Testing the Garmin HRM 200 and Polar H10 convinced me I was (mostly) too harsh on chest straps

The Polar H10, Garmin HRM 200, and COROS HRM sitting aside each other on an armrest.

Sunday Runday

(Image credit: Android Central)

In this weekly column, Android Central Wearables Editor Michael Hicks talks about the world of wearables, apps, and fitness tech related to running and health, in his quest to get faster and more fit.

Last year, I wrote about how I was done with heart rate monitor chest straps, for both comfort and accuracy reasons. Cut to 2025, and I still don't find them especially comfortable to wear. But after testing the new Garmin HRM 200 against the Polar H10 and COROS HRM across multiple runs, I'm happy to admit that I was overly harsh on chest straps.