Garmin HRM-Pro Plus Review: A Design Update, Same Price

The Garmin HRM-Pro heart rate monitor was released in 2020 and continues to work as a very capable chest strap. If you bought one in 2020, you may have changed the battery once or twice and have encountered the inconvenience of the small screws on the battery access door. Battery compartment access is the only notable design change in HRM-Pro Plus with a software enhancement also available on the HRM-Pro.

While we often look for significant improvements in new products, there are no real flaws in the HRM-Pro except for the massive battery design. It is perfectly acceptable to create a new product to improve something and then use it as the default product for that category, and for the same price, everyone should buy it. HRM-Pro Plus now instead of HRM-Pro. However, if you already have an HRM-Pro, there’s no reason to upgrade to a new heart rate monitor until your current model fails.

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In the early days of GPS watches, I wore a chest strap because wrist-based heart rate tracking wasn’t very accurate. After a while, the chest straps bothered me, and I found the wrist-based tracking to be good enough for my needs. With the Garmin heart rate monitor serving as the data source for running motivation, and now with the Garmin 2022 watch as the data source for running energy, I’m back to training with the chest strap. I’m also an activist now Users of Hydrow So a chest strap is required to get the most accurate workout experience.

With the HRM-Pro, there are four screws that need to be removed to replace the coin cell battery in the display, and an O-ring that you must ensure is in place to maintain 5ATM water resistance. On the HRM-Pro Plus, you simply rotate the rear battery cover to remove the cover and replace the battery. There’s even a small tab under the battery so you can easily pull it up and remove it. This is a great touch as I often have to use a screwdriver or other pry tool to get the coin pin out of things. Do not remove the white battery powered device from the case. Same silicone cap on the battery compartment, but now it’s white instead of yellow.

The band itself is made of the same flexible material as the HRM-Pro, including the clasp back piece that keeps the strap connection from running over your skin. There are also two exposed areas on the inside of the band. The length of the strap is also adjustable and like the HRM-Pro, I have it close to the maximum length to fit my chest. The strap is very comfortable for long periods of wear and does not move when fixed properly.

The HRM-Pro Plus provides heart rate data via ANT+ and Bluetooth so it works with your Garmin watch, smartphone apps, compatible gym devices, and other GPS or smartwatches. Swimmers will appreciate the 5ATM water resistance and heart rate data storage on the strap that syncs with your device, but the band can slide down because it’s not optimized for swimming in water. all conditions. If you remove your Garmin device for team sports and other activities, the HRM-Pro Plus can be worn to track steps, intensity minutes, and more, later on. can be synced with your Garmin device.

Also: Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar review: Garmin’s most powerful watch built for runners

A unique software innovation in the HRM-Pro Plus is heart rate monitoring to track indoor pace and distance, so when you’re on the treadmill, Garmin helps keep track of these stats. . This software enhancement is now also available on HRM-Pro 2020 via a software update, so the HRM-Pro will have the same software as the HRM-Pro Plus at no additional cost to HRM owners- Pro.

With new Garmin watches such as Forerunner 955 Solar, running power assist is now watch-sourced, so when you pair the Forerunner with the watch, running energy and running dynamics (stride length, cadence, vertical ratio, and face contact time) land) will appear on the clock and during your run the aggregate report. Running power assist is also offered to older Garmin watches without running power support initially through the ConnectIQ app.

I only run outside, so to fully understand the new indoor running features of the HRM-Pro Plus and the upgraded HRM-Pro, I recommend you take a look at the extension review on DC Rainmaker website.

The Garmin HRM-Pro Plus is currently on sale for $129.99, which is the same price as the HRM-Pro. It offers solid and reliable heart rate monitoring with deep integration in the Garmin ecosystem. The coin-cell battery should last you about a year, and Garmin actively updates the band with the latest features and support.

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