Polar H10 Heart Rate Monitor – ANT + , Bluetooth – Waterproof HR Sensor with Chest Strap – Built-in memory, Software updates – Works with Fitness apps, Cycling computers, Sports and Smart watches

The media could not be loaded.  §1. I motivi della scelta.Viaggio molto per lavoro, per cui sovente svolgo le mie sedute di allenamento cardiovascolare in palestre, in cui non ho mai messo piede prima. Col mio vecchio sensore cardiaco avevo frequentemente problemi a connettermi alle diverse attrezzature (spin bike, ellittiche, stepper, tapis roulant, total body trainer, ecc.), che incontravo di volta in volta, le quali, essendo di epoche e/o marchi differenti, impiegavano modalità di trasmissione alquanto variegate. Per questo motivo ho deciso di acquistare un sensore Polar, optando per il modello di punta. Nel corso degli anni mi sono reso conto che l’azienda finlandese, che da sempre occupa una posizione verticistica in questo settore, produce apparecchi estremamente precisi ed affidabili, che hanno anche l’ulteriore pregio della compatibilità con molte attrezzature da palestra; numerosi produttori di macchinari, infatti, li equipaggiano con dispositivi elettronici, che utilizzano gli stessi protocolli di trasmissione wireless impiegati da Polar, vista l’enorme diffusione dei suoi prodotti, in primis dei suoi cardiofrequenzimetri. La scelta è caduta sul modello “H10” per una serie di ragioni, prima tra le quali la disponibilità di ben 3 diverse modalità connettive: “Bluetooth LE”, “ANT+” e “GymLink a 5 kHz”. In pratica, è veramente difficile trovare un’attrezzatura da palestra, uno sportwatch, uno smartwatch o un’app (personalmente l’ho sperimentato con “Strava”, “Traininpeaks”, “Nike+”, “Myfitnesspal”, “Endomondo” e “Relive”), che non sia in grado di ricevere il segnale inviato da questo rilevatore, dato che esso, per impostazione predefinita (modificabile tramite l’app “Polar Beat”), viene trasmesso contemporaneamente nei 3 differenti modi predetti. Questo gli permette di connettersi simultaneamente, non solo a dispositivi che sfruttano protocolli di trasmissione diversi, ma addirittura a 2 apparecchi, che utilizzano entrambi il Bluetooth (ad es., uno sportwatch Polar ed un bike computer o un’attrezzatura da palestra; oppure, un’app per il fitness ed un’attrezzatura da palestra; ecc.). Va, inoltre, evidenziato che la trasmissione “GymLink a 5 kHz” consente di monitorare la frequenza cardiaca anche in acqua, infatti l’H10 vanta delle particolari caratteristiche costruttive, che lo rendono adatto anche al nuoto. Nello specifico, è impermeabile fino a 30 m ed è in grado di funzionare con temperature ricomprese tra -10°C e +50 °C.Si tratta, insomma, di un sensore di frequenza cardiaca della massima efficienza, la quale è dovuta anche alle ampie possibilità di personalizzazione, ottenibili tramite l’app “Polar Beat” (l’app “Polar Flow” consente, invece, solo alcune di esse), la quale, oltre a garantire il costante aggiornamento del software del dispositivo, permette di ottimizzarne il funzionamento in base alle specifiche esigenze personali. Ad esempio, per incrementare le 400 ore di autonomia della batteria (che è una pila a bottone “CR 2025”), delle 3 modalità di trasmissione del segnale disponibili, è possibile disattivare quelle non occorrenti. Quest’applicazione, inoltre, consente, addirittura, di svolgere un allenamento, semplicemente indossando il sensore, senza portare al seguito il dispositivo, a cui esso invia i dati (la c.d. modalità “Stand Alone”). L’H10, infatti, dispone di una memoria interna, per cui basterà avviare la sessione di allenamento nell’app “Polar Beat” del proprio smartphone, che poi potrà essere tranquillamente lasciato a casa; al termine della seduta, con pochi e semplici passaggi, i dati raccolti dal sensore potranno essere trasferiti all’applicazione.§2. L’unboxing e l’utilizzo.L’apparecchio viene recapitato in una scatola di cartoncino, opportunamente sigillata. Al suo interno, oltre al sensore munito di batteria, troviamo la fascia toracica “Polar Pro”, la guida introduttiva e la nota informativa afferente alle avvertenze, all’assistenza e alla garanzia. Manca il manuale d’uso, che, alquanto esiguo in virtù del semplice ed intuitivo utilizzo del dispositivo, è, comunque, disponibile sul sito del produttore, dove sono, inoltre, fruibili numerosi contenuti multimediali estremamente utili. L’etichettatura, abbastanza chiara, risulta esauriente. Tra i vari loghi presenti, che l’economia della presente trattazione non mi consente di analizzare singolarmente, compare la marcatura “CE”, la quale rassicura il consumatore circa il rispetto di tutte le normative vigenti all’interno della Comunità Europea, che disciplinano la produzione e l’immissione sul mercato dell’oggetto.Fuori dall’imballaggio, sia il trasmettitore che la fascia toracica rispondono fedelmente ai contenuti di carattere testuale e fotografico della pagina Amazon, dove vengono illustrati in maniera talmente organica e puntuale, che sembra di averli tra le mani. Sebbene abbiano una composizione quasi integralmente polimerica, non emettono i classici cattivi odori legati alla lavorazione di queste sostanze sintetiche. Osservandoli attentamente, emerge il loro design raffinato e una certa cura nella lavorazione, testimoniata dalla totale assenza di difetti; non c’è nemmeno l’ombra di bave, bolle, graffi, opacità, sbaffi di colore od altre imperfezioni; l’assemblaggio dei vari componenti risulta, inoltre, inappuntabile, come dimostrano il loro corretto allineamento e la mancanza di giochi o di traballamenti.Prendendo in mano il sensore, la prima cosa che colpisce è il netto contrasto tra la sua esiguità ponderale (pesa appena 21 g) e la sua solidità costruttiva, che, come ho avuto ampiamente modo di appurare, lo rende totalmente insensibile agli urti, ai graffi, al sudore ed, in generale, al logorio. Apprezzabili doti di resistenza che per buona parte condivide con la fascia toracica, la quale nel mio caso è color turchese ed ha una lunghezza, che può esser agevolmente regolata, per mezzo di uno scorrevole metallico, tra i 65 cm e i 93 cm (la taglia da me scelta è la “M-XXL”). Godendo di una buona elasticità e flessibilità e pesando circa 39 g, che con i 21 g del trasmettitore diventano 60 g, può essere indossata per molte ore senza generare fastidio alcuno; ci si dimentica, infatti, di averla intorno al torace. Si mette e si toglie facilmente, grazie alla robusta fibbia polimerica di sicurezza che la equipaggia, la quale, in concorso con i punti antiscivolo interni in silicone, assicura una fermezza, che non viene minimamente intaccata nemmeno dai movimenti più energici. Questa stabilità è alla base dell’alta affidabilità del sensore, che ho registrato nel corso dei miei allenamenti, la quale, tuttavia, oltre che alle eccelse doti tecniche dello strumento, dev’essere ascritta anche alle soluzioni realizzative adottate su questa fascia. Rispetto alla versione base (la Polar “Soft Strap”), qui la zona gommata preposta al rilevamento dei segnali elettrici del cuore è più estesa, per cui non solo l’aderenza al torace è migliore, ma vi è anche un numero maggiore di elettrodi, che, sulla scorta di quanto dichiarato dal fabbricante, dovrebbero essere di qualità superiore rispetto agli altri modelli.A distanza di diversi mesi dall’acquisto, mi ritengo molto soddisfatto della scelta fatta. Grazie alla disponibilità di un mio amico cardiologo, ho avuto modo di saggiare la precisione del mio H10, ponendolo a confronto con un’apparecchiatura medica, con la quale è risultato perfettamente in linea. Non ho, inoltre, registrato né problemi di rilevazione, né di connettività, né tanto meno interferenze; totalmente assente qualsiasi forma di reazione allergica.La pulizia sia del trasmettitore che della fascia toracica è estremamente semplice, visto che entrambi possono essere sciacquati sotto il rubinetto con l’eventuale impiego di sapone neutro; la fascia può addirittura essere lavata in lavatrice alla temperatura massima di 40°C, assieme a capi aventi una tinta simile. Rispettando questo protocollo manutentivo, che include anche l’asciugatura del sensore con un panno morbido e quella della fascia all’aria aperta, evitando l’esposizione solare diretta, sinora entrambi gli elementi hanno conservato le loro caratteristiche tecniche ed estetiche originarie; in particolare, la fascia, che è la più “delicata” tra i due, ha mantenuto inalterate le dimensioni, l’intensità cromatica, la tessitura e l’elasticità.§3. Le considerazioni finali.In conclusione, ritengo che l’attuale prezzo di 86,98 euro, benché non proprio contenuto, sia giustificato dall’avanzato ed elevato livello tecnologico e strutturale di questo dispositivo, del quale vanno ribadite le doti di precisione e di resistenza strutturale, che, tuttavia, come abbiamo avuto ampiamente modo di vedere nelle righe che precedono, non rappresentano il suo unico pregio. L’importo in parola deve, infatti, considerarsi equo e concorrenziale anche in virtù del fatto che il marchio di cui stiamo parlando è sinonimo di qualità ed affidabilità, che la sperimentazione sinora svolta ha ampiamente confortato; gode, inoltre, di una rete di assistenza facilmente rintracciabile grazie alla sua fittezza.

