Two years ago, Vancouver-based Lululemon introduced a sports bra with built-in heart rate sensors and hook ups for a monitor on the front of the garment. That bra is no longer available but, as the market for wearable tech continues to grow, Victoria Secret has stepped in with one of its own.
The new bra, called “Incredible by Victoria Secret,” is compatible with “most” clip-on heart monitors and works exactly the same way Lululemon’s did. You moisten the electrodes inside the band of the bra and then then attach your heart rate monitor to the front and check for a signal. Obviously you need to ensure there’s good contact between your skin and the electrodes if you want accurate monitoring (a well-fitted bra will help with that).
The fact that you have to supply your own heart rate monitor is a double-edged sword. It’s not a comprehensive solution — you’ll still have to research the best monitor and then go out and buy it, which is a bit of a pain. However, the wearable tech industry is in its infancy and people are more likely to trust the likes of Garmin or Polar over Victoria Secret, anyway.
Operation aside, this is just like any other sports bra so it can be thrown in the washer (thank God) though you probably shouldn’t put it in the dryer.
The Incredible bra is available on Victoria Secret’s website and ships to Canada. It’s priced at $72.50 USD, but with standard shipping ($18.99 for delivery in two weeks) and sales taxes and duty ($24.17), the price jumps to $115.66 USD. That’s $130 CAD by today’s exchange rate, and that’s before you even consider the cost of the sensor. Ouch.
[source]Victoria Secret[/source]
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