The longest I've had one last is 2 years. Lately I've been averaging around 8 months until I start getting bad readings (that's with using it almost daily). They've become a consumable item for me. So far its been all Garmin straps but I'm trying a Polar strap now to see if it's any better.

I’m lucky to get 12 months from a soft strap. Garmin ones barely lasted 3 months so I stopped using them and switched to Wahoo-looks exactly the same but lasts longer

my last one was ok for 2 years... it still works (for about 30min) then HR drops and stays low no matter what I do.

thanks for the responses. wow, looks like I lucked out...

a bit miffed that i won't have HR while i wait for the new one to arrive

mine is 9 years old :) i do not use it very often anymore.......powertap package back in '09

Maybe a good reason to have a cheap-y spare.

My garmin HRM-tri is approaching 2 years old, so far so good (knock on wood). The fabric around where the elastic is stitched in is starting to fray a little. I have a garmin hard strap that came with my wife's vivofit-HR. She doesn't use it, so I keep it as a backup.

My Polar straps (the old analog 5khz type) lasted forever. I bought them circa 1999-2000. They were still working as of last year. I just sent them to Water-boy a few months ago to use with his velotron (something to do with crank length ;+), before he got banned.

18 Mos before I left it at the pool...

---

Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

I've had several Polar straps that withstood years and years of use. With Garmin straps, I've found they typically only last about one year.

I see mine as consumables. They are used for about 14 hours per week, year 'round, and they tend to delaminate after about 18 to 24 months . . . unless someone puts one into the dryer. Even at the "Extra Low" temperature setting, Garmin's HRM straps don't survive the ride.

I only get 9 months of reliable good signal from the Garmin hard and softstraps. Then 3-6 more months of 'mostly ok, but with annoying inconsistencies' type data.

Tried everything - bought new replacement strap portions (keeping the pod portion), fresh batteries, strap gel, etc. Killed like 6 of 'em (replaced 3-4 under warrantee at the 12 month mark)

If you want a HRM that is as rock solid at year 3+ compared to the day you got it, the Scosche Rhythm+ optical (DCRainmaker pick) is the way to go. It's more annoying to put on, as you have to experiment to find the right spot on your arm AND cinch it down really tightly (wayyyy more than a HRM strap!) so there is no light leak, but once it's on, it's super solid.

I wish I could say the Polar HRM strap I bought worked better and lasted longer, but that was def not true - same as the garmin's (died in 6 months AND had a weaker signal in my case)

Garmin strap going on ten years having had two different Garmin watches. When I am run focused I wear it a lot. It has gotten a lot of use and I've had no issues. Scrub it down and replace batteries is all.

The variability in Garmin strap lifetime is pretty interesting. Maybe related to how they are cleaned after use? My hard strap is 5-6 years old an works great (although the elastic is wearing out). My soft strap is 2+ years old and performs flawlessly. My cleaning strategy is to wear them in the shower and rinse them out - soap (usually shampoo) every few uses. Into the washer 1-2 times per year, never in the dryer (soft strap only, of course, but about the same for the elastic portion of the hard strap).

I would suggest hand washing in the sink or shower and hang to dry regardless of what brand you train with.

I have I have hrm-tri, hrm-swim and two of the older hrms with removeable ant+ transmitter. I havent managed to break one yet but then they're only between 6 and 24 months old.

 
with the garmin straps there have been a few itterations with varying durability, the old ones with the large monitor seemed bomb proof, after they went to the smaller clip on module it all went down hill. Not tried the wahoo ones but he Polar straps seem much much more durable and yes the garmin module fits, although you might have to trim the plastic around the poppper clips to get them to clip in properly.

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.

The Garmin hard strap that came with my Forerunner 305 that I bought in the fall of 2008 lasted for nine years before dying last fall (water/sweat in the battery compartment which led to corrosion). I had replaced the elastic band once with one I bought on Amazon and although I wore it all the time while running, I only used it occasionally when cycling, so the longevity probably depends somewhat on that.

I replaced it with an older Garmin soft strap, so we'll see how long that one lasts.

Wait. I'm supposed to clean my HRM strap?

I've washed mine in the past with me in the shower with soap and water, then hung to dry. Still died in the exact same timeframe. I'm seriously skeptical this works.

i seem to get about 10 months out of my Garmin straps before they either stop working (and battery change won't fix it), delaminate, or get left somewhere. i've switched to the cheap ones and just recently started playing around with the Rhythm+

I never wore it in the shower. Rinse the straps and scrub the contacts by hand. Maybe girly sweat isn't as corrosive? Or maybe sweat is inversely proportional to lifespan? I run cold so usually not as soaked like some guys I know who have soaked their shoes and all. Salt doesn't exactly expand life expectancy of things unless you are pickling veggies.

The less salt as a non-dude probably accounts for your much greater half life than mine. Even with a fan, it's not unusual for me to leave a 2-3 foot puddle around my bike and Kickr during a 1 hr workout. At the YMCA, where there is no fan, it gets so bad that if I don't put 3 towels around my bike on the floor, my sweat puddle will literally reach the adjacent bikes (gross).

Very likely. I try to keep all training outside so that helps. The best is coming in from a run and it is mid 90's outside. Step in the house and deluge but I've pulled the strap off at that point. Mainly I wear to keep my easy runs easy.

I went through at least 5 Garmin HRMs over the last 3 years. The clip-on ones lasted me about 3 years including a battery swap. Usually after the second time changing the battery they've stopped working altogether.

The TRI HRM so far lasted 2 years, but no longer works if exposed to water or heavy sweat. The rubber seal doesn't close off the moisture after changing the battery so I had to buy a new one and keep the older one for "not too sweaty" activities. In general it feels like even the screws to swamp batteries on these units are single use only. TLDR 2 years.

I've been using my Garmin Hard strap almost daily since May of 2013.

I've replaced the battery several times and the elastic strap in 2017.