Heads up!!! Here’s your massive holiday sports tech deals list! This includes the Garmin Epix for just $419, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 for just $699, the GoPro Hero 12 Black for $249, (or the brand new Hero 13 or $299!) and plenty more! Go check out the full list of 100+ deals here!
I’m DC RAINMAKER…
Here’s how to save!
Wanna save some cash and support the site? These companies help support the site! With Backcountry.com or Competitive Cyclist with either the coupon code DCRAINMAKER for first time users saving 15% on applicable products.
You can also pick-up tons of gear at REI via these links, which is a long-time supporter as well:
Alternatively, for everything else on the planet, simply buy your goods from Amazon via the link below and I get a tiny bit back as an Amazon Associate. No cost to you, easy as pie!
You can use the above link for any Amazon country and it (should) automatically redirect to your local Amazon site.
-
Check out my weekly podcast - with DesFit, which is packed with both gadget and non-gadget goodness!
-
5 Easy Steps To The Site
1
In Depth Product Reviews
You probably stumbled upon here looking for a review of a sports gadget. If you’re trying to decide which unit to buy – check out my in-depth reviews section. Some reviews are over 60 pages long when printed out, with hundreds of photos! I aim to leave no stone unturned.
2
Read My Sports Gadget Recommendations.
Here’s my most recent GPS watch guide here, and cycling GPS computers here. Plus there are smart trainers here, all in these guides cover almost every category of sports gadgets out there. Looking for the equipment I use day-to-day? I also just put together my complete ‘Gear I Use’ equipment list, from swim to bike to run and everything in between (plus a few extra things). And to compliment that, here’s The Girl’s (my wife’s) list. Enjoy, and thanks for stopping by!
3
Have some fun in the travel section.
I travel a fair bit, both for work and for fun. Here’s a bunch of random trip reports and daily trip-logs that I’ve put together and posted. I’ve sorted it all by world geography, in an attempt to make it easy to figure out where I’ve been.
4
My Photography Gear: The Cameras/Drones/Action Cams I Use Daily
The most common question I receive outside of the “what’s the best GPS watch for me” variant, are photography-esq based. So in efforts to combat the amount of emails I need to sort through on a daily basis, I’ve complied this “My Photography Gear” post for your curious minds (including drones & action cams!)! It’s a nice break from the day-to-day sports-tech talk, and I hope you get something out of it!
5
The Swim/Bike/Run Gear I Use List
Many readers stumble into my website in search of information on the latest and greatest sports tech products. But at the end of the day, you might just be wondering “What does Ray use when not testing new products?”. So here is the most up to date list of products I like and fit the bill for me and my training needs best! DC Rainmaker 2023 swim, bike, run, and general gear list. But wait, are you a female and feel like these things might not apply to you? If that’s the case (but certainly not saying my choices aren’t good for women), and you just want to see a different gear junkies “picks”, check out The Girl’s Gear Guide too.
Leave it to a woman! She is SO smart! Thank you! ;)
Sarah
http://www.thinfluenced.com
Glad I am not the only one having this issue.
I have opened a post on a running forum asking for help and these were the most popular tips :
– Tighten the HRP to stop it from rubbing on your skin
– Vaselline or bodyglide
– Some people have reported results by sliding the sensor so its on their LH side with one electrode in front one side/backish. I even read people putting the sensor on the back. Apparently the HRM still works
– Loosening the HRM and lowering it a bit
– Put some athletic tape on your skin at the spots where there is the chafing
None of the above worked, I shall try with your tip and report back.
Note that in my case the chaffling occurs on the sides of the sensor. Have a look at what my chest looks like at the moment – warning, it’s an Italian male hairy chest with abrasions :) – link to i.imgur.com
(BTW English is not my Language and I would love to be able to edit my comments to get rid of typos)
Thanks for advice. Have the same problems on long runs. Especially with standard garmin HR band, chaffing with premium band is very reduced (though still happns – especially when it is hot and humid).
I have additional question… One of the screws holding together the HRM is damaged. Three can be unscrewed without a problem. I need to change a battery, but dont want to break or damsge HRM. Its actually not so cheap. Garmin shop just offered me a new strap for 60 eur :-(
I had the same problem and same response from Garmin. So frustrating :-(
My chafing occurs on the sides of my body, rather than in the front where the pod is located. Nothing seems to help, but I’d love to hear if anything is working for others.
Thanks for that Ray! I actually ended up bleeding down my white run short during 13+ mile run one Sunday. I have been wearing the classic strap now for the last month and it is just starting to heal up. For me it only happens with so-called Premium strap. Can’t wait to give this a try.
