Polar H10 is still the chest strap reviewers check other heart-rate trackers against

At a glance

Best for: two Bluetooth links at once or a stored session.

Skip it if: you need neither; two reviewers found the cheaper H9 just as accurate.

Reviewers agree: a new strap ships with extra links off; switch them on in Polar's app.

They split on: comfort; Harris-Fry never had it slip, but Esther Bell reported chafing under a sports bra.

Price: €99.90 on Polar's global store, checked 31 October 2026.

When reviewers need a heart-rate reference, they keep reaching for the Polar H10. Ray Maker's very long-term DC Rainmaker review (December 2021) drew on five years of accuracy data against dozens of devices and found it accurate, reliable and consistent, with a slow first minute before sweat takes over as the main caveat. Coach's Nick Harris-Fry, in a February 2023 review after several years with two H10 straps, also uses it to check optical monitors, which read pulse with light, and Michael Sawh's September 2024 test for Trusted Reviews, billed as long-term, called the data excellent, including on interval work and high-intensity interval training (HIIT).[1] [2] [3]

The lab numbers point the same way. In a paper accepted in January 2026, Victor Chung and colleagues had 26 adults wear an H10 and a wired Lead II electrocardiogram (ECG) together. Heart-rate readings correlated above r = 0.99 (a correlation coefficient, where higher means closer agreement), both averaged and moment to moment, and the authors called it a valid, low-cost alternative to traditional ECG setups. Volunteers sat for five-minute video clips, so for harder efforts Maker's interval, Zwift and lifting comparisons are the closer guide.[4] [1]

Connectivity is where owners sound happiest. Sawh paired his H10 with a Garmin Forerunner 965, Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Suunto Race, then used it with Strava, Zwift, a connected rower and indoor bike, and reports no concerning issues. Maker lists the options: ANT+ for unlimited receivers, Bluetooth for two at once and 5 kHz analogue for older gym machines. He and Harris-Fry both say to switch the extra links on in Polar's app, as a new strap ships with them off.[3] [1] [2]

Comfort reports run warm. Harris-Fry never had it slip or rub on long runs, and Sawh found the dotted strap secure through running, cycling, rowing and strength sessions. The HRVTrinity blogger calls it comfortable and highly accurate after two years, rotating three straps through a weekly wash, though nearly two years of around-the-clock wear brought a mild skin reaction, so it now comes out only for longer heart-rate variability (HRV) sessions. Esther Bell's 2022 Reviewed test is the exception, with chafing under a sports bra after about an hour of sweaty exercise that she thought balm might prevent.[2] [3] [5] [6]

Polar quotes up to 400 hours from the H10's CR2025 coin cell. Harris-Fry changed his after six to eight months, roughly 250 hours by his estimate, and the HRVTrinity blogger reports six months to a year of workout use. The strap relays readings to a watch, phone or gym machine, holds one workout in memory, and costs €99.90 on Polar's global store (checked 31 October 2026). Maker and Harris-Fry both found the cheaper H9 just as accurate, so choose the H10 for two Bluetooth links at once or a stored session, and the H9 for the rest.[7] [2] [6] [3] [1]