness) via Bluetooth (sometimes the other way around – chest strap to Wahoo and Link to watch). So far the Link needs more experimentation before I can be comfortable using it alone.
A third problem (my fault) is that Mio said that they would refund the duty charges (delivery to Canada) but I lost the package slip / receipt. Will Mio take my word for it? I do have an email trail.
I had exactly the same dropout issues, plus occasional spikes with the Alpha, despite try it in a variety of positions and tightnesses on both arms, but I have precisely the “problem” wrists Liz describes…
Hello Glen
Please post your ticket number if you have one and we will contact you. If you don’t have one, please send an email to support and post that number when you get it.
Thanks, Mio Global Support
I had been fairly impressed that the Mio Global CEO had been on this site posting damage control, but her last post where she says “LINK was designed for the bike market. The running use case with another watch is exciting but we will need to take that into consideration for future antenna design” is just rubbish.
If this were true, then why does the Mio Global site prominently feature a woman running, with the tag line “Train with Heart” if they were not targeting runners?
The bottom line continues to be that something seems to have changed between pre-production units sent to reviewers and the production units being received.
damn You are right Sir.. if They said somewhere “LINK was designed for the bike market. The running use case with another watch is exciting but we will need to take that into consideration for future antenna design” then its a REAL JOKE :O i just dont know what to say…. Ray you knew that ?
@David, when we added ANT+ to LINK it was to address the use case of the biker. We saw the biggest demand for ANT+ to be in the bike market. Please remember that LINK also broadcasts BTLE for the runner as well as ANT+. The marketing images you refer to address the BTLE running market since the largest user group that use MIO products run with their phones.
Thanks,
Liz
maybe its true Liz but You cant forget about runners using standard running watches + ANT+ sensors (99% chest straps).. its big part of seriously running community as well. i think You cant defend weak ANT+ with this argument ;-(
Ray posted this comment on his Stages Power Meter review that i thought may be applicable here. Several users are having issues with pairing the crank-arm-based Stages Power Meter with the Garmin 910XT multi-sport watch. One user was able to pair them together but was getting dropouts. I am guessing this is similar to what some of you are experiencing here regarding dropouts.
link to dcrainmaker.com
And here’s the official Garmin response on the dropouts experienced by users, as quoted by Ray:
“We recommend that anyone who is having trouble to try the 910XT on the opposite wrist, or the opposite side of the wrist; or to use the quick release kit to mount the 910 directly to the bike when riding.”
So perhaps the issue may be related to the type of watch you are using? My wife has a Garmin Forerunner 210 and she has been using the Mio Link since it became first available. She wears the Forerunner 210 and Mio Link on opposite arms. I have not seen any HR dropout issue in her Garmin activities. I don’t run with her but i’m pretty sure she does not run with both arms swinging in the same direction at the same time :)
hey. honestly i am happy user and have no bigger problems with Link paired with my FENIX 2. I use it only with FENIX 2…but it works well only when wearing it on same hand as watch , very tight and 5-10 cm higher (than watch) on my arm. its only way i found its working well in 95%. Frustrating is only that sentence about its designed for bikers (where there is nothing about it Links main Mio Global page. There is arso woman running on it :O) this sentence is shield for them for any further problems from runners using ANT+ paired to their watches. I just found its very unfair..
It’s likely true that the receiver has some impact on the reception of ANT+ messages… but still it is clear that the Mio is substantially different than any of the garmin straps I have used (HRM1, HRM-SS 1 and 2).
When wearing on the same wrist I see OK signal (just poor accuracy at times).
When wearing on opposite wrists with a Garmin 610, 910xt or Vivofit I have seen drop outs. If using on a bike trainer I see OK signal from ~5 ft away, but if my wife walks in front of me briefly it drops out. My old chest straps (any of them) would easily work from this distance, including through walls. I cannot say whether or not this is acceptable for someone, but the range isn’t even comparable.
All of that being said, my return is hinging on new software fixing my random accuracy issues. Perhaps I am just a fringe case that cannot use the device reliably…
Dear Mio,
After 4 calls, about 7 emails, with no consistent plan for return I have decided to post here to see if I can get a response. Simply put, your product doesn’t work for me. I have had dropped readings, erratic readings, and now the unit wont turn on and wont charge. I am not satisfied with the purchase and would like to return the products(one for my wife and one for me). However, each time I call your customer service I get a different answer in how it is to happen. The first two calls I was told I would be sent a shipping label(either email or mail), but nothing ever came. Then I was told I would be refunded and you would either send a courier or send me a shipping label. No refund, no label came. The fourth call I was told to send the product back to a certain address and then I would be issued a refund. So which is it? I have been trying to get these things returned for the last 3-4 weeks. My ticket # is 130570 so you can look into it. Its unfortunate that the product is having so many issues, but poor customer service is probably worse in my opinion.
We are beating you up a bit Liz, so I want to recognize that. But I don’t get your repeated comments about the largest customer base being runners who use their phones to track activity. You’ve made this reference a couple of times now:
“The marketing images you refer to address the BTLE running market since the largest user group that use MIO products run with their phones.”
Assuming you cannot or will not share that market data I’d just like to say from observation, and almost ten years of long distance running, the ‘runners’ I know generally wear some type of watch to this day. Even new runners I speak with end up purchasing a GPS watch within a matter of months. All the smartphone apps are great nowadays. But until there is a smartphone that is as comfortable to wear/carry as a watch – I think runners will stick with the watches.
OH NO, I ordered the Mio Link today just to realize i was cheated by MIO’s marketing nonesense?
Even if you didn’t count with the watches, lots of Android phones use ANT+ (my Xperia Mini for example) and don’t accomodate the BT4.0. This should be clearly stated on the product. IF your ANT+ doesn’t work, than state it. Poor antenna design is not the problem of your customers!
This got me really angry and frustrated.
FWIW in my experience the Link’s Ant+ and BLE are about the same — albeit neither is very good.
In a gym environment, anyway, you can forget about using it with a phone unless you have the phone strapped to your arm. Using an SGSIII (BLE) drop-outs were frequent and auto-reconnect rarely worked even though the phone was never more than a couple of feet away — I tried several different apps with the same result. Even with wrist-based devices, both a Vivofit (Ant+) and Loop (BLE) saw frequent loss of signal if the Link was on the opposite wrist. When on the same wrist both the Vivofit and Loop seemed to be able to maintain a signal, though the frequently odd readings made it hard to be sure what was caused by signal loss and what was just the Link, well, being the Link.
Granted, between the WiFi and all the people running around with Bluetooth headsets and such, my gym is apt to be a bit noisy in the 2.4ghz band, but, even so, as far as I can tell the Link BLE and Ant+ signal has a range best measure in fractions of an inch.
i am doing a mio swap as now i have charging issues. if i charge it and leave it off for a few days it’s dead. when i try to charge it 50% of the time it charges the other 50% it acts as if it’s charged (and trust me it’s not.. as i just learned 5 minutes into my workout).
i also don’t like the drop issues.
i may land up returning it for the Scosche yet.. but will give them one more try …
i also like that the Scosche comes with both sm and lg bands so you can move it as needed (hint mio … most now come with both bands)
we will see..
This is similar to issues I am having – The unit never completes a charge (I can leave it plugged in all day and the light doesn’t go off). As soon as I take it out of the charger, it’s good for about an hour recording and then dies. Sounds like at least two bad batteries in the first shipment.
Support still haven’t replied to my problem, they’ve sat on it for a week now.
My number is still #130366 if anyone is paying attention.
sorted now, waiting for a replacement
I’ve been having charging issues as well. It looks like it has died now as its been on the charger for two days and I can’t get it to do anything.
….aaaaaaaand I spoke too soon – support ignored me all week and just now sent me a garbled email outlining their refund policy.
If you are going to use your customers as quality testers, you should at least have a good customer support section….
Mio were responding fairly quickly when I was only having issues. Once the unit died and I starting asking about how to go about getting a replacement they have stopped answering. I’m now waiting for Clever Training to respond.
I had one of these devices. I could not run with the device on my right wrist and my Garmin on my left. I had to put them both on the same wrist. Not at all comfortable to have both on the same wrist.
I lost my Link at a race a couple of weeks ago. The price to replace it is not an issue. But I will not be replacing it. This is a good concept, but it felt like a first gen product.
I received my Mio link 3 weeks ago. I tried it on different occasions ( run, bike) and in different positions. It doesn’t work for me.
So i asked to Mio to be refund . I have send two messages … but didn’t receive any answer. I’m surprised and disappointed. It doesn’t seem very seious.
I used the mio link a few times. Wearing forerunner and mio link on same wrist, mio on the upper position was best result for me until now (using ANT+). I am really convinced of the optical HR measuring concept. Imagine how many products (for example: from tomtom, adidas etc.) with integrated optical HR will be released in the next weeks.
My experience by training excercises and competition is the following (only running!):
– between garmin chest strap and mio link there are no significant differences; if you look on the average HF-values each round (1KM).
– only by strong changing your HR-activity rapidly the optical sensors seems not that quick like a chest strap but in sum there is no need to argue.
– I used mio link by fitness training as well. My impression by using a bench press (vertically) is that the HF-values are not correct (much to low) because of that vertical alignement of arms/wrist. The blood circulation could be different then…
My overall impression is very good if you can accept that immediate reaction is not given and if you can handle with that some body-positions makes a true measuring impossible.
I am very happy with my mio link. I hope you will get lucky soon!
Well contrary to what the review says I can not get the Mio Link to pair with my Nokia 920 with Black update through the Adidas micoach mobile app. It shows up in the gear screen as ‘Mio Global Link’ but won’t pair. I have uninstalled and re-installed the micoach app and still no change. Adidas support pretty much said they couldn’t help because they don’t or didn’t test the compatibility of this configuration. I contacted Mio Global for help and they replied with Android setup instructions not Windows Phone 8 instructions. I like the feel and look of the Mio Link but disappointed that I can’t get it to pair up.
Thank you, you do an excellent job here.
I ordered Mio Link yesterday and today I was able to try it out.
I tried Mio app and Endomondo with Note2. Works like it should so far.
Which is the best free app for Android? Endo has expensive monthly plan.
Hey Ray,
I was just wondering whether the firmware update has helped at all. I’d love to be able to switch away from the chest strap, but obviously it’s not worth it if the link just doesn’t work.
Thanks
I’ve been trying a bunch of different things. It’s seemed to help a little bit in some cases. For example, I had an indoor ride that was completely flawless over the weekend (with both units). But, I also had a run last week that was half and half. One unit fairly solid, one unit kinda a mix all over the place.
I’ve switched to trying it on the inside of my wrists and am collecting data on that now.
Thought I’d post an update. I received my replacement Mio link and so far it has worked perfectly with both my 910xt and my edge 510. Data synced to garmin connect appears good too. I am wearing the link on the same arm as my. 910 for runs. I am putting it just above the watch (elbow side of watch). I got used to it very quickly and plan to continue to do this. I don’t typically wear my 910 when riding unless racing. Overall I’m pleased and much prefer this over a heart rate chest strap. I think with any new technology there will be done bumps along the way with the 1st gen products. I like what Mio is doing. Hopefully others will get their problems resolved as I have.
Hi Frank,
Thanks for your comments. We’re thrilled to hear you’re liking your new Mio LINK!
Thought I’d post an update. I received my replacement Mio link and so far it has worked perfectly with both my 910xt and my edge 510. Data synced to garmin connect appears good too. I am wearing the link on the same arm as my. 910 for runs. I am putting it just above the watch (elbow side of watch). I got used to it very quickly and plan to continue to do this. I don’t typically wear my 910 when riding unless racing. Overall I’m pleased and much prefer this over a heart rate chest strap. I think with any new technology there will be done bumps along the way with the 1st gen products. I like what Mio is doing. Hopefully others will get their problems resolved as I have.
Bought the link after seeing your initial review of the prototype, after it was ordered I then saw your disclaimer regarding the production units and was concerned. Having used it for several rides with my Garmin 510 it has been flawless (inside of the wrist). I’ve tracked it comparatively to the chest strap and it seems to track extremely close.
Great upgrade from the old chest strap I just hope I don’t start to encounter any issues noted above.
Purchased the Mio Link to use with my windows 8 Phone as well as gym’s ant+ cycling computer. But frankly i am at a loss as to how to add it to the adidas micoach. Any insights would be most appreciated.