I’ve used duct tape for this same purpose myself (and yes, I’ve been rubbed raw/bleeding before I finally found this solution). Duct tape is cheaper than bandaids too!
I use Duct Tape, in the same fashion. I swear to you, it works, and stays longer. Maybe you use band aids for a sprint, but Duct tape for 140.6 :) Incidently, duct tape is also awesome on the inside of shoes that cause blisters! :)
Thank you soo much! After a year of soreness duct tape did the magic…
Thank you, Miss Bertie! You rock!
I’ve been using BodyGlide for this exact problem, and while it works, my HRM strap eventually just gets gunked up, and Garmin says that actually dropping the strap in a washing machine is a no-no. With BodyGlide, the strap also tends to slip around and give me nonsense readings after a while, so this tip is golden.
I was having this problem also, but fixed it by getting a Wahoo Fitness HRM.
I was having terrible problems with the Garmin misreporting HR, tried a few different tricks and finally gave up on it when I discovered how difficult it was to get the screws out of the battery cover.
The Wahoo Fitness model has none of these problems. It cost more, but I thought it was worth it for something that is reliable, doesn’t irritate my skin and easy to change the battery.
I had the same problem and at first used Bodyglide, etc…
I TOTALLY solved the issue using a Polar strap instead of the Garmin one.
By the way, the Polar strap seems to be more “resilient” to sweat, etc and avoid the “fuzzy HR” which sometimes happens using even the latest “premium Garmin HR strap”
Like you, I switched to the Polar strap with the Garmin transmitter and have had no problems since.
I’ve been wraping my strap with athletics tape. Its just a mather of “bending” the edges of the strap away from your skin. I also had a problem with hair being slowly removed because they where caught between the strap and the sensor.. OUCH!
Has anyone tried wearing the strap upside down?
Aye. Half the heart rate and still rubbing. So didn’t work for me.
Only happened once. The strap was looser than normal. I tightened it a bit more and the chaffing disapeared.
Easy one!
This was a timely post as I had pretty well given up on wearing a HRM on the run portion at Ironman Canada next week. Sadly I tried the bandaid on a short one hour run yesterday and the chaffing seems to be just as bad. Oh well, I’ll wear the HRM on the bike and just go on perceived exertion on the run I suppose! I’ve had similar issues with the classic strap and the newest strap. :(
Thanks for the tip.
Got this problem as well after switching to the latest Garmin “premium” strap. I have been using the previous versions for more than 5 years with no problems at all.
Using tape on the chest works – but Yesterday I tried putting the tape on the HRM instead and it ended up bloody after a 12K run. Seems like a design flaw to me.
Will try with duct tape.
I came up with a more durable/washable fix using a piece of mouse pad. Picture here: link to tinyurl.com
Kristian – Thanks for a great solution! I didn’t have a spare mouse pad to cut up, so I used the removable liner from an old pair of running shoes. My Polar T-31 strap accepted a pad slightly smaller (2 x 3″) than yours and fits comfortably in the hollow by the breastbone. No chaffing, comfortable, and free! The finished product looks just like your link.
Wow, this mouse pad idea is a thing of beauty! I’m sorry I am only finding this post now (way in the future, in the year 2017), so I’m guessing you’ll never see this comment, Kristian. But if you do, a million thanks!
Wow…that really worked. I was going to skip the HR sensor for Rev3 Cedar Point this past weekend. I still have the wounds from previous use (wondering why these are so slow to heal).
I decided to give the band-aid a go for the race and it worked like a charm.
Just wanted to say thanks for this tip. Have been using it since the original post and it works like a dream!
Long time reader and finally going to comment- used the same waterproof bandaid after this post through months of rinsing, 2 halfs, and a full IM without any chafing or bleeding. My scar from the last 2 years is still there, though! Can’t thank you enough!!
Glad to hear it helped!
Why do we let it get to that!! My scar is still there too! Yay for a solution though!
I *knew* you’d have a solution for this — used my 910xt for the first time w/ HRM yesterday, and have a nasty ‘tatoo’ from the strap rubbing. Will definitely try this before I run tomorrow. Thanks, this blog is the best.
Since I have both the newer Garmin strap lying around as well as the Polar strap – if the newer Garmin strap helps with the spiking problems then is there any particular reason you still use the Polar one? I will admit, the Polar one feels “nicer” – the Garmin one still feels a little cheap.
First of all, I really appreciate your great website!
I’m a happy owner of a garmin 310xt with a heart rate monitor. However, I have the chaffing issue a lot. First of all, I’m undure of exactly where to wear the device. The manual says “just under your breastplate” or something like that but I’m unsure what exact body part they’re actually refering to (I’m not a native En speaker). I get the issue when putting it under “pectoralis major” – right under the main chest muscle where I would guess it should be. If I move it to under my ribs, I have no problems. However, I’d like my data to be as reliable as possible, still.
