Polar H9 heart rate monitor review: Simple and reliable heart rate chest strap

Not everyone needs a heart rate monitor that has all the bells and whistles, most riders are just looking for a simple and affordable method of heart rate tracking while riding. That doesn’t mean there should be any sacrifice in reliability, as the cost of having to replace cheap but temperamental heart rate monitors can quickly become a false economy.

In our best heart rate monitor guide, we awarded the Polar H10 the top spot; however, for many riders who simply want an easy and accurate way to track their heart rate, it's more than they need. Enter Polar’s H9, which has many of the great features and reliability of the top-spec model but sacrifices some functionality to bring the price down.

Design and specifications

Polar H9 features the same processor chip as the H10 and uses ECG (Electrocardiogram) technology to read heart rate. Compared to optical heart rate monitors found on smartwatches, ECG is much more accurate as it records the electrical signals in the heart. It can be connected to your head unit, turbo trainer or phone using either Bluetooth LE or ANT+ 2.1 to broadcast your data. You can only connect to a single device at a time, unlike the H10, which can be connected to two Bluetooth devices.

A simple and easily attainable CR2025 coin-shaped battery powers the H9, and Polar quotes battery life as 400 hours. The battery is sealed behind a press-fit door, and the H9 pod has a WR30 water resistance rating.

The strap itself uses a little hook for fastening that’s simple to adjust. Unlike the H10, it doesn’t feature any additional silicon dots to help keep it in place. To help customers get a better fit, Polar sells the H9 in two different strap lengths for different chest sizes: XS-S for chest measurements between 52-73mm and M-XXL between 65-107mm.

The H9 pod fits the chest mount using two poppers in the middle of the strap and can be easily disconnected when it's time to chuck the strap in the washing machine for a wash.

Performance

I like to record my stats while riding to keep track of how things are going or looking back at performance, but I am definitely not a big data geek. As long as it connects to my GPS computer and consistently tracks my data while riding, then that's all I am really interested in. Pairing the Polar H9 has been simple and fast with any of my devices (Garmin 1030 Plus, Garmin Enduro 2 watch, and Wahoo Bolt V2), and once paired, it has always been ready to go when I start riding, requiring no additional steps beyond wetting the strap and putting it on.

The last thing I want is a heart rate strap that requires fiddling with to get working, having to rummage down the front of my jersey during a ride is frankly infuriating. I have had no such issue with the Polar H9, and data recording has been consistent with no dropouts, unusual spikes or anomalies.

It would be nice to have some LEDs to give some indication of what the H9 is doing, but as it has worked without any issue during testing, I haven’t missed them.

Despite not being a particularly sweaty person, I have still managed to eventually kill every heart rate monitor I have used within a year. I ride outside in all weathers, so although I am not generating a lot of moisture, it’s not uncommon for me to get soaked by rain on a ride. The last year of riding has been no different, and the H9 has handled every soaking without any issue.

The strap hasn’t caused any irritation or rubbing either, and I haven’t had any issues with the strap slipping. I even used the H9 for a 27-hour ride, and it was comfortable throughout, requiring zero adjustment for the entire time.

Battery life is difficult to quantify, but based on my estimations, the battery included with the Polar H9 provided roughly 300 hours of use. Although given it's a device that you can’t turn off and automatically connects to my devices, I’m never going to get an accurate number. That said, I ride a lot, and the battery life is long enough that I can’t remember when I last changed the battery, so no complaints.

Verdict

If you don’t need advanced features like multi-device Bluetooth connection or device-free activity storage, then the H9 is a more affordable option without sacrificing any reliability. There are more affordable heart rate monitors around; however, throughout my testing, the H9 hasn't faltered, sending uninterrupted heart rate data to my ride-recording devices. The strap is comfortable on long rides, and the battery lasts a decent amount of time too.