Kevin…same issue for me. The mio link shows up in the micoach ‘gear’ list but I can’t get it to pair up. I really like the look and feel of the mio link but not being able to pair it up to my Nokia 920 is a bit discouraging.
Hmm, seems the trend is the 920. I’ll try my 920 when I return back tomorrow. I’ll also try my 820 and see if that’ll work, a little later tonight. Depending on the results, I’ll also try a few other BLE straps I have with me and see if anything of them work with any of those phones. Should help narrow it down between being a phone thing, an app thing, or a Link thing. My money is on phone thing, since the BLE profiles are fairly well established and everything else works with the Link.
How did you even get it to show up in the micoach gear list? I have an HTC 8X phone but the Mio Link doesn’t show up under the bluetooth listing (or at least I can’t recognize it) and I couldn’t figure out on the adidas site where I could add it to my gear. I could use the larger strap version but I like the look of the Mio Link.
Did you set this up with an iPhone or Android first? Seems like the Bluetooth should just work out of the box.
I didn’t do anything other than turn the mio link on and start up the micoach app. It just showed up in the gear list. I got a response from Mio tech support today and quote unquote….”We apologize for the inconvenience, unfortunately, Windows Phones are not supported”. As much as I like this Windows Phone I am getting really tired of no support for device compatibility.
I can confirm the same issues with pairing and the 820 (little brother to the 920) and Link via the Adidas miCoach app. I was able to successfully pair to both the Wahoo TICKR and the Polar H7.
That said, I think it may be an Adidas issue. So i sent over an e-mail last night to the guys at Adidas and they think they might know what it is and will loop back to me after checking/confirming.
Hang tight…
Thanks Rainmaker for the help. Since the Mio Link was showing up in the ‘Gear’ menu it seemed like it could be an app issue. Hopefully they can figure it out as I would really like to get this working. If I can get it going I will probably get the Speed Cell as well.
I heard back from the Adidas folks. They were able to confirm it wasn’t BLE encryption causing the issue (it was their initial thinking, but Mio Link didn’t enable that). They’re working on another WP 8.1 app update right now, and will try and address it towards the end of that cycle in the next few weeks, but it may slip to the next update.
Rainmaker, appreciate your update from Adidas on the Windows Phone Micoach App issue. Looks like I am going to need to find another HRM as I need to monitor my heartrate for some cardio rehab and can’t really wait for Adidas. Right now I am looking at the Zephyr HxM BT but it doesn’t look like it works with Micoach so will need a different app. The thing I like about the Zephyr is it says it also tracks cadence or steps which would be handy if its accurate. I was hoping to find something that wasn’t a chest strap that was compatible with my WP 8 but that doesn’t appear to exist at the moment.
Ah. Well my HTC 8X didn’t do that at all. It’s too bad because I really like the form factor. My iPod Touch is too old, my Android tablets are too old (less than a year) and now this phone is too old (four months old) to use the Bluetooth technology. I need a heart rate monitor that is ant+ and also will work with the Windows 8 phone. If this was $50 I might keep it just for the ant+ functionality but otherwise I think it goes back or up for sale.
I just purchased the Mio. Having multiple problems with it. First it never fully charges.Second it only pairs with half my apps on Android. I want to use polar beat app but it won’t pick up the signal. I have a Nexus 5 so they phone isn’t the issue. Having to wear a watch on the same arm as mio is annoying if you ask me. I might just return this and get the TomTom watch with optical sensor.
Yeah, the Polar Beat app is really a Polar issue not supporting BLE on that phone. Which other apps have you tried? Were they all BLE-compatible apps?
I tried the Wahoo app tonight, it worked good. I personally just like the Polar Beat app but I might change to Wahoo, it has alot of options and works good
Yup, the Wahoo App is pretty strong. It’s much more capable on the iOS platform, but they’re catching up quickly on the Android side (it was just recently released on Android).
Quick update to my comments above. Gotten a few rides in with the mio link ANT+ paired to Garmin 910 (mounted via quick release on my bike). Don’t see any issues with HR transmission, seems to work well here. As to running, I still cannot get the Link to transmit from one arm to the other while running. The link has to be right next to the 910 on the same arm. When looking at my arms swing while running the distance doesn’t seem to be much greater than when my arms are on the bars on a standard road bike. And my hands are generally in front of my body. So why do I have to wear the unit on one arm like a bionic man? Mio any other thoughts on this transmission issue? Really enjoying the product otherwise.
They said ant+ signal cannot travel through your body. That is why you can’t wear it on different arms. Disappointing
It seems really strange to me … The chipset on the Mio Link is using the same RF transceiver for ANT+ and Bluetooth, at 2.4Ghz for both protocols. So , if the RF power is the same, the transmission distance should be approximately the same
I’m pretty sure there’s a bad antenna design …
On android, I tried Wahoo Utility, a tool providing informations about BLE Devices. Wahoo Utility gives signal Strengh.
The Mio link near my Smartphone gives a very very weak signal. If i distant 30 cm, no more signal.
I want to love this product. But i think it’s a failure
Really disappointed
Two possibilities :
– A bad antenna design
– The battery is a really tiny one , and they want to keep battery life to the max, so they’re using low RF power. If it’s the case it can be corrected by updating the firmware. But the battery life will be impacted…
I don’t think that increase power should impact battery life.
With a simple CR2032 an heart rate strap can be used 300 hours.
I think the led impact much more battery life and to increase to 10 hours, they must avec reduce the power of leds.
May be that could explain the lag ?
A part of the lag is probably the use of a average in the algorithm, you can verify that by allowing some external light , the HR will increase second by second. If you put back correctly the Mio on your wrist, yo don’t obtain your correct HR instantaneously , but after several second.
Dear Mio,
After 4 calls, about 7 emails, with no consistent plan for return I have decided to post here to see if I can get a response. Simply put, your product doesn’t work for me. I have had dropped readings, erratic readings, and now the unit wont turn on and wont charge. I am not satisfied with the purchase and would like to return the products(one for my wife and one for me). However, each time I call your customer service I get a different answer in how it is to happen. The first two calls I was told I would be sent a shipping label(either email or mail), but nothing ever came. Then I was told I would be refunded and you would either send a courier or send me a shipping label. No refund, no label came. The fourth call I was told to send the product back to a certain address and then I would be issued a refund. So which is it? I have been trying to get these things returned for the last 3-4 weeks. My ticket # is 130570 so you can look into it. Its unfortunate that the product is having so many issues, but poor customer service is probably worse in my opinion.
Hi JJ,
Thanks for bringing this to our attention. We’ve recently changed our refund/exchange policy for Mio LINK (which, while we’ve communicated this to our Customer Support Team, may be causing the confusion. We’ll be sure to re-communicate the policy to ensure everyone understands it and that this doesn’t happen again). In the meantime, We’ve personally arranged for your refund to be issued today and your shipping label to be sent out to you as soon as possible. We will send you an email as soon as your refund has been issued and your shipping label has been sent.
Thank you again for your comments and patience.
All the best,
The Mio Global Social Media Team
Can you clarify what the new policy is? I’m still holding on to mine, waiting for Ray’s review and how firmware updates might improve things. But so far, the readings are too erratic for me to have any confidence in the data.
Hi Chris,
To help us better understand why you might be getting erratic readings, can you tell us what do you use your Mio LINK for and where on your arm/wrist do you wear it?
If you purchased your Mio LINK on mioglobal.com, you may refund your LINK within 3 days from the purchase date. We will send you a pre-paid shipping label in the mail. To begin the refund process, you need to email support@mioglobal.com, who will arrange for your refund to be processed.
I did my intervals today. 10 mins in 132-145 bmp , 10x (70s in 145-158 bmp & 20s in 170-183 bmp) , 10 mins in 132-145 bmp. So very short max sprints… unfortunetly. completly unreal to achieve real readings in such short bursts. it grown with lag to max 162 bmp… when that were really max sprints (i am sure it was at least 172 bmp each one). I know its not designed for runners and not for sprinting but i just wanted to prove it here.. with that i must say its sad thing for runners with serious running plans where intervals are often :( :( MIO, is it possible that you make improvement in this area? just honestly please!
here is my training.
link to connect.garmin.com
ouch and overally im satsfied from it. works really nice with longer runs !
It’s a shame, but the lag means that the Link is no good for short hr based intervals. I do minimum of 800m intervals, so I expect it will have time to catch up. However, I do them based on pace so this lag isn’t too much of a concern for me. It would seem that you need a chest strap for sprint intervals, but the Link is excellent for longer sessions.
Two quick items:
1) Looking at your file, you have Smart Recording turned on. Try switching to 1-second recording.
2) Are you wearing it on the inside of your wrist, or the outside?
hey Ray. Thanks for reply !
How did you read from graph that i had Smart Recording turned on ? :O (im curious)
And why You think it may give any diffrence during such short intervals?
I turned on “every 1 sec recording” and ll test it with intervals tommorow….
“2) Are you wearing it on the inside of your wrist, or the outside?”
Not sure about that question… But i am sure i tried every possible combination of wearing it. On two hands alone, on one hand together, up and down of wrist. I found it works most stable worn both on same hand, on upper side of wrist. Link closer elbow and Fenix closer to wrist (about 10 cms away from each other). Did you try to test it on down side and noticed better effect in intervals ? (smaller lag?)
THANK YOU !
Hi Mato-
1) Smart Recording
When looking at your graphs, if I drag my cursor over the line, you’ll see it skips the seconds – i.e. 12:01, 12:07, 12:10, etc… this tells me it’s only recording data points every few seconds, as opposed to in 1-second recording it’d be: 12:01, 12:02, 12:03, etc…
2) Inside of wrist
Here’s what I mean: link to dcrainmaker.com
I’ve been using that a bit lately and it’s definitely improved some. Though, I don’t have clarity why it’s any different between now versus the pre-prod units that worked just fine on the other side. For me, I do intervals as short at 30-seconds without any real issue. And I’m doing 800m repeats without any issues in pickup. Of course, everyone’s skin is turning out to affect things different ways.
Thank You very much for fast and detailed answer !
I found a problem in my FENIX 2. I am doing specific training plan (before each training i select workout -> my workouts -> xxx workout and then go). When i try to set “data recording every 1 sec” by menu -> configure -> activity -> and there we have a list of sports.. there is everyone but no “workout”… i tried to be tricky and set “1 sec recording in every sport from menu” and my girlfriend tried it yestarday on walking by workout… i still see 6 sec delays on graph. What can i do ? Any idea ? it looks like a bug or i am so dumb ;-) here is graph from her walk with “1 sec recording” for every activity from menu.
Thanks !
Hmm, that’s odd. I don’t have a good answer there. It might be worth posting to the Garmin Forums, and the Fenix2 sub-forum (or, sending to the Fenix e-mail address).
Just talked with support. They confirmed its a bug. In workout mode FENIX 2 records only in Smart Mode. They ll fix it soon. I said them its your job … Thanks Ray !
Hi Ray. I did small test today. Started run in Trial Run mode (data recording every second)…. i checked it twice and its my graph :
link to connect.garmin.com
still bigger delays on it. its not every 1 sec. are you sure that in longer activities > 30 mins there are just less details on graphs ? :O
here is my last very short test in Trail Run mode when i did 3 series of pushups outdoor and it recorded my HR every second.. im totally messed now. what is happening ?
link to connect.garmin.com
Thanks!
Looking at those, both of them are now recording correctly at 1-second, so that’s good. You can see it now as you mouse-over the HR graphs that ever second is visible.
As for whether or not the HR data is accurate for you, I wouldn’t be able to tell you since I don’t have anything to compare it too unfortunately. But transmission-wise things look reasonable outside of one issue for about 7-10 seconds in the 3-minute marker where it appeared to repeat values. That may be true, but hard to say.
Hi Mato86,
Thanks for taking the time to try our Mio OHR Technology, certain exercise movements such as those of high intensity and short duration have been known to cause some lags in heart rate reading. This is because the mode of activity, speed, and duration of the movement has an impact on the noise filtration algorithms, making it more difficult to dissociate artifacts from true pulse rate. Additionally, these types of intensities combined with gripping activities are often associated with low blood perfusion, meaning blood flow to the extremities is reduced. We have a new device firmware upgrade, which will be released relatively soon, that should be much better at tolerating those more extreme conditions.
