Polar H7 Sensor chest strap

fitgal1980

Has anyone tried the new Polar H7 Sensor chest Strap? I am getting into Crossfit and my current chest strap will not stay in place. Wondering if I need a new strap or just need to tighten my current one. Suggestions?

MyFreakingNameIsScott

Fwiw, mine just arrived on Friday and it's been great. Running, bear crawls, stays in place just fine but it's only been a few days so the strap is fresh. As far as the H7 unit itself it's much thinner than I thought it was. Hadn't seen one, physically, before.

SwindonJogger

the sensor clips onto the belt so if you lift weights close to your body you may dislodge it on occasion.
The strap it self is really comfy.

Azdak

I have had mine for about 10 weeks. I like how it can interact with other devices and the data I get. However I have found that the longer I have it, the more difficult it is to get a consistent response. I have used the Polar soft straps for years now and like to think I am pretty proficient at wetting them and adjusting them so that they work properly.

However, every workout now I go through the first 5-10 min where I get erractic readings--from frequent spikes to total dropouts. I am washing it, tightening it, wetting it, and nothing seems to work. This morning I finally threw the strap into the washing machine. I'll find out in about 15 min if that worked.

kenyainez

It's pretty good. I've done HIIT as well as lift with it and it stays on pretty snug; just be sure to adjust it well to fit your chest.

CricketClover

Azdak wrote: »

I have had mine for about 10 weeks. I like how it can interact with other devices and the data I get. However I have found that the longer I have it, the more difficult it is to get a consistent response. I have used the Polar soft straps for years now and like to think I am pretty proficient at wetting them and adjusting them so that they work properly.

However, every workout now I go through the first 5-10 min where I get erractic readings--from frequent spikes to total dropouts. I am washing it, tightening it, wetting it, and nothing seems to work. This morning I finally threw the strap into the washing machine. I'll find out in about 15 min if that worked.

I have had trouble with mine the past couple times, I couldn't get it connect at all to my A300 or to the Polar Beat app. Very frustrating! I gave it a good scrubbin last night, as I normally just rinse it, eww I know, so hopefully it will work today.

OP, other than that, I have loved it. I don't like that if I connect it to Polar Beat so I have the HR data with GPS data available and also connect it to my A300 so I can see my HR on my arm as I go during the same session it gives me two separate sessions, with different calorie burns too! Also, as I lose weight, I have to readjust the strap a lot or it won't fit correctly and sometimes won't give a reading because of it.

PiperGirl08

I love it. I use it with a Polar M400 watch. Previously I had a Garmin strap, but this one is way more comfortable. I have not had any issues with it so far.

Upstate_Dunadan

I have an H7 chest strap that I sync with an M400, and an A360 watch.

The chest strap is fine for cardio type activity and some weight lifting. I stopped wearing mine to CrossFit after a while because it doesn't play well with a lot of common exercises - burpees, cleans, snatches, tire flips, to name a few. I found with most types of ground to OH movements, since keeping the bar close to your body is important, the bar would catch on the HR monitor and either partially or completely pop off. With burpees the issue is obvious. After a while I just got tired of dealing with it in the middle of a WOD. The A360 is better, but not as accurate, and the clasp pops open when doing movements that flex the wrist suddenly.

To be honest, I wear my A360 half the time just for the fun of it, but I rely on TDEE to calculate my eating goals, so even if my burns were 100% accurate (which they are not, even with a strap) it wouldn't change anything I do. That's just me of course. If it helps you get into the gym then they are invaluable.