A hugely reliable heart rate monitor, the Polar H10 eschews tracking extras for accuracy and dependability, says expert run gear tester Kieran Alger.
A great option for pairing with the best rowing machines or exercise bikes, heart rate monitors can provide valuable insight into your performance and fitness levels. But, each HRM on the market comes with its own attractions and shortcomings. Fortunately, the Polar H10 has far more of the former than the latter. Here’s how it performed when I put it to the test.
Men’s Fitness verdict
While its performance in water can be erratic, for no-nonsense running tracking in comfort we think the Polar H10 is an excellent choice.- Best for accuracy
- Excellent battery life
- No tracking extras
- Not rechargeable
How we test heart rate monitors
We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. On this occasion, our expert running gear tester Kieran Alger was tasked with assessing a bunch of the top heart rate monitors on the market, during his regular cardio workouts. While testing each, Kieran made sure to assess all of the major qualities needed from a heart rate monitor: comfort, accuracy, connectivity, and water resistance.
Polar H10 design
When it comes to accuracy and reliability, the Polar H10 sets the standard for chest-strap heart rate monitors. If you’re after maximum reliability for your BPM training stats, this is the one to go for.
The Polar H10 weighs just 60 grams, including the strap. The sensor pod is small and slim and clips onto a nice, soft strap. The tracking pads and strap material offer a decent amount of flex and sit comfortably against the skin. The tracking part of the strap also moves with your body, minimising chafe risk and stopping it digging in.
A quick release clip makes it easy to put on and take off – there’s no fiddling with hooks and clasps like you’ll find on Garmin straps. Small silicone studs around the back section also help it stay in place whatever you’re throwing yourself into.
Polar H10 performance
This strap runs off a coin cell battery like the Garmin HRM-Pro Plus, so it’s not rechargeable. But you get 400 hours of training on a single battery. You can connect simultaneously to two Bluetooth devices and one ANT+ device. When we were testing the best heart rate monitors, connectivity was reliable with various watches from all brands, including Polar, Garmin and COROS, as well as iPhone apps and the Polar Beat training app.
Onboard storage is limited to one workout. So unlike some heart rate monitors that store multiple workouts between syncs with a watch or app, the H10 doesn’t work as well as a standalone device.
The H10 is waterproof to 30 metres, so it can be used in all kinds of wet conditions. However, accuracy in the water is not guaranteed, so it’s not the best option for swimming.
There are also no tracking extras with the Polar H10. If you want running form metrics, you might want to consider the Garmin HRM-Pro Plus. However, if you’re sticking to dry land, want accuracy, reliability and comfort and don’t care about bells and whistles like running dynamics, the Polar H10 represents good value.
What other heart rate monitors should I consider?
By now, you may have noticed that I’ve mentioned the Garmin HRM-Pro Plus a few times already, and with good reason. If you ask me, the Garmin is the overall best heart rate monitor on the market. It runs the Polar H10 very close indeed as far as accuracy goes, and arguably makes up for that with more available dynamic insights. Pair it with a Garmin smartwatch, and with those two devices you’ll be all set, no doubt.
Alternatively, the Polar Verity Sense is a good arm-mounted alternative. So, if you like the appeal of Polar’s accuracy-led technology, but don’t like chest mounts, this could be the one to go for. Sure, you won’t get the same accuracy as the Polar H10 as a result of that different orientation, but for an optical sensor it certainly stands out from the crowd.
The Myzone MZ-Switch, meanwhile, doesn’t make you choose. The first of its kind, this heart rate monitor can be strapped around either the chest or your arm, meaning you can wear it differently depending on the activity that you’re doing for either optimal comfort or optimal accuracy. Finally, if you want high accuracy levels but are really keen on having a device that’s rechargeable, consider the Wahoo TRACKR instead. It’s an improvement on its predecessor, the TICKR X, in pretty much every discernible way.
| Weight | 2.1oz (60g) |
| Strap | 22.8in-27.9in (58cm-71cm) / 26.3in-37.4in (67cm-95cm) |
| Battery | 3V lithium, 400 hours |
| Features | Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity / 6 strap colors |
| Water rating | WR30 |
