Accessories & Sensors - Recent Threads

RE: Is the HRM-600 chest strap suitable for swimming in a pool?

trux — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 18:32:26 GMT

[quote userid="425525" url="~/sports-fitness/running-multisport/f/accessories-sensors/443533/is-the-hrm-600-chest-strap-suitable-for-swimming-in-a-pool/2066374"]Is everything measured correctly?[/quote]

No, it is not. It is missing the distance, pace, pool lengths, strokes, swolf, interval stats, ... Does it look the same when you record a Pool Swim activity without HRM 600?

Is the HRM-600 chest strap suitable for swimming in a pool?

Seensoul — Sun, 06 Sep 2026 09:55:13 GMT

Is the HRM-600 strap suitable for chlorinated water and swimming in a pool? If so, how should I care for it after a one-hour workout?

RE: Is the HRM-600 chest strap suitable for swimming in a pool?

Seensoul — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 11:16:43 GMT

Thanks to everyone for your replies. Well, in that case, I’ll go ahead and get both the Fenix 8 and the swim strap, since the Fenix has heart rate issues.

Could you take a look at this activity:

connect.garmin.com/.../24432606915

Is everything measured correctly? I don’t really see any details there besides the heart rate....

RE: Is the HRM-600 chest strap suitable for swimming in a pool?

Jentzek — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 11:38:53 GMT

You have to wear it really tight otherwise it will slip to your hips while making turns at the end of the pool. I would recommend buying older HRM Swim that is much better fitting and acustomed to chlorine effects.

RE: HRM 600 will not go to sleep

JED — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 23:35:07 GMT

Yeah, I get it.

thanks

HRM 600 will not go to sleep

JED — Sat, 19 Sep 2026 16:40:45 GMT

The said HRM wouldn’t go to sleep - either buttoned to the strap, left attached with only one button to the strap or completely removed from the strap. All activities started and finished on the watch with the HRM located at the chest.

Sensor has been factory reset and two types of wireless connection exercised - no success.

Battery keeps discharging continuously.

It took me many months to justify switching from H10 to 600 and paying huge price for the HRM. And once I’ve got one one week ago, it acts up.

I am extremely disappointed with this product - please help!

RE: HRM 600 will not go to sleep

trux — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 23:34:23 GMT

[quote userid="2247981" url="~/sports-fitness/running-multisport/f/accessories-sensors/444510/hrm-600-will-not-go-to-sleep/2065949"]But there are a few cases described on here[/quote]

This is not Support, it is primarily a user forum. Cases submitted to the Support are statistically evaluated, and handled accordingly. The purpose of the forum is basically to take away some load off the Support thanks to the peer-to-peer help offered here. The issues reported here rarely end up at the developers.

RE: HRM 600 will not go to sleep

JED — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 22:22:21 GMT

But there are a few cases described on here - I know that’s nothing worldwide but still…problem exists.

It is my 5th HRM - I still have 2 older Garmins, 1 Wahoo and 1 Polar - never experienced anything as bad as this one.

And it seems to be a design fault! 🤬

RE: HRM 600 will not go to sleep

trux — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 21:47:34 GMT

[quote userid="2247981" url="~/sports-fitness/running-multisport/f/accessories-sensors/444510/hrm-600-will-not-go-to-sleep/2065942"]I honestly think they don’t give a damn - it will be like Apple's answers: “it’s a feature not a bug”.[/quote]

That's very well possible, especially if you are the only one who contacts them with the issue, and clearly identifies the root of the problem (the continuous moving after the removal of the strap). If there are many users reporting it, with a clear description of the problem, they will start to care, because having to handle frequently repeated support cases costs them money, and it also points to a true bug, and not just to an exceptional edge case.

RE: HRM 600 will not go to sleep

JED — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 21:35:30 GMT

That other thread is very interesting - it makes me sad even more that slight movement might keep sensor awake forever - and I wasn’t fully happy with a coin battery on Polar HRM - it shows how badly engineered is the most expensive HRM on the market.

But yes - I will contact Garmin’s Support and try to tell them about the issue - but guess what? I honestly think they don’t give a damn - it will be like Apple's answers: “it’s a feature not a bug”.

RE: HRM 600 will not go to sleep

trux — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 21:29:16 GMT

[quote userid="2247981" url="~/sports-fitness/running-multisport/f/accessories-sensors/444510/hrm-600-will-not-go-to-sleep/2065325"]Good for you.[/quote]

I guess you misinterpreted my message. I am not bragging about my HRM working properly, or not believing that you have problems. I am telling you that if the HRM does not turn off, it is not the common and expected behavior, and that you should contact the Support to either exchange the device, or investigate under which circumstances and why it happens, and then fixing it.

So for example if it only happens while on a constantly moving boat, as mentioned in another thread, you want to make sure you report it to Garmin's Support, when you speak to them. It may help them replicate and fix the issue.

RE: HRM 600 won’t turn off.

JED — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 13:45:22 GMT

So why it wouldn’t switch on while shaking?

Now, that’s even crazier because there’s NO WAY to switch it off - if one is lucky and it goes to sleep then it won’t switch on even by shaking, ok (craaaazy). But if it doesn’t go to sleep like mine it might stay on until dead battery? GREAT engineering, Garmin 🤬

HRM 600 won’t turn off.