Hi Mato86,
Thanks for taking the time to try our Mio OHR Technology, certain exercise movements such as those of high intensity and short duration have been known to cause some lags in heart rate reading. This is because the mode of activity, speed, and duration of the movement has an impact on the noise filtration algorithms, making it more difficult to dissociate artifacts from true pulse rate. Additionally, these types of intensities combined with gripping activities are often associated with low blood perfusion, meaning blood flow to the extremities is reduced. We have a new device firmware upgrade, which will be released relatively soon, that should be much better at tolerating those more extreme conditions. Hope that helps! :)
Hey.
“Looking at those, both of them are now recording correctly at 1-second, so that’s good. You can see it now as you mouse-over the HR graphs that ever second is visible.”
Strange.. Check it twice on first graph i posted (link to connect.garmin.com). Where you can see every second delay on HR or pace ? I checked it 10 times (with max zoom as well) and i see 3 sec delay. Its in trail mode… On second graph with my 3 series of pushups its same trail mode and i see 1 sec delay (link to connect.garmin.com) .. what is going on ? Please, can you paste me any graph with activity longer than 30 mins with every second data recording ?
Thank You
Thats really cool about firmware update. As i said , overally i am fascinated with OHR tech and i am happy user of Link. I just want to help improving it. Im with You !:) Tell me please where can i check/download if update is ready? (any more accurate aproximation of date of release?) Good luck!
Interesting, you used to be able to do it in the previous GC for any activities. Odd. In any case, that’s not really the core of your issue though – as a rendering difference doesn’t really change what you are or aren’t seeing.
btw. inside the wrist didn’t helped on my side, but moving it at bit more to the middle of the arm helped. I had shaved off my (dark-blonde) hair to be sure it works fine for a longer period as I used it for a 9 hours run. Worked well for me.
Have a mio link and love it, but want to get either a vivo fit or loop to pair with it as I’m wanting an activity monitor with time for my daily activities. I also have a galaxy 4 that the mio is currently paired with via ant+. I like the look of the vivo fit, but not sure what the best choice would be.
Hmm, that’s tough. You can really go either way since both Polar and Vivofit would pair to your Mio Link. By the same token, you could also use the S Health app on your Samsung S4 and get steps there too. :)
Right now the Garmin online site is a bit more deep than the Polar one as far as fitness activities go, but I feel like the Polar site has a slight edge for daily step tracking.
I have the Mio Link and really like it so far – possibly some connection problems with my Galaxy4. Currently connected via ant+ (can’t connect via BT) and not sure if the reading is 100%. But I digress.
I am thinking of getting either the Polar Loop or Garmin Vivofit to use as a watch/activity monitor when I’m not actively working out. I love the look of the Vivofit, but don’t know which is the best solution for me. I use Endomondo for tracking my workouts. Has anyone successfully connected the mio link with android via BT that would allow me to simulataneously connect the Mio to both the Vivofit & my phone? Or other ideas of an activity monitor (with watch & HR) to consider?
hi
how to get the HBR chart as above form Wahoo, do you use only the APP or other data analysis software?
thanks.
The charts included in this post are from Garmin Connect (upload via Wahoo Fitness app).
I was so ready to buy the Mio Link. Came back for one last check and whoah, its hold the horses? Can you give an idea of what the issues relate to?
I’d read through some of the comments above. In short, people have having problems with transmission strength while worn on opposite wrists, as well as in some cases unreliable readings.
Hi Marvin,
What Rainmaker said is correct. There are some people who have experienced a few issues with transmission strength when Mio LINK is worn on a different arm than their GPS watch. This is due to ANT+ not being able to transmit through the body. When the arms swing while running, the ANT+ signal tends to get blocked. Second, some people are seeing unreliable readings — mostly caused by where the Mio LINK is being worn on the arm/wrist. However, many thanks to Rainmaker’s advice, a lot of these issues have been/are being resolved.
Would those signal strength issues still exist if using with cycling, being paired to phone in jersey pocket? If so, would it be better to pair via bluetooth instead of ANT+?
I am interested in getting a Mio Link for use in clycling, but don’t want an ugly computer or phone mounted on my bars… Is having it connected to a phone in back jersey pocket too far away to get reliable readings?
Thanks.
Please explain me why Bluetooth is working well then, and not ANT+ !
It’s the same frequency range and both are using the same transceiver . At the same power MIO should reach the same TX distance !
Are you trying to wear the Mio Link on the opposite wrist of your ANT+ device? That’s the issue. It’s annoying and not mentioned anywhere in the user guide or reviews. Only the comments seen above sorted this one out.
Try wearing the device on the same forearm as the watch. Or if another device make sure Mio Link is not trying to send the data through your body.
Hi Benn and Yan,
Apologies for the delay in reply.
Thank you both for your comments. The ANT+ signal is something we are working on strengthening via firmware update. In the meantime, we have reworked our user guides (to be published soon) and have begun auditing and editing our online and printed content to ensure we make it clearer to LINK users that, for optimal use, Mio LINK and ANT+ watches should be worn on the same arm.
Thanks again.
All the best,
The Mio Global Social Media Team
Hi Payden,
At the moment, wearing the Mio LINK and pairing it with an ANT+ device, such as a bike computer is best done when the computer is mounted on the handle bars. However, when you pair via Bluetooth to apps on your phone, it should be fine to have your phone in your pocket or on your arm.
In fact , you have just invented the ‘wired’ wireless ? And in this case a real wire will work with a longer distance … :-)
Hi….just go my mio link the other day, and had first proper ride today. My phone (Galaxy S2) was in my back middle pocket of my bike shirt with link on my right arm….I was running endomondo app on the phone showing HR on the samsung gear fit on my left arm. I had my polar cs500 and rs800 on the aero bars with my wind chest strap on. Almost perfect agreement between what was on my polar and endomondo on the gear fit. Sometimes the mio seemed to lag a bit. Later on changed bikes and had phone on handlebars running strava – got almost same result HR almost perfect but sometimes phone lagged a bit behind the polar. End result had same average HR for polar and mio, so not a big deal. I’m pretty sure I was using bluetooth each time.
Hi,
Is it possible to change the max heart rate setting on the Mio Link? I’ve used the app to change to the relative values of the 5 zones, but I have not been able to increase the max bpm value. Am I missing something obvious?!
Thanks,
Mags
Hi Mags,
Thanks for your question.
The highest MHR you can set is 220 BPM.
We hope that answers your question.
If you have any further questions, please email our Support Team at: support@mioglobal.com.
Hello!
Can this unit be used with Nike+ watch?
Thanks.
Hello!
Can this unit be used with Nike+ watch? I love both of these, and I think they would be a great tandem.
Thanks.
No, the Nike+ units use a proprietary channel that doesn’t work with ANT+ nor Bluetooth Smart.
I tried also to return my Mio Link and to be refund ( (ticket# 131719) , but it doen’t work. THey send a number ticket, and askdetails, but after …. silence. Why ? It doesn’t seem to be very serious.
Take care, this technology doesn.’t work with each one, and after it is impossible to be refund.
As the Mio Link doesn’t work for me, i’m searching a chest strap i could pair it to a Garmin cycling computer (via ANT+) at the same time as an iPhone app (via Bluetooth Smart). Does it exist ?
The 4iiii’s Viiiiva and Wahoo TICKR straps.
Here’s a comparison tool for straps (select Heart Rate from the dropdown): link to dcrainmaker.com
I’m having a really hard time reading HR on my Garmin 610 while wearing the Mio Link on the opposite forearm. Sure, as described by the Mio Link support team it works well when I wear the Mio Link on the same forearm as the Garmin 610. Not a huge deal, but kind of annoying.
Since the issue appears to be interference with the inability of Mio Link to send data via Ant+ through the body I’m wondering if there are any decent running watches (very basic ideally) that receive HR data via Bluetooth Smart? This would allow me to wear one unit on each wrist, no?
The TomTom units receive via Bluetooth Smart, as does the Polar V800.
To that end however, I’m not 100% certain I agree that ANT+ transmission should be the issue here. ANT+ devices are typically certified against the same transmission standards as Bluetooth Smart. While I’ve heard various minimum distance tossed about, I was unable to find the current certification requirement offhand.
Compounding this, if one watches videos of runners, most actually don’t pull their arms behind their body at all – short of you running a 100m sprint like you’re going to win an Olympic medal. For most runners here, both your wrists will stay forward of your body at all times.
Wander over to YouTube and poke around at videos of people running races. Here’s a random one you can skip around in the middle to: link to youtube.com
So hearing that I’d love to hear how your tests are going with the new software update that boosted signal strength? Have you been testing it while wearing on the opposite forearm/underside of wrist?
I would agree with you on being uncertain whether the issue is the inability send via ANT+ through the body. Because if this was the case wouldn’t we see the same issue with HR straps? Picture your arm swing at the side of your body and the HR receiver on the front. The signal still has to pass through half the body in this hypothetical scenario, right? I guess the difference with the Mio is that it’s not passing all the way through the body from one side to the other.
It’s better, not perfect, but better. It’s also better moving to inside of wrist.
I’m in a slight holding pattern as the tool that I use to collect data from a bunch of devices at once had to be replaced, so there’s been a bit of no-testing the last few days. Hopefully that’ll resume Thurs or Fri.
Hi there,
I really love this little bracelet. :-)
Well designed, something you’d like to wear.
At first I had some issues with rising HR. Then I tighten it a little more and the reading got equal to the one of the HR-strap. But it felt to snugg. So I put it on the other Arm, and everything is fine :-). What I try to say is, I think you have to try different positions until it works for you.
@ Mio
If you read this. Is there a chance to change the flashing light to a permanent light. While running I want to have a instant feedback. In the moment I have to look at the link for a few seconds until the next flash appeares (and if I didn’t get the color even more sec). If it’s eating battery, than give us the choice (app settings).
Hi Stefan,
Thanks for reaching out and for your great feedback!
We don’t currently have plans to do that, but we appreciate your suggestion and will pass it along to our Product Development Team.
Thanks, again!
I’ll second the motion for a faster blink rate :-) Dos’ent have to be solid
Yes i could try to read my pulse of my watch/vivofit but that is often difficult cause of ligting etc. The color led is so much easier to see and understand.
1) Verifying that it is measuring the heartrate corretly (it is in the expected range)
2) increase/decrease intensity to stay in the chosen zone
Thanks, Anders!
As mentioned earlier, we’ll forward your feedback over to our Development Team. :)
I also back the above idea about faster/permanent light for better safety bike riding.
I already sent email (# 132139) about this idea along with my device compatibility problem before Stefen’s posted. But what surprise me that Mio responses here faster than email portal.
In my eyes the mio link activity led is only to know if the measuring works fine; so I can connect my PRIMARY HR-Monitor then. I only have the Garmin FR110 which shows my pure HR without zones, percentages and so on. Best praxis is for me to wait until the mio link is blinking in the first zone (strong blue), then switch HR-Monitor (FR110) function on, then connection should be shown as established.
That’s it.
If you prefer complete information on one item then buy products like mio alpha, tom tom, adidas.
May be there will be activity tracker on the market which measuring HR optical and show permanently HR zones as well.
If you compare the mio link with a chest strap then you have to realize that the pure measuring item normally has no viewable indicators at all.
Hi k2w2 and runnershigh0815,
Thank you both for your comments. runnershigh0815 is right, Mio LINK was created to replace the cumbersome chest strap (which doesn’t provide real-time data unless you pair it with a watch or bike computer). However, we do appreciate you comments, k2w2. We’ll be sure to pass them along to our Product Development Team for consideration. With regard to your comment on the time it takes/took for our Support Team to reply, we apologize for the delay and thank you for your patience. If it’s any consolation, we are aware of the issues some our customers have been experiencing, and have made arrangements to add additional people to our team in order to keep up with the volume of calls and emails we’ve been receiving (we’ve grown quite a bit recently, so it’s time to bring in more staff).
Thanks again for your feedback.
If you need anything else at all, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Well, unfortunately my Mio Link has died and will not power on or charge. I used it for a 50K last weekend, and it worked well, but this morning it wouldn’t turn on.
I ordered it through Clever Training, so I contacted them for an exchange. I’m hoping I just received a faulty unit.
Hi Glen,
Thanks for your comments. How did it work out with Clever Training?
Best,
The Mio Global Social Media Team
Clever Training responded in a couple hours with an RMA number and a prepaid UPS shipping label. Top notch customer service so far.
I just mailed out the defective unit yesterday, so hopefully I’ll get a replacement next week.
Thanks,
Glen
Interesting. I’ve been having accuracy concerns on and off with hopes of an update to improve things… Then last night mine died. It will not turn on or charge (it had just been fully charged the day before)
Contacted support to see what to do next…
Mine died a few weeks ago and I eventually just sent it back to Clever Training because I heard nothing more back from Mio on what to do. I’m waiting for a replacement for that unit.
