Polar Verity Sense Announced
Finally an iteration over the Polar OH1
Today Polar announced the Verity Sense, available per Feb 17th. An optical arm strap heart rate sensor. There are a number of small improvements over de OH1, which was/is still a very reliable sensor. One thing that hasn’t changed is the embedded sensor itself. So you can expect the same reliability and accuracy there. You can put it anywhere on your body, as long as it’s gets a reasonably tight fit.
You can read my full Verity Sense Review here. But let’s make a quick list and elaborate on some of the new features and compare to the OH1.
- 12 ➡ 20 hrs battery
- 200 ➡ 600 hrs of data
- 80 yards ➡ 160 yards (150 meters) BT total range (great for teams)
- 100 feet ➡ 160 feet (50m) of water resistance
- Still supports ANT+
Then there are some other changes which aren’t ‘specs’. So the strap has changed too. It’s no longer a fixed strap, but you can open and close it, which makes it easier to put on in some scenarios. But the strap is als better against the flipping issue of the OH1. Where the sensor would flip over while wearing, likely when you’re in a long sleeve. The new strap has a bit of a flatter design that lowers the chance of this happening.
On top of the Bluetooth range increase (with the strap), you can also connect two bluetooth receivers. So you can see your heartrate on your cycling computer and tabled at the same time for example.
It can also track indoor pool swimming. It will measure your HR and will keep the distance you’ve swam. Just set the pool length in the app and you’re ready to go. In the box you’ll also find a clip to strap the sensor to your goggles.
Another improvement is in the ‘mode’ communication. Where the OH1 would only have a colour on the side to indicate what mode the sensor was in, the new Verity Sense has three icons on the back and will use the HR leds to show you with mode you’ve selected. A very useful feature.
In download mode the sensor will record your HR on the device itself, but it will still broadcast too.
Size XS-S or M-XXL
If you’re wondering what size you need to order, here’s a simple trick. Grab a piece of paper, size letter or A4. Try to wrap it around your arm using the short side, that is 8.5 inch (letter) or 21cm (A4). If you can easily wrap that, buy the S. If not, buy M-XXL if you are unsure, grap a measuring tape.
M-XXL: 8,6-13,3″ / 22-34 cm
XS-S: 5,9-8,6″ / 15-22 cm
In the box 
No space to put all the logos! 
The back with the icons for mode indication. 
Price & Availability
The Verity sense costs $89,95 and is available in pre-order on polar.com.
Do any of these external optical straps provide HRV? I suspect not?
HRM-Tri/Pro is really best solutions now with store/forward and real HRV data, honorable mention for TickrX
I’ve not been able to get HRV from Verity Sense. And it’s also not listed as a feature.