Garmin HRM-Fit: 100 Mile Review

So you’re thinking about buying the new Garmin HRM-Fit and don’t want to watch a 19 minute video before deciding? Just kidding, here at TBD we all love DCRainmaker and his incredibly thorough reviews.

In this review of the Garmin HRM-Fit I’ll go thru pros, cons and a bottom line of whether or not I’d recommend buying it. I’ve used it for about a month on a variety of runs, and some strength training and I think I’ve discovered a few pros & cons I haven’t seen in other reviews.

Pros:

• Nice tight fit without any bouncing - the clasps to put it on are quite secure

• No chafing or other discomfort - I don’t really notice having it on after the first few minutes of the first run

• Doesn’t stick out or anything, i.e. doesn’t get in the way of my running stride

• It’s a high end HRM with lots of additional features that I haven’t really explored but if you are into such things and want the best heart rate monitor, you’re in luck

• Easy mechanism for replacing the battery - no tiny screwdriver needed

• Seems to be very accurate, largely much more so than the optical HRM sensor on my running watch

• Fits even a very small frame (my chest is around 32 inches), and seems it would fit a variety of sizes

• Designed by a team of women! Neat!

Cons:

• There is one major con that I’ve found which is that sports bras do not uniformly sit on the same part of my chest. I never noticed this prior, but a few of my sports bras are longer, and the HRM doesn’t pick up my heart rate when I wear them. This isn’t that big a deal but I’d look at your sports bra collection before purchasing

• It also won’t work with a combination bra / top that is longer. To me this isn’t a catastrophe as I’d take the less accurate readings on my wrist once in a while, but it’s annoying

• Because of the clips, it does stick out a little bit. This hasn’t bothered me so far, but I could imagine it might be irritating when riding the trainer or running in warmer weather with just a sports bra

Bottom Line:

I like the HRM-Fit. Its most annoying con - not fitting with every sports bra - is probably outweighed by not having the gappy, stretched out chest band I’ve experienced with other heart rate monitors. If you’re looking to add accuracy to your training, I’d recommend it.