Peloton Plans Armband Heart-Rate Monitor in Wearables Push

(Bloomberg) -- Peloton Interactive Inc. is working on a digital heart-rate armband, the company’s biggest move beyond stationary fitness equipment into the competitive wearables market.

The basic contours of the Peloton Heart Rate Band are buried deep inside the code of the company’s iPhone and iPad app. Details and images of the device indicate that it will come in small and large sizes and will pair wirelessly with Peloton’s bike and treadmills, along with phones, tablets and televisions running the company’s app.

The heart-rate band will be able to capture the intensity of workouts, providing users more accurate data. The device will have a small screen that can display the battery level and when it’s in pairing mode, according to the code. After pairing the gadget with Peloton fitness equipment for the first time, the device will automatically do so via Bluetooth.

Peloton shares jumped on the news and were up 7.4% at 12:11 p.m. in New York.

There have been hints for months that Peloton was planning to enter the wearables market, including the acquisition earlier this year of Atlas Wearables Inc. and other companies. In another push beyond its core business, Peloton announced Tuesday that it will work with companies to offer their employees reduced-price or free subscriptions to its workout app or special prices on bikes and treadmills.

The heart-rate band will receive software updates, according to the code, potentially letting the device add features down the road. The band will work with Peloton’s heart-rate zones, which provide users feedback on workouts of varying intensity.

“Track the intensity of your workouts from Zone 1 (lowest effort) to Zone 5 (maximum capacity),” the code says. “Using the adjustable strap, wear the Peloton Heart Rate Monitor snug on your forearm to accurately monitor your effort during workouts.”

The band, which includes an adjustable strap, will run on its own battery and automatically go into sleep mode when removed. The device would be Peloton’s first armband but not its first heart-rate monitor. Peloton already sells a $49 gadget that users can strap to their chests, and last year it became possible for users to track their heart rate via the Apple Watch.

It’s unclear when the arm band will go on sale and whether Peloton will in fact launch it. Still, the code inside the app indicates development is ramping up for an eventual release. A Peloton spokeswoman declined to comment.

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