Polar Verity Sense: Heart Rate, Swimming Metrics, and Connectivity

What Does Polar Verity Sense Track?

The Polar Verity Sense is a highly versatile optical heart rate sensor designed to accurately track your heart rate during a wide range of activities, including swimming, and seamlessly integrates with a vast ecosystem of fitness devices and applications.

Core Tracking Capabilities

The Polar Verity Sense is primarily an advanced heart rate sensor, but its capabilities extend beyond just heart rate to provide a more holistic view of your training.

• Optical Heart Rate (OHR): This is the device's flagship feature. It uses an advanced optical heart rate module with multiple LEDs and a photodiode to accurately measure your heart rate directly from your skin. This allows for:
  • Real-time Heart Rate: Provides instant feedback on your exertion levels during exercise.
  • Heart Rate Zones: Helps you train within specific intensity zones (e.g., fat-burning, cardio, peak) for targeted physiological adaptations.
  • Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Contribution: While Verity Sense itself doesn't directly measure HRV, its accurate heart rate data is foundational for apps and devices that do calculate it, contributing to recovery and readiness assessments.
• Swimming Metrics: A key differentiator for the Verity Sense is its dedicated swimming mode. When placed on the temple (using the swimming goggle strap clip), it can track:
  • Heart Rate: Providing crucial insights into cardiovascular effort during aquatic activities.
  • Swim Distance: Estimates the distance covered during your swim sessions.
  • Pace and Strokes: Provides an indication of your swimming efficiency and speed.
  • Turns: Automatically detects pool turns.
• Activity Tracking (Basic): While not a full-fledged activity tracker like a smartwatch, the Verity Sense does contribute to your overall activity data when worn. It can provide:
  • Calories Burned: Estimates energy expenditure based on heart rate and activity.
  • Training Time: Records the duration of your workouts.
  • Movement Data: Its accelerometer helps provide basic movement patterns, especially in swimming.
• Training Load and Recovery (via Polar Flow): When paired with the Polar Flow app or a compatible Polar watch, the Verity Sense's heart rate data feeds into Polar's robust training load and recovery analytics. This allows you to:
  • Monitor Training Stress: Understand the physiological impact of your workouts.
  • Assess Recovery Status: Get insights into how well your body is recovering.
  • Optimize Training Plans: Adjust future workouts based on your body's current state.

How It Tracks: Sensor Technology & Placement

The Verity Sense employs sophisticated sensor technology and offers flexible placement options to ensure accurate data collection across various activities.

• Optical Heart Rate (OHR) Sensor: Located on the underside of the device, this sensor uses green LED lights to penetrate the skin and detect blood flow changes. A photodiode then measures the amount of light reflected back, translating these fluctuations into heart rate readings.
• Accelerometer: An integrated accelerometer detects movement and orientation. This is crucial for:
  • Activity Detection: Recognizing movement patterns.
  • Swimming Metrics: Identifying strokes, turns, and contributing to distance estimation.
• Versatile Placement: The Verity Sense is designed for adaptability:
  • Upper Arm or Forearm: The most common placement, providing highly accurate heart rate data for most land-based sports.
  • Temple (with Goggle Strap Clip): Specifically designed for swimming, this placement ensures consistent heart rate readings in water and enables specific swim metrics.
  • Clip-On to Clothing: Can be clipped to tight-fitting clothing, offering an alternative for activities where arm placement might be inconvenient.
  • Mounted to Cycling Helmets/Goggles: While not officially supported as a primary placement, its small size and clip allow for creative mounting in certain scenarios for specific data needs.

Integration with the Polar Ecosystem

The strength of the Polar Verity Sense is significantly amplified by its seamless integration capabilities.

• Polar Flow App and Web Service: All data tracked by the Verity Sense is synchronized with Polar Flow, where you can:
  • View Detailed Workout Summaries: Analyze your heart rate, zones, and other metrics.
  • Track Progress Over Time: Monitor trends in your fitness and performance.
  • Access Training Plans: Utilize adaptive training programs.
  • Manage Device Settings: Customize sensor preferences.
• Compatibility with Polar Devices: It can broadcast heart rate data to Polar GPS watches, cycling computers, and other compatible devices, acting as an external, highly accurate heart rate sensor.
• Third-Party App and Equipment Connectivity: The Verity Sense supports both Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and ANT+ protocols, making it exceptionally versatile:
  • Fitness Apps: Connects to popular fitness apps like Strava, Zwift, MyFitnessPal, and many others that accept external heart rate data.
  • Gym Equipment: Pair it with compatible cardio machines (treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bikes) to display your heart rate directly on the equipment's console.
  • Cycling Computers: Transmit heart rate data to Garmin, Wahoo, Hammerhead, and other cycling computers.
  • Smart Trainers: Integrate with smart bike trainers for a more immersive and data-rich indoor cycling experience.

Why Choose Verity Sense? Key Advantages

The Polar Verity Sense offers several compelling benefits for athletes and fitness enthusiasts.

• Superior Heart Rate Accuracy: Optical heart rate sensors on the arm often provide more consistent and accurate readings than wrist-based sensors, especially during high-intensity or repetitive arm movements.
• Unmatched Versatility: Its multiple placement options (arm, temple, clip) make it suitable for virtually any sport or activity, including those where a chest strap might be uncomfortable or a wrist device inconvenient.
• Dedicated Swimming Capabilities: For swimmers, the ability to accurately track heart rate and other metrics directly from the temple is a significant advantage.
• Broad Connectivity: With both Bluetooth and ANT+, it's one of the most widely compatible heart rate sensors on the market, ensuring it works with your existing gear and apps.
• Comfort and Discretion: Its small, lightweight design makes it comfortable to wear and less intrusive than some other heart rate monitors.

Limitations and Considerations

While highly capable, the Verity Sense is not a standalone smartwatch or GPS device.

• No Integrated GPS: It does not track location or speed independently; it relies on a paired smartphone or GPS watch for these metrics.
• No Display Screen: It lacks a display, meaning you'll need to connect it to a phone, watch, or other device to see real-time data.
• Battery Life: While good for its class (up to 30 hours), it requires periodic charging, unlike some chest straps that use replaceable coin-cell batteries for months of use.
• Not a Full Activity Tracker: While it contributes to activity data, it doesn't provide the comprehensive daily activity, sleep, or smart notifications of a dedicated fitness tracker or smartwatch.

Conclusion: A Versatile Tool for Data-Driven Training

The Polar Verity Sense is a specialized, highly accurate optical heart rate sensor designed for maximum versatility and connectivity. It excels at tracking heart rate across a vast array of activities, including swimming, and offers robust integration with the Polar Flow ecosystem and third-party applications and equipment. For fitness enthusiasts, personal trainers, and athletes seeking precise heart rate data and broad compatibility without the bulk of a full smartwatch, the Verity Sense stands out as an exceptional and indispensable training tool.