Would you mind posting a picture of where it should be? Or maybe show it on an illustration?
Thanks very much. I’ll keep reading your site!
– John
I just switched to the newer Garmin 910xt after using the Forerunner for 3 years and I have the worst chafing under the plastic chest piece! No amount of body glide, repositioning or flipping the strap upside down has helped. I’ll try the bandaid or duct tape tricks! NEVER had an issue with the old strap!
First hit googling, “garmin heart rate monitor rubbing,” with exactly the problem I’m having, and what looks to be a perfect solution. Thanks for posting! It almost seems so obvious I probably wouldn’t have thought to write about it, but I’m glad you did.
After 30km / 18 miles yesterday I have a red scar across my chest from the HR belt. Not so great.
Thank you for the solution – I found waterproof tape in the bathroom link to i.imgur.com
Picture taken with vintage Nokia E71 from .. 2005
That was brilliant!!! My chaffing was where the sensors are on the new “comfort” strap which is a horrible name for such a torture device! Needless to say it was very, very painful. Thanks for sharing. That worked like a charm.
Just got a 910Xt over the weekend and now have a nasty red welt under where the HRM sensor was. Why hasn’t Garmin responded to this matter especially since this thread has been going on for almost a year. They have a product thats actually hurting and scaring their customers, seems to me they would respond and come out with a real solution.
Are any of the alternative belts like the old Polar hard belts?
To be fair, pretty much every HR strap on the market can (and does) do this to some extent (except the plastic ones you noted). I personally get it whether I wear a Polar strap or a Garmin strap.
I bought the Garmin Forerunner 610 and the premium heart rate monitor hurts me while running (under my breast) .. What can I do??? I use it the way it seems to be weared.
Hi Rocio-
Have you tried the band-aide (or tape) as per above? Or is it that it’s too tight and is restrictive?
Do you know if there are any older style Polars or something similar that works with the 910?
No, not with both the transmitter pod and the strap. The challenge is that even when you move the ANT+ transmitter pod to the Polar ones, it’s actually the transmitter pod pushing against the strap that is the root of the issues.
Garmin just released a new strap this month (June 2013). They claim to be the best heart rate monitor in the market. have you Heard anything???
See here about half-way down this post for my thoughts on the HRM3: link to dcrainmaker.com
late to the party but: I had the exact same problem with the Decathlon strap; needless to say this works perfectly!
thank you! (or more correct, thank the girl :) )
Amazing how you always have the answer to everything!!! I thought this was happening because I would wear it and drive to the track (sitting down). Then I thought maybe I was a little overweight! So glad to see I am not the only one with this issue! I will definitely read your other posts as I had no idea we could use a Polar strap with a Garmin monitor.
Can you let me know which model of Polar strap I may use with my Garmin 910? Thank you!
Here ya go: link to dcrainmaker.com
Thank you…. I will be trying this on my next run. The sores from the rubbing are killing me! I wonder if moleskin (like for blisters) would work as well…
I had no problem at all with the Garmin soft strap for first 8 weeks, then suddenly it started chafing and was quite sore, this continued for a few days until the strap actually slipped down to my stomach which made me realise the strap had become a little loose (I’ve lost a bit of weight), so I tightened the strap and the last 5 runs have been fine
Garmin sent me what I assume is the latest and greatest HRM strap (they also included a new unit) about two weeks ago. I put it on for a short run and I’m still having the same problem. Basically, each one of the rounded corners of the unit rubs and cuts into my skin. The farther the distance, the deeper/bigger the cut/blister. Big, bleeding ones. I now have 5 scars. Thanks, Garmin. :(
I’ve been having the exact same problem this year, so just read this and will give it ago. Real bugbear with my suunto belt on long runs which means that I can’t wear it during the week as it takes so long for the chaffed areas to heal.
So relieved to find this thread! After several years of no issues, I have had a blister rub every time I’ve worn it in the past month. Can’t wait to try the duct tape or band aid, but I have to wait for the current blister to heal up first.
I tried using 2 inch 3M™ Micropore™ Microporous Hypo-Allergenic Surgical Tape, this was extremely successful, I cut about a 4 inch strip of tape off and stuck it to my chest where the chafing was, and then put the belt on over the top of the tape, absolutely no problems after that. General info on the tape below.
A paper tape that is gentle to the skin yet adheres well. An economical, general-purpose surgical tape, it is available in standard rolls, dispenser packs, and single-use rolls.
