I’ve gone through a Garmin HR monitor every six or eight months for the last several years and I’m done. I use a Garmin Fenix 5X. DC Rainmaker had nice write up on the Scosche Rhythm 24. Please recommend new products for me. Much appreciated!
The Scosche is an optical hr sensor (similar to the one on your Fenix, just placed higher up the arm). Personally I’d just use the built in optical HRM, or get a chest strap (more accurate for many folks). For chest straps, consider the Wahoo TICKR ( https://www.wahoofitness.com/devices/heart-rate-monitors/wahoo-tickr-heart-rate-strap?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIupSqjfPE5AIVFMpkCh2xYw0BEAAYASAAEgJ7FfD_BwE ).
Why are the Garmins dying on you? That may also inform the solution.
I bought this cheap thing from Amazon and I swear it works better than my Garmin. Garmin eats batteries like I eat cake. This thing has no issues with syncing with my G935, Concept 2, or Elite direct drive trainer. $30…not sure if I can post links but here’s the description.
CooSpo Fitness Tracker Ant+ Heart Rate Monitor Chest Strap IP67 Waterproof with Bluetooth for Wahoo Strava Zwift DDP Yoga Map My Ride Peloton Bike
wahoo tickr.
Have that too. Bought a used 235 in hopes of just using the optical HR but that thing is terrible for me. Easy runs it works but when I pick up the pace it sucks. HR was 171 for a z2 run yesterday then 154 for a long hard tempo a few weeks ago. Pretty sad because I don’t like wearing a strap.
just one guy’s experience: I have been using the old Scosche Rhythm Plus for the last 3 years. it is much more accurate than watch based optical hrms and, for winter workouts, you can wear it under a jacket and gloves and still wear your watch where you can see it. With that said, there are a couple issues that have arisen recently. About a month ago it started locking in on my run cadence from time to time especially on the treadmill and I needed to turn it off and on again to get it working properly. Another issue is that early on the battery was good for about 8 hours on a full charge. Now (3 years later) it dies after about 3.5 hours. I would only get the Rhythm 24 for the additional battery life - the recording and resting-only hrv is not worth anything to me. I would happily pay for the additional battery time but there is no Canadian distributor for the 24 and ordering it from the US adds ridiculous shipping and customs fees. I am currently back using a chest strap for long bike rides but still use the Scosche when running outdoors.
I’ve given up on the Garmin HR straps too. Switched to the Wahoo Tickr and I’ve been very pleased, no issues going on a year now. And, I’ve been able to successfully change the battery too; can’t say that about a Garmin strap.
I swear by the polar OH1.
Optical sensor. I use it on my arm and totally forget it’s there. Both ANT+ and Bluetooth.
Can even be used in the pool or open water in “record” mode. (this mode won’t sync to Garmin, just polar).
Every other mode it will of course sync to Amy Bluetooth/ANT device.
Most underrated product of Slowtwitch hands down.
I have the TICKR FIT and Scosche Rhythm24. Both are good. But, I think Scosche is still working out firmware kinks. Mine will occasionally lock up and need to be connected to a charger to reset.
If you don’t need the battery life, the gold standard is still the Scosche Rhythm+. (I had one of those too.)
Wahoo for me too. Got one on a whim from a bargain box at my LBS and cannot find a single thing wrong with it.
Another vote for Wahoo Tickr. It just works (with ANT+ or BLE) and the strap is comfortable
Wahoo Tickr
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How long are your tickers lasting?
My scosche+ is nearly 3 yrs old now and works great still.
I’ve been using the Scosche Rhythm 24 for around 6 months with no issues. Battery life is really good. Works well with Zwift. Much prefer it over a chest strap.
x2. I switched after my Garmin straps wouldn’t last more than a couple months. Wahoo strap lasts me over a year with daily usage.
I find it confusing that so many people talk about Garmin straps consistently failing in a few months or a year. I’ve had 3. I used the first (the old semi-hard strap that came with my first GPS sport watch, a Forerunner 305 in 2008) got about 3 years of use over about a 5 year period, then I retired it (still working) for the then current Garmin soft strap with the clip-on module, purely because it seemed like it would be more comfortable. I didn’t like the actual strap piece and transferred the Garmin module to a similar Polar one (<$20), and this was comfortable and worked fine for about 2 or 2.5 years of regular use. That one did then fail. The only Garmin strap that’s ever failed on me but I got a reasonable lifespan out of it. Next I had the Tri strap that came with the 920XT tri bundle. This was a good strap, reasonably comfortable (for a chest strap), and the run dynamics data gave me something new, but relatively pointless to look at. I never liked chest satraps for running though, so in early 2016 I decided to try a Scosche Rhythm+ optical arm strap. At first I found it a little unreliable and only used it for running, it would frequently loose the HR signal and just transmit 72bpm (it seems to transmit 72bpm when it doesn’t have a reading). But after a while I figured out the best location was (just above the bicep on the front of the upper arm) and since then it’s been utterly reliable. Once it’s on I completely forget it’s there and it almost never misses a beat. It’s more reliable than the (IMO pretty good) Garmin chest straps ever were. I quickly After 3.5 years of use I’ve replaced the velcro strap a couple of times but that’s just ~$10 a time, and the battery is still ok for at least 5hrs - I haven’t been doing longer sessions than that recently. I’d consider the Scosche 24 if the Rhythm ever fails so long as it’s teething problems are all behind it. It’s got lots of extra features but only the battery capacity would interest me much.
TLDR? Yeah that went on a bit!
My real point was to ask if you’ve been regularly throwing your straps in the washing machine or cleaning them with detergents or something? I can’understand how so many people have consistent problems with one Garmin strap after another, while others find them consistently robust and reliable. It seems to be owner related, not manufacturing inconsistency. My first suspicion is inappropriate maintenance and cleaning (usually too much is far worse than too little).
to wear on your arm: wahoo TICKRfit
for chest strap: tacx Heart rate monitor Smart
i use both. they don’t have any gimmicks, just transmit hr over bluetooth and ant+.
dan
I wondered too if I was not ‘maintaining’ my Garmin straps correctly, but no, even after washing them after every workout gently in soap + water, they failed just as fast - even faster for me! One died in 4 months rather than the 12-18 months it typically takes to die.
I have never had a Garmin strap last longer than 18 months RELIABLY. I will add that these straps that I say are failing still DO capture HR signal - but it just becomes increasingly unreliable that after 18 months, a good 20+% of the data is definitely incorrect. If you’re not paying close attention, you might think your Garmin or whatever strap is just as good as day one, but it becomes really obvious when you replace it and it’s so obvious that it tracks your perceived effort soooo much better.
I wear my Scosche on my forearm fleshy part (for some reason it doesn’t work well on my bicep while running) and it’s been as good as day one in terms of signal retention. I will note that for me, I have to also buy a new $15 Scosche replacement strap every year as the velcro wears out from use for me, so it’s not completely parts-free but I can live with $15/yr.
The newer Garmin “soft straps” are all crap. Pretty good if you get 6 months of continuous use out of one. I would maybe find an old hard strap that lasts FOREVER. Personally, I ditched the external HRM altogether, and just upgraded to newer units that do wrist HRM. My 735, 935, and now 945 have all worked excellent for me.
That was my point. I’d expect use of detergent/soap on the transmitter and perhaps the contacts, as opposed to just water, to shorten device life. I’ve never done much to maintain mine aside from washing the fabric/plastic band by hand from time to time (with or without detergent, and rinsing the transmitter piece with water only. Salt and oils can cause corrosion but detergents reduce water surface tension, dramatically increasing the likelihood of ingress. Salt dissolves in water, oils are a minor issue.