Are chest straps more accurate than a watch or armband for heart rate?

Across the reviewers and specialist communities we read, the consensus is yes: chest straps measure the heart's electrical signal directly and respond faster to changing effort than wrist optical sensors, which several r/running and r/GarminWatches threads describe as lagging or jumping during intervals. Optical armbands like the Polar Verity Sense are praised as a comfortable middle ground, but community testers still place ECG chest straps at the top for accuracy.