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Heart Rate Data and External Coros Arm Band Monitor

ljmcconnell
2 months ago

Latest Firmware update to Garmin 255 has rendered Coros arm band HR Monitor useless. I deleted the device, re - paried to my Android phone . Device shows as connected to my 255 when I start a run , but no heart data is communicated to the watch. Separate issue, but using wrist based HR monitor on the 255 seems more inaccurate than ever. , showing insanely high heart rates at very low intensity, I have tried shutting the watch down, re-sterting, heart rates still way too high for the effort exerted.

  • 0 1 month ago

    I am having the same issue with the Coros HR band. My wrist HR seems fine though.

  • 0 1 month ago

    I'm having the same issue with G255 and coros arm band hr following last firmware update of G255. the same arm band connected to the smartophone or a suunto device works without problems.

  • 0 1 month ago

    I am having the same issue with the Coros HR band since lasr firmware update v 20.21.

    I wrote to customer service, but they gave me no support.

  • +1 1 month ago

    The response I received from on-line chat with Garmin CS was " we cannot guarantee that devices from other manufacturers will be compatible". One source of frustration for me is when you start the 255  fo a run ( with wrist HR disabled ) it indicates that the COROS arm band HR IS CONNECTED... it just does not transfer any heart rate data to the watch. I own a Garmin HRM-PRO chest strap, it is a very accurate device , but I suspect all folks on this thread would prefer the arm band versus the chest strap for comfort and ease of use ( like the  chest strap will malfunction at times under a thermal-wicking shirt in cold temps ) . So one must wonder if the disabling of the COROS functionality in the latest Garmin firmware update was intentional, as perhaps Garmin views the COROS as a competing ( and superior )  alternative to the chest strap. The wrist HR on the 255 is fine if you are stationary - so sleep metrics , stress, body battery, overnight HRV all consistent, but once in motion, highly inaccurate - I have gone to Zone 5 in 2 minutes of walking / jogging or even cycling at 10MPH - and the problem is recurring even when you power the watch off and re-start. So any fitness markers ( VO2 max, aerobic vs anaerobic metrics , exercise load ) are worthless if one cannot capture good heart rate data.

  • 0 1 month ago

    I'm having the same issue with my Garmin 255 and my Garmin chest strap. Periodic erroneously high heart rate at constant pace. It pops up then drops off. Sometimes multiple times. Also during tempo runs it reads low until I'm half way through my tempo session. 

    Tried the same things. Restarting, repair, tried another chest strap, tried without the chest strap. All have been producing erratic results. 

    Ran on the treadmill and experienced the same issue. Grabbed the treadmill heart rate monitor and it gave me the expected ~140 bpm while my watch read 180 bpm. Very frustrating.

  • +1 1 month ago in reply to jcburney

    As a matter of practice when on a run, bike, walk, treadmill.... If wearing the Garmin chest strap ( The HRM Pro ) I always disable the wrist HRM and power the watch down and re-start before the exercise session. The HRM Pro is accurate and then the only issue is conductivity of the electrodes ( solved by using gel for that purpose ). Will never include "comfort" in the same sentence as "chest strap" !!

  • 0 1 month ago in reply to ljmcconnell

    There is a source switching function in the wrist heart rate settings. I think that may be part of the problem for me. I've turned it to off which I'm assuming is disabling it.

  • +1 1 month ago

    I have a Coros band also and whilst it does connect , none of the data is getting through to the Garmin watch, I have restarted the band and the band also works directly to strava on my google pixel 7.  Hoping Garmin can sort a patch out soon, or is this a sneaky way of not allowing third party devices to be incompatably hence forcing you down the full gamin route, lets hope not.

  • +1 1 month ago in reply to crammy-steve

    If Garmin does not address the issue with a patch, and have taken the "Apple / Microsoft" approach to third party devices, I am likely to make a switch to the COROS Pace 3 watch. If COROS is good enough for Jakob Ingebrigtsen, it's good enough for me. Comfort of arm band vs chest strap in all weather conditions is superior. The only reason I would retain the 255 and the chest strap is the :"Guided Lactate Threshold Test" which is part of the training package in Garmin. 

  • 0 1 month ago in reply to jcburney

    My issue is resolved. I bought a new Garmin chest HRM ($45 on amazon) and turned the source switching function off on the watch. 

    I think the old chest hrm would glitch occasionally and the watch would then switch to its internal optical hrm. The watch optical hrm is fine when it works, but unfortunately it doesn't work 100% of the time. So several runs with erroneous heart rate.

    For troubleshooting I paired my chest hrm with my phone and watched my heart rate. It was occasionally spiking to several hundred bpm. The spiking didn't show on my watch, but it did drive up the indicated heart rate. Spiking was more frequent when I moved. Things like jumping jacks... Anyway that's how I could tell there was something wrong with the chest hrm. Tried several different bands with different transmitters. Unfortunately, I have a collection of semi functional garmin heart rate straps. None worked without flaws.

    I do feel bad for those that rely on the watch optical heart rate because it's not right all the time. It's off enough to significantly hurt your training if you run by heart rate.