I am about to buy the garmin 310xt. I have a heart rate monitor from my old forerunner from about 3 years ago, it still works fine, but is there any new technology or anything that would be worth the extra 50 dollars to get a new one? Is there anything special about the premium HR monitor?
I found it for 320$ at the garmin factory store online, anyone see it anywhere cheaper?
with the extra all you are paying for is the heart rate strap. The watch comes with heart rate either way, it’s just a matter of whether you buy the version with or without the strap. If you already have a strap, chances are it will work with your new 310, especially if it is an older Garmin strap. having said that, I really prefer to newer soft straps a lot better then the old plastic chest straps.
I have both HR monitors (one from the forerunner 305 and the new 310XT) and prefer the older from my 305 for my 310XT. It could be just because I’m used to it and have it set to how it fits me. My wife uses the newer one and has it paired with her 410 since we didn’t buy it with a HR monitor. Not sure if you have a GPS for you bike but if you keep the 305, you can leave it hooked it up to your bike and wear your 310XT on your wrist and still be able to get a signal for your HR from both monitors while they’re on at the same time which is pretty nice especially when you come off your bike and start the run.
Save the $50. Enjoy.
The primary difference with the new premium straps (the 2010 editions, not the pre-2010 premium straps) is that they reduce dropouts/spikes, especially in cooler weather with lower sweat rates. But, if you don’t have dropouts/spikes (where the HR falls to unrealistic levels, or spikes to unrealistic levels) - then save the cash.
Fwiw, you can pickup the new straps for a bit cheaper ($35ish) online, so in theory you could save yourself $15 if you’re an efficient shopper.
Btw, here’s the differences in straps (scroll a heck of a long ways to heart rate strap section):
http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2010/08/garmin-edge-800-in-depth-first-look.html
Which reminds me I need to bubble up to the top of my list my massive strap post…
I had the old garmin HR monitor (hard one, came with the 405) and lost it, so I bought the new soft one. I actually had a lot of issues with random HR spikes when I was wearing the soft strap, which at first I thought was lost fitness or the heat, but after a should-have-been-zone-2 run where I maintained an aveHR of 250+ bpm for 2 mins, I started to figure something was wrong with the strap. Sure enough, a search on slowtwitch proved this was a larger issue with the garmin soft strap.
Well, I found the old hard strap when cleaning one day, and have used that since with no issues with HR spike at all.
The primary difference with the new premium straps (the 2010 editions, not the pre-2010 premium straps) is that they reduce dropouts/spikes, especially in cooler weather with lower sweat rates. But, if you don’t have dropouts/spikes (where the HR falls to unrealistic levels, or spikes to unrealistic levels) - then save the cash.
Fwiw, you can pickup the new straps for a bit cheaper ($35ish) online, so in theory you could save yourself $15 if you’re an efficient shopper.
Btw, here’s the differences in straps (scroll a heck of a long ways to heart rate strap section):
http://www.dcrainmaker.com/...epth-first-look.html
Which reminds me I need to bubble up to the top of my list my massive strap post…
+1 and thanks for your review of the different straps.
I just got my 310XT a few weeks ago and opted for the version without the HRM strap and just purchased it separately. I didn’t know if the current 310XT bundles with HRM include the new or old strap. The standalone HRM strap that I purchased separately from Amazon was indeed the newer soft model.
I’ve had no problems with signals or anything dropping out or anything with my strap.
same here. I find the older style more comfortable than the newer one.
The old strap is allegedly not waterproof.
The only other thing I keep reading a lot about is the watch falling off for whatever reason and sinking into the water and being gone. I dont understand how this happens? And how do you avoid it?!?
A buddy of mine said he almost lost his in the water but that was strictly his fault because he forgot to slide the band into the strap to keep it secure.
The only other thing I keep reading a lot about is the watch falling off for whatever reason and sinking into the water and being gone. I dont understand how this happens? And how do you avoid it?!?
The pins that hold the band on are the weak link and they bend rather easily. Get the Quick Release kit, not only does it make it super easy to move between bike and run, but it uses small screws that appear to be much more robust.
And just to add, there are two versions of the Quick Release Kit. And older one with a replacement strap and a newer one that lets you use the original orange band.
From what I’ve read, the newer one is a significant improvement over the older one. Just be careful when you shop.
I have both quick release kits. Although the new kit is admittedly nicer, the old kit is better for racing, in my opinion. The band from the old kit (that nobody seems to like) fits better under a wetsuit sleeve.
The new soft straps weigh less than half the weight of your old HRM and are made entirely out of fabric. These newer chest straps have been a big improvement over the old ones.
The Garmin Factory Store Online has nothing to do with Garmin and they are not Garmin – just an FYI.
Totally agree with you…I have ‘broken’ two normal straps now and have moved to the adapter thing with screws and it works better and feels much stronger. A friend lost a 310 in a triathlon here and swears the strap break around the clasp.
These newer chest straps have been a big improvement over the old ones.
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Oh no they haven’t! Along with quite a few people I know plus a large number of postings on the Garmin Forums we have gone back to the older straps from the 305 days or tried using a hybrid arrangement with the Polar Wearlink+ strap. The original soft strap does not work for many folk.
I understand there is a second generation soft strap around but I have yet to see one. I did recently replace a lost 310XT but that came with the first generation soft strap. So, until my old style strap wears out I’m not about to try a soft strap again in a hurry.