Liked it but had to send it back. Edit: I changed my review to a four star. Took off one star only because of the app not being that great. I will leave my initial review below only for reference so anyone that thinks they have noted the same will understand that it is not a specific problem with the H10 but more an issue with how the H10 and other HRM, including Garmin communicate with your watch or Garmin Connect if you use that. Turns out this is how these HRM work, at least with Garmin watches. If you put it on and connect it to your Garmin watch, you will only see your rate from the HRM after you have started an activity. This gets confusing but this is what Garmin says: “The HRM will only connect to the watch while actively recording an activity. If you are wearing the watch and not recording an activity, the watch will still be the primary activity tracker.” What this means is that you can have the HRM strap on and pair/connect it via ANT+, but when you leave that sensor pairing setting the watch will disconnect from the HRM strap and the heart rate you see anywhere on the watch will be from the wrist sensor only. THEN, if you start an activity, the strap will override the wrist and you will get the heart rate from the strap as long as the activity is still going. As soon as you end the activity, the watch goes back to using the wrist sensor heart rate. This is true only for the watch, however as if you are wearing the strap with no activity in progress, the heartrate that is synced with Garmin connect is the HRM strap, (I think). I tested this by turning off the wrist sensor while wearing the strap. I then had dashed lines in the heart rate field on my watch so no display of HR on the watch even though I was wearing the sensor. But I still got a heart rate synced to the Garmin Connect app – so that had to be coming from the strap. As soon as I start an activity, however I get a brief message that the watch and the HRM strap have connected and a heart rate starts to display on the watch, even with the wrist sensor off. I told you it was confusing and maybe a bit involved for a review but maybe the information will help someone else considering using this Polar H10 with a Garmin watch.Bottom line is that the H10 was working as well as it could and working as well as the Garmin HRO Pro Plus I replaced it with. They just do not work as well and intuitively as they should. If you are wearing and HRM Strap paired with your watch, I think that any and all heart rates displayed on the watch should come from the strap as that is much more accurate than the wrist sensor. But that does not happen. You will only see the heart rate from the strap when you are in an activity and in the records on Garmin Connect and I believe also in the Polar app. When I replaced the H10 with the Garmin HRM Pro and it was the same, I went into it in depth, testing all possible uses and the above is what I found.INITIAL REVIEW:I liked the design of the H10. Also, the strap was VERY comfortable which is good as with many others, the strap is a big complaint. The issue with this H10 was that (I thought) it would not stay connected and transmitting either in ANT+ or Bluetooth. I started out using it with a Forerunner 255S watch. It would pair and connect just fine but within seconds of leaving the pairing/settings screen and returning to the main screen or a running activity screen, the HR would drop off the display. Go back into settings and it was showing disconnected in the list of devices. But just selecting the H10 in the list would prompt it to immediately reconnect. I then tried it with the Polar App on my Samsung S22 Ultra via Bluetooth and it worked fine, staying connected and displaying an accurate HR.So, I thought maybe it was an issue with the Garmin FR 255S. I tried two other different model watches however, and it was exactly the same, it would not stay connected. After much troubleshooting online and with phone support, I had to send it back.I will try the Garmin HRM Pro Plus which is on sale here on Amazon right now. Hopefully I will have better luck staying in the Garmin universe since my watches are Garmins. Having seen a couple of older Garmin HRMs and reading reviews, I know some complain about the straps being less comfortable than the H10. We shall see. I have to say the strap on the H10 was great! If the H10 will connect and stay connected for you I think you will love it! But the whole reason for a HRM is to have consistent heart rate monitoring and recording and the H10 was not doing that. (Again, this is what I thought but I was wrong as all the straps do this where they only connect when running an activity.) Hopefully using a Garmin HRM with the Garmin watches will work. And, hopefully the Garmin strap will be OK.

