Customer Reviews

Garmin Heart Rate Monitor for Forerunner 305 and Edge 305 (010-10645-00)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

My HR strap initially was not displaying bpm on my Forerunner 305.

To make it work do the following:
Use the mode button to get to
Settings>> General>> Accessories >> Restart Scan

It then worked well.

Frustrating that no box or instructions were included with the HR Strap.

I suspect this is a returned/gray market item.

Enjoy!
Tim

Before getting the Garmin Edge 305, I owned a Polar HR. The strap on the Garmin is not so stiff and fits better in my mind. The difference is the attachment that is under-over whereas the Polar was the reverse.

My only grudge with the strap is that it increases HR betas in windy condition. It's not uncommon for my HR monitor to report well above my HR max. I've seen up to 250 bpm. Usually holding my jersey close to my body (or farther away) to prevent flapping brings my HR reading to normal. I ha the same issue with the Polar strap.

I have a Heart Rate Transmitter & Strap. It doesn't work. I sent many e-mails to Garmin and got absolutely no help from them. (That's unusual for Garmin.)

The listing for this product is misleading. It states that it is for the Forerunner 305 and the Edge 305, however, it won't work with the Forerunner 305. If you look more closely, this is stated in the technical details description for the product. I orderd this as a replacement for the monitor that came with my Forerunner and it absolutely will not work.

Bought this to replace the original one that came with the unit that I lost somewhere. Works fine, doesn't miss a beat.

Be careful replacing the battery. The cover is not moisture tight and if it is not sealed, corrosive sweat can reach the electronics in side giving your monitor the electonic equivalent of a fatal heart attack.

I've found the Garmin HRM strap to be very reliable and easy to use for both running and cycling, much more so than my Polar WearLink strap which seems finicky by comparison. Considering the sensor section is made of a rather firm plastic, the strap is surprisingly comfortable; I have no discomfort even after 3 hours on the bike and a couple of hours running.

My only minor criticism is that Garmin's strap isn't compatible with Polar equipment, which means I don't get the handy HR readout directly from the cardio equipment at the gym; I have to either wear my 305 on my wrist or mount it on the treadmill etc., which necessitates having to keep glancing down every so often to make sure I'm in my desired zone, vs. having the HR readout almost in my eye line as it would be with a Polar strap talking to the equipment. Yes, I know could use the 305's audible alarms, but it can get annoying for people running next to me and I do try to be courteous :-)

If it talked to Polar equipment, I'd rate this product 5 stars.

I rate items based on three criteria - Does it work as advertised? Does the value justify the cost? Does it improve my life? I put my recommendation at the top, then answer those three questions below.

RECOMMENDATION

The coupling of this HRM with the Garmin 305 is pretty standard setup. I recommend getting the combo.

FUNCTIONALITY

Tracks your heart rate data over time. With the right testing and analysis, you can really increase your day to day workout effectiveness by using heart rate as your metric, instead of RPE or speed. Everybody has bad days, and if your only goal is to spead X amount of time in Y heart rate zone, you can acheive that even on a bad day. The battery life seems pretty excellent. Been using mine for 2 years without replacing the battery. Occasionally, it takes really crazy readings that are way too high, but that's pretty rare - I've only seen grossly errant measurements 2 or 3 times in hundreds of workouts, and it might have been due to the band slipping down too far and losing contact.

VALUE

Again, I recommend buying the combo of the 305 + HRM.

DOES IT IMPROVE MY LIFE?

The main benefits of the HRM for me are: in running, making sure I'm not pushing too hard too early in the run, and in biking, making sure my heart rate is high enough. You really have to get your heart to the point where it will cooperate at high power, so sometimes you have to go for a tougher gear and push your HR up.

Changed the batteries, followed the instructions of a Garmin technician, but had to buy a new one. Hope this lasts longer.

This product works great. The heart rate monitor integrates with the GPS. It has improved my runs and workouts.