Over the last three years or so I’ve had three Garmin monitors crap out on my. Initially I just replaced the strap, but shortly thereafter the unit just didn’t work. I switched to Polar about 4 months ago and it’s been ticking along fine. I replaced the battery once. I take very good care of the strap. A few days ago, mid ride it went to 0, and then jumped to 100 and stayed there. It shows the same 100 on my garmin 530 head unit. Now I’m just waiting for the delivery of replacements. I purchased 2, assuming one will fail in the next 6 months. I’m also considering purchasing a backup unit. I just don’t trust that it’ll last more than a year.
I’m frustrated with this because I was expecting a hrm to last a few years. Am I just wrong about this assumption?
For me, I’ve always had good luck with the higher-end multi-sport monitors (e.g. Garmin HRM Pro), and worse experiences with the base models. Idk if it is the waterproof rating for swimming that does it, but I used to go through 2-3 Garmins/Wahoo units a year, but didn’t need to replace my HRM Pro for 5 years. The only reason I did was because I stripped the screws holding the battery compartment shut after 10 or so changes!
Have never replaced the polar h10 unit I have had since it released. I do replace the straps every so often though as I find them to eventually wear out.
The pods last, straps don’t. I tend to prefer the quick release ones that don’t require disconnecting a side of the pod from the strap, usually replace every few years for about $15 from Amazon.
I got tired of HR straps dying, I moved on from Wahoo HR straps as they are the worst, but even Polar H10 wasn’t perfect. In the end I’ve stopped wearing them, not sure really the value I was getting from them. Just use power and perceived effort now, haven’t missed the data.
I am not running much anymore, but if I was I would just use my Apple watch with its HR and running power features.
I’ve never used a Garmin one, but my first Wahoo crapped out pretty quickly. My H9 has been ticking along just fine for probably about 2 years now. I did replace the strap with an H10 strap though, as the H9 strap was too floppy for running.
There may be something about your sweat that is harder on them, or maybe my H9 is one of the good ones.
I’ve had similar experiences…stopped buying Garmin and went to the cheap brands on Amazon. My current $25 strap with the sensor module has lasted 18-months so far. Seems to have the same features as the Garmin and be just as reliable for a lot lower price.
Well, based on the responses so far it seems like the straps need replacing quite often. I’m glad it’s not just some unique thing but common across the board. I’ll just plan on replacing the straps once or twice a year. I like the idea of testing out some generic brand straps. The branded ones are kinda expensive for frequent replacements!
Bought an HRM dual in 2021, the battery cover failed in 2023 but the thing still worked if I taped it shut (still does, probably, I used it indoors until the battery died). Garmin replaced it in 2023 and the replacement is working fine. Both straps look worse for the wear but work.
Before that I had a Wahoo that failed within a year in a very annoying way – the max HR it would read dropped, so it wasn’t obvious it was broken at first.
It’s a real problem, but there is a low expectation on consumer rights for returns/replacements. It’s ripe for disruption by a manufacturer who can make them reliable.
Optical HRM: I get 4+ years. I only replaced my last HRM because the proprietary charging puck wasn’t reliably charging, the HRM was still going strong
Cheat Strap HRM: I’ve gotten 5+ years. On the chest strap, I take it into the shower with me after every ride and rinse it in the warming shower water. I do the same with my helmet
I got a polar h7 in 2014. Stopped working (or the strap) in 2020 and replaced it by the polar h10. Working perfectly since then. I think I changed the battery once or twice. I take zero care of the strap, just disconnect one side of the unit after workout.
My Wahoo Tickr V1 is still going after 5 years almost daily use, it is on its 4th strap now, ( all replacements have been cheap generic ones from a jungle sized online retailer) after the 2nd strap died, I bought 2 so that I could rotate, one in the wash and one always ready to go.
I’ve found the batteries last much longer when I unclip one of the press studs after use, I think the sweat soaked strap must still be conductive enough to stop the monitor going into sleep mode?
Never used Garmin or Wahoo. Not had one last less than 2 or 3 years and currently using a Magene that has soldiered on for several years with only the need to replace a strap that was at least 6 years old. Learned from killing a previous strap how better to care for them and they can be made to last. Besides battery changes i expect my HRM to carry on for a long time. Funnily enough I am not sure why I actually bother as I do not ever pay real at to it, more of a curiosity than a useful metric. Ride by feel, the really old school way, much more fun even if not optimal. Personally, once it stops being fun it will be time to move in to something else.
That would be a smart move for an upstart or smaller company. Polar seems to have the closest thing to a “reliable brand” vibe, but their straps don’t back that up.
I don’t know if this is a thing already, but sponsoring a pro men’s team with climbers who like to ride with their jerseys open would be a nice way to get noticed. And, with some testimonials about how their straps never fail during the vigors of a grand tour, it would stick. Of course, the product would have to back up the claims solidly.
If Polar, Garmin or Wahoo tried a campaign like that I would shrug my shoulders.
I don’t think I’ve ever had an issue with once I had a ride that read like 225BPM the whole time but then the next day it worked normally. I had a tickr for ~4 years with no issues except the one mentioned before and then my wife started to use it (she needed the Bluetooth connection) and I took her Garmin one (that we had bought used) and I’ve now been using that for ~2 years.
I ride ~13-15 hrs a week, wash the band every week or so, rinse the unit maybe once a month. So pretty rough on it and they’ve been pretty flawless. I’m not sure what I’m doing right but they have just been the one piece of kit that I barely have to think about.
Fingers crossed my H10 lasts a bit. Looking at orders its 3 years old and I replaced the strap after 2 years; so I should get another year out of that strap
At a guess though I had the original Garmin hard strap for 7years, a garmin soft strap for about 2years, a BBB one for a year, a CooSpo for about 2 years and Wahoo Tikr for about 6month (it actually died in that time and wahoo sent a replacement, when the replacement failed Wahoo sent another but I gave up and bought the H10). So its been a bit of an ongoing expense for me.