Super accurate HR Sensor Strap. I went looking and while others were really good choices too; when it comes to accuracy Polar heart rate sensors and straps are highly rated across the board, compatible with pretty much everything, and are durable.I was particularly impressed with the in-depth research and testing they do with their equipment, neutral comparisons that they make with other comparable HR sensors as well as certified medical heart rate monitoring.I started leaning toward the Polar H10 , which are the 5th generation of Polar’s Heart Rate tech, which started in 1977.According to Polar’s testing against medical-grade heart rate equipment and other heart rate sensors – the ECG H10 sensor detects HR within 2 ms accuracy at 92.9% for running, 99.3% for cycling, 95.3% for weight training, 95.6% for all activities combined.Amazing accuracy, and very much as good or better than the informal tests I have done of previous HR sensors and straps that I have had – my tests being comparing them to other equipment as well as manually using the old tried and true ‘two fingers on the neck or wrist and a watch’ method. This sensor IS quite wide and extends across a large part of the strap, this entire section is the HR sensor area.The H10 can do two Bluetooth conenctions, with ANT+ both will connect to multiple ANT+ channels and there is a proprietary GymLink connection also – which connects to some fitness devices.The H10 can be used with any device underwater.The H10 has an internal memory that can save one training session on its own and can be accessed with one of the Polar apps like Polar’s Beat app.The H10 works with pretty much everything and anything that we use for fitness nowadays. Anything that receives Bluetooth (Bluetooth 4.0 and Bluetooth BLE) or ANT+ and the Gymlink 5 kHz signals. It will output Bluetooth and ANT+ at the same time and even two Bluetooth devices at the same time.This of course includes watches by nearly all manufacturers as well as nearly all bike computers (not including non-smart old-style bike speedometers/odometers without ANT+ and Bluetooth), and any smartphone. This list is extensive.The HR sensor is not rechargeable but uses the common 2025 battery, Polar says that it lasts 400 hours. One thing you may want to do to extend battery life (recommended by Polar themselves and individuals who have used it over time) is to pop up one of the sensor pod’s connectors out of the strap so that it goes to sleep, I have tested it many hours after I have stopped an activity and taken off the chest strap, and sometimes it still is transmitting. So this is something to keep in mind.The battery is easy to change, via what looks at first glance to be a quarter-turn battery hatch that you turn with a coin to open but it actually is quite different, as it snaps open with a little tab. The battery door is of course sealed with an o-ring and everything seems very tight and secure.The total weight with the strap is 60 grams with the sensor pod itself being 12 grams by itself.The soft strap is very easy to put on, wet it with a little water so the sensor can get good contact with your chest skin (you can wait for a little sweat to do it for you but then the sensor may not read well until that happens). You position the sensor monitor pod itself in the front of your chest, which puts the long wide sensor strap in a very good position all across your chest. This sensor area is quite extensively wide to give you that nice accuracy.You could even position this fairly inaccurately and it may still probably work – whether you positioned it by accident or deliberately as perhaps the strap does not fit you well for whatever reason. Some people do have problems with chest straps for many reasons, so I think those who do might find this works better than other chest straps with smaller sensor areas. It even works if you get it too low or too high on your chest, within a reasonable range.There are little rubbery dots on the strap itself to keep it in place. Does this actually make it work better? I don’t know, but it seems like a great idea. I have never had one move on me so I can’t say whether this makes any difference to me personally, but perhaps to others