Polar H9 Heart Rate Monitor Review

     Back in February 2021 I got my first heart rate monitor that was compatible with Zwift. I had previously been using my dads Garmin heart rate monitor but it wasn't compatible with Zwift. I had to use our concept 2 rower as an Ant+ bridge. I used an app called RowedBiker to connect the rower, then that app connected to Zwift. It was a pain and I was starting to get more into Zwift racing. With the Zwift Racing League series heart rate monitors were required to use.

    After doing some research I found that the Polar H9 could go down pretty small which is what I needed. The Garmin ones always slipped down and I had to tie parts together to get it to fit properly. I got the size XXS which another kid that I knew had and he said it fit pretty well. I think that heart rate monitors are a very good training tool to have and they can be very useful, especially if you are someone who enjoys racing on Zwift, many races often require heart rate data as a way to verify that you are not cheating.

    The accuracy on this heart rate monitor is far more accurate than my Fitbit Charge 2 that had a built in optical sensor. The data wasn't consistent and it didn't pair to Zwift. Overall the Polar H9 is an amazing heart rate monitor. So far I have not had any issues with accuracy or pairing. It will pair to my garmin almost instantly along with Zwift. The Polar H9 can pair to one bluetooth device at a time but it can do unlimited connections through Ant+ which is what most bike computers connect to. I mainly use this for indoor rides but I will occasionally use it on an outdoor ride. Here is a data sample from one of my races recently.

    As you can see, the heart rate monitor performed as expected, as my power went up, so did my heart rate. The heart rate monitors costs $59.99 USD. I think that if you are looking for a heart rate monitor this is a great option, it is accurate, comfortable, and pretty affordable.