JRC wrote:
.....essentially, what happens, is over time the conductive strip inside breaks down and gets more resisitive, the more you use it the faster it breaks down (duh!) , but I think certain sweat types speed it up, as does frequent machine washing, and especially tumble drying (if you forget to pull it out at the end of a wash)
as mentioned, the best bet is probably a hand wash and rinse.
People are putting these in the washing machine and surprised they don't last forever?
I'm not saying they have superb lifespan, but if you wash them with detergent and/or in a washing machine, you can't have many complaints if it fails!
All a strap really needs is to prevent lots of salt build-up. Rinsing the strap in warm water for a few minutes every so often should take care of that. I used detergent on the elastic only portion of the band from time to time too (again by hand) but avoided getting detergent on the electronics. My Tri strap that came with my 920XT tri bundle is still working fine - it was heavily used for a year or so and occasional use since. My 10 year old hard strap that came with a 305 back in 2008 still works too after having been used a lot for several years, but it's not comfy and so is sitting in a box for a long time now. I've moved on to the Scosche Rhythm+ and find it both reliable and comfortable. It's just the device plus a simple velcro strap to hold it on which can be washed any way you like. First one got a bit ragged after 18 months so I replaced it for about €10.