who have issues with HR chest straps staying in place, it might be just the thing to help.The latch snaps into place easily with one end snapping directly into the other end, to take it off you push a button on the latch and it disengages easily. The button is slightly recessed so you never accidentally pop it off (at least I have not as yet) and also won’t get squeezed even by a tight jersey or compression shirt.The strap is very adjustable, with a conventional adjustable loop system to tighten or loosen it. There are two size options for the strap when you order – XS/S and M/XXL. The smaller one covers chests 20-30 inches (58-71 cm) in diameter while the larger one goes from 30-45 inches (67-95 cm).While riding or running or lifting or anything else I can’t even feel it unless I consciously make myself aware of it.The Polar H10 sensor monitor is easily cleaned with a little dish soap and water, and a quick wipe to dry it. The soft strap is also very easy to clean with soap and water, or you can put it in a washer – though I recommend using a small washer bag to keep it from snarling and getting bent around other things, and maybe air-dry it instead of using a dryer Make sure you take the sensor off first of course.The soft strap now comes in not only the standard black but a burgundy with a design on it.The H10 is fully waterproof and can be used underwater for swimming and other things, up to 30 meters deep.And you don’t need your watch or phone with you for swimming or anything else, at least for one session as the internal memory can store one workout. To set this up you use the Polar Beat app so you do have to connect it to your phone first, set it up and then you can use the strap without the phone present or nearby. When you are finished you reconnect and download the sensor data to the Polar Beat app, which can upload it to a few other sites or allow a download.The Polar Beat app also can be used to keep the firmware updated, check battery power, etc. And there are a number of workouts and such that you can use it for. The Polar Beat app can also estimate your Vo2 Max, you find this in the app under Upgrades (not sure why – as it’s a free option) and then under Fitness Test. It estimated mine at 49, somewhat above what other fitness services estimates mine at but very close.Also, the Polar Flow app is another app with training and syncing to other services.And of course any other device you sync it to will have it’s own abilities when connected to the Polar H10.You can even test your HRV (Heart Rate Variability), which is a good test of your health and recovery.You could use this as a 24-hour monitor with the right app, I suppose, but the H10 is really meant for exercise. But if you wanted to test your HR and HRV over an extended period of time you could. I think it would be comfortable sleeping, depending on the person, but it’s not really made for that and it’s possible that the sensor area might dry out over such a long period of inactivity.Lastly, I was going to include some comparison charts between the H10 and other HR monitors that I have but, outside of a few dropouts by optical heart rate sensors because of arm movement – which is to be expected, they all performed within pretty much identically. I had to really go data point by data point comparisons to see much difference.So in conclusion I would very highly recommend the Polar H10 – you are not going to be disappointed in accuracy, comfort, usability, connectivity, and compatibility.UPDATE Spring 2023 – For the last few months the output has become increasingly erratic with low heart rate readings. I have tried to wash the strap as much as I could and added extra moisture to the sensor pads, and even electrode gel. Both things seemed to help for a while, yet the strap became more and more intermittent over time, despite washing and using the electrode gel. It had to be thoroughly washed in the washing machine after each use for it to have any chance of working halfway decent. Once I started biking outside a few times it went in the opposite direction and started sometimes showing super-high HR readings.I was going to send it back to Polar for warranty but it seemed obvious that it was the strap and not the sensor itself, and instead of paying the shipping cost to send it back for warranty I decided to just buy a cheap replacement strap.That did the trick and it works perfectly and reliably again. The replacement maybe isn’t as nice as Polar’s but the important thing is that it works, I will see what the durability is for it.

