HRM-Tri is the smallest and lightest heart rate monitor from Garmin
Designed with rounded edges and no exposed seams, the strap remains comfortable during extended hours of training. It is designed to be worn when running, cycling and open water swimming. A simple bi-fold adjustment reduces elastic weight and makes sizing easy.
- COMPACT AND COMFORTABLE – HRM-Tri is the smallest and lightest heart rate monitor from Garmin. Designed with rounded edges and no exposed seams, the strap remains comfortable during extended hours of training.
- SWIM HEART RATE – Stores up to 20 hours of heart rate data during swims, then forwards it to a compatible device at the end of the session. It also sends real-time heart rate to the watch when the monitor is out of the water
- RUNNING DYNAMICS – Provides feedback on running form by measuring cadence, vertical oscillation and ground contact time when paired with a compatible device
- BATTERY LIFE – Lasts for 10 months (assuming 1 hour/day use) with user-replaceable CR2032 battery.
- Includes – HRM-Tri, manuals. Supports heart rate variability and advanced heart rate features
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SomeGuy –
I run 40-50 miles a week plus cycle when weather permits and I use Garmin to track my time, distance, speed, HR, HRV, etc. stats. I feed the Garmin data files into FirstBeat Athlete and use its coaching feature to know when to rest, go light, and go hard. But I also play sports where wearing a big watch isn’t desirable or permitted and this meant I couldn’t collect data for these workouts. I was left trying to estimate key stats and manually putting them in to Garmin Connect and Athlete. Otherwise, it would assume I had taken that day off when in fact I had done monster workout(s).So when this HRM came out I was excited because one of its capabilities (primarily for swimming, where water will block the ANT+ signal) is to record HR data when a watch/etc is out of range and then later dump it all to the watch. I am happy to report it works as advertised with my Garmin Fenix3 watch. One important thing to note is that you MUST START THE ACTIVITY ON YOUR WATCH WITH THE HRM CONNECTED (IN RANGE). When you get done, you stop the activity on your watch and it will give you the option to look for and download stored data. Sometimes I have to try a second time but I’ve never lost a stored workout (not true any more — see edits below). Make sure you download the stored data while still wearing the strap. If you take it off, you will get spurious HR readings if your watch doesn’t have optical (wrist) HRM and, worse, the strap will eventually turn off/time out, taking your stored data with it. This HRM accurately records the R-R data that FirstBeat requires.I’ve found this HRM-Tri to be more comfortable than the Garmin HRM-Run I was using before. The elastic strap part feels more robust and that, plus the silicon-like rings on the contact patches, mean this stays in place more than the HRM-Run. It’s less annoying overall on long, sweaty workouts than the HRM-Run. It also has only two contact patches instead of the three or four, depending on which HRM-Run version you have.One downside to the HRM-Tri over the HRM-Run is that the electronic sensor part does not pop off like it does on the HRM-Run. As a result, you have to hand wash the Tri once every seven uses while the Run you can toss the strap in the wash on gentle.The HRM-Tri uses lithium CR2032 coin-style batteries. When the strap is working right (see updates below), they last a very reasonable amount of time and the watch will alert you with a low battery warning with enough juice left for several more workouts (ie, you need to replace the battery soon but not right before THAT particular workout). There are four very small phillips screws holding the battery cover on. Normal screwdrivers are way too big — you’ll need eye-glasses type ones.I do not swim so I can’t comment on that use.These are great for competitive sports or where you can’t safely wear a watch. For example, I use this regularly for soccer games and for climbing.2016/01/14 edit — I’ve noticed in FirstBeat Athlete that for the same runs, the HRM-Tri tends to have a noticeably higher error % than the HRM-Run. For example, on a 30-min treadmill run the Tri error rate is typically around 12-18% while the Run is 2-6%. There is no immediate obvious downside to this outcome so for now I am not docking a star on the Tri.2016/03/25 edit — I’m bumping down to 4 stars for two reasons. First, as mentioned in my edit above, the Tri gets a higher error rate during “connected” activities where the watch is in range the