Polar H9 Heart Rate Sensor

The strap sucks. If you have no lats, maybe it won't slide down your body as you run. But for those of us with big lats, you have to modify this thing. You can either modify the strap, or buy the $40 Polar Pro chest strap (you’ll have to replace any strap you get probably every 6-12 months so keep that in mind). I haven't tried the outrageously-priced Polar Pro but it's the only one on the market that has grips all the way around the strap, not just in the front. The chest strap can be easily modified as follows: Buy one of the "zig zag silicone grip wave bands" you can find online, and sew it (or use fabric glue or something) to the inside of your Polar chest strap and it actually stays in place while running! Just make sure you get the strap customized to your underchest first, and give yourself some space for the inevitable long-term loosening of the strap (you might need to tighten it gradually over time). Without the extra grip, you have to find the perfect balance through much trial and error between too tight and too loose. Too tight, and it creates a little cavity where the electrodes are between the strap and your chest (so it gives you terrible readings, if any). Too loose, and it falls down to your waist. I also found that using a small dab of electrode gel on each of the two electrodes on the back side of the chest strap (enough to cover just the two circles on the strap where the strap touches your chest) makes a huge difference in getting a consistent, accurate, read. Don't use water, it just doesn't work nearly as well. I love the Polar Beat app it comes with! It was the best free app I could find for Android for a heart rate monitor. I'm sure there are probably better paid ones out there but I didn't try any of them so can't attest. The Polar Beat app gives you a graph at the end of your workout that shows your heart rate over time, and tells you how many minutes and seconds you spent in each of the 5 heart rate zones (50%-60% of max heart rate = zone 1; 90-100% = zone 5). It has certain modes that track your GPS location for accurate maps of your runs/rides and the app will tell you every mile when running how long your mile took, your pace, and average heart rate. I've never used it for a bike ride. It also tracks calories very well and whenever it doesn't get an accurate read, it does a pretty good job "guessing" (better than the old Polar Watch I have). If I start my workout on the Polar app first, THEN start the workout on my Polar watch, it will let me use both to track my workouts which is great. That way I can leave my phone in my gym bag while running around the track, and use the watch instead to track % of max heart rate. It's also nice when using my phone for anything else while I'm doing a HIIT circuit or on the exercise bike, that way I can just look at my watch to see my stats. I don't have a smart watch so can't comment on how it works with that. I think you might need to get the latest and greatest to pair it to two or more smart devices at once. But this one works perfectly for one smart device and one dumb device.

I've only owned this for about 2 months now, with about 3 - 4 hours of intense sweat contact per week. But my impressions so far it's better than Garmin HRM Dual that lasted around 1.5 year with similar use pattern. The Garmin had noticeable corrosion on metal contacts, the metal buttons on strap was separating, would drop connections frequently towards end of life, and the ultimate failure points around screws on plastic unit seemed to be a silly design flaw. Unless the Garmin was a case of planned obsolescence, in which case kudos to that Garmin engineering team, it was an inferior product compared to the Polar. The Garmin failed because the thin plastic pieces beneath the tiny screw heads cracked and crumbled away so back cover could not hold battery in place. Seal was broken and the internals corroded to failure. All those weak points on the Garmin seem to be addressed on the Polar. In addition, the Polar actually pairs better with my Garmin products more quickly, consistently, and easily without having to wet the strap when I first put it on. Polar strap is a little narrower but for me its more comfortable because of softer elastic fabric. Minor downsides, the Polar strap loop and hook is not as robust and easy to use and narrower strap sometimes gets a little bunched up.

I went ahead and got this based on the reviews I saw and beside it was on sale. It wasn’t worth the $50 I spent on it. I’ve used for a couple of months now and at first it gave me a more accurate calorie burn and heart rate trend than my watch, and I was happy to have it to compare to. Suddenly, it’s not giving me heart rate or calorie count because it keeps disconnecting. I have tried all the of the recommendations to fix it and it hasn’t done anything. Love that it happens outside of the return window by just a little over a month. Don’t waste your money, spend a little extra for a better brand. I’m just going to call it a sunk cost and get a Garmin.

