I don’t know how many of you use your heart rate as a training aid, but I used to monitor it on my runs and do even more now with my indoor cycling. Anyway, I’ve had at least 3 different HR straps from two different mfrs over the years plus the optical HRM on my Forerunner and none of them have worked very well, often suddenly jumping to an impossibly high number or dropping to a low one and staying there. It’s especially difficult in colder weather when there’s no perspiration to help a strap pick up a signal plus there’s more static interference from tech fabric layers. I contacted Garmin about this once and their “solution” was to “wear cotton shirts instead of synthetics”. Yeah, right!

Anyway, based on a dcrainmaker review, I decided to give the new POLAR Verity Sense Optical HRM a try and it is working out perfectly. Optical HRMs require a snug fit, and since this is intended to go on your upper (or lower) arm, it’s easy to have a good fit vs. tightening the wrist band on a Forerunner. And it’s loads more comfortable with its soft fabric feel than a chest strap. It’s also very easy to get on and off. Not the cheapest at about $90, but IMO worth it for how well it works.

I think that POLAR used to use a proprietary protocol to broadcast its data, but this one uses industry standards and not only supports the Garmin-compatible ANT+ protocol but also Bluetooth (specifically BLE) for connection with smartphones and other such devices. For me this means that the Fulgaz cycling app that runs on my Surface Pro tablet can connect and record the data, as well as the Edge biking computer for outdoor rides.

The Verity Sense is rechargeable and comes with a dongle that plugs into a Type A USB port on a desktop PC or any typical charging brick. There is also a Polar smartphone app that is used to check the device out, register it with the company, and install any firmware updates.

There are a couple other features that I doubt I’ll ever use but might be of interest to some. One is that it has some internal memory and can record HR data that can later be uploaded and analyzed by the app. This goes along with another – and I think unique – feature in that it can be used when swimming. It comes with a special clip that attaches to your swim goggle strap and takes the HR from your temple area. However, data transmission won’t work underwater, so it can’t broadcast it to your Forerunner or Fenix even though those devices also work for swimming. Instead, you have to upload the data after the fact to the app. Not ideal, although I think it can somehow sense your laps in a pool and break it down that way (I’m not likely to use this feature so didn’t bother to study it in detail).

This photo shows the strap, the HRM module (backside with its 6 LEDs), the charging dongle, and the mesh bag that comes with it. Missing is the swimming goggle clip that's still in the box.

Bottom line: This device is working better for me so far than any of the other HRMs that I have used. It appears to provide reliable and steady data, seems to be accurate based on what I know about my HR range and zones, and is also very comfortable to wear.