Saris H3 Review: The Best ERG Mode in the Business?

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This is my Saris H3 smart bike trainer review. Despite its age, it still deserves its place among the best ones.

My H3 rating at a glance:
Resistance & Gradient 5/5 | Accuracy 4/5 | Noisiness 4/5 | Power Consumption 4/5 | Ride Feel 4/5 | ERG Mode 5/5 | Ease of Setup 4/5 | Portability 3/5 | OVERALL 4.1/5
More about this bike trainer scoring.

Who Is Saris H3 Bike Trainer for?

The Saris H3 bike trainer is ideal for dedicated riders who do structured training using apps like TrainerRoad.

Its ERG mode is highly accurate and responsive. It reacts well to big shifts in power and is probably the best in the business.

Of course, you can also use H3 with other indoor cycling apps like Zwift, ROUVY, etc.

Saris H3 Bike Trainer Summary

Here is the summary of the main features and the technical specifications of the Saris H3 smart bike trainer.

Also available at amazon.com

In the Box

Unfortunately, a cassette is not included, so you have to buy it separately.

Saris H3 Features & Benefits

Below, I explain the pros and cons of the H3 in detail.

Quality and Sturdy Construction

Design-wise, I like the Saris H3. Its construction is sturdy, so you won’t have to be afraid of falling over during sprints while compact enough for easy storage.

I noticed only one thing. When I lean too much forward (during sprints), the rear part of the trainer tends to lift slightly. So, don’t try to be as aero as possible indoors.

I also encountered an unusual issue. The plastic piece on the handle was poorly finished, and when I tried to relocate the trainer, it cut my palm. I would never expect this would happen to me with a smart trainer. However, I cut the piece with a knife, and now it’s okay.

Ease of Setup

Saris H3’s setup is easy. All I had to do was mount a cassette, unfold the legs, choose the suitable adaptors, mount my bike, and plug the trainer into electricity.

Those feet are adjustable, so if you have an uneven floor, you can adjust them as needed.

The included front wheel riser is nice to have, but it could be higher. I prefer having the front wheel higher (like when climbing) for a more comfortable riding position. But that’s just my preference.

TIP: Learn how to set up a bike trainer.

Connectivity

Saris H3 offers the connectivity you expect from a premium smart trainer. This means it features ANT+ FE-C and Bluetooth FTMS.

These protocols allow you to connect it to mobile devices like smartphones or tablets, computers and laptops with a Bluetooth or ANT+ dongle, bike computers, etc.

During my testing, I didn’t encounter any dropouts or issues with pairing senses to indoor cycling apps. Everything worked fine.

H3 can measure your power, speed, and cadence, so you don’t need external sensors.

If you don’t want to use it with third-party apps, you can leverage its ‘Headless’ mode, which uses the progressive resistance of the Saris Fluid2 trainer. You just have to plug it into electricity.

Also available at amazon.com

Road Like Feel

The road feel of the Saris H3 is great – similar to what you get from Wahoo KICKR v5 and other high-end trainers.

TIP: Check out my comparison of Saris H3 vs. KICKR v5.

However, Tacx NEO 2T is in a league of its own, mainly thanks to its virtual flywheel that can simulate various surfaces. Saris H3 doesn’t offer this because it uses a 20lb (9kg) flywheel.

If you want to get closer to the road-like feel, check out my roundup of the best rocker plates. They make your trainer move from side to side and some even fore-and-aft, improving your comfort and making your ride more realistic.

I like H3’s stability. Although I am not very powerful, I appreciate it when I can rely on my equipment without worrying about falling over or damaging anything.

Noisiness

Saris H3 is quiet. More noise will come from your fan or drivetrain than from the trainer. It varies around 58 dB, depending on how quickly and hard I pedal.

Check out these smart bikes if you need an even quieter device (because you will train in the early mornings or late evenings or don’t want to disturb household members). They are even quieter thanks to the lack of a chain-cassette-chainrings interface.

Accuracy Tests

I cross-checked Saris H3 accuracy with my Favero Assioma DUO pedal power meters and Magene P505 spider power meter.

Except for multiple rides when using the trainer, I did an ERG mode test in TrainerRoad, one free ride in Wahoo RGT, and a race in Zwift.

Saris introduced a new version of H3 in 2022. It’s more accurate and has higher resistance and gradient simulation. See the complete comparison of Saris H3 vs. H4.

Test #1: ERG Mode

The following ERG mode test is inspired by the one that also does DC Rainmaker. It has a short warm-up, ramp-up, multiple 30×30s high/low power intervals, and cool down.

As you can see from the following picture, the power is almost on point. Saris H3 reacted to the power changes within 3 seconds.

Here is the comparison with other power sources.

The following chart shows cadence. H3 readings were sometimes slightly lower than Assioma DUO, mainly when I started pedaling faster just before the power increase. However, the deviation always was within a few RPMs.

So, the ERG mode ended up well. You can check the data set here to dig deeper into the data.

Test #2: Freeride

For the free ride, I chose the Pienza route in Wahoo RGT because of its rolling terrain and beautiful scenery.

Here is where the first issues started to appear. Saris H3 overread and underestimated my power multiple times during the first 5 minutes of my free ride, and then less significant drops continued until the end. However, the average power was on point.

The power drops in the first 5 minutes of the ride were most likely caused by the cadence drops, as seen in the following picture. The average cadence was off by more than 6 %.

Test #3: Race

I also wanted to try how the H3 behaves during a race. Unfortunately, it didn’t end up as planned because I lost connection right at the start. It took about 30 seconds before Zwift reconnected. This means I don’t have the ride data from the first 30 seconds, and I had to crop the other 2 sources to avoid the average power deviations.

Once the Zwift reconnected, the bunch was gone, so I rode a TT with two riders until I dropped them in a climb a few km before the finish.

Here is the power chart. Except for a few spikes, everything seems fine. The entire data set is again available on my ZwiftPower profile.

This time, the cadence looks much smoother and more accurate (unlike in Wahoo RGT).

Saris H3 Alternatives

To check out more smart bike trainers, click the button below.

My Verdict

Saris H3 is a premium trainer with one of the best ERG modes in the business. Its power and cadence accuracy are also pretty good, but I encountered issues in Wahoo RGT.

I like H3’s stability, sturdiness, and sleek design. It’s also compact, allowing easy storage when not in use.

Due to its lower price than its alternatives, it is a great choice for those looking for a premium but more affordable direct drive trainer.

Also available at amazon.com

Saris H3 Bike Trainer FAQ