Polar H10 longevity

Equipment
90

I think the H10 is hands down the best HR strap you can buy in terms of industrial design, fit and finish. As long as you’re still using the original, factory installed battery, life is awesome.

I had an entire episode with my first H10. After replacing the original factory battery, I had all sorts of water intrusion issues. New batteries would only last about 4 weeks, etc. I got Polar to replace my original H10 under the warranty.

I did a ton of research on the topic, and the best answer I came across is that there are some shortcomings of the H10 battery cover design (more of a push/snap – apologies in advance mechanical engineer friends) versus a more conventional screw-on (I believe cam action is the term?) battery cover.

The battery cover design is the Achilles heel of the H10. Once you come to terms with that, life gets much better.

1 Like
91

I bet nobody ever thought to grease the gasket in there. I see the same thing with Stages. The gasket in there comes from Stages bone dry and Stages have notoriously had water intrusion issues. A little silicone grease probably increases the water resistance ten fold.

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92

The fact the user even needs to worry about things like greasing the o-ring or making sure it doesn’t get stretched out is tremendously silly. I hope Polar is working to re-engineer it.

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93

I think I found out something interesting tonight. I always disconnect my H10 but I got the low battery notification on my garmin despite it being disconnected. Flip it stud side up and the garmin loses the sensor so hopefully its off.

94

Tried he vaselin and it did not work. During the first 35min, it did not go over 90bpm, which is not possible. I hate that. I’d rather have no data than wrong data.
And HRV4training told me this morning (and the day before) that the signal was not good (HRV was the main reason I bought the H10). Before that is was always excellent.

I had a cheap HRM before that lasted for years, until the strap was completely destroyed. That’s not some new technology, I don’t understand why it is not working as expected.

70€ and less than one year.
I’m done with it.
Going back to Garmin, I think they also have good HRV recording.

And for google’s search engine (hopefully that can help other people make up their mind) :
“polar h10 review after a few months : not a reliable HRM, data is partially inaccurate”

1 Like
95

Ironically, after giving the advice to use vaseline, my own H10 started playing up. I have 2 sensors and they were both playing up the same way. So I swapped in my wife’s strap using my sensor and it is working fine again.

Therefore, I believe the vaseline trick absolutely works if you sweat profusely but ultimately, the strap will give up and need replacing. The drop outs look different between sweat related ones (very sharp drops to nothing, then quick recovery) vs strap worn out (random drops down and then slower recovery)

96

Because I wanted to apply for warranty for my h10 I stumbled on this thread again. My first h10 lasted 2.5 years, my second a few months, my third a few weeks.

They all seem to fail after my heat acclimatisation sessions during which I sweat profusely. Luckily I got my money back for number 2&3 and I ordered a 4th but this is starting to get annoying

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97

Maybe it’s the heat and not the sweat?

I posted above about putting some silicone grease on the gasket. I’m thinking that it will work wonders if sweat intrusion is the issue.

My H10 is going strong after 4 years - original strap as well.

98

I just turn off the fan, so it’s not very hot though the lack of cooling makes me sweat profusely. I tried putting grease on the gasket but that didn’t work or maybe it was too late already

1 Like
99

Today I got a new h10, which I used with my “old” (4 month) strap, it worked fine during the ride until I decided to sweat it out again. Then I decided to try the new strap (it’s black I prefer my orange one because I can never find black straps) and lo and behold it started working again :confused:

2 Likes
100

You are a strap killer!

My original black strap is 4 years old now. It goes wonky from time to time - like reads 50bpm no matter what I’m doing. I have to take it off the strap, let it power off and then reconnect it.

I see that new Polar straps are $35. They have red too.

Anyone ever try a non-Polar strap with their polar sensor? $13:

101

My H10 was going through a battery every 1-2 weeks. I reached out to Polar. They say to disconnect the pod from the strap, and offer some other trouble shooting.

Here is the full response in case it’s useful to others:

Sorry to hear about the problem you are experiencing with your H10 Sensor. Please make sure that you are using CR2025 battery and that the sensor and apps are up to date. If troubleshooting doesn’t help, further down you will find the service link to send in your H10 and chest strap to our Service Center to be inspected.

