[Closed] HRM chest straps.

I've tried the Polar and Garmin ones running and cycling. The Polar ones fall to bits from my (apparently) toxic effluent and stop sending properly after a couple of months.

The Garmin ones last ages in terms of battery life, sending and staying together. The battery change is a tiny bit more of a faff compared to Polar and mine are all Ant+ rather than Polar's Blue Tooth if that matters to you.

I've got a Wahoo one that sits unused as a spare so the jury is still out on that.

Some of the garmin ones add running dynamics - balance, step height etc.

@boblo - Is the wahoo one Bluetooth rather than Ant+?

I have a KickR and can't get my Garmin HRM to connect to it and makes me think I need the wahoo one but wanted to check before I start searching online for one

Just buy the Garmin one, it's bombproof.

Get one that has Bluetooth and ANT, straps are mostly interchangeable except from some advanced features.
Depending on brand there are some differences in how well the elastic parts stay adjusted and different pads on the strap can have effect on long-term comfort. Currently I'm using Wahoo Tickr, the strap slips only occasionally and bright LEDs on the front side allow some Iron Man moments.

Garmin one here. Ant and BT, works perfectly except on my older work Mac where it drops out frequently. But I blame Apple since it's fine elsewhere. Machine washable too, you're meant to rinse it after every go and machine wash it every 7.

+1 for Garmin, bombproof. Just works.

They are all basically the same. Just make sure whatever you choose has the connectivity you need/want (ANT+ / Bluetooth). Comfort and durability does tend to track price (approximately).

Expensive ones have features which look nice but only you will know if you need them (like swimming, which you don't need, or running dynamics which might interest you and so on). There's not a lot of room for real innovation really, counting heartbeats is counting heartbeats, so my opinion is generally that new flash ones are probably not worth it. Garmin have started tying some features to certain of their straps (like XC-skiing power). That's a bit niche though. Lower end garmin is my choice.

I have switched to the optical wahoo tickr fit and it's like night and day. Solid trace, perhaps slightly smoothed, but it just works in a way that (electrical) chest straps never have for me.

That's an armband version.

I have a CooSpo Heart Rate Monitor:

Available on Amazon for £20. It is Bluetooth and Ant+, connects to my old iPhone SE just fine (I use the Endomondo app) and to my Garmin vivofit at the same time.

Checking against my actual pulse it appears to be accurate.

I'm not sure what spending more bucks would gain me, beyond a recognised brand name.

My old Garmin one just works. Stays put when I run, gives a reliable read and has lasted for 10 years and counting. Gets throw in the washer after a sweaty run or ride.
The only other things I've used was a cheap BlueTooth job that was not good at all.

CoSpo here too and seems good to me, had it a good year and just changed the battery yesterday.

Halfords do a HRM chest unit - bluetooth and Ant+ - seems to work very well...about £20. Seems to do the basics very well in terms of sending your heart rate to a device.

I'd go for the Garmin one - I've the premium strap which is a little softer and imho a bit more comfortable. Going strong with no issues some 6 years later. Also have a Wahoo one which is ok, it's a bit more bulky so only tend to wear it on the turbo - being bluetooth rather than just Ant+

HR straps, the only time I'd vote Garmin over Wahoo 😂

Just buy the Garmin one, it’s bombproof.

^^This^^

They really are very durable and reliable IME, and not actually that pricey...

Agreed on garmin..

I've a garmin, which i use for most things... and a Wahoo, which I use on the turbo as it's bluetooth..

I didn't give it much thought TBH.

DrP

another CooSpoo user here, recommended from STW about 2yrs ago. I use an arm monitor rather than chest. Works well, good price, links with various devices (I use it on a Lezyne GPS unit).

Which Garmin unit though? They seem to do 4 or 5...

Get the Garmin ant+ and Bluetooth one. No issues here.

Garmin Dual strap, unless you want some of the additional running and swimming features.
This one. https://buy.garmin.com/en-GB/GB/p/649059

I've got a Wahoo Tickr that works perfectly over both Bluetooth and Ant+ however I'd buy the CooSpo as it currently only £18.39 on Amazon.

savoyad
Full Member
They are all basically the same.

They're really not. In theory they should be but IME, the Polar ones start giving intermittent readings then fall to bits after a couple of months whilst the Garmin ones don't. Apart from change the batteries once and the occasional wash in a year, the Garmin one has had no other attention. The elastic hasn't stretched or the pads fallen off, both happens with the Polar jobbie.

I think the Garmin one is BLE and Ant+ though I also think Ant+can connect to multiple devices. I have it feeding both my Edge 1030 and Forerunner 245 when cycling. *Think* because I haven't checked and confirmed... 😉

Another user of the CooSpoo here.

Excellent to be honest.

Had a polar one for over 3 years now, no problems 15000 miles later, just battery changes.

I believe cheaper ones are available that work just as well, Just have to check connectivity options

Would a garmin or coospoo work with my edge 130 and my polar ft7 watch.cheers

I got the £60 Garmin one (with the £50 voucher that came with my cheap Vivoactive from the PSA in the summer 😉 ). It's great, does the job and feels well made. It also links to my Edge that was picked up in the Halfords PSA in October so I'm a happy little Garmin fanboi now.

Another vote for the Garmin one, mine just refuses to die! Had it a few years now and had to change the battery once. I cocked that up by losing one of the screws and thought it would now die on the next wet ride but it has kept on working for over a year completely trouble-free. It's even been through the washing machine by accident (you unclip the unit from the strap for washing) twice now and still continues to work. It happily connects to my Edge 810 and my computer for Zwift faultlessly every time and I don't notice it on me at all.

@dannymite1981
Would a garmin or coospoo work with my edge 130 and my polar ft7 watch.cheers

I would imagine that the CooSpo would work okay with the Edge 130 as it has Bluetooth Smart/BTLE and ANT+.

Not sure about the FT7 though. I think Polar might use their own comms for that. See:
https://support.polar.com/uk-en/support/compatibility_with_my_Polar?product_id=78716&category=sensors_and_accessories