Accuracy of Polar Wrist-Worn Devices Compared to Chest-Worn Devices: A Bland-Altman Meta-Analysis

Wrist-worn heart rate (HR) monitors offer convenience but require validation against gold-standard devices. This study evaluated the accuracy of Polar wrist-worn devices using photoplethysmography. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following PRISMA-P guidelines. Ten studies, providing 26 effect sizes, compared Polar wrist-worn devices with Polar chest-worn reference monitors. Accuracy was summarized by estimating the average difference in HR and the range within which most differences fell using a Bland – Altman meta-analytic approach. Subgroup analyses explored differences by age group, activity type, activity intensity, and device model. The overall mean bias was −1.51 bpm, with LoA including zero, suggesting no consistent overestimation or underestimation. Accuracy declined in teenagers and during high upper-body movement activities. Resting conditions and the Vantage V model showed the best agreement. Only the teenage subgroup exceeded 10% mean absolute percent error. Polar wrist-worn devices generally demonstrate acceptable HR accuracy but are less reliable during dynamic conditions.