Garmin HRM -- Regular or Soft?
 

I'm getting a heart rate monitor for my Garmin Edge 305:

http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-010-109...cm_rdp_product

Is the soft version worth the extra cost?

Thanks,

Al

IMO, no. The hard strap has been reliable and I am unaware of it within a minute or so of putting it on. The soft strap offers no benefit IMO and there has been some reliability issues related to it's connection the the transmitter module. I believe the latest version of the Garmin soft strap has resolved that, but in the past others have resorted to using a replacement soft strap from Polar with the Garmin transmitter module.

With the hard strap, rub a little water or spit into the contact pads of the strap before putting it on. This helps ensure a reliable signal when starting out in the cool and before you start sweating.

I have both and while I find the soft more comfortable, their performance is equal. They both do exactly what they're supposed to and do it well.

I prefer the soft strap and the extra cost is worth it to me.

Softshell=comfort

Here's an article on issues with the soft strap. http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2010/08/s...utsspikes.html

Between post #2 and #3 I was seduced by a $28 eBay offer for a regular strap. We'll see how it goes.

My impression is that Garmin has fixed the issues with the soft strap sometime in the last two years.

I've had the non-soft on about six rides now, and as Looigi says, it's comfortable enough. I feel like it is slipping down, but that's an illusion. Even if I do jumping jacks, it stays in place.