I race a lot on Zwift and wanted an extra HRM for those just-in-case moments. I purchased this strap and it has become my primary. It does what it is supposed to, pairing quickly with all my devices whether indoors or out. I�ve had no erroneous heart rate drops or fluctuations due to locale or environment. It always does the job!
I've been using Garmin products for a long time. I usually end up buying a new strap/monitor every 3 to 4 years. I wish I could buy just the strap since I believe it's the strap that's failing/wearing out. Why can't Garmin just sell the strap? It's not an issue with the battery, I know how to change those and replace batteries about once a year due to the amount of time I spend wearing the strap/monitor. Fortunately they're not too expensive, but I really don't need anything but the strap.
Easy to use and syncs up quickly to your devices as long as you prep it first. They recommend you wet it down before you use it. Which often means you are strapping on a cold device to your chest. Easy to replace the battery. Would prefer a chargeable version, which I think the new ones are.
I got almost a year out of the HRM Dual, and it worked well for most of that time. I would wash the strap every 6-10 rides after removing the hrm node, hang dry, etc. Started to see dropouts a month or two ago, so I replaced the battery figuring it may be that. It wasn't. Researching it, there are seemingly a few things that go wrong with these, but my strap didn't have any cracks in the contact patches, the battery cavity doesn't have any corrosion, from what I can tell, all the internal cabling was in tact between contacts and connection point, and even after a battery change and vigilant washing to avoid any salt buildup, it would only last the first 10-15 minutes of a ride, then drop out completely. I'd adjust the fit and it would show up on the head unit again, but at a criminally low HR (like 65HR while climbing over FTP). I even tried shaving the chest hair, to no avail. I noticed that one of the contacts on the nodule itself seemed to have some rust underneath the plastic covering the unit on the backside (around one of the circular metal bases attached to the contacts that snap into the strap). This was something I couldn't find examples of online, so I was a little leary of buying and trying another strap, thinking it might be something to do with this corrosion/rust which would mean my HRM unit was toast and a new strap wouldn't remedy the problem.
I opted to buy a new HRM entirely and just anticipate needing to do so once a year or hopefully get a couple years out of these things moving forward, as they're not cheap.
The major reason you would consider this is because of the Bluetooth + ANT support so you can zwift and use your Garmin computer at the same time. Sounds like a great plan, and when it works it is awesome.
My Garmin softstrap/removable hrm units have all had significant issues with hanging heart rates. You can start your ride, HR 75 bpm, 10 minutes of max effort later its still 75... remove the hrm, wait a minute reconnect suddenly its 185 bpm, stop all effort, take a seat on a bench, wait 30 minutes and your HR is still 185...
Thanks to an article from DC Rainmaker I learned that this is a feature from Garmin, want to impress your friends with obviously wrong HRs? Depending on how you play the Garmin strap game you can. This is not a sweat issue, i run my straps under lukewarm water prior to each ride in addition to spraying my chest with water. I wash my straps with technical fabric soaps, after no more than 2 uses, and rinse after every single use.
DC Rainmaker to the rescue, apparently it is a strap issue because he discusses using a polar strap with the garmin hrm. The connection buttons are technically a few mm spaced differently but it works. Tada! My garmin HRM Dual is back to working. Notably this issue has not occured with my Garmin HRMs that are built into the bands. I would not buy this again, I would love to sell it for half of what I paid and just upgrade to the HRM Pro with BT, ANT, and the old school strap/hrm one piece but that�s another discussion for another day.
Do Not Waste your Time unless you have an old Polar strap to use with this HRM.
Molded, seems long-lasting, I have to lick the pickups at times, not a lot
I�ve used these straps for several years with generally good results.
The length of useful life seems to be a bit better in recent years.
When rinced after each use and regularly washed they work fine.
I use this monitor when I use live track on the Garmin computer. It works !
Took a while to figure out how to get it to show on my Garmin, but once I did, it works fine.
I've been using the Garmin heart rate monitors for nearly two decades, the latest HRM-Dual is the best so far. They finally replaced the Phillips screws for the battery compartment with Torx head screws AND a include your own Torx screwdriver for removing them! Changing the battery is always the biggest headache since the screws, as delivered from the factory, were always so tight it was hard to remove them without stripping the heads. Thanks Garmin for finally addressing this issue. The dual ANT+ and Bluetooth makes pairing quick. I assume there are other internal hardware/firmware changes because the heart rate recording seems more stable and less 'aliasing' (the misidentification of a signal frequency) occurs.
