The best power meter is crucial to understanding cycling performance and output. It is an objective measurement, something that is unaffected my fatigue, caffeine, or adrenaline. In the world of cycling, power measurement is one of the gold standards of performance.
Power meters use strain gauges and accelerometers to measure exactly how hard and fast you are pushing on the pedals. They take on many different shapes and sizes, and they can be located in the crank spider, crank arm, or the pedals. A power meter’s measurements are expressed in watts, transmitted wirelessly to the best bike computers, and displayed in an easy-to-understand fashion, second by second. This data is the basis for all modern cycling-specific training.
Best power meters
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Best overall power meter
The Assioma PRO RS-2 is Favero’s best pedal-based power meter, and it’s clearly aimed at performance-focused road cyclists. At just 124.8g per pedal, it is among the lightest ways to add a dual-sided power meter to your bike. This makes it ideal for racers chasing marginal gains.
They are easy to install, and the system is fully transferable between bikes in minutes, something crank-based systems can’t match. Accuracy is rated at +/-1%, and this holds up across varied temperatures and riding conditions. The sealed spindle design isolates electronics from the elements, improving durability and long-term reliability. Rechargeable batteries provide up to 160 hours of riding per charge, which is better than comparable power meters.
Where the Assioma PRO RS-2 really stands out is usability: easy setup, stable connectivity, and accurate data make it ideal for performance-focused cyclists. However, it is limited to SPD-SL cleats, which may deter riders using other pedal systems or riding off-road. But for serious road racers or data-driven cyclists, it is simply one of the best power meters available.
Best budget power meter
The Favero Assioma DUO Dual-Sided pedals might be the most valuable power meter pedal on the market. At roughly half the price of comparable power meters, the DUO delivers dual-sided measurement along with a host of other features. Favero rates the pedals as both accurate and durable, and this will apply to the vast majority of cyclists.
However, using the pedals over a long period of time and swapping them between bikes can lead to a breakdown in accurate performance. But overall, the DUO continues to be a go-to recommendation for cyclists looking to step into advanced training metrics.
Each pedal independently measures power, allowing for true left/right balance analysis—there is a cheaper UNO option that offers single-sided estimates, simultaneously sacrificing some accuracy but also a big chunk of the cost. Installation is quick and easy, and the rechargeable battery system removes the hassle of replacing coin cells. Battery life isn’t as long as some other pedal power meters, but the rechargeable factor is a nice plus.
The slightly bulkier pod design is one of the biggest drawbacks, both visually and aerodynamically. For riders who want accurate dual-sided power without paying top-tier prices, the Assioma DUO is an excellent choice.
Best power meter for a gravel bike
The Garmin Rally XC210 is one of the few high-end power meters designed specifically for off-road riding, making it a standout choice for gravel and MTB. Built around an SPD-compatible pedal body, the dual-sided pedal-based system includes important power measurement features and extra info available through Garmin Connect.
It is exceptionally easy to change bikes or pedals, and when it comes to gravel power pedals, there is direct competition with SRM and the X-Power pedals in the SPD (MTB) configuration. The lighter clip out on Garmin Rally pedals is ideal for more technical riding, but the bigger matchup is between the Garmin Rally pedals and a crank-based system for off-road riding.
Riding on technical trails can mean pedals take a serious beating. I’ve put thousands of miles on the XC210 and I’ve never had an issue in durability, but I also tend to ride gravel roads more than single track. If you hit your pedals regularly, consider placing your power meter elsewhere, such as in the crank or axle.
The spindle-based sensor is a huge plus as it can be transferred between different pedal bodies. This is particularly useful for riders who split time between road and off-road bikes. The trade-offs are weight and cost. It’s significantly heavier than road-focused pedal systems and sits at the more expensive end of the market. But for off-road riders who want reliable, transferable power data, the XC210 is a great choice.
Best power meter for cleat setup
The Speedplay pedal design is at the heart of the Wahoo SPEEDPLAY POWER Dual-Sided Power Pedals. Wahoo’s contribution is quite a unique feature in that it adds a collar to the spindle that handles all the electronics. You don’t need a pedal wrench to get these pedals off, but the most important factor here is that these are Speedplay pedals.
Thanks to their circular design, Speedplay pedals have always been polarising. The pedal itself is incredibly minimal and allows for dual sided clip in, which is a huge place, especially in a race situation. The pieces that handle retention are located on the cleat side, and the lightweight pedals nearly last forever.