Micropore tape is excellent for repeated applications on sensitive skin and elderly patients. It allows for moisture evaporation and skin to breathe and leaves minimal adhesive residue upon removal. Micropore tape is available in a dispenser pack for easy tear and convenience. Excellent for general-purpose taping. It is available in white or tan.
I had this chaffing issue on longer runs (never when cycling) and decided to buy the latest version, the HRM3 *new* fabric strap. That one solves the problem and have never had any chaffing issues. That was 6 months ago. It just failed. I took great care of it, hand rinsed it, never allowed it to bend much. But it still failed. I don’t know what the failure mechanism is. If I squeeze the fabric to the left of the transmitter pod, it comes back to life for a few seconds. Apparently a short or open circuit?
I can’t afford to buy new straps every few months… Or rather, don’t want to… so I think I’m going back to the indestructible older style soft rubber strap. Those are a little heavier and a little less comfortable, but will work for many years.
You’d think Garmin could figure out a more resilient design.
Random question… I’ve never used a hrm and wondered do you need a smooth chest for it to work effectively?
Nope, never heard of any problems with straps and smoothness. You’re all good!
I stumbled across this post completely by accident, and I am SO GLAD. My Polar soft strap was chafing the ever-loving HECK out of my chest. I went from skin so raw it was painful for almost a full week to absolutely ZERO chafing today (and it was a longer run). Thanks so much for this awesome tip!
awesome solution!!! I haven’t had the issue until I started using the Timex Run trainer strap and I couldn’t figure out why it would be different. I’m also hoping I can get that strap to work with my garmin since I’ve tried all the other tips and tricks and it keeps spiking and dropping.
I tried the bandaid thing and it worked for the first two runs I did but then it just started chafing like it did without the bandaid…. :( :( :( :( :(
I’m going to try the mousepad trick that I saw on this post
Thank you so much for this post. I have so many scars and cuts that when I went for a spray tan, the beautician thought that I had been self-harming!!! The cut that I got yesterday on a 15-miler (it as very warm) was one of the worse I’ve had in a long time.
Thanks. I find that when i rub vaseline at all the potential chafting areas and it’s worked great for me.
However, i noticed the electrodes portion coming off from the newer soft strap (2010+ version). Any remedies for that? Is there a specific glue i can use to stick it back or do i have to purchase a new heart rate strap?
Hmm, I haven’t seen any solution for the electrodes coming off. At that point it probably means a new strap (though not the whole transmitter, just the extra strap portion).
Thank you for sharing this post! I purchased a Polar HRM a few weeks ago and am dealing with this same issue. I have the two areas on top and bottom rubbed raw but have been still working out and running with the soreness. Not fun! I LOVE the HRM, but this is the pits. :( I am SO hoping this helps me!!
Hi there I’ve spent the better part of two days running around and trying to replace my Garmin Premium soft strap bla di bla monitor. After hours of frustration and questioning I came across a guy with a Polar heart rate strap and transmitter testing machine and asked him if he would mind testing my Garmin transmitter on his polar strap… Lo and behold it worked like a charm. When we tested my Garmin strap it came out as being faulty (as had been suspected). :-) So the best strap for your Garmin unit is the Polar Soft strap for Polar heart rate sensors (works with all polar units)
Hey Ray
I have had the spikes issue for a long while, until I taped the module, and things have been much better.
However, recently, I saw entire workouts where the HR readings would be all 220+ (for ever). I tried everything – retaping the module, changing the batteries etc.
I then borrowed a friend’s strap (only the fabric strap and NOT the module) and using my original HR module, I see NO spikes and elevated HR. My original strap is 2 yrs old and used VERY regularly this entire year (say 1.5 yr old in usage terms). Clearly the strap has gone kaput! Any known means to rescue it or time to get a new one? (or maybe the Mio Link)
Thanks for your advice!
I had this problem too and thought I was the only one, and then I found this article, wow… It’s a bit of a chock that this hasn’t been found out before the product was put to production and that it is still a problem years later. Especially when the first strap was not having this issue.
Anyway, thanks for the fix, hope I will not have a scar forever!
I have a Suunto heart rate monitor, and the elastic wears out extremely quickly. This is my third strap, and each has lasted about 2-3 months. The elastic stretches out and breaks near the monitor, and then becomes so stretched out that it stops reading my heart rate. Any recommendations? Am I wearing it wrong? Is there a more durable brand strap?
Glad I found this. Had long run with my 910xt hr strap that scratched me up pretty bad. Was ready to get out the old 305 strap. Was afraid to use body glide on it. Guess I’ll have to try the bandaid.
brilliant!I am glad I’m not the only one having this issue. Thank you For such a simple solution.