4155816 — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 19:41:58 GMT

My HRM 600 won’t turn off. It is constantly flashing green twice. I have disconnected it from the strange and it is completely dry. I have disconnected it from my watch also but still continues to flash. Any ideas

RE: HRM 600 won’t turn off.

1756166 — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 13:39:20 GMT

I think vessel movement may keep the sensor on. I picked up the sensor when it is off and shook it for over 30 seconds and it won't turn on. But if I turn it on and keep shaking it, it stays on. Software version 5.20

RE: HRM 600 won’t turn off.

JED — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 13:36:17 GMT

you reckon that movement of the vessel activates the sensor???

🤯

RE: HRM 600 won’t turn off.

JED — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 13:33:40 GMT

Thanks.

unfortunately it’s not my case - stays on even disconnected from the strap - has been laying on my desk for all these hours without me around.

RE: HRM 600 won’t turn off.

1756166 — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 13:26:24 GMT

I just tested and it seems like HRM 600 will stay on if it detects movement even when not on a strap. Once it is on and I am carrying it for a walk, it stays on no matter how long my walk is. It turns off if I left it idle on a table after 4 minutes. I have battery saver mode off so that I can verify its on/off status.

RE: HRM 600 will not go to sleep

JED — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 11:22:58 GMT

Good for you.

RE: HRM 600 GCTB issue

trux — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 23:12:58 GMT

[quote userid="2499778" url="~/sports-fitness/running-multisport/f/accessories-sensors/444631/hrm-600-gctb-issue"]Has Garmin fixed this problem at all?[/quote]

The question is whether it really is a problem, or just the reality. If you have results from a lab proving that the data from HRM 600 is wrong, then I recommend getting in touch with Garmin's Support, and providing them the data.

Myself, over the past years, I used three different HRMs (HRM-Pro, HRM-Pro Plus, and HRM 600), and the results from all three of them are rather consistent - in average the ratio is 50.6L/49.4R +/- 0.1, with some peeks and downs corresponding well to the state of my weaker/injured right foot. There are no unusual changes when I switch from one HRM to another.

Also, make sure you wear the HRM carefully placed exactly at the center of you chest. A small difference in the position off the center can easily lead to unexpected results.

HRM 600 GCTB issue

4838373 — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 15:53:42 GMT

I see that some have had issues with the HRM 600 GCTB metric. I wish I would have checked earlier as I am having that issue. My older HRM RUN has me at 51/49 always a little left heavy. My HRM 600 has me at 55/45 but continues to drift WORSE even with no known changes to my run or symptoms of injury. Has Garmin fixed this problem at all?

HRM 600 overestimates running power from easy runs

7dfcd1938c0146f1804397d33ddc9c14 — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 07:01:37 GMT

I started running with an HRM 600 a few weeks ago. My watch is a Forerunner 970. My intention was to not only get more accurate HR, but also power readings, since I want to use pace-based TSS for training load stats on Intervals.icu.

What I did not expect is that HRM 600 calculates power very (!) differently in general compared to the watch. While the power the HRM estimates is almost the same at threshold pace (~370 W at 4:19 min/km) compared to the watch, it esimates a way higher power number than the watch at slower paces (~280 W at ~ 6:50 min/km with the HRM, ~245 W on the watch). As a result, the training load from TSS is completely overblown.

Did anyone else notice that? In this case, I think the number from the watch for slower paces is way more sensical than the one from the HRM, and hence, the power numbers of slower runs are unusable.

RE: HRM 600 overestimates running power from easy runs

7dfcd1938c0146f1804397d33ddc9c14 — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 20:24:42 GMT

The issue is that as shown above the power scales completely different with pace between the two devices. In a power baded training load metric, an easy run is now a lot (!) a harder on the body while a threshold run produces basically the same load.

RE: HRM 600 overestimates running power from easy runs

nradov — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 18:42:42 GMT

It's not so much that the device calculates running power differently but rather that the calculation is based on different sensor data. The accelerometers in the HRM 600 located on your chest will naturally have different outputs than the accelerometers in the Forerunner 970 on your wrist. If you change your running form, like more your arms more or something, then the relative differences in power calculations can change. In general the chest strap should be more consistent because it's closer to your core. But because there is no industry standard protocol to measure running power there will always be differences between devices so it's kind of meaningless to compare one device against another.

RE: HRM 600 will not go to sleep

trux — Sat, 19 Sep 2026 21:40:53 GMT

I do not see any such problems on my HRM 600. It turns off within couple of seconds after being removed from the chest, and mostly I do not even detach it from the strap. So if your device does not behave in this way, I recommend either getting a replacement from the vendor, or contacting Garmin Support.

HRM 200

Chuckcoffee — Sun, 02 Aug 2026 17:17:14 GMT

My first HRM 200 really developed the documented horse smell with 8 months of use. I contacted Garmin and had it replaced. They were good about that. My new one is already starting to get that horse smell ( 1 month). However real issue is fluctuating heart rates. When Im pushing hard sometimes its reading 59. Other times its elevated when I'm just cruising. I have gel on all 4 electrodes.

Anyone had similar issues? I'm on firmware 5.4 the most recent