Heart rate monitor straps.

[Andrew Br]

I use an 18 month old(ish) Garmin 1030+ to record rides and, sometimes to navigate for me.

I also have 2 heart rate straps; an "expensive" Garmin unit (I think it came with the 1030+ as part of a package) and a cheap Halfords unit that was an "emergency" purchase when I'd failed to pack the Garmin strap before a tour.
Initially the Halfords unit seemed to perform better but, after a period of time, it started to develop a mind of its own. What happens is that, from time to time, it starts to increase the HR one beat at a time until it reads up to 240 bpm (the most that the 1030+ will record ?). I've seen it do this in the pub or when riding slowly; HR rises from 72 (seems to be a default value on the 1030+) or whatever value to very high bpm over a period of several minutes and by one beat at a time. When I've seen this happening, clicking the sensor off one of the electrodes on the strap stops it at 72bpm according to the head unit. It then stays at 72 for 5+ minutes before, usually, going "blank".
On the other hand, the Garmin strap either doesn't start recording immediately or, if it does (72bpm....) it stops soon after I start riding. It does, sometimes, start again either randomly showing around 72bpm or, seemingly, recording my HR accurately. Then it stops again randomly.
I always moisten the strap before I put it on to ensure good "conductivity". I've also just put a new battery in the Garmin strap and I've recently "tightened" it (it was a bit slack). None of these actions seem to have improved the performance/accuracy/reliability of the straps.

Any thoughts please ?
I'm aware that the 1030+ is the common denominator but I find it hard to imagine that it's at fault since it picks up the strap signals.
I'm also reluctant to buy another HR strap purely "on spec" to try a further experiment although I will do so if that's what the majority verdict is. Cheap Halford's, expensive Garmin or other makes ?

FWIW, my resting HR (measured in the morning in bed against my watch) is 45-50 and sitting at my desk it is 60-65 bpm. I've rarely seen 150bpm+ on the bike. If I do, it's an extreme effort that I can't sustain for very long. Usually 140-150bpm is a hard effort.

[Kim]

My several-battery-replacements-old Garmin sensor became erratic towards the end of 2021.  At first I assumed it was the strap (a previous strap had become intermittent after going through the washing machine), so I replaced it with a new brightly-coloured knock-off from China.  When this didn't help, I wondered if - with the onset of cooler weather - I was just not sweating enough, before eventually concluding the sensor did in fact have droid-rot.

I replaced it with a Polar H10, on the grounds that that seemed to be the most highly-regarded sensor on the market.  Its performance in low-sweat conditions (with the same cheap Chinese straps^[1]) has been a revelation.  It costs twice as much as an equivalent Garmin, but it's less than half the faff, and I haven't knowingly seen an erroneous reading from it.  It also speaks BLE and has an internal memory for use without a receiving device, that I've not had cause to use.


_{[1] Not having the chest circumference of Donkey Kong, I have to have the adjuster done up to the point where I'm lying on a knobbly plastic bit when riding a recumbent.  As such, I bought a cheap strap to experimentally shorten, and discovered they worked fine.  Bright colours are marginally cheaper and make them harder to lose in campsite shower blocks and sock drawers.}

[Frank9755]

I had half a dozen garmin ones of various types and they all stopped working after increasingly short periods.  The expensive ones were worse than the cheap ones.  About five years ago I got a Wahoo one and it has worked fine every time.

[T42]

The strap or the sensor/transmitter?  I'm running a Ciclosport sensor that came with a crappy computer >10 years ago, mounted on a Polar soft strap with the contacts circumcised to let the sensor click on. The sensor talks to my Etrex 30x, which never managed to sync with my Garmin sensor.

[L CC]

I gave up on chest straps after similar and now use an arm one. Much less fussy about moisture.

[De Sisti]

The garmin strap I have works fine (with my 1030 plus and my Concept2 rowerg).

[SpaceBadger]

I stopped using Garmin ones as they don’t last very long. I buy the Polar soft strap equivalents now. They last longer and cost much less.

Intermittent or erratic HR measurements as described in the OP are usually caused by a faulty strap, in my experience. I’ve taken to properly dousing the strap in water, particularly the fabric sections on the front, before putting it on. This seems to help with incorrect, low HR rates being recorded early on a ride.

[Andrew Br]

Thanks for the suggestions folks.
Sadly, it seems that my experience isn't unique. Disappointing for what should be a fairly simple device (at least from my uninformed viewpoint). More WEE ahoy...........

I'm tempted by the Polar unit that Kim has mentioned but I'm also interested in the arm monitor that you're using L CC.
What is it please ?

[Lightning Phil]

Have you put the battery in wrong way round (reverse the polarity) on the HR pod? A suggested fix for when they play up.  Take battery out, wait 30 seconds, reverse battery, then take back out and replace right way round and see how you go.

[Andrew Br]

Not that I'm aware of L P but it's something that I'll look at on tomorrow's ride.

FWIW, I did a short ride this pm (it was pouring down) and the cheap, Halford's HR strap, worked, as far as I can tell, perfectly.

[L CC]

I'm tempted by the Polar unit that Kim has mentioned but I'm also interested in the arm monitor that you're using L CC.
What is it please ?

