Fenix 6 Pro + Polar H10 stand alone option

I have a Fenix 6 Pro and I am now looking for a chest HR strap to pair with it. I am looking at either Polar H10 or Garmin HRM Pro. The Polar is a lot cheaper now and is one of the best on the market. So I would prefer the Polar H10. My questions:

Does the H10 connect the same as a Garmin chest HR strap would? Meaning: will I still be able to do everything in the Garmin app or will I need the Polar app for some results?
I will use the 'stand alone' mode and wonder how that works with the Garmin app/compatibility. Does this work just like the Garmin HRM Pro would? Does the H10 send 'stand alone' results directly to the Garmin app?

Thanks for helping me out!

Top Replies

5135968 over 3 years ago in reply to EnormoDerClown +1

Generally Polar straps are considered the most accurate - certainly the H10 as this tends to be a strap used in scientific studies and is generally recommended by HRV app. authors for HRV accuracy.

IMHO…

All Replies

0 5135968 over 4 years ago

1) You dont need to use the Polar app at all apart from to update firmware. You connect as you would any other strap or external device to your Fenix 6.

2) However standalone mode only works in Polar Beat, you start and end sessions there, and the results stay in Polar. You may be able to combine the stored HR somehow with an activity but not natively.

0 Bram over 4 years ago in reply to 5135968

Thank you so much for the quick and clear reply. I think I will buy the Polar H10.

As for the standalone mode, I can connect the Polar app with Strava (just like I do with the Garmin app) and have all the activities together in Strava I guess.

0 mrscientist over 4 years ago

I use a Garmin HRM-TRI, Garmin HRM-SWIM, and Polar Verity Sense. This is how I use them

Garmin HRM-TRI for running/triathlon. This gives all the running dynamics which Polar cannot.

Garmin HRM-SWIM for lap swimming. This gives me HR in my Garmin swim activity which Polar cannot.

Polar Vertiy Sense for everything in store mode. I also use it while biking connected to my 530 as primary HR sensor.

I also use my Verity Sense during martial arts. It fits nicely on the inside of my upper arm and stays out of the way. I use it in store mode and connected to my Fenix so I can get HR during an activity while I'm not wearing my watch.

With the above uses, in Garmin I get HR all day and for all my activities, and in Polar I get HR for all of my activities.

0 5135968 over 4 years ago in reply to Bram

Yes to use standalone mode in Polar Beat select 'Save HR with sensor', start your activity (you can leave your phone at home), when you stop the activity the HR data is uploaded to Strava.

0 AlfredoCasaretto over 4 years ago

I have a Polar H7, and work perfectly well whit my fenix 6 pro

0 Bram over 4 years ago in reply to 5135968

How about the tests on the watch like HRV test and Lactate Threshold test? Can you do those with the Polar H10?

0 5135968 over 4 years ago in reply to Bram

Yes to both

0 EnormoDerClown over 3 years ago in reply to mrscientist

Can the fenix access the internal memory of the verity sense? Will it download (not directly receive!) all HR Data, just like with a garmin strap?

0 5135968 over 3 years ago in reply to EnormoDerClown

No - no 3rd party straps offer this.

If you want this functionality or close to, use the Polar Beat app.

0 aho7xmuc over 3 years ago

I have 3 straps:

- HRM Run
- Polar H10
- cheap SmartLab HRM

See details here: https://www-andrehotzler-de.translate.goog/de/blog/outdoor/106-garmin-fenix-welchen-brustgurt-zur-herzfrequenzmessung-soll-ich-mit-der-fenix-6x-benutzen.html?_x_tr_sl=de&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=de&_x_tr_pto=nui,elem

The Polar H10 bitches most of the time around, often he just falls out and you have to press the battery cover firmly, then gehts again. He is also only a little over 1 year old and since I use 3 chest straps, he was also not used so often.

The cheap SmartLab actually works best.

For me wills no Polar again, I would advise the HRM Run or better, also because you then have the run analysis.