Garmin HRM-Professional Plus overview: One design replace, similar value

The Garmin HRM-Professional coronary heart fee monitor was launched in 2020 and continues to function a really succesful chest strap. Should you purchased one in 2020, you could have modified the battery out one or two instances and skilled the inconvenience of the small screws on the battery entry door. Battery compartment entry is the one noticeable design change within the HRM-Professional Plus with the one software program enchancment additionally out there on the HRM-Professional.

Whereas we regularly search for vital enhancements in new merchandise, there have been no actual faults within the HRM-Professional apart from the horrible battery entry design. Creating a brand new product that improves one thing after which serves because the default product for that class is completely acceptable and with the identical value everybody should buy the HRM-Professional Plus now as an alternative of the HRM-Professional. Nonetheless, if you have already got the HRM-Professional then there isn’t a purpose to improve to the brand new coronary heart fee monitor till your current mannequin fails.

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Within the early days of GPS watches, I wore a chest strap since coronary heart fee monitoring from the wrist was not very correct. After some time, chest straps bothered me and I discovered wrist-based monitoring to be ok for my wants. With Garmin’s coronary heart fee displays serving as the information supply for working dynamics, and now with the 2022 Garmin watches, as the information supply for working energy I’m again to understanding with a chest strap. I’m additionally now an lively Hydrow person so a chest strap is required to get essentially the most correct exercise expertise.

With the HRM-Professional, there have been 4 screws that wanted to be eliminated to exchange the coin cell battery within the monitor and an O-ring that you just had to verify was correctly positioned to keep up the 5ATM water resistance. On the HRM-Professional Plus, you merely rotate the again battery cowl to take away the quilt and change the battery. There’s even a small tab positioned below the battery so you’ll be able to simply pull it up and take away the battery. This can be a good contact as I usually have had to make use of a screwdriver or different pry instrument to get coin cell batteries out of issues. Do not take away the white battery help system from the pod. The identical silicone cowl over the battery compartment is current, however it’s now white as an alternative of yellow.

The strap itself is made from the identical versatile materials because the HRM-Professional, together with the clasp backing piece that retains the strap connection from working in your pores and skin. There are additionally two contact areas on the within of the band. The band size can be adjustable and just like the HRM-Professional, I’ve it close to the utmost size to suit round my chest. The strap may be very comfy for prolonged intervals of damage and doesn’t shift round when secured correctly.

The HRM-Professional Plus gives coronary heart fee knowledge over ANT+ and Bluetooth so it really works along with your Garmin watch, smartphone apps, appropriate tools within the gymnasium, and different GPS or smartwatches. Swimmers will respect the 5ATM water resistance and storage of coronary heart fee knowledge on the band that syncs to your system, however the strap could slide down since it isn’t optimized for swimming in all situations. Should you take your Garmin system off for staff sports activities and different actions, the HRM-Professional Plus may be worn to trace steps, depth minutes, and extra that may later be synced to your Garmin system.

Additionally: Garmin Forerunner 955 Photo voltaic overview: Garmin’s strongest watch constructed for runners

The one software program enchancment within the HRM-Professional Plus is the power for the center fee monitor to trace indoor run tempo and distance so when you find yourself on a treadmill Garmin will assist observe these metrics. This software program enchancment can be now out there on the 2020 HRM-Professional by way of a software program replace so the HRM-Professional may have the identical software program because the HRM-Professional Plus at no further price to the HRM-Professional proprietor.

With new Garmin watches, such because the Forerunner 955 Photo voltaic, working energy assist is now native to the watch so when you could have the Forerunner paired to the watch then working energy and working dynamics (stride size, run cadence, vertical ratio, and floor contact time) will seem on the watch and in your working abstract report. Working energy assist can be offered to older Garmin watches that do not have native working energy assist via ConnectIQ apps.

I solely run outdoors so to totally perceive the brand new indoor working assist options of the HRM-Professional Plus, and upgraded HRM-Professional, I like to recommend you take a look at the intensive overview on the DC Rainmaker web site.

The Garmin HRM-Professional Plus is on the market now for $129.99, the identical value because the HRM-Professional. It provides stable and dependable coronary heart fee monitoring with deep integration within the Garmin ecosystem. The coin cell battery ought to final you a couple of 12 months and Garmin actively retains the strap up to date with the most recent assist and options.

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