Yesterday I received an email from Mio with the following suggestion which btw I had tried before I sent it back.
“Have you attempted to clean the charger contacts?
We recommend a q-tip dipped in 75% isopropyl rubbing alcohol.”
Hey, Does anybody have news on when / if the signal boosting firmware update will be released? I’ve had similar issues with transmission as stated above, this has largely been solved by wearing it on the same wrist as my Ambit2 but i’d rather not do this if I can help it as it looks goofy. I’d personally settle for a reduction in battery life if it means improved transmission as I still have my standard HR strap for extra-long outings. I think everybody is really wants this product to work, hence the strength of feeling in the comments above. Fingers crossed…..
I haven’t heard what the timeline is for that.
Yeah, I’ll second that. Would put up with decreased battery live if meant OK to wear on opposite hands with increased signal strength
I have been trying to use the Mio Link with my Suunto Ambit 2 but the signal keepa on dropping. It is hard to train when you look at your watch only to see that your heart rate info is missing. I do not have time to wait for this information to appear when training. There have been suggestions to wear the Mio on the same wrist or wear in opposite wrist as the watch but with the Mio dongle positioned on the inside of the wrist. I don’t believe anybody spent $99 of their hard earned money only to make compromises. Who wants to wear the Mio on the same wrist as your watch only to make it work? Why should it be worn on the inside of your wrist in hopes that it will work. With the amount of positive reaponse i have seen from this website as well as other , I was expecting to aee an official response from Mio that they are working on an update with a concrete time frame on when the firmware will be released. Because I have not seen one, I have lost all confidence in this company. Mine is definitely going back to the store. It’s a great product too bad the company can’t act in a timely manner. You’re not the only game in town Mio! And to think i exchanged the first Mio Link that I had because I thought it was defective. Little did I know that they are all defective…by design.
I have been trying to use the Mio Link with my Suunto Ambit 2 but the signal keepa on dropping. It is hard to train when you look at your watch only to see that your heart rate info is missing. I do not have time to wait for this information to appear when training. There have been suggestions to wear the Mio on the same wrist or wear in opposite wrist as the watch but with the Mio dongle positioned on the inside of the wrist. I don’t believe anybody spent $99 of their hard earned money only to make compromises. Who wants to wear the Mio on the same wrist as your watch only to make it work? Why should it be worn on the inside of your wrist in hopes that it will work. With the amount of positive responses that I have seen from this website as well as others , I was expecting to aee an official response from Mio that they are working on an update with a concrete time frame on when the firmware will be released. Because I have not seen one, I have lost all confidence in this company. Mine is definitely going back to the store. It’s a great product too bad the company can’t act in a timely manner. You’re not the only game in town Mio! And to think i exchanged the first Mio Link that I had because I thought it was defective. Little did I know that they are all defective…by design.
I have been trying to use the Mio Link with my Suunto Ambit 2 but the signal keepa on dropping. It is hard to train when you look at your watch only to see that your heart rate info is missing. I do not have time to wait for this information to appear when training. There have been suggestions to wear the Mio on the same wrist or wear in opposite wrist as the watch but with the Mio dongle positioned on the inside of the wrist. I don’t believe anybody spent $99 of their hard earned money only to make compromises. Who wants to wear the Mio on the same wrist as your watch only to make it work? Why should it be worn on the inside of your wrist in hopes that it will work. With the amount of positive responses that I have seen from this website as well as others , I was expecting to see an official response from Mio that they are working on an update with a concrete time frame on when the firmware will be released. Because I have not seen one, I have lost all confidence in this company. Mine is definitely going back to the store. It’s a great product too bad the company can’t act in a timely manner. You’re not the only game in town Mio! And to think i exchanged the first Mio Link that I had because I thought it was defective. Little did I know that they are all defective…by design.
Hi Marty,
(We posted this earlier, but in the wrong place.)
We are sincerely sorry to hear that you’re disappointed, but we thank you for your honest feedback.
We understand your frustration with the fact that you’ve seen some dropouts with your Mio LINK/Suunto Ambit 2 when you weren’t wearing the two devices on the same arm. We also understand that you don’t want to wear the two devices on the same arm as your watch. To optimize Mio LINK’s communication with other ANT+ watches, we continue to recommend that the two devices be worn on the same arm. We’re proactively working on updating our website and adding some videos to YouTube that should make this more clear.
It’s our aim to provide consumers with comfortable, accurate products of the highest quality. Based on customer feedback (such as yours), we are continually working on improving Mio LINK.
With regard to your firmware update inquiry, we are working on a firmware update, which will improve the ANT+ transmission to reduce dropouts, but we can’t offer a timeframe as of yet. With that said, we would love for you to join our testing process. If you’re interested in doing that and being the first to know about product updates, please send us your email address in a private message on Facebook and we’ll have someone reach out to you.
Thank you again for your feedback.
Sincerely,
The Mio Global Social Media Team
As it seems the only way to get any response is to complain about it with as large an audience as possible, I want to stress again how insulting I find the way you’re treating your customers: link to twitter.com
Hi Manu,
We’re sorry you weren’t able to get a hold of Support. We understand that you are frustrated and sincerely apologize for that. If it’s any consolation, we are aware of the issues some of our customers have been experiencing, and have made arrangements to add additional people to our team in order to keep up with the volume of calls and emails we’ve been receiving. (We’ve grown quite a bit recently, so it’s time to bring in more staff.)
After you sent us a tweet, we tried searching in our system for your name, but it didn’t show up for some reason. We then tried to send you a direct message on Twitter, but we were unable to reach you because you weren’t following us — this is Twitter’s rule. We would be more than happy to get this resolved for you, so when you have a moment, would you mind please sending us a direct message on Twitter or on Facebook with your ticket number so we can look into your purchase? We’ll need that number in order to get the refund process started.
Thanks again for your patience and feedback.
If you need anything else, please don’t hesitate to ask.
All the best,
The Mio Global Social Media Team
I want to buy Mio Link to pair with LG Lifeband . Someone knows if it is possibile ? I see that LG Lifeband is compatible with some others Heart monitoring devices like wahoo or other.
Hi Ray,
Your Amazon buying link is broken. I’m trying to buy it via your link and clicking on it gives:
“These items are currently unavailable:
MIO Link Continuous Strapless Heart Rate Wrist Band”
I can find the Mio on a standard vanilla Amazon search though.
Hi Jeff-
Thanks for the heads up. Any chance that it’s redirecting you to one of the non-US Amazon sites when you click the link?
I just tried from my end, and it appears to go to the right US Amazon one. But, if the server thinks you’re outside of the US, it’ll try and find it in the local Amazon store for your country. Sometimes that works…sometimes, not so much.
No matter, if you just click the big Amazon logo in the right corner of any page on the site, and then search for whatever you’d like (the Mio Link, toilet paper, TV’s, etc…), it’ll work out and support the site.
Thanks for the support!
Yep, I think you nailed it. I am overseas.
If I pre-login to my Amazon account, the link works.
Hi Jeff,
You can also shop on our website: http://www.mioglobal.com. Thanks!
Would this work with tacx advanced trainer software and genius for the heartrate?
The Polar analog bealts often have failures in the tacs software like only 60 beats or over 200 beats.
On the polar watch is everything ok.
Yes, the unit transmits via ANT+, so that will work with the Tacx. However, be aware that the Link seems to have a much lower transmission distance than many other ANT+ devices. As such, you’ll want to ensure you’ve got line of sight to your computer with the ANT+ USB stick in it. And, that it’s not terribly far away.
And what about the Scosche Rhythm+? Is there a higher transmission distance?
It would be great if I do not need to wear a breast strap on my tacx genius.
Thank you for all your information
Both would work with the Tacx, as both transmit ANT+. In my testing, I find the Scosche will transmit a bit further.
If I look at signal strength measurements, the Scosche is generally substantially stronger than the Link – even in cases when it’s actually further away from the receiver.
Hi Marty,
We are sincerely sorry to hear that you’re disappointed, but we thank you for your honest feedback.
We understand your frustration with the fact that you’ve seen some dropouts with your Mio LINK/Suunto Ambit 2 when you weren’t wearing the two devices on the same arm. We also understand that you don’t want to wear the two devices on the same arm as your watch. To optimize Mio LINK’s communication with other ANT+ watches, we continue to recommend that the two devices be worn on the same arm. We’re proactively working on updating our website and adding some videos to YouTube that should make this more clear.
It’s our aim to provide consumers with comfortable, accurate products of the highest quality. Based on customer feedback (such as yours), we are continually working on improving Mio LINK.
With regard to your firmware update inquiry, we are working on a firmware update, which will improve the ANT+ transmission to reduce dropouts, but we can’t offer a timeframe as of yet. With that said, we would love for you to join our testing process. If you’re interested in doing that and being the first to know about product updates, please send us your email address in a private message on Facebook and we’ll have someone reach out to you.
Thank you again for your feedback.
Sincerely,
The Mio Global Social Media Team
I don’t really understand the term HRV but one of these posts mentioned the Mio doesn’t calculate this? Before I fork out any money, if I pair the Mio Link with my Fenix 2 will I get a VO2 figure and a recovery time and a race time prediction etc that I do from my normal Garmin HRM chest strap?
You can pair the mio link with an smartphone for example. You can install HRV-Apps like myHRV and you get an calculated HRV-value then. The app works.
As far as I know depends VO2 “measuring” in your case on an software algorithm on your Fenix2.
If the calculated HRV-value by using ordinary chest strap and mio link are the same, then there is no difference in calculating VO2 between both units. That’s because HRV beeing used to calculate recovery time and VO2 as well.
In truth you have to know that HRV is influenced by your breathing. So…to measure VO2 is tricky anyway and may be not very meaningful then.
I switched from a chest strap to a Mio Link for my Ambit 2 , and I 1. still get VO2, Recovery time, Respiration Rate (I have no idea how this is calculated), and 2. the numbers are all consistent between the two HR type devices.
There are also apps that have been developed (ambit) that calculate VO2 which include not only HR, but also achieved running paces. I’m not sure how much of the FirstBeat work was implemented in the algorithms of either of these watches. Very cool ExPhys work tho’.
link to firstbeat.com
Just to briefly clarify. The Mio Link will transmit HRV/RR information (like the Scosche unit). They’re required to per the spec. Said information may or may not be accurate though. The information transmitted to devices/apps isn’t a true measurement, but rather a guesstimate. For some, it’ll work out.
For me, it works out sometimes, but not all the time. For example, times where I get 170+ hours of recovery time for a 40 minute run. In this case, it doesn’t much matter which backend app/device you use, it all kinda follows the tried and true saying of: Junk in, junk out.
It’s just that sometimes, the junk-in happens to be in the ballpark, so it’s still in the ballpark when going out. As always, your mileage may vary…
Have been using the Link with Garmin Fr220 for some weeks. One in each arm. No issues with drop signal. Great product.
Hi Linus,
Great to hear! Thanks for sharing!
Best,
The Mio Global Social Media Team
I had no issues with Mio Link on different arms so far. You can check my strava account. There are no significant drops or peaks during the exercises.
link to strava.com
link to strava.com
link to strava.com
Hello,
I use Ithlete to check my physical form.
For me, the mio link has incoherente results for my HRV. The results is typilcally underestimate 15 compared to my Chest strap bluetooth
Great! Thanks, again!
Add me to unreliable readings and dropped signals (or could it be simply that the reading becomes so high that the unit doesn’t know what to do with it?
I did a race on the weekend. 10km run at race pace, average HR 169, max 189. This seems correct from my previous experience with my HR chest strap. Just did a 8km recovery run at more or less 75% of race pace, average 172 with 204 max. I’m not saying impossible, but I’m saying highly unlikely. I could hold a very spirited conversation, no heavy breathing at all… It just seems very fishy.
I’ll see if wearing on same wrist as watch makes any difference. I also noticed that very often it fails to start up (brings up the red light then turns off) and takes a few tries to get running. Today was actually one of those days (and race day wasn’t). I’ll try to see if there’s a link.
Curiously, when using it with a computer ANT+ dongle for TrainerRoad, I never have issues – and my dongle is much farther than the distance between my arms.
Just wanted to add… signal seemed fine for the first 30% of my run. I was averaging 145 and it was in line with how I felt. Then suddenly bang! shot through the roof and stayed at 190+ for the reminder of the workout.
