Polar H7 Vs H10: Which is Best?

The use of chest-strap heart rate monitors is rocketing exponentially. They can help you keep your ticker in check and ensure you don’t burn out, giving you a real-time snapshot of how your heart operates during an exercise.

Polar offers two top-tier and highly engineered chest-strap HR10 and HR7 for any heart rate tracking need. 

Both are equipped with Polar’s innovative and cutting-edge heart rate monitoring technology and shine in their specific use cases.

But which one can meet your requirements better?

Let’s go through our comprehensive guide to Polar H7 vs. H10 and make the best decision.

What is a Chest Strap Heart Rate Monitor?

A chest-strap HRM is an electrocardiogram-based heart rate tracking device that consists of a snap-on transmitter, a strap, and electrode pads housing the sensors. It detects your pulse rate electronically and transmits it to a compatible wrist-based wearable to display the value. 

Chest strap HRMs can be of great use for:

• Triathletes
• Runners
• climbers
• Skiers
• hikers
• Bike riders
• Weight-shedding participants
• Injury-rehabilitation patients and more

Benefits of Heart Rate Monitors

Heart rate tracking is the secret to getting fit – you would be hard pressed to find any metrics as closely related to your health as your heart rate. The lower your resting heart rate is, the fitter your cardiovascular system is which implies more efficient body functions. And the most convenient way to follow up on your heart rate is to put on a quality HRM.

While it’s not mandatory to monitor your heart rate every time you work out, it’s always advisable to put on an HRM to make the most of the activity session.

Let’s look into the benefits a heart rate monitor can offer:

• Get Constant Feedback: Putting on a quality HRM means you get notified of how your cardiovascular system responds to a workout session. Whether you trampoline in the backyard, hit trails for hours, or simply need to monitor your resting heart rate, an HRM can be your go-to option when it comes to getting object feedback on the exercise intensity.
• Workout Safely: With an HRM in place, you can comprehend whether you are pushing yourself enough to hit your target heart rate zone or there is room to exert your body a little more. HRMs no longer monitor your resting heart rate only – they can keep an eye on your cardiovascular and pulmonary system and a host of body stats – VO2 max, SpO2, sleep duration and quality tracking, distance covered, calorie burned, running dynamics and more. You can follow up on the heart rate zone you are exercising in, for how long you can sustain it without overexerting yourself, when you should take a pause and how much time your body needs to recover from a big bout of exercise. 
• Measure Your Workout Efforts: Constantly monitoring your heart rate with an HRM would give you a constant snap of workout efforts and probably motivate you to exercise even harder, to hit your fitness target faster and safely. 

Polar H7 vs. H10: What Are the Differences?

Polar H10 and H7 are Polar’s two chart-topping chest-strap HRMs continually knocking out other premium HRMs with bells and whistles. 

But Polar H7 vs. H10, which can offer you the best bang for the buck?

Here’s a rundown of the differences between these top-tier HRM models. 

Straps

Though both Polar H10 and Polar H7 operate based on ECG technology for top-notch precision, Polar H10 comes with a much more comfortable Polar Pro strap that sits snugly around your chest – thanks to its top-end textile strap, anti-slip silicone spots, and buckle system.

H10 comes with 50 additional rubber dots at the rear portion, making the strap clasp sweat better and fit more firmly around your chest. 

The H7 chest straps may feel a little uncomfortable and cannot sit snugly around the chest.

Accuracy

While regarding the accuracy, Polar H10 wins the race. Widely considered the gold standard in chest-strap heart rate trackers, H10 comes with the most accurate sensor in Polar’s history, featuring a more improved measuring algorithm, upgradeable software, and interference-preventive electrode pads.

Compatibility

Both Polar H7 and H10 can sync with a wide range of Bluetooth SMART-ready gym equipment, smartwatches, and third-party training apps that support HR services. However, the H10 version also supports the traditional ANT+ technology to offer more connectivity options. 

In addition, H7 and H10 feature 5kHz transmission and Bluetooth low-energy technology for extended battery life.

Besides Polar watches and third-party training apps, Polar H10 can connect to GoPro devices to help transport your HR data to the GoPro device and visualise your ECG diagram. However, you have to verify that your smartwatch is compatible with H10 – the older devices may not connect with H10.

With a polarpersonaltrainer.com account, you can hook up your H7 and H10 devices with the Polar Beat app and get the HR data automatically synced to it. 

Battery Life

Both H7 and H10 are equipped with removable CR2025 lithium-ion coin cell batteries. However, between charges, Polar H10’s battery life is about 2.1 times longer than Polar H7. H7 can run up to 200 hours before the device is juiced up. On the flip side, you can get your H10 run for approximately 400 hours, making it the go-to choice for ultra-long training sessions.

Water Resistance

Both Polar H10 and H7 feature a water-resistant rating of 3ATM, meaning that they can withstand pressures equivalent to a depth of around 30m. You can leverage the 5kHz transmission (GymLink technology) while performing water activities, but Bluetooth® wireless technology will not work underwater.

Internal Memory

The Polar H10 HRM comes with a built-in memory that is worth storing HR records of one activity session. The device can record heart rate readings once per second, and the activity session can have data for up to +30 hours – no need to connect your HHM with your smartphone while working out. On the flip side, H7 features no internal memory to store your HR data for later analysis, and you have to link it with the Polar Beat app to get the HR data afterward. 

Polar h7 vs h10: The Verdict

Polar H10 is a step up from the previous edition, Polar H7. It is a high-end HRM that offers superior functionalities over the counterpart for anyone striving to get into shape, and the best point is that it only costs $40 more. 

Despite the upgrades in the latest Polar H10, the H7 Polar H7 is easy-to-use and packs a punch that makes it the best option for beginners. So if you have just started out with a workout and need a quality heart rate monitor without breaking the bank, Polar H7 can be the go-to choice.