Why the study?
The study was conducted to compare the Polar H10 and Bittium Faros heart rate variability monitors for use in occupational and environmental health research.
How do the Polar H10 and Bittium Faros heart rate variability monitors compare in performance and usability for occupational and environmental health research?
How do the Polar H10 and Bittium Faros heart rate variability monitors compare in performance and usability for occupational and environmental health research?
The Polar H10 and Bittium Faros offer distinct advantages for HRV monitoring in field research, with the former being more affordable for RR intervals and the latter providing certified full-waveform ECG data.
Informs device selection for field HRV monitoring; leaves open prospective validation in occupational cohorts.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to compare the Polar H10 and Bittium Faros™ heart rate variability monitors for use in occupational and environmental health research, considering data collection, storage, transfer, resource needs, and limitations. METHODS: A literature review, device testing, and expert interviews were conducted to assess device performance and usability. RESULTS: Polar H10 is affordable, records RR intervals for up to 20 hours offline, and requires a smartwatch and app for extended storage. Bittium Faros™ is a certified electrocardiogram monitor that records full waveforms, supports long measurements, and enables automatic data transfer. Both devices can be worn with a chest strap, but placement issues may affect data quality. Patch electrodes improve stability but may cause skin irritation. CONCLUSIONS: This assessment highlights key device differences to guide HRV monitor selection for occupational and environmental epidemiological studies.
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Krummenacher et al. (2025) studied this question.
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