Both are excellent ECG chest straps under $100 that work with virtually any HRV app. The choice often comes down to minor feature differences and brand preference.
Comparison Overview
| Category | Polar H10 | Wahoo TICKR X |
|---|---|---|
| HRV Accuracy | Gold standard, most validated ✓ | Excellent ECG quality |
| H10 is the research benchmark | ||
| Bluetooth/ANT+ | Dual broadcast simultaneous | Dual broadcast simultaneous |
| Both connect to multiple devices | ||
| Offline Storage | Yes—record without phone ✓ | No offline storage |
| H10 can store sessions internally | ||
| Swimming | Yes—waterproof with memory ✓ | Yes—waterproof |
| H10 stores swim data for later sync | ||
| Comfort | Good, some prefer it | Good, some prefer it |
| Both comfortable, personal preference | ||
| App Compatibility | Works with everything | Works with everything |
| Both are universally compatible | ||
| Price | $90 | $50-80 ✓ |
| TICKR is more affordable | ||
| Battery Life | 400+ hours | 500+ hours ✓ |
| Slight edge to TICKR | ||
The Bottom Line
Choose Polar H10 if you want the most validated accuracy, offline storage for swimming or phoneless workouts, and don't mind paying slightly more. Choose Wahoo TICKR if you want excellent accuracy at a lower price and don't need offline storage. Both are excellent choices for HRV tracking.
Detailed Reviews
Polar H10
The accuracy benchmark. If you want the most precise HRV data and don't mind taking deliberate morning readings, the...
Full reviewWahoo TICKR X
Best bang-for-buck ECG accuracy. Perfect for morning HRV readings with apps like Elite HRV or HRV4Training. The wide...
Full review