2 minute exam
The Polar Verity Sense is a heart rate monitor that lives on the upper arm rather than on the wrist or chest and promises to deliver real-time heart rate data throughout exercise which Polar says is within Pair it with a chest strap monitor for greater accuracy. This is Polar's second wristband monitor and shares many similarities with the first, the OH1 and OH1+, with the Sense using the same size optical sensor technology to deliver the data. It can still stream heart rate information to multiple devices, record sessions on the device itself, and has a dedicated swim mode with an improved swim clip now included to hold it securely in place when you're in the water.
(Image credit: Michael Sawh) The strap and base that hold it in place on your arm have also been improved and are designed so the sensor won't tip over while you're exercising, while still giving the base a bluetooth antenna pulse when communicating with other devices.
- Polar Verity Sense on Amazon for € 89.95
In terms of accuracy, it held up well on a heart rate monitor chest strap for a variety of workouts, including running, HIIT workouts, and indoor rowing workouts. It's a bit tricky to wear under long sleeves, as you'll need to start tracking before you move, so you'll feel more ready for indoor workouts and when the weather is more convenient for jerseys. Data can now be timed with the Polar's Flow app, which was not possible with OH1. With support for Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity, it also connected seamlessly to a Garmin watch and third-party fitness apps like Fiit and Apple Fitness Plus.
(Image credit: Michael Sawh) The Verity Sense is set to give up to twenty hours of battery life, which is up from twelve hours on the Polar OH1. That's roughly what we get by pairing it with other devices and using it on its own. Verity Sense as a whole is a strong performer in providing reliable heart rate from the arm and offers plenty of support for pairing it with a myriad of devices and apps. While the Wahoo Tickr Fit wristband monitor will give you more battery life, as a package, the Verity Sense seems like a more complete alternative.
Polar Verity Sense price and release date
The Polar Verity Sense is available to buy now in one model for $90 / $24 / AU$XNUMX. By comparison, Wahoo's Tickr Fit Cuff Monitor is $XNUMX / $XNUMX / $XNUMX, while the Scosche Rhythm XNUMX+ is $XNUMX. ninety-nine / €ninety-nine and ninety-nine / AU€one hundred and sixty-nine.
Polar Verity Sense design
- 30mm diameter
- Water resistant up to fifty meters
- Weighs 12g
The design of the Verity Sense is inspired by the sensor at the heart of Polar's first wristband monitor, the OH1. In truth, when viewed head-on, it is quite difficult to distinguish them from their tall, coin-sized stature. It is worth mentioning here that the Sense does not replace the OH1, which is still on sale. You still have a single physical button to turn the device on and off, but now there are a series of little icons that allow you to use that button to quickly switch between the three different modes. The first is to transmit data to another device via ANT+ or Bluetooth. You can do this on 3 devices simultaneously via Bluetooth and as many as you want via ANT+.
(Image credit: Michael Sawh) The next step is to save the heart rate-based workout to the device with 1MB of built-in storage, giving you room for XNUMX hours of training. The final perfect mode is swim, which lets you use the supplied swim clip that attaches to your swim goggles to monitor heart rate in the pool or open water. It has a waterproof rating that makes it safe up to fifty meters deep, which should make it suitable for most bathers. The sensor technology that produces the data is a six-led optical setup, which is exactly the same as the one displayed on the Polar OHXNUMX. While this is a similar sensor technology used in Polar watches, moving this technology to a larger area on the upper arm is considered a reduction in instruments (such as movement) that could interfere with the readings. , making it a better site for producing heart rhythm.
(Image credit: Michael Sawh) This sensor is held and held in place on a black base which, according to Polar, also acts as an antenna to increase Bluetooth range by 1 metres. This should make it easier to use with Bluetooth-enabled equipment a little further from your body. It's connected to a flexible canvas cuff that uses a Velcro strap to secure it in place. It feels like a quality upgrade over the OHXNUMX, and most importantly, it was comfortable to wear in our tests. It's also machine washable, which is a nice bonus—just make sure you remove the sensor before you throw it away with your sweaty gym gear. One small drawback with the design is that it would be nice if the Velcro strap was a bit larger to allow for a wider range of adjustment. It wasn't a problem in our time, but we could see the advantages of expanding this area of the belt.
