If you your Heart Rate Strap (HRM) is not reading accurately, this post contains numerous troubleshooting ideas to help you out! These ideas contained in our 7 ways Video and the written out steps below, have brought many old straps back to life!
Watch our Heart Rate Monitor (HRM) troubleshooting Video:
1) Clean & Inspect your chest HR strap
- Wash the strap with soap and water (take the battery pack/pod off it)
- Clean with soap regularly is a good idea – check that the connections between the battery and the strap are not rusted or dirty and clean if they are.
- Don’t machine wash and don’t soak the sensor (wipe with a cloth)
2) Reset HR strap + check connections not bent
- Take the battery out and put it in upside down for ~10sec *This seems like it won’t work but does work frequently!
- If you have a new battery, use that to rule out the chance of a low/dead battery (even if you think it isn’t)
- Check that your battery connections inside the sensor are not bent or missing/broken. This is very common on cheaper models. The battery shouldn’t move around once installed and there should be a visible ‘bendy’ metal arm or clip to contact the battery. Sometimes that arm is broken, bent or missing!
3) ‘Forget’ and re-connect to device
- Delete and re-pair the HR strap to the device you are using, such as a bike computer or phone.
- It is good practice to restart your phone/device to rule that out.
- Pair your strap to another device, just to ensure that it’s not your device acting up! (most phones will pair to Bluetooth devices )
4) Update firmware on your device or strap?
- Check for firmware updates for all devices and/or smart-straps – Occasionally an update to your computer can solve an issue that has suddenly popped up.
- Many devices do this once connected to a computer or upon syncing but some may require a quick search on the companies website or a search for “your device” + Firmware
5) Ensure proper heart rate strap usage + orientation
- Many Heart rate straps have a right and left side, typically this means that the logo should be upright.
- Straps should be moist. Wet the strap before you leave rather than waiting to sweat. Irregular readings early in a ride are often due to dry straps (e.g. you are not sweating yet)
- The strap should be tight/snug (they loosen over time and when wiped dry)
- Heart Rate Straps are worn *under* all clothing and bib straps so that all of the straps is directly on the skin (we see this a few times a year)
6) Situational Errors – wind, static, battery choice
- Wind and flapping vests/coats can cause erratic readings. This may be unavoidable but a moistened/tight strap, different vest or a strap worn backwards may help.
- Try a different shirt (some technical fabrics can affect it). This may be an issue for runners and is worth trying.
- Ensure the connections/snaps for the battery/sensor are not rusted on the strap. If your strap is old then this is very possible.
- Ensure the battery pack and strap are worn with the correct orientation. There may be a left/right marking. A good rule of thumb is to align logo on the battery vertically.
- Wahoo straps suggest certain ‘non-coated batteries. Getting a new battery is a good general troubleshoot technique.
7) Need a New Heart Rate Strap?
- Polar H10 Heart Rate Monitor Strap this is bluetooth and ant+ and waterproof. It has the best accuracy, which is important if using for HRV or more precise measurement
- This Coospo brand off of amazon has tested very well for low cost over a year of use
- The Wahoo Tickr Heart Rate Strap is also commonly used
More HRM troubleshooting links that may help:
- Garmin- https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=o3jGSobIba3z7lLLMexE16
- Erratic readings – https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=E1mkf1IeV07TSGLfS0ba38
- Polar – https://support.polar.com/us-en/support/how_to_reset_my_heart_rate_sensor?category=
- Wahoo https://support.wahoofitness.com/hc/en-us/articles/115000359464-I-m-Having-Trouble-with-My-TICKR-What-Can-I-Do-
