Apple Watch vs AirPods: Which is a Better for Tracking Heart Rate?

Our gifting experts are obsessively searching for holiday gifts that are unique, thoughtful and suitable for any budget. Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. I tested them against the Apple Watch and the Polar chest strap to find out whether you can trust them for your workouts. The Apple Watch and AirPods Pro 3 can measure heart rate better than most other smartwatches we’ve tested. I’d been wearing my AirPods Pro 3 for months without ever touching one of its headline features. I remember sitting through Apple’s September keynote when the company announced the heart-rate tracking function in its new earbuds. The news drew one of the loudest rounds of applause of the event and I was excited to test it out. Measuring your heart rate from your ears felt futuristic, even if it wasn’t entirely new. But then I got home and went right back to recording every workout with my Apple Watch. There wasn’t much reason to change. The Apple Watch Series 11 beat out every smartwatch I tested in our CNET Labs heart-rate comparisons against a Polar chest strap (designed