Polar H10 Question

[novacyclist]

Anyone that uses the Polar H10 HRM strap get a battery reading (from the Polar app) of 100% even though it is clear it's not even close to being 100%? I've had the original battery for months (maybe 3/4 months?) and I'm starting to get inconsistencies. But when I connect it to the app it says 100%. Any thoughts?

[herb5998]

Been using an H10 after years of Wahoo warranty replacements. Just replaced my battery after over a year of use, to include indoor training with it.

[novacyclist]

Yes, I agree. Came from Wahoo but my question is very specific.

[caneye]

Do you remove the H10 pod from the strap after each use?
That should give you longer than the 3-4 months battery life.

I don't pay particular attention to the absolute percentage of battery capacity. Not sure how accurate it is.

Have you checked the app after a few mins of use?
I won't be surprised if it displays 100% in the beginning, then drop off to 50% or less very quickly.

Usually I'll just keep using it until the signal is intermittent (in my case, between 6-8mths), check the App (just to be sure) then swop the battery.

[djg21]

Originally Posted by novacyclist

Anyone that uses the Polar H10 HRM strap get a battery reading (from the Polar app) of 100% even though it is clear it's not even close to being 100%? I've had the original battery for months (maybe 3/4 months?) and I'm starting to get inconsistencies. But when I connect it to the app it says 100%. Any thoughts?

I change the battery when I get a warning on my Garmin Edge that the battery is low. I have two straps that I alternate and rinse well after every use while showering. I take the sensor off the strap after every use. I rarely have to change the battery. I also regularly connect to both my Garmin Edge and my PC (Zwift and Trainer Road) simultaneously. What are you using for to receive and display your HR? Bluetooth or Ant+?

[novacyclist]

Originally Posted by caneye

Do you remove the H10 pod from the strap after each use?
That should give you longer than the 3-4 months battery life.

I don't pay particular attention to the absolute percentage of battery capacity. Not sure how accurate it is.

Have you checked the app after a few mins of use?
I won't be surprised if it displays 100% in the beginning, then drop off to 50% or less very quickly.

Usually I'll just keep using it until the signal is intermittent (in my case, between 6-8mths), check the App (just to be sure) then swop the battery.

Thank you. I think the statement above (in bold) is what I was looking for. I never give it time to settle in.

Just to clarify, I'm not necessarily saying the battery is low and I took take the pod off. I just want to check what the status is. I have it hooked up to my Wahoo and I believe it gives a battery low signal but I'm not there yet.

Thanks everyone!

[deluz]

One problem I have with my H10 when using my Garmin 130 Plus is I get a constant low battery warning when connected by Bluetooth. I don't get it when connected by ANT+. I think is a bug in the Garmin as I also get the same thing with cadence sensor. Recently I did get low battery alert connected by ANT+ so I changed the battery and it went away. I measured the battery with a DVM and it read 3.0V so it still seemed good, but it seems these batteries need to be measured under load to get a true reading of their state.

[novacyclist]

Has anyone noticed an issue when riding in cold weather? I had a ride yesterday that started in the high 30s F and rose throughout the ride. My H10 was unreliable for the first 50 minutes or so. It's anywhere from losing connection or inaccurate heart rate in the low range (like less than 50 bpm).

I can only think of 2 things. The device has issues w/ it being cold or (somewhat related) my skin dries it quickly when it's cold and dry and it takes long for the sweat to accumulate.

Thoughts?

[fourflys]

well, pretty sure cold weather will affect a weak battery.. you could have gotten a less than perfect battery when new. also could be conduction from dry skin I suppose.. I think the easiest thing is to replace the batteries (I assume they're coin cells?) and then move to a conductive gel..

[rothwem]

Originally Posted by novacyclist

Has anyone noticed an issue when riding in cold weather? I had a ride yesterday that started in the high 30s F and rose throughout the ride. My H10 was unreliable for the first 50 minutes or so. It's anywhere from losing connection or inaccurate heart rate in the low range (like less than 50 bpm).

I can only think of 2 things. The device has issues w/ it being cold or (somewhat related) my skin dries it quickly when it's cold and dry and it takes long for the sweat to accumulate.

Thoughts?

I get this too, but I've always chalked it up to it taking a little bit of time for my skin to be sweaty enough to generate a signal. I tested this last winter by wetting the strap beforehand in the sink and sure enough it read right from the start.

As for the durability comments, mine just died. It made it longer than the Garmin ones have, but I bought mine on Jan 8th 2024 and it just stopped working. EDIT: looks like its still under warranty, which is way cool.