The cleats mount with four points of adjustment instead of three, meaning you can make very precise decisions in how the cleat mounts, and you can also adds shims and other adjustments to help adapt around injuries. The whole system is also ideal for cyclists with knee pain as it allows your foot to move around on the pedal far more than other systems.
The downside of that movement, referred to as float, is that a lot of people will feel it’s unstable. More float can mean less knee pain, but it also can cause a looser feel on the pedals. In fact, there are plenty of people, myself included, who describe the Wahoo SPEEDPLAY system as feeling like you are riding on an ice cube. You’ll have to decide where you fall on that continuum, but if you have ever experienced knee pain from cycling, it’s likely you’ll be a supporter.
Read more details in our full Wahoo SPEEDPLAY POWER Dual-Sided Power Pedals review.
Best Shimano compatible power meter
If you’re looking for Shimano-compatible power meters, you may have a hard time finding a power meter that is actually from Shimano. The next option is to find a Shimano-compatible power meter, and thankfully, there are plenty of great options available.
4iiii has a long history of offering power meters attached to cranks, and among them is one of their most affordable options in the left side crank arm. It is easy to switch a crank arm power meter between bikes, which is a huge plus for those on a budget. The sensor weighs just 9g and fits on the inside of the crank arm, measuring power on a single side. The pod uses three strain gauges to measure the known deflection for the cranks, claiming an accuracy of +/-1%. However, this only applies to a single-side, so the overall power output is an estimate.
While an industry standard, the power accuracy claim does not measure up to comparable power meters that offer dual-sided measurement. But keep in mind that some of those power meters costs two or three times as much as the 4iiii crank arm. For beginners or those who don’t mind if the accuracy is 1% or 2%, this affordable power meter could be the perfect option.
4iii also offers a number of great features, many of which are not typically included with such an affordable power meter. Apple Find My integration is one of the best offerings here, and the way it works is that any time the crank is at rest, it’s trackable through any iPhone, and there’s not actually an AirTag for a thief to remove, so the relative safety is in the fact that it’s part of the crank. Apple is careful to say that it’s not a theft deterrent, but should your bike go missing, you have a much better chance that you will find it with a system like this.
The power meter also comes with an 800-hour battery life, extended warranty, and IPX7 water resistance. For those on a budget and in search of Shimano-compatibility, the option here is hard to beat.
Best SRAM compatible power meter
The SRAM Red AXS groupset was part of SRAM’s introduction to a new gearing strategy called x-range, designed to limit the need to use the front derailleur. It meant that the front chainrings now use a 13-tooth jump (instead of the Shimano standard 16-tooth) and that they are smaller. In terms of compatibility, that can make finding a third-party power meter a challenge, depending on your gearing choice. Sticking to a SRAM option for a SRAM bike makes everything very simple.
Unlike the SRAM Apex power meter, SRAM Red AXS uses a spider-based system that captures true left-right power output from both legs. The spec puts it at +/-1.5% accuracy, which is some of the best accuracy in the business. Speaking of best in the business, the SRAM Red AXS looks fantastic. If you want a pro-looking power meter, this could be the one.
There are other advantages to the spider-based system, though. SRAM integrates the power meter into the chainset and, by doing so, manages to get the overall weight down to ~600 grams (170 mm, 50/37). Additionally, the whole system is electronic only, which means even more data is available on the SRAM AXS web and app.
With the SRAM Red AXS power meter and a SRAM groupset, the level of detail available in post-ride data is unheard of. I can tell you how many times I shifted and into what gear, which provides crucial data about mechanical wear and tear. Then, because I’m also using the power meter, I can tell you what my average power was in that gearing combination. It’s a level of detail you can’t get without being a part of the SRAM ecosystem.
If you are looking for a power meter for one of SRAM’s other tiers of cranks, SRAM has plenty of options. Depending on the model, they may not offer all the features found on RED, but there are options for Force, Rival and Apex, along with a 107 BCD spider option.
How to choose the best power meter for you
- Where do you want your power meter to be? Power meters can be located in the crankarm, spider/crankset, spindle, and pedal system. The best option for you depends largely on your budget, cycling goals, and whether you need a system that can be shared across multiple bicycles. Here’s how to choose.
- Should I get a crankarm power meter? Left-side crankarm or single-sided power meters are often the lightest and most affordable, but not as accurate, owing to the doubling of the power measured on the left leg.