Polar Verity Sense vs Garmin HRM Pro (Image credit: Michael Sawh) Another thing to consider here is that, unlike a chest strap monitor, you have to activate this sensor to start tracking. Trying to do this under a long-sleeved shirt means you may need to start tracking before other devices, and make sure you've pressed the button long enough to turn it off when you're done with your session.
To see if the Sense was up to the task, we tested it for a variety of workouts. We run regularly and at high intensity, using it for HIIT workouts at home and indoor rowing sessions. Current lockdown limitations meant we couldn't get in the pool with it to test its reliability in the water. For regular runs, we used it with a heart-rate monitor chest strap, comparing it to a Garmin HRM Pro chest strap and the Wahoo Tickr X. Overall, we found data from the Sense to be typically four to five bpm on average. and under two bpm for maximum heart rate readings.
Trail Running - Polar Verity Sense vs Garmin HRM Pro (Image credit: Michael Sawh) Where we really felt it was fighting, it worked well and that's when we quickly ramped up the intensity of interval-based running sessions. In these tests it was 1 to 1 bpm from a chest strap monitor and the graphs also show a very similar session history. Moving in and using it against a chest strap monitor and the Apple Watch Series XNUMX, which is one of the more reliable wrist sensors, we've used it for a number of HIIT workouts using the Fiit training app. The data showed that they matched the maximum and average heart rate readings. In our indoor rowing tests, it was typically XNUMX to XNUMX bpm on a Garmin HRM Pro chest belt monitor, which is the kind of headroom we could live with.
Run interval: Polar Verity Sense vs Garmin HRM Pro (Image credit: Michael Sawh) The larger reading differences on those regular runs make it seem like they were subtly related to having to install the sensor before the chest straps against which we put them. For the most part, however, it worked fine. It sure seems like a better fit for indoor use, but it also came when we tested it at high intensity outdoors, where so many optical sensors on the wrist can seriously fail. If you're using Sense with a third-party app like Strava or Nike + Run Club instead of the Polar apps, your data should generally sync up as long as you've properly connected the 2 platforms. Polar lets you beat data with its Flow app and the Beat app, which was not the case with the OH1, which was only compatible with its Beat app. However, outdoor sessions will be recorded as indoor workouts, unless you choose to stream data to another device, such as a compatible fitness watch or smartwatch.
Indoor Rowing - Polar Verity Sense vs Garmin HRM Pro (Image credit: Michael Sawh) Flow is still a bit clunky in places and its web app clearly feels better streamlined than its phone counterpart. While it's nice to see the Sense is supported. When it came to connectivity and syncing, we had a few issues getting started with syncing data with an Android phone and it was clearly easier to use with an iPhone.
Polar Verity Sense battery life
- 20 hours on a single charge
- Use a USB charging adapter
Polar doesn't detail the capacity of the battery packed into the Verity Sense, but says it should be nice to have twenty hours of training. That's more than the promised twelve hours on Polar's OH1+ wristband monitor. On the device, the LED lights on the back of the sensor will flash red slowly when there is about XNUMX% battery life left, and they will flash faster when there is about XNUMX% battery life left. from the battery. Polar will add a battery level indicator to the Flow app in a future software update.
(Image credit: Michael Sawh) Those twenty hours means that if you work an hour or so a day you can expect a few weeks of battery life before needing to recharge and that's about what we've found in our experience. . There's no terrible drop if you pair it with another device or use it on its own. When it's time to charge up, there's a USB dock identical to the one supplied with Polar's OH1 and OH1+ sensors that integrates the USB charging port into the dock. Again, it's small, which makes it nicer to plug into a laptop, but a bit more annoying for plugs. It's also easy to get lost, so Polar has surely decided to include a small bag to carry the sensor, charger and swim clip in one place. First update in the third month of the year two thousand twenty-one
Buy it if
You don't like chest strap monitors
The Verity Sense handles most activities well in terms of accuracy, making it a good alternative if you don't rely on the heart rate of a smart or fitness watch. Do you want something for training at home?
If you find wearing a chest strap uncomfortable and want something that can manage reliable data, the Sense is a good choice. You want to track your heart rate...