The Polar H10 Heart Rate Monitor has proven to be a top-notch fitness companion, offering precision and performance like no other. As a fitness enthusiast who values accurate heart rate tracking, this waterproof HR sensor with a chest strap has surpassed my expectations and has become an essential part of my workout routine.The first thing that impressed me was the H10’s accuracy in monitoring my heart rate. The chest strap design ensures that the readings are incredibly precise, providing real-time data during various physical activities. Whether I’m running, cycling, or engaging in high-intensity workouts, the Polar H10 keeps me informed about my heart rate zones, enabling me to optimize my training efforts effectively.The Polar H10’s compatibility with multiple devices and fitness apps is a game-changer. It seamlessly connects to my fitness apps, cycling computers, and smartwatches via ANT+ and Bluetooth, allowing for versatile data tracking and analysis. The built-in memory also ensures that I can record heart rate data during my workouts, even when I’m not connected to a device.The durability and waterproof design of the Polar H10 provide peace of mind during intense workouts and outdoor activities. It can withstand sweat, rain, and even swimming sessions, making it a reliable companion in any weather conditions.The chest strap is comfortable and adjustable, ensuring a secure fit during workouts without causing any discomfort or irritation. The soft textile material is gentle on the skin, and the strap stays in place, even during vigorous movements.The Polar H10’s software updates have added even more value to the product. It’s reassuring to know that Polar continues to improve the device and add new features, keeping it up-to-date with the latest advancements in fitness tracking technology.While the Polar H10 is primarily a heart rate monitor, I would have appreciated the inclusion of additional fitness tracking features, such as step counting or sleep monitoring. However, I understand that its primary focus is heart rate accuracy, and it excels in that regard.In conclusion, the Polar H10 Heart Rate Monitor is a top-of-the-line fitness tool that delivers precision and performance for athletes and fitness enthusiasts. Its accurate heart rate tracking, wide compatibility, and durable design make it a fantastic investment for anyone serious about monitoring their fitness progress. If you’re looking for a reliable and feature-rich heart rate monitor, I highly recommend the Polar H10. It has become an indispensable part of my fitness journey, and I’m confident it will elevate your workouts as well!

Mostly reliable, chafed my chest, sometimes goes haywire, much better than Garmin wrist heartrate. I was relying on my Garmin Forerunner 955 for heartrate and it was so inaccurate that I decided to try a chest heart rate monitor. Immediately the Polar H10 changed the data and I was able to use heart rate in my training and I no longer got huge fake heart rate spikes at the start of every run, like I did with the 955 wrist based heart rate. The strap has chaffed my chest though, and now I wear a piece of medical tape under the front of the strap to protect me from the chafing which got so bad that it was bleeding. A couple of times the Polar H10 went completely haywire and gave me wildly inaccurate readings. I think this is because it needs some moisture between the strap and my skin, for it to work, it can be very dry here in the high desert where i run. I had some difficulty getting my watch to detect it ay first, until I downloaded the app which seems to be necessary to connect it the first time, kind of annoying as I have no use for the app and have not used it since. Overall it is a major improvement compared to my advanced and pricey Garmin 955 which is supposed to have one of the best wrist based heart rate monitors, so I guess wrist based heart rate monitors are close to worthless at best. I would recommend this but beware of the strap chafing you.