This one: https://www.amazon.co.uk/CooSpo-Armband-Sensor-Bluetooth-Waterproof/dp/B07HHZQ85Y

I've had it about 3 or 4 years- maybe more- it was pre-Covid. Used several times a week. I went "off brand" as I was going for proof of concept.

Pro: Rechargable. Accurate enough (it goes up when I make an effort). Pairs / Connects with everything I've asked it to (phone, Ipad, Apple TV, Garmin 530)
Con: Bit shit for Rowing. Yet another charge cable. Battery lasts about 24 hours.

I use it less than I used to as I'm now wearing a Garmin watch 24/7 and that will also transmit. Most of the time I ride with power meters so HR is a secondary metric.

[MattH]

I replaced it with a Polar H10

_{[1] Not having the chest circumference of Donkey Kong, I have to have the adjuster done up to the point where I'm lying on a knobbly plastic bit when riding a recumbent.  As such, I bought a cheap strap to experimentally shorten, and discovered they worked fine.  Bright colours are marginally cheaper and make them harder to lose in campsite shower blocks and sock drawers.}

I have a H10. Brilliant strap, it always just works with mild amount of moisturising (and only needing that under the driest conditions, normal skin moisture is usually good to go).

My irritation is the opposite of yours; I'm large, but not massive (44 inch chest in jacket sizing). The straps that come with them are tight even on their maximum length adjustment. I had to buy their XXXL strap as an accessory. You can't buy the device with that strap already fitted. I actually use the original XXL strap indoors, and keep the XXXL one as "best" for when I'll be using it for several hours at a time.

Your experience shows there is something strange about them though; my previous Polar, Garmin and off-brand monitors have come with straps have just worked, with what looks like plenty of adjustment available for those larger and smaller than me.

Good to know that knock-off straps work though.

[Kim]

I'm impressed that the press-stud interface has become de-facto standardised.

[T42]

Me too. You'd expect them all to be different to lock the buyers in.

Re dampening the contact, a good fat lick works fine for me.

[lissotriton]

I'm impressed that the press-stud interface has become de-facto standardised.

But the newer Garmin HRM-Pro / HRM-Run / HRM-Swim is attached to the strap, so the strap can't be replaced.

I prefer an armband style anyway. Polar Verity Sense works quite well for me, seems accurate enough. Pretty good battery life. Nicer than putting on a wet chest strap, on a cold day.

[Kim]

I'm impressed that the press-stud interface has become de-facto standardised.

But the newer Garmin HRM-Pro / HRM-Run / HRM-Swim is attached to the strap, so the strap can't be replaced.

A compelling reason not to buy them.

[drossall]

I'm impressed that the press-stud interface has become de-facto standardised.

Me too. So, in my mind, the strap and the sensor are different things. I've got two sensors - a Garmin Dual and a Viiiva (because that also acts as an Ant+/Bluetooth convertor for my PowerTap wheel on Zwift). I've not noticed any difference between them. I've been using the Garmin for quite a while, though my original one vanished somewhere, so I am on my second.

I'm a bit disappointed by the way that the Garmin strap (not sensor) is breaking up, but it has seen three or four years of use, so I suppose I shouldn't complain.

I tend to use each HRM with its own strap, but I don't know why, since they are both quite happy with either.

[zigzag]

ime, straps (garmin, wahoo, no-name) last about a year, then they start misreading the signals from the chest. so i keep replacing them whenever that's needed.

another "feature" with chest hrm's is that the advertised battery (2032) life is 1+ years, but they last 1-2months for me, before readings become erratic.

i have a handful of garmin and wahoo hrm's, haven't tried any others.

[SpaceBadger]

That’s a very short battery life. Mine last years. I don’t know if it makes a difference, but I disconnect mine from the strap after use.

[drossall]

What SpaceBadger said.

[Lightning Phil]

All depends on usage surely? The Polar H10 has about 400 hours usage per battery if you set it to only transmit one or the other protocols.

[SpaceBadger]

Of course, but 1-2 months? If zigzag is Wout van Aert, a Brownlee or Tadej Pogačar, maybe that explains it.

[MattH]

That does sound very short. I think I get a bit under a year out of my H10; certainly not very often and I'm only able to estimate that by thinking that I've had it for around three years and probably changed it about three times. But obviously someone using it more than me would run them down faster.

<grumbles>Back in the old days, the Polar straps had non-replaceable batteries and they lasted forever</grumbles>

I do unclip one side of the sensor whenever I've stopped using it. I'm wary of mechanical wear between the press studs and the conductive strip on the strip; it feels that I'm putting a bending strain on that whenever I disconnect so I'm extra careful and by randomly disconnecting only one side hope to even it out - not that I've actually had an issue. I was it occasionally by hand just in warm water, or with a mild soap used only on the elastic (non-conductive) areas of the strap.

[quixoticgeek]

My Wahoo strap I got in late 2017 is still going strong. No problems with it at all.

J

[Zed43]

Battery life of my Polar H9 suffers unless I disconnect one side of the sensor from the strap. Garmin and Wahoo I could leave fully attached without it affecting battery life.