Introducing the Polar Verity Sense

When it comes to tracking your fitness, there’s no doubt that a heart rate monitor has become an important piece of technology. There are plenty of watches that now offer this sensor (such as my trusty Polar Vantage M), but if you wanted to add a HR sensor to your existing kit, you were limited to a chest strap – that is, until the Polar Verity Sense was released last month.

In many ways, the Polar Verity Sense is just like your optical HR sensor-equipped watch, without the watch part of it. This means it can be integrated into your workout gear however you need it to be. As far as connectivity goes, it can do it via Bluetooth (say, over to your phone) or via ANT+, which a lot of cardio equipment can communicate with. In other words, you should be able to get it connected to whatever you need.

As you can see from the photos in this article, the Polar Verity Sense has a stretchy band with which you can slide it onto your arm. What if you’re a swimmer? Well, there’s a small clip it comes with that allows you to mount the sensor onto your goggles right at the temple, tracking your swim. And, past that, you can really clip the device on anywhere, so long as it’s against your skin, so it can adapt to whatever activity you’re involved in.

In terms of usage, the Polar Verity Sense is claiming an 8 hour battery life, which should get you through a good number of workouts between charges. If for some reason you can’t sync the data off of the sensor in a timely fashion, it should be able to store 600 hours worth of training data before the memory is filled, so no worries about training data loss there.

For me, I like the all-in-one that something like the Vantage M gives me, but I could easily see the Polar Verity Sense being a nice add-on to your workout, whether you’ve got another training watch (without a sensor) or simply don’t like wearing a watch while you workout. Whatever your use case, it’s available now for $89.95 directly from polar.com.

Details from Polar

COMFORT: Verity Sense keeps the wrist free for freedom of movement. It can be slipped around the arm, clipped on swimming goggles, or placed anywhere snugly and firmly against the skin under tight-fitting clothing. It is the ideal companion for those who simply need something more compact or cannot use a chest strap or wrist-based device for their favourite sport or activity.

CONVENIENCE: Verity Sense is easy to use, with the press of only one button. No moistening, no lifting your shirt.
CONNECTIVITY: Regardless of device, Verity Sense pairs easily through Dual Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity. Follow heart rate in real time on a connected device or app, or transfer recorded session data for a deep dive afterwards.
VARIETY: Verity Sense suits countless sports, enabling every day to elite athletes to track how their body is working while training, from dancing and martial arts to swimming, boxing and everything in between.

SWIMMER’S BEST COMPANION: With the swimming goggle strap clip against the temple, Polar Verity Sense tracks heart rate, distance, and pace – automatically in the pool.
NEWEST PRODUCT FAMILY MEMBER: Verity Sense is an evolution from the Polar OH1 and H10 heart rate sensors:
8-hour longer battery life on a single charge (20 hours of training)