AirPods Pro 3 heart rate sensing capabilities - exceeds expectations.

A thorough test by DC Rainmaker showing how accurate the heart rate sensors are in AirPods Pro 3, after the dismal performance with the Powerbeats Pro 2:

In any case, I’m blown away. Like, legit blown away. Not because Apple couldn’t do it, but because the PowerBeats 2 Pro were so bad (and only about 8 months ago), that I’d kinda written off Apple’s ability to get optical HR correct. Further, other companies recent attempts (e.g. Polar’s with Sennheiser), have also been pretty darn bad. All of which tracked with numerous other companies over the years trying, and failing, horrifically.

Apple has managed to do something that really nobody else has: Produce a pretty solid heart rate sensing device in your ears. It’s not absolutely perfect, but it’s really strong. Plus, despite urban legends to the contrary, chest straps are rarely perfect either (especially in the cooler fall temps, when there isn’t quite as much sweat, you’ll see issues in the first 5-10 mins).

Just like classic Apple hardware, it just works. I was skeptical myself since Apple’s keynote video shows a guy starting a walking workout, but I did some indoor runs and it worked fine. Indoor runs are pretty basic and don’t involve a lot of head movement, so I tested the AirPods during some HIIT workouts with a lot more head movement, and still they tracked my heart rate without a hitch. I don’t have other devices to really compare the nitty gritty numbers, but they stayed put and the numbers were in line with my Apple Watch metrics.

From a fitness perspective, these are a great device for those who love to live in Apple’s walled garden.