I had tried to find an acceptable solution to monitor my heart rate while using my home elliptical machine. My prior Polar strap connected well to my Precor elliptical and to equipment @ 24 Hr Fitness. Then the heart monitor function on my Precor became erratic and unreliable-although the machine still performed other functions like raising and lowering. I tried various forms of fitness trackers-and off brand Bluetooth straps-that supposedly connect to multiple fitness apps, but ended up returning them all. I have used Polar equipment in the past when I used to run-but found the strap watch combo marginal in reliable performance. I am happy to report that this device worked perfectly-with the Polar Express fitness app-right out of the box-it connected immediately on my Android devices. I used the app function itself to make the connection-it was immediate, smooth and reliable. I use the most simple of the many functions available on this app-and get a great amount of summary information at the end of my workout. I can recommend this Strap/App for the heart rate monitor function unequivocally-I would be very optimistic about its other/myriad functionalities. The app is the performance key-the strap is the connection key.

I use a heart rate monitor primarily for indoor and outdoor bike training so it must be reliable with consistent monitoring, durable through very sweaty sessions and comfortable enough to wear for long periods. Background This purchase was triggered because I was fed up with a competing brand's heart rate monitor which I've been using since 2019. That brand's data had been inconsistent over time, often dropping to 0, as well as needing 3 replacements from the manufacturer. I decided to switch to a different manufacturer and after much research decided to try the Polar H9. I didn't need the advanced features of the H10. I just needed it to pair with Zwift and my bicycle computer and be consistent. The setup The product was packed nicely and had minimal instructions. There was no real setup. I wet the strap contact points slightly, plugged in the monitor to the strap, adjusted the length and it was seen by Zwift immediately. Performance As of this review, I have been using it around 4 times a week for the past 3 months and the data has been very consistent. I will continue to review it as the competing brand was good at first and then degraded over time. The strap has been comfortable and easy enough to adjust. The monitor itself has had no issues with connectivity or water intrusion over this time. The only negative which is why I gave it 4 stars is that as you can see in the photos, where the strap meets the metal strap adjuster it is already starting to wear and you can see the elastic edge is wearing prematurely. I hand wash the strap with water and air dry it after every session so it is not from long-term salt exposure. I am concerned I will need to replace the strap once a year at this rate which can get expensive. Positives + Seems well made + Data has been solid over 3 months + Comfortable and easy to adjust + Water resistance seems to be consistent with claims + Easy to pair Negatives - Premature wear at the buckle point in the strap. Some fraying is noticeable at the edges. The elastic seems to be wearing prematurely even with consistent washing.

Picked this up for biking and it’s been rock solid. Connects instantly to Peloton and my Garmin bike computer—no fighting, no dropouts, just works. It’s comfortable to wear, accurate, and doesn’t chew through batteries. Big win there. Best part: the sensor pops off the strap easily so you can actually wash the strap after a few rides… which is necessary unless you enjoy “funkified” gear. Also managed to run it through the FSA, so now Kim has one too. I already knew she had a heart—this just confirms mine exists as well. Solid product from a brand you can trust.

My 13 year-old FT4 monitor was losing beats and quitting before the workout was over, so I sought to replace the H1 sensor that came with it rather than buy a new watch. It didn't surprise me that these were no longer supported. But the H9 is totally backward-compatible, no pairing required, just snap it on and get to work. Kudos to Polar.

I've been using Polar HR monitors for over two decades now. I was using my polar FT7 to track my workouts until recently when I was gifted a Garmin watch. The old polar HR monitor doesn't have ANT+ so decided to purchase a Garmin Duo to go along with my watch it believing that the same brand would work best. What a mistake that was! The Duo was highly unreliable, kept dropping connection, etc. I sent it back and purchased this H9 sensor instead. Voila! It paired instantly with my Garmin and I've had no problems whatsoever! It's also compatible with the Polar chest bands I already have, so I'll always have extras on hand. What more could I ask for? Quality product, highly recommended!