Am I correct in understanding that most of the somewhat disgruntled comments above apply primarily to ANT+ operation, and that therefore Bluetooth Smart functionality is performaing as it should? Or are there underlying issues with accuracy that affect basic operation irrespective of transmission type?
I’m hoping to use a wrist strap with the Polar V800, and this seems the obvious choice, assuming basic functionality is sound.
Many thanks for any feedback.
I use mine with a Suunto Ambit 2S (ANT+).
My wife use the unit with her TomTom Multisports (BT).
I just went over her recent workouts; there are no “through the roof HR” like I was experiencing, but there is one (possibly two) workouts with fishy data (10 miles tempo run – tempo pace – but with a 100 HR average – my wife usually average 165-170 in these types of run).
I wouldn’t conclude the issue is only related to ANT+.
Some (maybe most?) complaints are poor ANT+ signal strength — leading to mio recommending wearing the devices on the same arm.
I don’t know how many have accuracy issues, but at least some do. I personally often look down when working hard on the bike and see my HR in the 60-80 range. This is clearly an error. I will also often be running a consistently moderate pace on flat terrain and see large sections 20-30 BPM off… possibly for 5 minutes at a time.
I’m still waiting to try the rumored software update to see if things improve. If they do not, then I am sending mine back. Apparently I have an odd wrist or blood flow…
Hello,
I use Wahoo utility to check Mio Link Bluetooth signal. The bluetooth signal is weak too. I have a Geonaute Bluetooth Chest strap and the signal is much more powerfull.
II suggest to test Mio with wahoo utilities : great app
I wonder if the Link’s antenna gain pattern is not circular. i.e. it has a higher signal up and down your arm, but not out to the side? Is that something you could check with your app?
Mine works fine, but time from time it seems to stay somewhere and not to update HR or have a error in comparison to Tomtom Cardio watch or my Sigma HR watch with chest band sensor.
I have no idea if its Endomondo app bug or actual data from Mio Link. I am returning it and keeping Tomtom Multisport Cardio GPS watch.
I note a few people do not want to wear the Mio link on the same arm, but from my experience it does not feel heavy or uncomfortable to have the watch and Mio link next to each other. I have been pairing with the garmin FR220, which I admit is much lighter than previous watches. I have also been wearing the Mio Link sensor on the inside of the arm, about 2 inches above the watch. So far, the readings have been accurate, although i do not have another HRM to compare lag.
In conclusion, i am very happy with the Mio link. I think people should give wearing it on the same arm a go, because honestly, its not that bad and much better than the chest strap.
I really dislike chest straps so I pre-ordered one of these. Delivery was absolutely bang on time – well done Mio.
I wore it for the ‘Tour du Lac’ (cycle around Lake Geneva/Lac Leman in Switzerland) with a certain amount of trepidation as I did not bother with the tried and tested chest strap. I need not have worried – it worked perfectly paired to a Forerunner 910 and and an Edge 810.
Next step is to test it in the lake when it is next to the Forerunner 910.
Finally bought the Mio Link and ran the third time with it today. Here are my observations:
Had to cheat with my age to configure max. HR when setting it up.
Wearing it too loose ups the HR by 10-20 beats – easily noticeable.
Loving the light as means of control of the HR.
Using the Mio Link with the Polar Beat app, I do not get any spikes whatsoever.
Wearing the Mio Link on the same arm as the smartphone.
Same reading when wearing it on top or underneath my arm.
Strap sits a little tight – gotta continue experimenting…
Bought the shorter strap version – right decision.
Does the double-blink indicates the upper half of a HR zone? Bet it does – single blink for the lower.
Am a little curious about my lower Polar running index – went down to 47 from my usual 50/52. Overall I seem to have a slightly higher HR with the Mio Link compared to the Polar H6, but I try to use both units on one of my next runs.
What I do not like? Not much: the complete Mio Link user guide has to be downloaded from the web site, is hard to find and does not come in my first language. Single and double blink in training mode and battery replacement is not documented. A replacement strap is currently not available.
Well, nothing what would stop me to recommend buying the Mio Link. So go and buy it :D
Using it on the bike today was OK, too. Looking forward to take it to the pool soon.
Got my Link over the weekend. Definitely took some tweaking to fit the sweet spot on my arm where it is able to read the HR without error. Unfortunately it high up the arm, so the small/medium size band is a little narrow. Running is 100% correct, cycling seems to be suffering from some sort of adjustment period in the first 5-10 mins of the ride – the HR reads high but then it adjusts to the correct value.
Overall – I am sold. No more heart rate strap for me once I exchange my link for the large size strap.
Got my Link over the weekend. Definitely took some tweaking to find the sweet spot on my arm where it is able to read the HR without error. Unfortunately it is pretty high up the arm, so the small/medium size band is a little narrow. Running is 100% correct, cycling seems to be suffering from some sort of adjustment period in the first 5-10 mins of the ride – the HR reads high but then it adjusts to the correct value.
Overall – I am sold. No more heart rate strap for me once I exchange my link for the large size strap.
That’s fantastic to hear, Alex! Thanks for sharing your feedback.
For those of you who are having trouble with your Mio LINK finding your heart rate, check out this blog post on how best to wear your Mio LINK: link to blog.mioglobal.com.
We hope that helps. :)
An update after about using this for 4 months. Started out working really well, but about 3 weeks ago the unit started showing erratic HR readings. It is usually either 10bpms or about 10 bpms under. I have it paired with Garmin 910xt and Edge 500. Emailed support. Let’s see what happens. Sucks that I have a marathon next week that I will probably have to run with the old HR strap.
Have you cleaned off the sensor a bit? Sounds like perhaps there might be something built up on it?
I did. Still it spikes way too high – I saw a 180+ bpm reading during a long run today when it should have been more like 142-145 bpm max. Let’s see what their support says.
he unit comes in two sizes, a smaller one for wrists 145-187mm in size, and a longer one for wrists 162-216mm in size. The internal pod can be popped out of the rubber casing, thus allowing you to change the band color if you’d like (from white to black, or black to white).
Hi,
are you sure about wrist lenght of the product as above ? Because, on the website it is written as “Comes in two sizes (wrist sizes: S/M – 21-175mm / 4.8”-6.9”, L: 149-208mm / 5.9”-8.2”)”
How did you measure the size ? I orderded regular size one, is it possible to replace the band with the longer one afterwards ?
Did more testing. When cycling, the HR is spot on. I rarely lose the signal, but sometimes I do for a few seconds (even though TrainerRoad rates the Mio signal as “excellent”, whereas my speed/cadence sensor is rated as “good” but never loses signal).
When I run it’s 50/50. 50% of the time I get what I think are good results, and the rest of the time my heart beats at 200 even though I’m doing a casual jog in the neighborhood.
Wearing the Mio next to the watch didn’t solve the issue.
I can’t get the Mio tighter without losing bloodflow to my fingers.
In my not so professional opinion, there seems to be something screwy with arm motions and Mio Link. Only reason I can see why it’s perfectly fine for biking, and perfectly not fine for running…
i will only use for swimming cycling and indoor weoght lifting
Usually Mio link is working well for me (moutain biking and elliptical cycling) , but today I observed a strange
thing on the HR chart for a 30min elliptical cardio training :
link to i59.tinypic.com
The first 5 min is OK, but the 5 to 15 is too low . Then, in several seconds HR is going from 75 to 143 and finally , it’s stable.
Usually when light is going under the strap , HR is too high Oo Maybe someone has an explanation ?
I was getting an abnormally low reading halfway into the first mile of a 5k last month. I turned the unit off then on and it latched onto a more appropriate reading within a second or two, you might try doing that if you’re getting abnormal readings for any length of time.
Great suggestion, Reid! Thank you!
How did that work for you, Yann?
Bought one last night. Used it in the swimming pool with a Suunto Ambit 2 Sapphire. Spent over an hour under water with fins, mask, and diving weights on. Swam about 30 laps in about 4.5 feet of water. Got great heart rate readings. Almost no spikes or drop outs. I wore both watch and Mio Link on my left arm with the Mio located about three inches up my arm from my wrist. I got much better results than the Mio Alpha I tried 3 months ago and returned. I believe their is less water turbulance around the lower profile Link that can hide next to my Ambit. I consistantly got a steady 95 to 105 beats per minute practicing free diving. As long as I didn’t break the surface of the water and create a lot of turbulance with my arms, I was getting great results.
The Mio Alpha I returned had a tendency of reporting 40 beats per minute below water and then 90 beats above water. Nice job Mio!
Hi Seiji,
Thanks for letting us know! It’s awesome to hear that your happy with your Mio LINK!
I just wanted to add a little more info. I like to train in a pool to become more oxygen efficient. I hold my breath and see how far and long I can swim underwater with one breath. The pulse monitoring in realtime has been a challenge for me. I used to use a Polar FT7 with strap, which works, but never liked having multiple watches and websites for all the data. I prefer having everything in Movescount.com (Suunto). The Mio Link maybe my grail heart rate monitor from the looks of things. If it handles the ocean water and can go 30 feet with me, I can have all the details of my dives using my Ambit 2. GPS tracking, heart rate, calories. (Depth metering is done on a Aeris F10 dive computer.) Just wanted to balance out all the problem reports with one potential success note. Going to spend the next several weeks trying the Mio Link out on dives!
Seiji,
good news. Are you able to pick up HR while using the Indoor Swimming mode? I can’t figure out how to get my Ambit2 to see HR while in swim mode. Granted, it will pick up HR if in another mode (like running)- but I also want to have it count laps for me.
Hi again, Seiji,
Wow! Thank you so much for taking the time to let us know how happy you are with your Mio LINK. We’re really glad you shared your thoughts.
On a different note, we’d love to see your diving photos! If you’re interested in sharing them with us, you can post them on our Facebook page (facebook/mioglobal) or send them to us in a private message. Diving is such an amazing sport.
Have a great week!
You are correct. In standard indoor swimming mode, Ambit 2 won’t activate heartrate monitoring/recording. You have to create an outdoor activity like “trekking” and then rename it indoor hr swim. Add all the Movescount screens and data fields you want to see and record on the watch including HR, then go swim :- ) . Suunto locked hr out on swim.
Sure, will. Is the Mio Link ok in salt water? If it is, I will take some pictures of it on my next ocean dive next to the Suunto Ambit 2 and my Aeris depth meter. I’m pretty confident it can show heart rate, which is critical in gauging when I can make safer deeper free dives.
Usually during the entry and first 20 minutes during aclimation, my heart is beating pretty hard as I get out into the sea. Then, it gradually settles down as I get passed the waves and use to the temperature and ocean currents. Once my heart stops beating hard and feels slow, I can start to go deeper and farther underwater. It would be great to actually see it happen so I know when I’ve reached the magic zone and can safely take a one breath dive longer than a minute. Trying to reach maximum depth and time before my heart slows can result in “Shallow Water Backout”, which means I’ve become unconscious and that leads to drowning. Heartrate monitoring that really works underwater could be a great safety tool! Please let me know if Mio Link can handle salt water!
You may be able to dive to a great depth but are you confident the Link will take it?
My understanding is that it’s only 3 bar water resistant and obviously not sealed or pressure tested…..beware, you may have a problem with the warranty if you kill it !
Hi Chris,
30 meters water resistance is almost 98 feet under water. For all but scuba, 30 meters is plenty deep. Also, fresh water rinse afterwards should be good enough to prevent corrosion from salt water, but we should wait for Mio Global to say yes, just wash it open sea use.
Seiji,
When I create a new sport- I don’t see access to the indoor swimming variables. So, you can display time and such, but nothing else of value for swimming. Can you?
Ambit 2 can actualy be used with HR even in indoor swimming mode !
Yup, it was sorta-enabled as part of the Ambit3 enablement, but it works on the Ambit2…
I have an ambit2 and keen to use the mio link for swimming mode. I can create HR screens via movescount to the swimming mode, but can’t get this mode to search for a hr pod. Is this possible?
You’ll need to create a new swimming mode – i.e. ‘Swim with HR’, while creating that mode, you must at that point check the box to search for a HR strap (before you click save). After you click save, it’ll save that setting, even though it won’t show the box checked on the screen. On your device, you can then search for a HR module through the normal HR module menu, which will then be used in the swim mode.
Thank you for such a quick response. May I say upfront, as a lover of “toys”, I use DC Rainmaker as my key reference site and enjoy your analysis and advice. Thanks and keep it up.
