Sunday Runday
On this weekly column, Android Central Wearables Editor Michael Hicks talks in regards to the world of wearables, apps, and health tech associated to working and well being, in his quest to get quicker and fitter.
Final yr, I wrote about how I used to be carried out with coronary heart price monitor chest straps. Reduce to 2025, and I nonetheless don’t love all of them that a lot. However after testing the brand new Garmin HRM 200 towards the Polar H10 and COROS HRM throughout a number of runs, I am completely satisfied to confess that I used to be overly harsh on chest straps.
Garmin despatched me the HRM 200 with my Intuition 3, which I have been testing for months. Against this, I shoved Garmin’s chest strap right into a drawer and subconsciously suppressed its existence, ahem, forgot about it till this week.
The Garmin HRM 200, like every chest strap, cuts out the wrist-based optical intermediary and immediately reads your coronary heart’s electrical indicators for higher accuracy. It is water-proof, extremely inexpensive at $79, and lasts a few yr earlier than it is advisable to swap out the batteries.
Unsurprisingly, I discovered it uncomfortable. But it surely did outperform my Garmin Fenix 8‘s Elevate v5 optical sensor for accuracy, for the sticklers who want near-perfect knowledge. It is not standalone just like the Garmin HRM-Professional, however in any other case, chest strap followers ought to adore it.
I made a decision to check the Garmin HRM 200 and Polar H10 towards one another — and towards my COROS HRM armband that I a lot desire — and provides chest straps one other probability to impress me.
My easy beef with chest straps
Chest straps aren’t form to individuals with dadbods. The strap naturally digs into my pores and skin on the match essential to preserve a constant, non-slip connection.
I’ve misplaced sufficient weight up to now yr that that is much less of a problem than earlier than, however my actual grievance is how a chest strap retains me out of the “zone.” It hugs my chest with each breath, reminding me that my efficiency is being monitored and judged always, and making me self-conscious if my respiration price will get excessive.
However I acknowledge that my dislikes could not apply to you. I believe I am extra hypersensitive to tight clothes — like ties or skinny denims — than different individuals. Simply because I don’t love chest straps does not imply I can ignore them; it is my job to present them a good shake.
My extra basic Polar H10 concern was the way it produced bizarrely erratic outcomes throughout a number of runs in 2024, regardless of how effectively I adjusted the match or moist the contact sensors.
Ultimately, I found that my Polar H10 solely labored as supposed when linked to a smartwatch. I used to be utilizing the choice to trace exercises immediately within the Polar Beat app, and for no matter motive, the wonky phone-strap Bluetooth connection would sub in deflated readings at odd moments that badly skewed the outcomes.
As soon as I began syncing my Polar H10 to a watch, it grew to become a dependable management group for my accuracy exams. However I remained a bit suspicious that chest straps had been overhyped.
Now that I had two chest straps, I made a decision it was time to see simply how constant these units are, and if the accuracy hole is well worth the trade-offs.
My Garmin HRM 200 vs. Polar H10 vs. COROS HRM accuracy check
My solely solution to evaluate all three straps’ knowledge was to put on three smartwatches — Garmin Fenix 8, COROS PACE Professional, and Polar Vantage M3 — linked to every, with the Garmin HRM 200 and Polar H10 stacked atop each other on my chest and the COROS optical sensor on my arm.
Apart from being a goofy-looking setup, I might solely hope this shut chest strap proximity would not intrude with the outcomes.
My hour-long, high-aerobic run began off shaky, with COROS’ knowledge elevated by about 30 bpm, Garmin taking a minute to catch up, and Polar having one early, random dip. However every thing stabilized rapidly, and there have been no different points for the remaining 58 minutes.
The chart above reveals how all three units evaluate, whereas the chart under focuses on the 2 chest straps. All three straps measured a 168 bpm common.
Sometimes, wrist-based optical sensors fall 1–3 bpm quick in my exams, with a noticeable delay once I change my tempo or climb hills. The COROS HRM nonetheless reveals a little bit of that lag, but it surely’s minimal sufficient that solely probably the most fussy of runners would discover.
As for the 2 chest straps, they’re in near-lockstep for almost all of the run, which galvanized me!
The larger accuracy check, as at all times, was the monitor exercise. I foolishly ran it the subsequent morning once I was nonetheless drained, so I struggled to hit my common max-HR ranges. However I nonetheless bought nearly three miles of sprints, onerous working, jogging, and strolling, difficult my coronary heart price screens to comply with the fast modifications.
This time, there have been noticeable gaps between the three units. Each COROS and Polar lagged barely behind Garmin’s HR peaks and valleys as an alternative of the 2 chest straps leaving the armband behind.
That does not imply Garmin’s HRM 200 is extra correct, essentially. The Polar H10 could have been barely deprived, positioned beneath the HRM 200 so it wasn’t as near my coronary heart. And I do not know if Garmin’s spikier graph than Polar’s regular one means it was quicker at catching tiny HR fluctuations or was simply barely extra inconsistent.
(Notice: Ignore the Polar H10’s one awkward flat-line close to the tip; it is a identified concern the place Polar’s knowledge freezes on the final HR end result once you pause a exercise. I attempted to keep away from pausing, however like I mentioned, I used to be exhausted.)
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Finally, the Garmin HRM 200 and COROS HRM each confirmed a 174 bpm common and 188 bpm most, whereas the Polar H10 fell 1 bpm quick at 173 and 187, respectively. I am completely satisfied to chalk that as much as awkward chest placement, and it is a lot higher than how my H10 carried out up to now.
If I distinction that with each monitor exercise check I’ve carried out with health smartwatches, some wrist-based optical sensors are higher than others, however even the perfect will fall a number of beats per minute wanting the mark. I perceive why individuals depend on specialised HRM straps for the perfect knowledge.
I am sticking with my armband, however you do not have to
I am at all times completely satisfied to alter my opinion when confronted with new info. After per week of twin chest straps and carrying a number of watches directly, I can state what most individuals would contemplate apparent: chest straps’ knowledge is extra constant than I gave them credit score for.
However I am not budging on the opposite a part of my argument. Sure, the COROS HRM optical readings aren’t as instantly responsive and correct because the Garmin HRM 200 or Polar H10. However the hole is so minimal, and an armband vanishes from my consciousness after 5 minutes whereas a chest strap takes up psychological actual property your complete time.
Mainly, except you actually want the best-possible accuracy, I might level you in direction of a COROS HRM or Polar Verity Sense to enhance in your watch’s unreliable readings — and I hope Garmin considers an arm-based sensor of its personal.
In case you’re not as hypersensitive to tight units as I’m, the Garmin HRM 200 is a superb deal for Garmin watch house owners.