I had a Garmin heart rate monitor for several years. At first it worked great, then started giving erratic readings (e.g., over 200 bpm when I knew I was around 140-150) or not transmitting to my Garmin computer at all. I spent many hours reading comment about how to fix it, bought new straps, replaced batteries, etc. Thinking Garmin was the leading company for this stuff, I stuck with it for several years of frustration, but I finally concluded that it's just not a very good product, and got a Yahoo HRM and so far it has worked accurately every time. Garmin really needs to make a better HRM.
This is to replace the one that came in the bundle, elastic strap wears out, nothing lasts forever
I use this primarily with indoor & outdoor cycling and see no drop-outs. The ANT+ and BT connectivity is a plus, but doesn't have an easy access to the battery compartment, compared to three other brands I've used over the years. I needed to change the battery and didn't have the exact right screwdriver and ended up ruining one of the screw holes, yeah, stupid on my part... while it still worked, I was afraid sweat would now get inside and corrode it so when I saw it on sale again, I bought another, and a correct sized screwdriver. :\
Great price and rapid delivery for a great product. Ordered a new Garmin heart rate monitor on sale as a first time buyer, and could not be happier with the price and product. 5 stars!!!
Good sensor in the abstract; band is easy to adjust, connects to my cycling computer with no issues. Easy to wash, and when properly fitted you'll completely forget it's even there- I've worn it on a 4+ hour long century ride and didn't have it bother me at all. However, its response curve is suspect- it seems to think I get up to 190 BPM just walking my bike out the door, and reads an RHR about 15 higher than the one recorded at my last physical. Probably fairly accurate readings in relative terms, but in absolute terms take it with a lot of salt.
Me gusto mucho
I bought this to replace another Garmin HR strap that died after 2-3 years of use. I've been using the new one 3-4 days week for two months and have had no trouble with dropped signals or wonky data during rides and runs. The strap pairs easily with my Wahoo head unit (ANT+) and my iPhone (bluetooth). I've even worn the strap overnight to measure sleeping HR data and only noticed two points where the signal dropped briefly in a 7-hour period. Before working out, follow the instructions and wet the strap before putting it on you. You should also follow the instructions about regular washing, especially if you're a heavy and/or salty sweater.
I can't comment on battery longevity and replacement. However, my package did come with Garmin's proprietary screwdriver, which appears critical to opening and closing the battery compartment.
Adjust to fit, turn on device, click to connect HRM to device. Simple. Worked flawlessly for me and more accurate than my Garmin Fenix.
Easiest to use (comfort, consistency) of any brand I've used over the years. Both my wife and I have moved to Garmin Bike Computers so we just adopted the Garmin Duals that came with the computers.
Two things... 1) battery replacement didn't go well with one of the Garmin transmitter units... I got the battery out, the new one in, and it worked but I damaged one of the screws so I was not going to be able to replace the battery again in the future. The new, new HRM being reviewed now comes with a 'special' screwdriver to use in battery replacement so things may be less risky the next time.
2) I've had two units start to corrode around one of the terminals that snaps into the strap. The two terminals look like a different color/material but one certainly starts to 'rust' before the other. That has happened on two of these HRMS for me. I've tried Garmin's recommended cleaning/drying strategy and I can't say that is extending the life vs just not worrying and just replacing every year or two once it dies. The good(?) news is that I may never need to replace a battery again because the thing rusts before the battery needs replacing.
Final note, the description says 'may not need to replace battery for up to 3.5 years'... welllll... I rode 11,000 miles last year with the HRM and the battery needed replacement early this year... so 3.5 years not so much, unless there are internal changes now that make battery life longer.
This HRM is much more comfortable than an earlier Garmin HRM strap. In dry weather such as cold winter days, it's important to first spray or drizzle some water on the electrodes to get readings started. Otherwise, you may need to wait a bit for sweat to do the job early in a workout. The HRM has worked very reliably and has provided consistent readings on my Garmin bicycle computer. A tool was included for removing small screws when the battery needs replacement.
