Polar HRM strap question

[QueBert]

mine's getting a bit old so I thought I'd see how much a replacement costs (I have a Wearlink+) I see 3 different straps on Amazon. So I went to Polar's web site and see 2 straps in the accessories. The Wearlink+ strap as they put it is the "ultimate strap for your Polar heart rate sensor" But they don't explain what makes it so uber. Where the soft strap's "the most comfortable chest strap for heart rate measurement" That sounds better to me. The Wearlink+ description doesn't say anything else that really stands out, but the soft strap mentions "The smart fusion of soft fabrics and adaptive electrodes make it extremely sensitive to your heart’s electrical signals, so the heart rate sensor can pick up your heart rate quicker and more accurately"

Has anyone here used both? Right now I'm not seeing a reason to not go with the soft strap except maybe it doesn't fit as well? And they make it sound more sensitive, which sounds great. The price is $1 more for the soft strap. I'm not sure which to order though so any advice is appreciated here.

 

[KMc]

You'll typically find 2 styles of straps. One has a wide plastic front that spans your whole chest and tapers at the ends where the elastic band hooks to it on either end. The other (soft strap style) has an elastic band that goes all the way around your torso and the electronics piece snaps/clips to it on the front.

The soft strap is usually a few dollars more. I've never had any issue with the wider plastic ones (I've had polar, timex and now garmin) and they seem to fit more secure on me anyway.