I actually tweeted garmin about the monitors and the suggested wearing it backwards. I questioned if it would still work but it was kindly pointed out that your heart beats can be felt in both sides!
I can’t believe no one else has commented on this – did this work?? I think my problem is that the plastic bit of the HrM has to sit under-ish my sports bra, and the two sort of combine to rub me raw. if I could just spin it around, though…
Yes, it generally works.
I don’t get it. It is 2015. I learned of the problem yesterday after running with my new Garmin. I have very deep slices in my skin, one of which already looks infected. Based on this series of comments, Garmin knew about this problem for several years. Why are we still dealing with it? How long does it take an engineer to design and test a new strap? This is irresponsible on the part of Garmin.
Looking at their software and its quality, or lack thereof, I don’t think we can expect any decent QA from Garmin. Software or hardware.
It’s really not unique to Garmin though, it happens to pretty much all HR straps equally these days.
Thanks for this tip. I never had a a problem with my old 305 for years and years. My Fenix is rubbing me crazy. Thanks again – looking forward to trying this out!
i’ve been getting torn up off, and and mostly on, for years. i’ve tried to wear it backwards and it doesn’t work for me. i’ve tried adjusting the tightness of my sports bra, the tightness of the monitor strap, can’t seem to find the right formula. the best thing for me so far is using medical tape in the bad spot. just a 2″ x 2″ strip. it’s gotten to the point where i need to use two pieces cuz the pod/strap slices through one layer. i still have times where the normal ‘bad spot’ is fine, but it will chafe me in another spot, it’s ridiculous. i’m going to try the band aid and duct tape. also note, as per garmin, we are supposed to take the pod off from the band after each use to help prolong the life, so new band aid or duct tape will be needed for every run. thanks for the posts everyone!
Can you use an old style sensor with a new style strap?
I have been trying to find the appropriate place to post my question. I have an old style HRM strap from
wahoo and the readouts are very wonky. Sometimes I’m dead, sometimes my HR is double what it should be. I read where you said that the sensor rarely goes bad so it is probably the strap. I changed the battery first but that didn’t work. My strap/sensor is like the “older soft strap” in the pictures on the post. I’ve seen Polar straps and even a Cats’ eye strap for sale but the snaps are not on separate ends of the strap but embeds in the strap.
I stopped using the HRM on my F3 because of this problem after regular red weals across my chest. I did try fiddling with tape and plaster for a while but in the mornings I just want to get out of bed and run, not perform enthusiasm destroying surgery first. Like others I’m curious why Garmin hasn’t redesigned the strap. I never had this problem with Polar which seems to have softer edges. I did try a polar strap with the Garmin sensor but could not make it work consistently or correctly even though others claim success . Saying all vendors have this problem doesn’t really show customer service. I’d pay extra for a strap that worked and didn’t cut me. .
Thanks for the post. Way down the road and I’m trying to figure out how to track hr and heal the raw spots from my Garmin strap. I plan I trying several if these ideas. Would be nice if the company would have a go at improving their product though.
I always keep the transmitter separate from the strap when I’m not using it because I thought that was supposed to preserve the battery. Is that wrong?? So I would have to reapply a bandaid every time. I have this chaffing problem on almost every run. I have tried Body Glide but it always seems to mess with the connection because my HR data is way off.
I have been wearing Garmin chest straps for ten years and have this year developed the red painful rash directly under the strap. First happened with brand new swim compatible and then with every other one I have, Tri and running. This rash makes it impossible to wear a strap as the rash will last a week.
I have tried washing and or soaking old straps but same rash reappears. So I went to my GP Doc who is a multiple Ironman man finisher with a ton of experience and quite matter of factually states, you have been where them a long time so you deleveloped a serious latex allergy and there is virtually nothing you can do at this point.
So if any one has the same condition and has found a work around would love to hear it as I train with heart rate.
Thanks,
Pete
This thread reveals this as a common problem, that can come and go, yet none of my fitness buddies are affected. I asked my GP, then a dermatologist, who both diagnosed “atopic eczema” and offered steroid cream to manage the inflammation, but that is not a solution. I am getting older (sucks!). I had leather skin that nothing bothered – until it did. It seems the very slight rubbing from the strap now irritates, and does not clear up. It is red and itchy 6″-8″ each front/side of chest, not the back not the middle front. Clears up after a week of no chest strap.
Arm band for me I think. Thank you DC R.
I use RockTape and because it holds up during sweaty sessions, like the Band-Aid, it’s worked like a charm!
BRILLIANT!! Saved me having to buy another device.