GarminHRM-Dual Heart Rate Monitor (Return to Product Page)

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.

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.

I use my Garmin Edge 530 for all outdoor cycling activities (8-10K miles/year) and use the HRM for both outdoor and indoor 'rides' (on Zwift). The transmitters are good for 2-3 years with 1-2 battery replacements... then it's time for the strap/transmitter replacement. This time, I bought 2 because my wife's Bontrager HRM gave up the ghost at the same time, and the price was great.

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!

You need to know your heart rate to assess your level of effort while cycling. This is Garmins answer to fit that requirement. I always have my heart rate displayed on my Edge device and recently my 5 year old monitor stopped functioning. I found a good price on this replacement at BTD. It comes with the miniature hex driver to remove the screws in the back if you need to replace the standard 2032 battery. My battery lasted about 2 years of 3-4 rides per week.

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.

Comfortable, flexable, and connects via bluetooth and ANT+ seamlessly everytime.

Good price received quickly and the product works well no complaints.

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 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. :\

Molded, seems long-lasting, I have to lick the pickups at times, not a lot

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.

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.

Connected with my bike computer and watch seamlessly. Biketiresdirect shipping was reliable and timely. Great experience

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.

So it works but I bought it so that I could get heart rate on my watch and Zwift at the same time on my trainer. Haven't gotten it to work that way. I ended up getting the pro version and it has worked flawlessly. This one works for either but not both at the same time from my experience. Tried it connected to my watch with both ant+ and Bluetooth and didn't play well. All that said, it would do either perfectly well, so four stars it is. I should also mention I would have tried harder to figure it out if the pro hadn't gone on sale. May we'll be a way to make it work that I didn't search hard enough for.

I've had two of these. They work well with my Garmin Edge and are reasonably responsive to changes in heart rate. The strap needs to be run under water before you put it on, and I rinse/soak the strap (with the monitor unclipped) after every ride (3-5 rides/week).

Why have I had two? They seem to need to be replaced every couple of years. After several months you'll see accuracy drop/disappear, which is usually fixed by replacing the battery. But after a couple of battery changes, the monitor craps out totally and battery replacement doesn't fix it. As an annual cost it's not a big deal, but it's odd that this item has such a short lifespan. By comparison, my speed and cadence sensors have never needed to be replaced.

And the comments about battery replacement are spot on. '70's-era tiny-screw technology. Use the right screwdriver, put on your patience face, and soldier through. Seems like Garmin could come up with a more human-friendly design.

I use this monitor when I use live track on the Garmin computer. It works !

I'm a woman, 5'4' and 116# with no experience using a HRM. My son-in-law uses this one all the time and loves it. I wasn't sure how I would like it wrapped around my chest. Since, I have a Garmin 1000 Edge, it was important to have a device that would pair easily, which is does. The chest strap isn't uncomfortable like I initially imagined. It works like a charm. I am very pleased with the quality & value. I did find that I have the strap almost as small as can be adjusted. It would be nice to have a chest strap made to accommodate a small frame, however, this is working so I should not complain. I would highly recommend this product to others.