I have a Zwift Ride connected to Apple TV which uses up both Bluetooth channels. I have tried to connect my Apple Watch to Zwift through Zwift Companion app as a heart rate monitor. Zwift says that the Watch is connected but then it shows that there is no data. Someone said that the Apple Watch is not a very good heart monitor. I would like to use an armband and not a chest band. Do you have any suggestions for HRMs that are better than an Apple Watch? I saw people mentioned Scosche, Tickrfit and Coospo. Will I have the same problem connecting them to Zwift via the Apple TV or can they be connected more reliably?
OK first of all, the limitation on the number of things you can connect is purely an Apple TV problem, imposed by Apple. No other device has that limitation. When you’re pairing more than two devices to Apple TV, you need some kind of bridge device. One of them is the Zwift Companion app. You can read about that here: Using the Zwift Companion App as a Bridge
The other possibility is you may be using a trainer that supports HRM bridging, but I am unsure which trainer you have. If you just recently bought a new Zwift Ride, you may have the Wahoo Kickr Core 2. That has a bridge feature you could try as well: https://support.wahoofitness.com/hc/en-us/articles/28126062260370-How-to-use-the-KICKR-Bridge
If you don’t have a Kickr Core 2 trainer then you may or may not have a HRM bridge option - it depends on the exact make and model of the trainer.
The problem pairing the Apple Watch to Zwift is a Zwift problem. They no longer support using it, and while it may work, it’s not recommended and may be frustrating. Almost any HRM will work with Zwift, certainly all the brands you mentioned. Some people also use a third party Apple Watch app like Heartcast to turn the watch into more of a normal HRM.
Thanks Paul. I did buy the Kickr Core 2 and Zwift Ride in October. Connecting the Zwift Ride and the Wahoo used the two Bluetooth channels of the Apple TV.
I thought I was using the Zwift Companion app as a bridge to the Apple Watch. I have the Zwift app on my watch.
Will the non-Apple watches work better than the Apple Watch if Zwift is not supporting Apple? Can I connect one of those watches through the Kick Core 2 bridge? Or do they work through the Zwift Companion app?
In my experience, using any watch for heart rate isn’t great. You might want to get an inexpensive chest strap HRM and use that. I’ve been using a Coospo, and it works great.
OK. But what confuses me is how I connect any device (chest strap or watch) to Zwift. Through the Zwift Companion app or some other way? Am I missing something obvious?
But, I’ve downloaded Heartcast and will start from there.
A few options that could work:
- Pair everything via the Companion app
- Or use the Kickr Bridge to pair the Ride controls via the trainer
- Or pair the trainier via WiFi instead of Bluetooth
Thanks Paul. This is definitely more complicated than I thought. I thought I was using wifi for something, but maybe just for the Companion app. I think I need to figure out how to use the Kickr Bridge to pair something. Then use one of the Bluetooth channels for the HRM. I’ll try to figure it out.
The trainer can be paired either via Bluetooth, or via WiFi, so when it’s paired to Apple TV via WiFi, it doesn’t use any Bluetooth channels. That leaves two Bluetooth channels open for the Ride controls and HRM. The Kickr Bridge should also work - those are two different options that meet the same goal of limiting your Bluetooth requirements to 2 devices.
Thank you Paul. I have ordered a Coospo HW9. I will try pairing through the Kickr Bridge. You have been very helpful. I will let you know if this works. Thanks again.
Using Heartcast for the AW HR works well (for me) when my strap takes a dump. Echo is another app but, for me, was harder to connect or maybe I did not like the interface.