Sehr genaue Messwerte und eine zuverlässige Verbindung mit verschiedenen Apps und Geräten. Die Einrichtung ist unkompliziert und der Brustgurt sitzt angenehm, auch bei längeren Trainingseinheiten. Lange Batterielaufzeit sowie problemlose Kompatibilität mit Bluetooth und ANT+.

Does it’s job. Simple setup and straightforward to use . Have been using for more than a month and has worked flawlessly. Mainly used while cycling and a few times for brisk walks. Heart rate readings are consistent without drop outs

Ho comprato l'H9 poiché costa meno dell'H10 e per quello che ci devo fare va più che bene. Provato sul campo, funziona alla grandissima. L'ho usato per registrare l'andamento cardiaco in vari test, diversi tra loro: dal classico yoyo test, quindi corsa, a test per atleti di arti marziali (taekwondo). Funziona benissimo. Le funzionalità che ha in più il fratello maggiore (H10) a mio avviso sono inutili per il 99% delle persone che utilizzano amatorialmente questo tipo di prodotto o comunque non sono in grado di capirle e leggerle a dovere. Le rilevazioni dell'H9 sono fantastiche, oltre che la precisione di rilevamento, con le app giuste si può avere traccia persino dell'HRV. Questo giusto per sottolineare la potenza del dispositivo, ma ancora una volta, se non sapete che cosa sia o come si legga, non ha nemmeno senso usarlo. L'unico punto che un atleta o preparatore potrebbe davvero indirizzare l'acquisto di un H9 o H10, è la memoria interna. Ci sono sport o momenti in cui il collegamento con il cellulare o la possibilità di utilizzare uno smartwatch adatto non è fattibile e lì entra in gioco la memoria interna. Se nel vostro sport non vi muovete molto nello spazio o sé portarvi dietro il telefono è sempre possibile, l'H9 ha il 100% di validità per voi. Se invece avete lo smartphone non è possibile o difficoltoso e/o se il collegamento rischia di interrompersi, allora l'H10 è più indicato. Penso in particolare a sport come il nuoto, per cui l'acqua può fare da schermo al telefono (magari però avete uno smartwatch e il problema non si pone). Oppure anche all'arrampicata sportiva, dove avere il telefono non è sempre possibile o banalmente l' altezza e/o la roccia che fa da schermo inficia il collegamento. Personalmente facendo anche arrampicata sportiva su roccia (non boulder) mi sono trovato a dover restituire l'H9, proprio perché il collegamento su interrompe spesso e non possiedo uno smartwatch. Ne avessi avuto uno lo avrei tenuto senza alcun dubbio. Per tutto il resto, taekwondo, pesi, corsa, telefono+H9 funziona alla grandissima (e si capisce dopo pochissimo tempo quanto il plus dell'H10 sia veramente superfluo a chiunque). La fascia dell'H9 è molto buona, non scivola, facile da far aderire e aggiustare. La chiusura è diversa dalla fascia pro, ma è (s)comoda allo stesso modo. Sinceramente tutta questa differenza non la vedo, anzi.. Ricapitolando, se vuoi un cardiofrequenzimetro ottimo e non hai particolari esigenze sulla funzionalità, l'H9 è perfetto e ti fa risparmiare 20-30€. Se invece per qualsiasi motivo ti ritrovi ad allenarti senza la possibilità di portare il telefono \smartwatch o se devi nuotare, allora l'H10 è l'unica opzione, poichè può registrare un allenamento. ps in tutto questo sono convinto che l'H9 non sia altro che un H10 con limitazioni via software.

Bardzo dokładny i szybki pomiar, wiarygodny odczyt. W kwestii liczników/komputerków kolarskich polecam zastosować protokół transmisji ANT+ a nie bluetooth by uniknąć problemów ze zrywaniem połączenia (większość liczników przy parowaniu wyświetli urządzenie Polar pod ANT plus jako ciąg cyfr zaś w przypadku bluetooth będzie to najczęściej nazwa+cyfry)

Buen sensor. Preciso y confiable.