Garmin Heart-Rate Monitor

I have used this with my Garmin Forerunner 305, Forerunner 50, and Forerunner 405cx. Just wet it with saliva or water before you start, and it accurately and easily tracks your heart rate. The strap that attaches it to your chest is easily adjustable and easily removable. Unlike other products, my heart rate does not “jump around” 10 or 20 beats. The battery lasts a good amount of time and is easily replaceable. This is the best heart rate monitor that I have used, and I prefer it to Polar.

Works as advertised, no problems. This is a replacement of my first one that the seal (o-ring type) in the battery compartment failed, causing the battery to corrode due to moisture leaking. Then it never worked again. Be careful changing batteries not to damage the seal.

(Please note: the other user’s negative review for this item is not accurate. The photo pictured is accurate for the Premium HRM, Product Number 010-10997-02. See below for update to original review.)

ORIGINAL REVIEW:
I tested out my friend’s Premium Heart Rate Monitor (HRM) on the trail this weekend and was extremely impressed and ordered mine yesterday. (My hat is off to Amazon – this is a better deal than dealer’s pricing.)

The premium HRM is an excellent accessory to my Forerunner 405, which I initially purchased without a HRM, and the additional data set will be a big help to me when charting my progress and seeing gains over the same terrain over time, not to mention a decent “zone” training aid when road cycling.

A VERY IMPORTANT ITEM OF NOTE that people tend to forget/ignore when using these HRMs is that you need to wet the contacts for an accurate reading. You can use water, or simply rub some spit on in a pinch, but I would recommend swinging by a running store and getting a bottle of gel – it’s cheap and it lasts forever, plus in my experience it provides the most accurate data… which is what we’re interested in with these toys, right?

Enjoy! I know I will – happy trails.
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UPDATE, Feb. 11th: Just a brief follow-on update from my original pre-review.

After three runs, this HRM functions beautifully. I have zero data spikes, my 405 picks up the signal immediately, and I haven’t even had to use my runner’s electrode gel for the contacts; just wet the contacts in the sink and strap it on and go. Simply put, it works PERFECTLY.

It’s also great having the training data to see which zone I’m training in or “Why did that run suck so hard?!”… oh, my hr was sky-rocketing and I was pushing too hard for event ‘x’.

I would post an image here if I could so you could see the solid data and corresponding Garmin Connect screen capture.

Solid product, five stars.

I got the Forerunner 405 as a gift, but without the HRM. I got this as an add on, but it worked seemlessly. I put it on and it synched immediately without having to really do anything on the device. Still figuring out all of the features, but the combo is highly recommended (I run and cycle).

I don’t know why Garmin won’t package this version with their watches, as the premium heart rate strap actually works. I found the stock strap to be finicky and inaccurate, even with gel. The premium strap works right off the bat without gel and doesn’t lose signal through-out the activity. It stays in place running, biking (on and off road), or hiking and is about as comfortable as they get. The snap closure in the front makes putting this on/off very easy. Overall I’d say this is as accurate as my polar strap, and a tad more comfortable. I always found polar to set the benchmark, but this takes it a little further in comparison and is a “no brainer” if you are having problems with the stock Garmin strap.

I was really impressed with the other reviews of the Garmin Premium heart rate monitor so I forked out the extra money and purchased one. I use two Garmin devices, the Edge 705 and the Forerunner 405CX, and both came with their standard heart rate monitor straps. Many people reported better data from the premium heart rate monitor so I was most interested in that. However, after comparing nearly a month’s worth of data, I don’t really see any difference. I had been wetting the contacts like the instructions and other reviewers said, but the data looks the same to me.

The strap pairs easily with both of my devices, and I’ve never had a problem with it losing signal or not establishing a connection right away. At times, the standard issue straps took minutes or physically entering the menus to re-pair them to the device. Not so with the Premium strap.

While I don’t know that I’d consider any heart rate monitor wonderfully comfortable, the Premium strap is definitely much more comfortable than the standard issue one.

I’m on the fence about the price… Amazon certainly has a better deal going than Garmin’s website does, but it’s still a heafty price tag for something that normally comes with the device and I feel only functions moderately better for the amount you pay. Certainly if you purchase a device that DOESN’T come with a heart rate monitor, I’d go for this one because of the comfort and the ease of pairing. But if you’re purchasing a device that comes with one… I’m not sure that I’d recommend going out and buying this add on.

I purchased a second one for my husband who’s build is larger than most, and he has yet to try it on. The true test will be if it fits his linebacker frame without modification.

I was very excited when I saw the ad for the Garmin Forerunner 405 and couldn’t wait to get one. Unfortunately, when I went to make my purchase, the store only had the Forerunner 405 without the heart monitor in stock. To get the full benefits of my new Forerunner 405, I knew this was something I wanted to try.

When my Garmin Heart Rate Monitor came in, I immediately paired it with the Forerunner 405. Pairing was a breeze. I then put it on and wore it for a few minutes to check its accuracy (I wanted to be certain of its accuracy before I adjusted my run workouts based on the results). Suffice it to say, I was more than pleased with the results! It has become a constant companion to me along my runs.

Bought the Garmin Premium Heart Rate Monitor with the hope that it would be more comfortable than the Garmin “Standard” Heart Rate Monitor. I found that it is indeed more comfortable, but have gone back to using the standard monitor.

Used the premium monitor about 4 times per week while walking on my treadmill since December of last year, and it seemed to be operating ok. The heart rate reading it displayed correlated well with that of a finger tip monitor that I also own. During the past week, however, the readings have become very erratic—often showing heart rates >200bpm. I have tried rewetting the electrodes, moving the monitor around on my chest, and changing to shirts that may contain less static electrical charge with no success. Therefore, I have gone back to the standard (buy less comfortable) standard Garmin monitor that is working fine.

I considered returning the monitor to Garmin for repair or exchange, but decided to first check in the Garmin Forums on the Garmin website to see if others were having this problem, and yes indeed people are! Numerous suggestions are made in the forums such as wetting the electrodes with gel instead of water, wearing only cotton shirts, wearing the monitor upside down, and even wearing the monitor on ones back rather than on ones chest. Personally, I refuse to resort to such Mickey Mouse solutions, and will use the standard monitor instead.

Am not sure what I will do about my Premium monitor. I suspect that what we have here is a basic design that is not very robust or reliable, and that my returning the device to Garmin for repair or exchange might not accomplish much other than my paying some shipping charges.

Updated 2/24/11: I contacted Garmin customer service regarding the monitors’ erratic operation, and was told that they have an upgraded soft strap that they would send to me free of charge. I received the new strap within about a week, and now the monitor is working perfectly with no more erratic readings. I am very pleased with the response of the Garmin customer representative (whoes initials are J. R.)! I will consider giving the monitor a 5 star rating if it continues to operate well for a few months or so.