I’m working with a brand new triathlete who is looking to purchase a heart rate monitor. I’m advising either a chest strap or arm strap. What do you suggest he gets for as a beginner?
I’d start with a question…does the beginner own a watch with onboard HRM? If not, then I’d say start there. I’ve found the wrist-based data to be perfectly acceptable (as has DC Rainmaker), compared to chest straps, though wrist-based sensors may not work for everyone.
I’m quite biased to Garmin, though the Apple watch may work well, too, depending on the proposed distance. Relative battery life becomes an issue on the Apple series, though their relative slimness is a nice feature. I have no experience with Coros or others.
Within Garmin, I’d suggest the Forerunners are the better option, given the relative prices and weights. Choices would then be the 2xx and 9xx series, each with a x55 and x65 version. Re: 2xx vs 9xx, as one might imagine, price and specs are the primary differentiators, with the higher price bringing in somewhat better specs (data series and options for sports); you as the coach might prefer the extra data coming from the 9xx series.
x55 vs x65 is about the screen. the former are MIPS, while the latter are OLED. Which on is “better” is highly subjective. I run the former (955) and it’s great, with a bit better battery life, but generally not as “bright”. (side note; I’m on my third 955, Garmin having kindly replaced prior versions upon a brick after an update and a bike crash). Were I to need to buy another, I’d switch to x65 for the OLED screen (because I’m old and hard-of-seeing).
Turning to straps, as for arm, vs chest. I think the chest is the better option, given the range of clothing requirements.
If there’s already a watch, then I’d opt for the HRM Pro Plus, again being biased to Garmin. Primary differentiator is the ability to record while not carrying any other device. Example use would be an OWS session (one starts the activity from the phone, swims the session, then closes the session upon completion; data are uploaded from the device after that).
There is a new Garmin chest-strap option: the HRM 200. A bit more beginner focused (and priced), the band also is washable (the Pro Plus sensor is not removeable, though it is hand-washable; I’ve had some wear/tear issues on the sensing-bit of the strap, though it still works fine).
I’ve worn Wahoo chest straps in the past, which tended to be less reliable (for me, in particular for pairing). I find Polar HRMs always have great reviews, though I have not worn one in a decade or so.
*Side note…*I have a Garmin HRM-Swim, which I want to love, but which I have found just never seems to fit well when swimming. A bit itchy and I have to have tape the straps to keep it in place. The watch does not record HRM while swimming. Those athletes wearing swim gear that covered the upper body may find that a regular strap will work fine in the pool. Of course, under a wetsuit the regular strap definitely will work (here the arm band would probably not work, given the snugness of the wetsuit arms).
That’s really helpful, thank you! I’ll copy and paste your whole response to him!!
Wrist based monitoring is not great on outdoor cycling for some reason, and generally don’t do super well in the cold if that’s a factor for your athlete.
For chest straps, it’s hard to go wrong in general, but the Polar H10 is the standard. Look up DC Rainmaker’s reviews.
I have had the Coros Armband HR monitor for just over a year now and have no complaints about it. I have never used a chest strap HR monitor before, but I can say the armband is not noticeable/annoying during running or cycling work.