Polar H10 heart rate strap now shipping, works under water & syncs to GoPro

Written by Tyler Benedict Mar 15, 2017 10:19 a.m. ET

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Announced at CES as yet another way to get yet another metric onto your action footage, the new Polar H10 heart rate strap blends advanced tech with water resistance and the ability to sync with your GoPro.

The strap uses a soft material dotted with silicone to remain both comfortable and in place. The sensor adds extra anti-interference electrodes and a new algorithm to improve accuracy, and it’s housed in a waterproof (to 30m) casing. Like most Polar devices, it only syncs with Bluetooth, but that lets it pair with their GPS/sports watches and cycling computers as well as their smartphone app. It also has built in memory to store a single workout without being paired to a device, syncing the data afterward so you don’t need to carry a phone around with you.

The H10 retails for $89.95 and is available now. The GoPro functionality will come as an update in late Q1 and work with Hero4 and Hero5 models (and presumably future models as they’re released). Available with XS-S and M-XL strap sizes.

Polar.com

Tyler Benedict

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Tyler Benedict is the Founder of Bikerumor.com. He has been writing about the latest bikes, components, and cycling technology for almost two decades. Prior to that, Tyler launched and built multiple sports nutrition brands and consumer goods companies, mostly as an excuse to travel to killer riding locations throughout North America.

Based in North Carolina, Tyler loves family adventure travel and is always on the lookout for the next shiny new part to make his bikes faster and lighter.

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BLGMSTR

7 years ago

Maybe an important note to keep in mind.

Stating that it’s water waterproof for swimming, does not mean it works underwater.

Both BLE and ANT+ are nearly non-functional under water.
A headunit or watch must be aware of the HRM using a “memory” and sync the missing data afterwards once connection has been lost due to swimming and is re-connected once getting out. Same as the Garmin Swim/Tri HRM.

If they incorporated this, my best guess is it will be limited to a very small number of Polar devices and their own app only.
Just as Garmin’s Swim/Tri only works with very few Garmin devices (only the multisport enabled ones).

That new chest strap looks sweet tho
I love my TICKR X band, but it does tend to slip away during fitness and running once I go deep in breathing in combination with a jumping/up down motion

Russ

7 years ago

Reply to BLGMSTR

To clarify your points – the H10 (like the H7) also uses a 5Khz signal which can be picked up by, for example the V800 whilst swimming.

For those without a compatible wrist unit – currently the recording feature works via the app only – you use the app to tell the H10 to start recording, then also to retrieve the data after the session.

In their own promo video, they show someone in the locker room doing just that before going for a swim – so expect a bit of dead exercise time before/after which would need to be trimmed.

I own a v800 and the exact feature you describe (record whilst swimming and sync with V800 when it can – or at least the ability to trigger the recording from the wrist unit) would be a welcome feature, and is currently a surprising omission.

Michael

7 years ago

I’m assuming this means that this will talk with a Bluetooth Garmin device?

BLGMSTR

7 years ago

@Michael Garmin never had BLE sensor compatibility, however the newly released Fenix 5 series does give you that option.
But i guess that will only be the basic real time HR rate, nothing with the memory etc.