Re your response, Unfortunately I haven’t been able to make this work. When creating a new swimming mode, Suunto have locked out the checkbox to enable it to search for a HR strap. I have tried starting in non-swim mode and checked the HR strap, but when change activity type, it clears this. As a result, on the watch, there is no way I can find to then search for a HR strap when starting the swim mode. Please advise if I have misunderstood!
I rang Suunto support and they advised that have deliberately turned this checkbox off – hopefully this is not to get us all upgrading to an ambit3, as that would be disappointing.
I did create another non-swimming mode as a workaround, and the HR tracking from the Mio Link was great. No drops out when worn adjacent to the watch. I just can’t get the swimming functionality. Hopefully Suunto will soon realise the Ant+ technology can work in water and unlock this for the Ambit2.
Hmm, you’re right, just tried it. That’s unfortunate. It used to work, I wonder if that’s one of the things that hanged this past weekend in their ‘updates’. :(
Wow, maybe I was just a couple of days late. At least I’m not going mad, just getting mad. I have found the Ambit2 to be a great watch, and this is a little disappointing. Surely Suunto can insert a disclaimer so we can decide if the potential hr error is acceptable to us or not.
Thanks again. Keep up your great work.
Wow, some great news for all Suunto Ambit2 users. After 2 months working with them, the Suunto team have agreed to open up the HR Belt/pod detection in swimming modes, so that you can now use the Mio Link with your Ambit2 while swimming. It isn’t being advertised, so you have to activate it via Movescount by double-clicking the actual word “HR Belt”, and then it opens the box for selection. A great and sensible outcome – thanks Suunto. Of course, you need to wear the them on the same wrist, but I am getting consistently good results. Very happy.
Thank you! Just got an Optical HRM and tried everything to get the Suunto Ambit2S to look for it in pool and OWS modes.
Greta at Suunto told me flat out ‘this is functionality is not supported. Upgrade to a Suunto Ambit 3’.
I owe you a beer, sir.
You made me soo happy.
Here there is another one who owes you two beers sir :)
I think I understand why the Mio Link has so many disconnect issues. I took the Mio Link a part to check out the antenna and I think I found a clear reason why… I wrote about it here with some pics link to fitnesstrainingbyjon.com I think you will find this interesting.
Yeah , from a RF point of view , it’s a very poor antenna design ….. Mio should be really ashamed Oo
Hello,
Very interesting you comparison.
But have you any interest in selling Scosche Rhytm plus ?
In this case your comparison could appear hyprocrisy.
He was clear in his (interesting) post that he’s been brought on as a consultant for Scosche for testing. Given that, I think he did a fair job in declaring that.
With a minimal technical background, you can clearly see that MIO did the choice of minimizing space, and then chose the poorest design you can use for a 2.4Ghz antenna…
Jon Ham did that because there’S some communication trouble with the link in some cases. And he probably found why.
Looks like the antenna is on one edge of the pcb. Where is that edge in relation to the exterior of the device. I’m interested as if I know where it is located I could try to orientate the device on my other hand in such a way that gives it the best line of vision to my garmin 910xt
The antenna is located directly under the status LED on the Mio and runs perpendicular to the direction of the armband. I am curious to see if your experiment improves your connection experience. Unfortunately I do not know where the antenna is on the Garmin 910xt.
Found one interesting issue with my Link. If I wear an exercise band with my smart phone on my upper left arm (same arm as I wear my Link on), it seems to distort the readings somewhat (usually jacking the rate up by 5-6 bpm). Probably has to do with the band constricting the blood flow a bit.
Ah, good to read that observation – was wondering about my heart rate being a bit too high since switching to the Mio Link (letting my Polar Running Index sink by 3-5 points).
Did you test the heart rate simultaneously with a strap to verify it?
No. But I have a pretty good idea of where my HR should be during the easy runs :)
Hi MIO. I want to send Link back and get refunded. My ticket is (ticket# 133125)
Hi All-
Just as a general reminder that nearing 1,000 comments it gets fairly difficult for new folks to wade through things that aren’t specifically focused on the product’s functionality. Thus, if you’re accurately working with customer service already on a return/etc, it’d be ideal to minimize churn here with posting of ticket numbers, etc…
I have no problem with people posting experience, but ultimately the comments section doesn’t make for a good place for companies to try and track refunds/deliveries/tickets.
Thanks all!
Thats true. Sorry Ray..
after problem with connectivity Ant+ and then battery failure I decided to contact Mio – on the phone they were great, could fix Mio AND send extra band! … followup no so much… after 1.5 weeks of waiting for a reply to my information and no contact I sent it back to REI (the last email was we don’t do bands at this time thank you. which was not my issue with the unit but an ‘add on’ they promised) I got an email yesterday telling me the shipped me a replacement (over 3 weeks from original contact) and no response for last 1.5 weeks.
I replied back that I didn’t need a replacement as I returned the unit but have not heard from Mio yet…
I have the sorche armband and it works great with Ant+ (whether on my wrist or ankle or pocket) and bluetooth (pretty far away from my phone too) with no drops (plus I love that I get both bands sm and lg).
I was disappointed in the unit but more disappointed in Mio’s customer service.
Hi Iaq,
Sorry to hear you’ve had some communication issues with Support. As mentioned in a previous post, we have recognized the need to hire more Support staff (we’ve grown quite quickly) and have begun bringing more employees in house to keep up with the volume of customer calls and emails. If you would like, we’d be more than happy to assist you. When you have a moment, please send us a private message on Facebook (link to facebook.com) with your email address or/and ticket number so we can resolve this issue.
Thanks, again.
All the best,
The Mio Global Social Media Team
I have been using MIO LINK for two weeks and i can say the following:
*Excellent piece of sports equipment works fine on my wrist.
*MIO GO app needs improvement….practically cant be used with my 4s iphone because keeps loosing signal all the time
same goes for Polar Beat.
*Works perfect with Endomondo.
*Works perfect with Runkeeper.
Today i will try Mio Link in the swimming pool with my Suunto Ambit…
I ll keep u posted…
Hi Jimmie,
That’s fantastic to hear! Thanks for sharing! We are continually updating Mio GO in the Apple AppStore. Stay tuned on Twitter (@MioGlobal) and Facebook for updates.
Today I received my mio link a few questions i have;
1. how can i record my hr activity on my iPhone and export file to my computer ? I know it is only streaming data to iPhone but i need to track my activities just like sleeping, walking, running..
2. I have Suunto Ambit 2s, how can i use it while swimming ? the swimming mode on the watch is disabling HR option and for all other sports swimming is disabled.
1. There’s probably quite a few iphone apps that will pick up the Mio Link HR data and allow you to export it. I’ve recently used the Wahoo Fitness app- and it will output the file in the following formats: .tcx, .gpx, .pwx, .csv, ,wf
2. yeah- that’s the problem! Garmin’s won’t do it either. This is a job for Ray- as he’s kinda’ the voice of our community to Garmin and Suunto. This would seemingly be a fairly straightforward firmware update to any of the watches (910xt, Fenix2, Ambit2, TomTom Cardio) to allow HR pickup during swim mode. Whoever does it first will have a killer feature! HR + full Swim metrics!
Although in Ray’s defense, he exposed this issue very clearly in his TomTom Cardio review.
Can this mio link link with Garmin Fenix 2?
Yes, they both can communicate together via ANT+.
Have you tried this?
I’ve been in contact with MIO Support and they said it’s not a supported device for the MIO Link.
Would be great news if it’s actually supported and working flawless.
Dunno about the Fenix 2, but it connects just fine with the Garmin Vivofit via Ant+ so I can’t imagine why it wouldn’t with the Fenix.
Received mine yesterday. Go out for a run (8*1km (rec:1´)). In the warm up, I tried four different positions, always suunto ambit1 and mio link in the same arm.
Left arm, with optical sensor in the outside of the forearm: wrong (high values); Right arm, with optical in the outside of the forearm: wrong (high values); Right arm, with optical inside the forearm: wrong (high values), and finally left arm, with optical inside the forearm: perfect, accurate. I have a good run with perfect hr values.
I’m also regularly getting values that are obviously too high, and then also getting values that are more in line with what I expect.
But I wonder: how can we be confident that the apparently good values are “perfect, accurate”, except by always wearing multiple h.r. monitoring devices and then discarding outlying data? (Personally, I’m more than happy to let Ray be the guy wearing 3 watches, two chest straps, and a couple of other doohickeys so that I don’t have to. Thank you Ray!)
Getting really bad data from the Link on a regular basis forces me to wonder how reliable the apparently good data is. I can easily tell when it’s off by 20 bpm, behavior that I still sometimes see even after trying all the placement options (sensor on inside of forearm works best for me, too). But I can’t feel confident that the numbers are good even when they look “about right.”
I suspect I can probably estimate my HR to within 5 bpm most of the time while running, in which case, why bother with a device that is sometimes wildly off?
Hi Chris: I´ve been running seeing my heart rate about 20 years (first marathon, with hr, in 1998) and not only for experience I could know it, I have the garmin connect or the movescount (sometimes I use the 910 and the ambit at the same time) to compare the values obtained with chest strap previously. Second day, today, (one hour, low aerobic, running), it seems very accurate too (in exactly the same position of the Mio link and the ambit). One thing that surprises me: the r-r values seems correct too (and all the values that depend of it: recovery time, EPOC….) in the two training days (always been compared with other days with chest strap).
I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Mio Link!!! I am a “big” girl in more than one respect and I started triathlon about 8 months ago. I tried three different chest straps with my Garmin and thought I was just going to have to give up the idea of heart rate training. Then I got this wonderful device and it works perfectly for me!!! Thank you to the Mio guys. The only complaint/request—when can I get a replacement strap in hot pink???? or green, or purple??? If they were priced right, I might buy all three!!
I want to do interval training using the Mio Link, like this program from Wahoo: link to wahoofitness.com
What I want to know is if there is an app that can help me similar to the C25K apps. With the C25K apps, I would get voice prompts over running letting me know when it was time to run and when it was time to walk. What I want is app that says to increase hr and then decrease hr based on times I setup. Even better if it tells me if my hr is too high/low for the zone I’m in. Does such an app exist?
Hi there
Thanks so much for the useful info. I’m just starting HR training and wondered what the best kit would be? I want to run, cycle and swim and be able to see my heart rate easily. I have an iPhone 5 but don’t like to run with it in my hand (plus it doesn’t work for swimming obviously). Do I need to get a watch, chest band and this Mio Link or maybe the old one would be better? Not wearing a chest band is preferable (comfort wise). What’s the most affordable, best kit in your opinion? I’m in the UK.
Thanks
Given you don’t prefer to run with your phone, I’d look at a dedicated watch instead. Without a HR strap (but does optical heart rate), the cheapest option is the TomTom Runner Cardio – which works quite well.
Else, you could cut the price in half and go with something like the Garmin FR15 – but that would require a heart rate strap. Or, the TomTom Runner is even cheaper (also requiring a HR strap).
I’ve the ambit2 and the mio Link. It works fine. I’m very happy with that combination.
Only one thing doesn’t work.
Why there is no HR-Measurement in the Profile indoor-swimming?
In the other profiles it works. But i want the indoor swimming Profile. But there is no HR ;-(
Anyone a hint what i can do?
There’s not much you can really do there to be honest. Neither Garmin or Suunto support HR modes within swimming unfortunately. So you either have to choose heart rate data or swim/stroke/lap data. Ironically, the choice is the inverse if you go with the Polar watches (i.e. V800). I’m sure sooner or later though we’ll see the two halves come together…
My sister got a Mio Link, but for her the thing didn’t work for squat. No idea why, but comparing it to professional grade equipment (she’s a nurse, thus has routine access to such things) the Link was wildly inaccurate, to the point where she felt it was useless.
She passed it on to me, and for whatever odd reason, given that we have basically the same complexion et al, it seems to work okay for me. I haven’t yet compared it to professional grade equipment, sometime when I’m bored I’ll go to the hospital when she’s on and do so, but I’ve compared it to my regular Ant+ strap and to what I know to be my normal range (in my case, absurdly low, with a resting rate in the low fifties, dipping into the high forties at times, and a high that tops out around 120 – 130 under heavy cardio) and it seems to be close enough for my purposes.
While I do some running and swimming, I’m primarily a bodybuilder. I spend about 10hours a week at the gym, 3/4 of that lifting and the rest doing cardio. Overall I like the Link, it doesn’t get in the way and doesn’t seem to get uncomfortable over time the way chest straps tend to (at least for women, probably a bit easier for you guys).
