Introduction
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is a powerful health and fitness smartwatch, building on the reputation of its predecessor, the Apple Watch Ultra 2. With impressive specifications unveiled during the latest iPhone event, the Ultra 3 stands out with its 42-hour battery life, the biggest and brightest display yet, satellite connectivity, 5G capabilities, and the powerful watchOS 26. Eager to put it to the test, I received a model and decided to assess its heart rate measurement accuracy.
Importance of Accurate Heart Rate Monitoring
Heart rate data is critical for health and fitness tracking. From sleep monitoring to training load, calorie calculations, and new hypertension detection features, a precise heart rate sensor is essential. To test the Apple Watch Ultra 3’s capability in this area, I compared it against the Polar H10 chest strap—regarded as the gold standard in heart rate measurement.
Why Polar H10?
The Polar H10 utilizes electrical sensors positioned near the heart, just beneath the chest muscles, allowing for more effective pulse calculations than wrist-based LED lights. This makes it a preferred choice for fitness professionals seeking reliable heart rate data.
The Test Procedure
For my test, I cycled for 20 minutes on a stationary bike, wearing both the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and the Polar H10. Additionally, I wore a Huawei Watch G6 on my other wrist as a control device. This setup aimed to provide a comprehensive view of how the heart rate readings compared across different devices.
Results of the Heart Rate Test
The results from the test were quite close, which was expected, and not significantly different enough to warrant concern at this stage. The Polar H10 reported an average heart rate of 147 bpm throughout the 20-minute cycling session. It displayed a steady increase into zone 5, followed by a dip near the end of the workout.
Both the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Huawei Watch G6 mirrored this pattern, reporting an average heart rate of 148 bpm—just one bpm away from the chest strap’s measurements. The graphs displayed through the Apple Fitness app and Huawei Health showed nearly identical peaks and troughs, although Apple’s graph slightly stretched the data due to presentation style.
Conclusion
At this early testing stage, I feel confident that the Apple Watch Ultra 3’s heart rate sensor is comparable to the chest strap, which is the industry standard. While longer workout sessions might reveal larger discrepancies, based on the performance of its predecessor against a top Garmin model during the London Marathon, it seems highly unlikely.
As fitness technology continues to evolve, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 stands as a robust option for accurate heart rate tracking, making it a worthy contender against established leaders in the field.
Final Thoughts
For anyone looking to monitor their heart rate effectively during workouts, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 delivers reliable results. As I continue to explore its features, particularly for more extended training sessions, I will share further insights into its performance and accuracy.
