As far as heart rate sensors are concerned, Polar offers a solid trio for any heart rate tracking need: Polar Verity Sense vs Polar H10 and Polar H9.
All three are equipped with Polar’s innovative heart rate tracking technology. All three use Bluetooth® and ANT+ to connect to a great variety of training devices, apps, and Polar sports watches. All three have specific use cases in which they really shine.
But how do you know which heart rate sensor is right for you?
Let’s start at the highest level. One important factor that differentiates Polar Verity Sense vs. Polar H10 and Polar H9 is that Polar H10 and H9 are worn on the chest with a chest strap, whereas Polar Verity Sense is an optical heart rate sensor that can be worn on your arm, clipped to your swimming goggles, or placed just about anywhere on your body where it can fit snugly against your skin.
While both chest strap and optical sensors measure your heart rate, they do it in different ways, using different technologies.
The chest strap measures the electrical activity of the heart, and it’s recognized as the most precise way to measure heart rate. The optical heart rate sensor measures changes in the size of blood vessels with the help of LED lights and a light detector – ultimately providing incredibly accurate heart rate readings effectively.
Another practical thing is that the electrodes on the chest strap need moisture to work, meaning that you must have some water handy to get the chest strap sensor to function. The optical heart rate sensor doesn’t need any moistening so you can start training quicker and easier.
It may sound boring, but if you want all the information quickly in one glance, check out the feature comparison table.
For now, let’s explore all sensors deeper with the help of some basic use cases:
Choose Polar VERITY SENSE if…
You WANT MAXIMUM FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT
Polar Verity Sense can be worn anywhere on your body – on your arm, clipped to your swimming goggles, or anywhere else where it can stay fitted snugly against your skin. Group fitness class about to start? Slip it on. Ready to track that grueling climb on your ride? Slip it on. Cold morning jog? You get the idea.
Evolved from the Polar OH1, Polar Verity Sense belongs to our new generation of optical heart rate sensors – designed for better usability with updated software and improved battery life, it equips you with a wider bluetooth range and bigger memory. Polar Verity Sense gives you up to 30 hours of training with incredible accuracy – so you can measure every move.
SWIMMING IS YOUR NUMBER ONE SPORT
The Polar Verity Sense comes with a handy swimming goggle strap clip so you can wear it comfortably against your temple when swimming.
The Polar Verity Sense has an internal memory that can store up to 600 hours of training data. Afterwards you can easily sync your data to the Polar Flow app.
wearing A chest strap feels uncomfortable
If you find wearing a chest strap cumbersome and you don’t want anything getting in the way of your training session, choose Polar Verity Sense.
Choose Polar H10 for…
ULTIMATE PRO LEVEL ACCURACY
Polar H10 is the most accurate heart rate sensor in Polar’s history and the choice of many pro athletes. Having said that, you don’t need to be a pro to want to enjoy pro-level heart rate tracking: the price range we’re talking about here doesn’t require breaking the bank.
Complete with the Polar Pro strap and its extra interference-preventing electrodes and slip-preventing silicone dots, Polar H10 gets you maximum precision for heart rate readings, capturing all the peaks and lows your sessions entail.
ULTRA-LONG SESSIONS
The battery on the Polar H10 lasts approximately 400 hours, so it’s easy to see that Polar H10 is your best choice for those ultra-long sessions.
Interval training
It’s hard to beat Polar H10 when it comes to extremely accurate heart rate measurements in a fast-paced situation, such as a hard interval training session. The Polar Pro strap ensures a secure fit and as little interference as possible.
Choose Polar H9 for…
GETTING STARTED WITH HEART RATE TRACKING
If you’re looking for a basic and affordable, yet high quality device to track your heart rate with, Polar H9 is an excellent choice.
AFFORDABLE PRICE, YET HIGHLY RELIABLE HEART RATE READINGS
Chest is the best place for tracking heart rate because chest strap gets the sensor as close to your heart as possible. Polar H9 comes with the Polar Soft strap that is easy to use and machine-washable.
MATCHING WITH POLAR FLOW AND OTHER FITNESS APPS
When you want to have one heart rate tracker that you can connect to your phone, but also to just about any Bluetooth® and ANT+ devices, Polar H9 is for you. Use it with Polar Flow or any other of your favorite fitness apps.
The Wrap-UP
There you have it – the basic differences between Polar Verity Sense vs Polar H10 and Polar H9 heart rate sensors.
Even though there are some distinctions, it’s good to keep in mind that all three sensors are versatile and work for lots of other use cases in addition to the ones listed here. The ultimate point of all three is to enable you to train smarter with heart rate.
If English is not your native language, you can check out the heart rate sensors page for more info in other languages.
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Please note that the information provided in the Polar Blog articles cannot replace individual advice from health professionals. Please consult your physician before starting a new fitness program.