There are some caveats, though:
1) The MIO Go app on Android (I’m using an SGSIII with CM11) is a bad joke. Seriously, why even put something that limited out there?
2) The Link seems to take forever to pair with the app. Not really sure if that’s the Link or the BLE stack on my phone, though.
3) The Link seems to “get lost” (drop signal) at least once or twice a 2.5hr workout. Given that I’m rarely more than a few feet from my phone, if even that, that just doesn’t seem acceptable.
4) Worse, it doesn’t seem to auto-reconnect. If I don’t notice that something is off, usually that the light stopped blinking, and go in and tell the app to re-connect and/or cycle the Link, I get no data. That’s really not acceptable.
Overall I like being able to wear a relatively unobtrusive and reasonably comfortable wrist strap well enough to put up with some of the downsides and try and figure out ways around them, but I’m really hoping that the next generation of this kind of device doesn’t have the connection issues this one seems to have.
Hi Myria,
Thanks for your comments. We appreciate your feedback and have told our Product Dev Team to look into the issues you mentioned and work to resolve them. We value all of our customers’ feedback and are continually working to improve our products. Your feedback, along with our other customers’ feedback will be taken into consideration when developing new Mio watches and wristbands.
Stay tuned for product updates and announcements on Twitter and Facebook.
Thanks, again.
All the best,
The Mio Global Social Media Team
I’ve been giving my Mio Link an extended trial, and I have to say that it’s been a disappointment.
The biggest problem that I have found with it (other than not being able to signal across the gap from one wrist to the other) is that it will start to reduce HR until you power cycle the device, at which point it starts reading correctly again.
i.e. you are at 300 watts, HR is reading ~165 and you are in a fairly steady state.
Then the HR starts to drop until you have the somewhat puzzling combination of 300 watts at 89 bpm.
Power cycle the device (at least this is easy!) and it jumps back up to what you feel it should be.
This is annoying, albeit you only have to do it 2 to 3 times at the start of a ride, but you should not have to do this at all.
I’d send it back if I didn’t anticipate the support process I’d have to navigate to do so being horrific (based on the comments here).
Hi Neil,
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We’re sorry to hear you’re not happy with your LINK and would be more than happy to help you with an exchange or return. We’ve added more Support staff and have significantly improved our Support Team’s response times.
At your convenience,please send us a private message on Facebook (link to facebook.com) or an email at: support@moglobal.com and we’ll help you out.
Thanks, again for sharing your thoughts.
All the best,
The Mio Global Social Media Team
Well, I’ve been using the Mio Link for a couple of months exclusively for Road Cycling now and have read all of the comments on here both positive and negative. I’ve had no issues whatsoever other than dropping the signal once when the Link dropped down my wrist and spilled the light sensors.
The Link works with my Garmin Edge 500 perfectly over at least a distance of two metres.
I charge the unit after every ride, cleaning the contacts with Isopropyl to prevent sweat contamination.
Readings are where I’d expect them to be with the occasional odd anomaly.
Very pleased with the Link!
I read all the positive and negative reviews here before I bought mye MioLink for 160 dollars (yes I know, Norway is expensive).
I was really hoping it would work, but it did not. Pairing with the forerunner 910xt was very easy. Same with app on android. I tried wearing it on the other hand, but that didnt work. How is it possible to make a gadget in 2014 with that bad transmitter/antenna? The range is like 5cm!
The problem that occour when I have it on same place as my watch is that the watch touch the miolink while im running. I can get the miolink to work OK when I ride my bicycle, but while im running? Forget it!
ive tried so many times on so many different places and same happends every time. Heartrate that is way off. I can put the miolink so tight that the blood stop moving, then it works – for a while.
I tried upside down, different places on the arm etc etc.
I really wanted this product to work but its not for me.
It works very well to measure your resting heart rate in the morning when you dont move your arm.
Will use it only for that purpose. Using it while running is just frustrating.
Hi Espen,
We’re so sorry to hear you’ve had such a tough time getting your Mio LINK to work for you. We want to help you out — even if that requires an exchange (which should fix the issue). Please send us a private message on our Facebook page (link to facebook.com) or an email at support@mioglobal.com and we’ll do our best to resolve this for you.
Thanks, again.
The Mio Global Social Media Team
Does somebody know, where i can download firmware upgrade? I can’t find it on mio site :(
No public firmware update has been released to date. I know Mio has noted above in the comments (do a quick search here) opening a beta program for some individuals, but I’m not clear if they’re getting firmware updates or simply getting shipped new units with newer firmware.
Comments about battery life is spot on. 7-8 hours max. I do not have any drop out issues but the battery life is my problem. Not sure if I am going to keep it or look elsewhere. Major issues with drop outs from my chest strap and thought the link would be the answer. I use this for cycling and some events/rides go longer than 7-8 hours. Not sure if there is a way to check if I have the latest FW. Android app is incompatible with my phone. If I can get the 10 hours battery life then I keep it.
It works fine for me since I started wearing it upside down, over my watch. Not ideal for LED visualization, but at least I’m getting consistent HR readings…
Does this work with the Garmin Forerunner 110?
Yes.
after app. 2 months running by using mio link in connection to a FR110 I can give an final result how it’s works for me. I only tried one time to wear the mio link on a different wrist like the FR110. Forget it. I never tried to wear the mio link upside down because I allways like to have an eye on the LED indication.
Best practise/progress for me is:
1. do wearing the mio link in the upper position to the FR110 (above it)
2. First, if the FR110 GPS is fixed then you should take care that the HR-Monitor option is off!
3. Just power on the mio link and WAIT for LED-indication that means that meassuring starts to work well (deep blue colored short blinking).
4. THEN go into FR110 setup and switch the HR-Monitor option to “on”. Now the HR-Monitor should detected.
If the shown hr-values are reasonable then just start your training. If not (too high or much too low) then deactivate the HR-Monitor option at FR first before turn off the mio link. Try then to “recalibrate” the position of the mio link and go ahead.
For me, in about 80% it works well at the beginning. But sometimes I have to rearrange the stuff if I can truly start to run.
At different competitions (races) I have the problem on the first 1-2KM that the values are too low or too high. After app. 10 minutes everything seems fine.
Against this backround I would not still change to any chest strap back…
Hello Mio,
Any news about the promised firmware ?
Thanks
Really no news?
Hi,
My rest diameter right above the rest bone is 17.2cm.
Shall I buy the S/M or shall I opt for the large band?
thanks
*wrist diameter :)
if you choose the large one you are more flexibel to wear the link at different positions.
I suggst you to take the large one.
Hi,
I have the Mio Link for a few days now, have used it for the 4th time today.
Before today it was fine, great for running, crossfit, yoga, swimming; have not used it for cycling yet.
Today however after charging it, doing an hour of yoga, for lunch at crossfit it ran out of juice. I dont know if it is the mio I have or what but I was not happy about that.
It is great not to have the chest hrm but it has to last longer than it has so far for me. I use it with Polar V800.
The software for the mio app is a bit buggy with iphone 5 so far too and everything is updated.
To be continued as I use it a few more times before making a decision to keep it or not.
Mo
Been following these comments loosely. After my chest getting shredded by the HRMrun that came with my Garmin Fenix2, I am rethinking the Mio. A couple of concerns. More than a few people commented that it seems the mio must be on the same arm as the watch for adequate results. Is that still true? I noticed that battery life is upto 10 hours. How quickly does it charge? Will is charge with the usb cable and a portable battery. during an upcoming Ultra, I have the ability to recharge the Fenix2 some during the run, as the unit will record and charge at the same time. With charging contacts on the bottom, that wont work with the Mio.. was wishing for a optical HRM with 16+ hours.
As far as how close the Link has to be to your device, I expect that’s going to vary somewhat depending on the particular Link, the device in question, and environment.
For me, at the gym, and I am primarily a bodybuilder so that’s mostly where I want an HRM, the link really had to be on the same wrist as the recording device. I tried it with both a Vivofit and Loop, and found that putting the Link on the opposite wrist led to occasional drop outs whilst trying to use it with my phone (an SGSIII) was an exercise in futility due to frequent and unpredictable drop outs with no reliable auto-reconnect.
Keep in mind. however, that there’s going to be a lot of RF noise in the 2.4ghz band at some place like my gym. OTOH, other RF devices using that range that I routinely use there — Garmin Ant+ based HRM, bluetooth headset, phone’s wifi — all work fine, so take from that what you may.
As for battery life, I’ve tried using the Link as an overnight HRM with the Polar Loop twice now, only to have it cut out after about four hours. That may just be something wrong with my particular unit, though, probably is. Since I don’t find it useful otherwise, I’ve not bothered investigating further.
I haven’t really paid attention to the recharge time, so I’m afraid I can’t help you there. As for charging it on the fly, I don’t think that’s reasonably possible. Even if the device would work whilst charging, and I don’t think it would, the charging pins are on the bottom of the ‘watch’ part and, at least without substantial modification, any attempt to access them would interfere with the optical sensor array being close enough and light-tight enough to work.
I’m late to the party but, I’ll toss in my experience. I use my Link both on the bike and running quite a bit. Never have any issues with my watch on the handle bars, and the link on a wrist (usually opposite side of the bars).
Running gets interesting…
With my fenix 2, I’d always run with Link on the opposite wrist, never once had an issue.
I have recently (long story) purchased an Ambit 2s. With the Ambit, I can’t run with it on the opposite wrist, otherwise it is frequently dropping the signal. On the bike however, the Ambit 2 and Link work just fine, watch on the left side of my bars, link on right wrist. But I’ve never seen it drop signal. Weird.
So we CAN use it with 910xt while swiming (but with running or cycling profile, because in swim mode there is no ant+ )
Swimming with intervals: link to i.imgur.com
I also test it with my oldtrusty FR305 in my son tummy tub ;)
link to i.imgur.com
Been using Mio Link for cycling for a two months now. No problems with it on my wrist and my Samsung Galaxy S5 in jackets back pocket. I guess, reception depends on antennas in the receiving device too. Watches have less space and thus smaller less effective antennas. With battery life, I have had several times it runs out of juice, probably because it has not been fully charged and has been laying on the shelf for several days. My conclusion is to fully charge it before every ride. I Have not had rides longer than 5 hours, so cant tell what is the max battery life for me. Mostly it runs flawlessly for me.
Hi,
Can this unit be used with Strava Ride/Run app from Android 4.4.2
Thanks.
Hi Charlie….the Mio Link works with latest Strava on a Samsung Galaxy S5 running Android. It works in BT Smart mode with Strava.
Ray,
Have you tried Mio Muse yet? Looks like a great device !
You mean the ‘Fuse’? I think Muse is a band. :)
But yup, post coming up in the next 6-12 hours or so…
Hi Ray,
In your first description of mio fuse you talk about new version of mio link. Any news of a new firmware for poor first owners ? I’m very very sad.
Hi Ray, in addition to Tommies question, will the improved link have a different sku to differentiate it from the old unit?
I have had my Mio Link for about 3 weeks and use on a daily basis, with both my phone and Ambit2. I know there were questions about battery life. I have successfully used the Mio Link for 11 hrs. (just monitoring HR; no working out) before it died. It was only connected to my Ambit2 so I cannot speak to the length of time using BTLE (or both at the same time). I am afraid my iPhone will likely die before the Mio.
Anyone know how to update the software/firmware on Mio Link?
There’s currently no method to do so.
Hi Ray,
I recently found your blog and I find it very interesting and comprehensive, I would like to know if there is a product with an optical sensor HR compatible in some way with Nike +, I would not be forced to change software to avoid wearing an uncomfortable band after years of recording workouts on the nike + website.
Unfortunately not, Nike is a locked hardware ecosystem without connecting to any of the established standards. :(
Pretty frustrated. Hoping there’s a simple solution to this.
I tried the Link for the first time tonight and found it basically useless. The heart rates we’re always about 20% lower than expected and there were frequent drop outs.
Also heart rate would drop during sets when clearly it should rise.
Tried every position I could think of.
I’m fairly muscled so can’t go more than 2-3 inches above my wrist bone.
Any suggestions??
Please contact MioGlobal support directly. It’s the best way to get any concerns addressed and tracked formally. Support@mioglobal.com
Done, just emailed.
just bought my mio link and tried it for 2 days. i put it to use during my sleep. and notice that the heart rate would soar from 50bpm to 150-180 bpm range and then come back down. not sure if it’s the location of the strap or wut. any idea? i put it in my left hand left my iPhone 5 on the left side of the bed, right next to my hand.