- Should I get a spider/crankset power meter? Crankset or spider power meters are considered the most accurate setup due to the location within the drivetrain and their ability to measure the total power output from both legs.
- Should I get a spindle power meter? Spindle power meters offer a discreet setup with potentially longer battery life due to the space afforded by the setup, but these meters often lack advanced metrics such as left-right balance.
- Should I get a pedal power meter? Pedal power meters are the most versatile, as the modular design means they can be moved from bike to bike with ease
- Should I get a single or dual-sided power meter? Single-sided power meters are often cheaper and lighter than comparable power meters, but they are also less accurate. The difference in accuracy might only be one or two percent, which isn’t concerning to beginner cyclists. But if you’re an elite or professional-level rider, the accuracy of your power meter becomes much more important.
Everything you need to know about power meters
What is a power meter?
A power meter is a component that you fit to your bike (in one of a few specific available places) that measures the amount of power (in watts) that you are putting through the pedals to drive the bike forward.
It transmits the measured data to a third-party device (such as a bike computer or smartphone), where it is displayed for immediate viewing and captured for post-ride analysis.
This power data can then be used to inform your training sessions and highlight your progress over time. The book Training and Racing with a Power Meter, now in its third edition, is the definitive guide to using a power meter in cycling, and the first paragraph in the introduction under “How you can get started” says it best:
“A cyclist who wants to reach a new threshold of achievement, a power meter is an invaluable tool. It can help you uncover hidden areas of weakness that never would have come to light through the use of a heart rate monitor or simple cyclometer (bike computer). Capturing a second-by-second diary of your ride that you can later download and analyse, a power meter is a data goldmine.”
How do power meters work?
It all starts with strain gauges that measure flex within the components in which they are housed. Because the flex curve of the material is a known quantity, a brand can understand how much pressure it takes to cause that flex. Power meters measure watts, though, and watts are a measure of work over time. To get the other side of the equation, cadence is also measured. Those numbers are then combined to get a final output on your cycling computer.
If you are also looking for the nuts and bolts definition, it has to start with the understanding that “Power = Force x Speed.” A power meter is a device that measures both force and speed, then completes the equation and reports that to a bike computer in watts. In most cases, that means strain gauges and accelerometers taking measurements as you pedal.
What is the best type of power meter?
When shopping for a power meter, one of the considerations is where to locate it physically. All power meters will replace some other component on your bike, so you have to decide what makes sense for you. The first thing you will want to consider is how transportable you need it to be.
Suppose you need a highly portable power meter that will necessitate a pedal-based system. Pedals are easy to switch between bikes since you can take them off one and put them on the next without any issues. If you travel regularly and use other bikes, choose pedals. You will also want to select pedals if you have a few bikes that you switch between and want to use only a single power meter.
If you don’t need as much portability, consider choosing a system that fits in your car. This is also what you want to consider if you prefer pedals with a less common cleat system or want your power meter to be more protected than pedals. As you start to look at the crank instead, some options will measure a crank arm, some from the spindle, and some from the spider.
To determine the best location for the measurement in the crank, consider your need for an accurate left-right measurement as a starting point. If that’s important, you need something that has strain gauges physically able to take measurements from each leg. One, possibly both, of them will be in a crank arm, so make sure it has clearance with your frame. The other will be in the spider, so make sure you can get the chainrings you prefer. If you are okay with a virtual left and right measurement, that will open up your options to include only spider-based systems. You will still want to consider available chainrings, though, and all crank-based systems require bottom bracket compatibility consideration.
Although I’ve provided information to consider when choosing where to place a power meter, there’s no correct answer. There is no absolute best place to measure power from. Given that I travel a lot and change bikes frequently, I tend to spend a lot of time using power meter pedals when given the choice, though I prefer a spider-based system because they are very light and allow me to use different types of pedals.
How accurate should your power meter be?
As you start to decide what power meter makes sense for you, one of the first things on your mind is likely to be accuracy. From a consumer point of view, there is a lot of debate around the idea of accuracy vs repeatability in power meters. If you only have one power meter and use it in every situation, it must be repeatable, and accuracy is less critical. Despite that, most people also have a desire for objective accuracy.
From the manufacturer’s point of view, accuracy is a big selling point. Every brand claims its power meter is the most accurate on the market, emphasising the need for such accuracy. At the same time, there are different specifications regarding the promise of accuracy. Some options list +/- 1% accuracy, while others say 1.5% or 2% accuracy.