H10 User Manual | Batteries

It’s important to remove the sensor from the strap when storing it away. Leaving the sensor attached to the strap will cause the battery to deplete very quickly, since leaving it on the strap keeps the device running.

Please reset the H10 back to factory settings:

1. Remove the battery.
2. Press the metal snaps that attach to the strap with your fingers for at least 10 seconds.
3. Wait 30 seconds and then put the battery back in

After the reset you need to pair the sensor with your devices again.

** HOW CAN I PAIR H9/H10 HEART RATE SENSOR WITH MY POLAR DEVICE?*

If this issue continues, the problem may lie within the chest strap. It is recommended that you wash the unit with mild soap and water after every use. The salt that is found in perspiration, if not cleaned off the strap properly, can wear the electrodes in the strap over time.

** CARE INSTRUCTIONS FOR A HEART RATE SENSOR WITH TEXTILE STRAP*

If all troubleshooting has failed to help then it is recommended to send in your sensor (+strap) for evaluation. Polar devices have a two year warranty for manufacturing and electrical defects (Polar soft and Pro straps carry a six month warranty)

All warranty cases are handled at our NY service center.
To start the process, register the repair online at the link below (address is provided at the end of the registration).

Polar

Please include the following:
1. Repair ID number or registration page (include details about the problem and steps taken to resolve it, for example, change the battery, performed factory reset).
2. Send the complete product (watch, heart rate sensor, strap, cable, etc.) to ensure all is working properly.
3. Include a copy of your proof of purchase.
4. Please make sure all items, particularly heart rate straps, are washed and dry prior to shipping.

102

Did you used to leave the pod attached to the strap? My ritual is, after every use, to remove the pod, take off the strap and then rinse the strap in the shower.

My batteries last “forever” and my straps are good for about 2 years before the readings get flakey.

1 Like
103

Similar - take pod off every time. I’m not a heavy sweater so I rinse off the strap every few weeks or when I think about it. My strap is 4 years old now.

I wonder if one is a heavy sweater whether should rise it off more often?

1 Like
104

Yes, my first H10 was happy with the pod connected for the first few months of use. Battery stayed full, no issues. I’m not sure if it was after pairing it with my phone, but at some point the situation notably changed and the battery tanked. Then another. It seems the H10 was constantly transmitting a heartbeat that wasn’t there. I tested a second device but saw the same battery drainage. From that point would leave the pod disconnected between rides, and while it doesn’t seem ideal to pop it on and off 4-5 times a week, it does solve the battery issue. I also rinse the strap once or twice a week. I noticed a lot of the pro peloton using the Garmin, but from the reviews I’ve read people still seem to think of this as the best option so I’m rolling with it.

105

I’ve been using for the last 6 months with no issues after my original H10 strap fell apart (mainly from forgetting to wash it often enough)

106

I had this happen (high battery usage) and I would always take the pod off the band. I got a warranty replacement for this.
The replacement sometimes does this too, however the ‘factory settings’ procedure does help. I now do this every time I change batteries.

1 Like
107

never knew one could reset the H10. thanks for the heads up.

when I first got the H10, I left my pod on in between use until I washed the strap. I ride 5x a week so the strap is washed weekly. The battery lasted < 2 months!
I was shocked, until someone advised me to remove the pod.
Since then, I can easily get 4-6 months of out each battery (depending on how frequently I use it).

108

Thanks for the tip, I’ll try it again. I factory reset when I got the reply from Polar that I shared above, but I’ll give that another go.

There’s also unpairing from the phone and some settings about channel transmission (dual vs single, BT vs ANT) that I believe may have some effect as well.

I think what drains the battery is something to do with it constantly scanning or sending its availability for devices to pair, as well as staying connected to my computer and sending a phantom heart rate reading when the pod is on the strap but unworn.

109

I think my polar strap is finally on the way out. More and more I find it showing spurious readings - like 65bpm and not changing when I know I’m over 100.

Anyone ever buy aftermarket straps or should I just buy the genuine article?