When you sleep the restrictions your body places on your heart rate are removed so you will see very quick changes in heart rate. Mainly during REM sleep.
I bought one of these to pair with my Garmin 310XT mostly for running, but also with my Concept 2 rowing machine, the monitor of which is ANT+ based.
I was a bit worried how the Mio Link would work given some of the complaints I read about here, but for me it has worked flawlessly. Perhaps I have the right combination of blood vessel distribution and skin colour :). It finds my HR quickly and stays locked on, whether running outdoors or rowing indoors on the Concept 2. I’d been through lots of soft HR straps, all of which stop working in a short time. In the end, a Garmin hard strap worked well, with only the occasional glitches at the start or a run. However not having to worry about the strap at all any more is wonderful.
The only annoyance is that while I have an Android Phablet, it is not equipped with Bluetooth 4.0, so I can’t program the HR zones into the Link, or potentially update firmware in future. However that is a minor issue as eventually I’ll update my phablet to something that is appropriately equipped, but being able to use Mio Go on a Windows PC would have been convenient.
… and thanks Ray for all the wonderfully comprehensive reviews!
I’m 33. My max hr from the link is 208.
Is it possible?, that high. I got twice, not once.
My max HR is 201 and i’m 36. When I was 18 and doing flat-out time trials I’ve seen 220 before. If your heart has a normal stroke volume then it’s not something to worry about.
To: hakkinen
A HR of 180 and above is often symptomatic of a heart condition named Supraventricular Tachycardia or perhaps Atrial Fibrillation. If you have never had such high heart rates previously, and such events don’t recur, then your heart rate was probably not, in fact, that high. If you felt nothing unusual and you don’t continue seeing such high heart rates, then the MIO was probably inaccurate. If you continue seeing such high heart rates and feel, in any way unusual, then see a Cardiologist.
thank you for your answer.
Should I change max hr on garmin watch to 208, or keep it 187.
I would keep it set at 187 for a max. To clarify the above comment about the heart condition named SVT, it is usually a sustained high HR, an electrical loop, that continues for extended periods, regardless of whether you are exercising or not.
Ray do you have any news regarding the production units quality?
It’s better (the most recent versions). I don’t tend to get too many issues with bad readings. Sometimes in the first minute or two, but then it’s stable. Wearing on the same arm as the wrist is generally good for connectivity on ANT+. And wearing it on the opposite arm is mostly good (like 90-95% good), but I still see some drops there.
Getting problems with my Mio Link the last three weeks – bought it in late May, must be an early production unit. Puzzling, never experienced it before: heart rate is either 20bpm too high or too low when activating it just before heading out of the door. Or the HR stays at 70bpm when about 2mins into the run, when it already should be around 130bpm – I restart it and get good readings instantly.
Annoying. What to do about it? Start the unit 2mins+ before the run?
Please email MIO Support. Support@mioglobal.com
That’s the best way to get help and have your questions tracked formally. Thanks!
Some good news….I was able to get the Mio Link to pair with my Nokia Lumia 920 after downloading the Lumia Cyan update which is Windows Phone 8.1. Before the Cyan update miCoach recognized the Mio Link but it wouldn’t pair but its now working and miCoach is showing a HR. Looks like I might be in business now. :)
Ray (or anybody else),
I am thinking about getting one of these, but would like to know if it will pair up with the Garmin Fenix 2. I keep hearing about the quality getting better (more in line with the pre-production models) and am thinking about purchasing one. If anyone can tell me the answer, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks!
I have a fenix 2 and mio link pairs up with it just fine.
Thanks Ayush!
So during spin my HR will fall below 100. No matter how tired I am, I’m doubtful I’m at 80 while working out. Do you think I really dip that low or that it’s misreading it?
Probably and error. I’d contact Mio support and see if they can troubleshoot it. You can also try changing the position/location of Link, which often will fix it (such as on the inside of your wrist).
Someone may have addressed similar issues, but here goes. Using the mio link with a fr305 seems to give good consistent results when wore on the same arm next to the 305. But, usually not bad on the other arm either. When used with a Garmin Fenix it appears I have much more fluctuations or possible dropouts. But not completely horrible. Yesterday, for kicks, I ran with my new iphone 6 and Runkeeper app, no watch. I paired the link but had it on the opposite arm. The phone was in a myband sweatband type holder around my right forearm. I saw lots of dropouts and about 20 bpm lower overall heart rates for my usual run. Question, are others seeing this issue from bluetooth le instead of ant+ or is it because it was on the other arm. I do have an early production model as I prepurchased from mio but have been mostly happy. Just wondering if I am going to have problems with the bluetooth side of this thing since this was the first time to use it with bluetooth.
You’ll want to ring up Mio support there to get it swapped out. I know from the very early models there were changes made in the BLE connection side to eliminate those issues.
Thanks Ray.
Spoke to Mio and they are reluctant to swap somewhat blaming the issue on the iphone 6. Have you seen or heard any issues with the iphone 6 versus 5, 4s, etc.?
I’ve heard of a number of BLE related issues to iOS8 with sensors from other companies, which may be more of the root.
Ray,
at this point which heart rate monitor would you recommend:
the RHYTHM+ or the Mio Link here?
Thanks!
Generally speaking I prefer the Scosche, due to it having stronger ANT+ transmission, so I can wear it away from the watch without issue. Accuracy of the optical aspects seems like a wash to me between the two.
Hi,
I have bought both the MIO LINK and the RYTHM+ and I would recommend RYTHM+ and day of the week.
The RYTHM+ is much more pleasant to wear and do have a better range than the MIO LINK.
When wearing the MIO LINK I had to strap it really tight on my left wrist which caused my hand to get less circulation and therefor felt much colder than my right hand. Furthermore the MIO LINK do slip down on my wrist due to the fact that I had to wear it slightly higher up on my wrist and the rubber/plastic material of the MIO LINK is kind of slippery and slips downwards towards my hand when I started to sweat and that caused miss readings of my heart rate while I’m out running.
When wearing the RYTHM+ high up on my forearm just below the elbow I do not get any circulation problems and the RYTHM+ strap is made of fabric and stays put on my forearm.
Just my thoughts,
//Peter
Sweden
Ray,
Does that mean that you’ve been ok with swimming with the Scosche on your upper arm and having it connect to a watch on your wrist? I was planning on getting either a Scosche or a Mio to go with my 920xt, and I was leaning toward the Mio because it’s on the wrist. I’d probably prefer the Schosche if it works for swimming purposes, but I noticed you used a Mio for your Malta swim the other day. Thanks.
No, it won’t connect from the upper arm. I’ve done some minimal testing next to it on the wrist, so watch and Scosche side by side, with some success. But these were very short tests.
I’ve also done some (all) of my swim testing with the Link and 920XT side by side with some mixed success. I need to keep tweaking positioning there to find the ‘ideal’ position.
Thanks, Ray. This follow-up probably belongs in the 920XT thread, but. . .Do you know if Garmin meant for HR to be available in OWS? Or was this some sort of coding goof? Why would they have it available for OWS but not indoor swimming? In other words, is OWS HR on the 920XT likely to disappear at some point?
I don’t know. I asked most of those questions and haven’t received any answers on those (but did get answers on everything else).
Thanks, Ray. Go find yourself some Maltese ice cream (or something like that), and have a good night.
i really liked the idea of the mio link instead of a hr-strap. The disadvantage of the tomtomcardio is the fact that i can only use wearing under my running clothes. In winter when it’s cold and a nasty (north or east) wind is blowing i want to wear my watch over my gear. So no tom tom cardio for me. So i decided that i would buy a mio link. Glad that read the review and all the reactions. I do not want to wear to devices on one wrist. I’ll stick with my fr620 including hr-strap
I think the limited range of transmission is only valid for Ant+. Your watch (FR620) is using BlueTooth with a much better range.
The FR620 only picks up ANT+ HR signals. It only uses Bluetooth Smart for transmission to a phone.
The ANT+ distance limitation isn’t a protocol thing, it’s a Mio antenna design issue.
I do an outdoor rain or shine fitness boot camp style workout. I don’t want to take my iPhone with me. I could just use the LED to see my heart rate. Can I turn off the Bluetooth and still see the LED indicator?
I am looking for an app that I can use to monitor my heart rate while using my Nordic Track indoors. I really just want to see the heart rate and time and time in target zones. The apps I have tried all “turn off” after a period of time.
I use runkeeper on my bicycle, but despite searching around, I can’t seem to get it to show my heart rate for a stationary activity.
At times, I feel like going back to the old Polar strap and watch, but my old eyes can’t see it that well. I was looking forward to big bright numbers on my iphone.
Any app suggestions are GREATLY appreciated. Thank you.
I use iCardio from Digit on my Android – but it looks like they have a iTunes app too. Mio connects to that, and it logs the session and puts it into nice charts etc. Also provides a download option that I then put into SportTracks.
Whatever happened to the much talked about firmware update for the Mio LINK?
I spoke to Mio support on some bluetooth connection issues I am having two weeks ago. I have no ant+ issues. They confirmed no firmware updates have ever been released. I didn’t get the impression there would be any. I basically got the “we don’t know what issues you are talking about and we won’t acknowledge any problems but if you insist we’ll swap out your unit if you send it in.”
I notice the Mio Link is now available with a yellow band, listed as “Electric”. A few places have this, eg Amazon. Though it seems its not listed on the Mio Global website. Is the yellow band a special edition model?
If you had bought the Mio Link when it was first released, you will notice one major difference between what’s being shown now on Mio’s website: Looking at the side profile, the sensor sticks out quite a bit more (about 1 mm). The grey band and electric band Mio Links both have this change.
I don’t think you’re right mate. I took delivery in the early days back in May.
When I hold my Link at the same angle as the image on the website mine looks exactly the same. There is a rectangle in the centre that stands out proud by about 1mm.
Mine has behaved brilliantly tbh but I use it exclusively with ant+ on my Garmin edge 500 on all three of my bikes about three fingers from the crease of my wrist on my left arm.
Garmin sits on a Barfly 2 and I never drop the signal……I must be one of the lucky few!
I pre-ordered so i received mine – two of them – in April.
Here’s a comparison between the two:
link to dl.dropboxusercontent.com
To be clear, the comparison is made between the “original” Mio Link and a more recent one. The two Mio Links that came with my pre-order, other than the size of the bands (one was for my wife), are exactly the same.
Ah yes, I can see it now. mine is the same as the top image.
That change was under the radar wasn’t it? Still waiting for the promised firmware upgrade but I guess thats reserved for the mark two if and when that arrives.
The CEO has been conspicuous by her absence since the early appearances on here.
Chris,
As I stated earlier in the the thread, in talking to Mio lately there is no indication there will be a firmware upgrade. Also, as you point out there appear to be no issues on the ant+ side but many on the bluetooth side of the Link. I have no issues with ant+ but bluetooth is horrible. Last night I ran with a Garmin Fenix on my right wrist with the Link just beside it and a Motorola Motoactv on the left wrist. Both connected to the Link through ant+ and both had an almost scary identical chart when uploaded to Garmin Connect and the Motoactv websites respectively. However, in the past when I have ran with the Link connected by bluetooth to the iphone 6 and by ant+ to either a 305, Fenix, etc., I got wildly different readings off the bluetooth side on the iphone 6. Mio has agreed to swap it out and I intend to stick it in the mail this week.
Can anyone advise of if this can be used with my Garmin Swim? Or a work around.
(Sorry I gave up wading through all the posts)
No, unfortunately the Garmin Swim doesn’t have any method for recording ANT+ data.
Has anyone done a head to head comparison with the Scosche Rhythm Plus and this Mio link?
Not the Plus, but certainly the regular edition.
I was comparing the Scosche Plus to a Polar watch monitor, and had the scosche paired to Polar Beat.
The watch was a lot more responsive in changes to the heart rate. I don’t know if this is a function of the lag with bluetooth, a lag in optical measurement, sampling rates, or the Polar Beat iOS app.
Has this been addressed anywhere?
I’m noticing some seasonal effects with my Mio link, and wondering if anyone else has the same. In summer the measurement seemed reliable and line with expectations of my HR. On cold runs, without gloves and my hands feeling very cold(I keep forgetting/ underestimating the coldness in Munich) I’m seeing really unreliable, unexpected HR readings. I expect this could be due to my body reducing blood circulation through cold extremiites, at least that seem logical, and thus the sensor having less blood flow to work on.
Just wondering if anyone has seen the same?