When I investigated those discrepancies, I found it was far less important than it initially seemed. Many power meter manufacturers have said that when it comes to that accuracy spec, it’s a bit of an estimate. When I had the chance to go even deeper with a cycling power meter engineer, they talked about how it’s very easy to put a strain gauge on a bench and find the accuracy. It’s also relatively simple to measure the accuracy of a cycling-specific power meter if you only consider direct force through the centre of the pedal. Unfortunately, that’s not how pedalling a bike works. There is a lot of force you put into the pedal that doesn’t directly translate into forward movement. Each brand handles this a little differently, which is why the stated percentage ends up being an estimate and less critical than it seems.
With that backstory in mind, I checked the power meters against each other. I rode with multiple power meters and looked for discrepancies. Given that I can’t test two power meters at the same time at the exact location, they will never be identical. Instead, I wanted to see that the peaks and valleys tracked and that the numbers were close. In my testing, I saw no difference between power meters with different stated accuracy numbers. That number might seem objective and essential, but that’s not what I found. As you shop, look for what makes sense for you. Everything here is accurate.
Should I choose a single or double sided power meter?
If you are worried about accuracy in your power meter, this is the better question. Power meters that only measure the output of a single leg will not be as accurate as power meters that measure power from both legs. The confusing part of this is that the specs might still show a +/-1% accuracy.
What’s happening is that humans are not machines, and your power measurement will not be perfectly even between legs. Single-sided power meters will take measurements from one side, then use software to estimate the other side. That would be perfect if both sides were even, but they aren’t. For me, the numbers show about a 2% strength advantage in my right leg. That means even if a power meter captures the measurement from my left leg perfectly, that number will not accurately represent the total power I can put out. Bottom line, a single-leg power meter will be repeatable but not accurate when compared with a dual-leg power meter. You will need to decide whether the lower price is worth the reduced accuracy when choosing between dual-leg and single-leg measurement options.
For many people, it will make sense to start with a single-leg power meter due to its lower price. If you are looking for the best budget power meter, it will be single-sided. If it’s all you have and use, you would likely never know the difference, so that won’t be an issue. Also, many of the single-leg systems are upgradeable at a later date if you decide you need more accuracy.
As you make this choice, there is one consideration to keep an eye on. When a brand claims to measure both right and left leg power, it does not necessarily mean the device is a true dual-leg power meter. It’s very obvious to understand that with a pedal, you either have a dual-leg system or a single-leg system. It’s less noticeable with a crank-based system.
If you choose a crank-based power meter, then often there are strain gauges measuring the combined power from your left and right legs. You could define that as a dual-leg measurement, but nothing is physically measuring how hard each leg is pushing. A system like that will be accurate for the whole number, but may not show leg imbalances as well. If knowing exactly what each leg is doing is essential to you, then choose a system that has separate strain gauges for each leg.
Can I use Zwift without a power meter?
This question arises in discussions about the best power meter, given that Zwift is a power-based system. Your avatar moves forward depending on how hard you push on the pedals, which results in a power measurement. For many people, this is the introduction to using power measurement on a bike, and if you are thinking about using Zwift, understanding the requirements is a good place to start.
The simple answer is that you do not need a power meter to ride on Zwift. You do need power measurement, though, and that means if you use a trainer without a power meter, you need one that has Zwift compatibility. Any Zwift-compatible trainer will have had the resistance curve mapped and, when combined with cadence and speed sensors, can take advantage of virtual power measurement. The result will be a relatively accurate power measurement tool, allowing you to ride in Zwift with just that. It’s also worth noting that any of the best smart trainers on our list will have power measurement built in.
How did we test the best power meters?
I tested every power meter here against at least one other on the same ride by connecting each power meter to a different bike computer. During the rides, I spent some time riding at a steady state, as in flat riding, some time climbing at higher power levels, and some time doing short bursts of power, as in an interval.
With that data, I then used software to compare the output of the multiple power meters against one another. Power losses in the drivetrain affect the reading of power meters, meaning no two will ever report the same number. However, by identifying inconsistencies, we were able to weed out inaccurate performers and settle on the list of accurate power meters shown above. The bare minimum for a power meter is reliable and precise data, so that was the starting place for every option here.
Alongside that process of establishing power data reliability, I also looked at the rest of the ownership experience. Things to consider include installation difficulty, battery life, battery type, and pricing. The options presented here offer a range of choices for different needs, but everything is a quality product that will provide the data you need from the best power meter for you.