whole time. I’ve come to realize that FB Athlete seems to not count error periods or count them as less. The net effect is that given the same stats (same time, distance, avg HR on a treadmill) runs with the Tri seem to be rated slightly less intense which I believe is due to its higher error rate. So for normal running, I tend to stick with the HRM-Run. Second, the HRM-Tri gives very high error rates in FB Athlete (40-55%) when I use it in disconnected mode during competitive sports.2017/11/29 edit — About 1.5 years ago, I upgraded from the Fenix 3 to the Fenix 5s watch (the 5s is superior in every way). The Tri worked just the same with the 5s. Since the 5s has the built-in optical wrist HRM, it can be hard to make sure the Tri has connected and is being used instead of the less accurate (and without HRV/R-R data) optical sensor. Unfortunately, almost exactly two years after I purchased the Tri, it has to be replaced. It’s chewing through the CR2032 battery every couple days with perhaps 6-10 hours of use. I tried a fresh new set of spare batteries to make sure my original spares hadn’t gone bad. I followed the instructions for care and it’s definitely been showing signs of wear and tear. Overall I’m still happy and will be replacing it with another one.2019/11/30 edit — These HRM-Tri are now lasting six months. I’m on my FIFTH one since the 11/29/2017 review. Every time, they fail by chewing through the CR2032 batteries like candy. When they are failing, they often use the battery so fast that I won’t get a low battery warning (like normal) and it will simply die in the middle of an activity, losing all my data. Dropping another star here to three and may drop to two, depending on how my contact with Garmin goes. I am now using the Tri with a Garmin Fenix 6S Pro watch and, when it’s working properly, it works well.
Bdguy –
Does the job but need to adjust the strap on the swim each time you put it on. Since writing the review the short connecting strap on the hrm swim has disintegrated. Garmin says they don’t sell them so I need to replace the whole strap that makes it very expensive for just over a year. Bad piece of design and wasteful too
Love 2 Read –
It works well with my Garmin 735xt. I swim 3x a week for an 1.5 hrs and battery lasted about 5 months before I had to change it. The battery was easy enough to replace, but the fabric portion of the strap itself is also very worn at this point and will give out eventually. I haven’t found a way to replace the strap extender only without replacing the whole thing. (Is that the expectation here — fabric strap extender that will last less than 6 months of regular swimming and then I’m supposed to spring for a whole new one ? ). I also wish the strap had more elastic to it — I wear it under my suit, so it doesn’t really slip , but it would be easier to put on if it had more elastic. The hooks for the strap are also not as comfortable as they could be. Overall, I’d expect better from Garmin.Edit: The strap has disintegrated beyond repair at this point (6 months after purchase) and is no longer usable. I’ve written to Garmin and receive only a reply saying ” I’m sorry, we do not sell the individual strap for the HRM-Swim. You will need to purchase a full replacement. ” with no offer of resolution. I’m writing back again but holding out little hope that they will offer a resolution. For the moment, since the monitor itself still works, I’m going to try cutting the strap from an old swimsuit and creating a makeshift strap to see if I can still get any use out of it, but given Garmin’s lack of responsiveness or any care to support their product, I will not be “purchasing a full replacement for this product” and I’ll be looking elsewhere for a new sportwatch as well. Reducing my rating to one star.
JimBikeRun –
Works fine until you have to replace the battery, then it will fizzle out. I’ve had 2 of them, same story for both. the screws, threaded inserts and o-ring are cheap cheap cheap, hence leads to leaking and a non-functioning HRM. Also the rubber closure flap will cut you up to shreds on long runs. I figured out I had to put a piece of cloth under it to keep from getting cut from it (no it wasn’t too tight). I was meticulous in disassembly and reassembly, used lock tight as well… only good as long as the battery lasts. It slips in the pool also. Needs refinement.
Vicks –
Antes de nada decir que la compre como producto de “2ª mano – Como Nuevo”. En la descripción me decía que la caja estaría dañada, perooo… Me llegó en su caja y bolsas originales, sin uso y sin ningún tipo de daño.¿Por qué me decidí a comprarlo de 2ª mano? La cinta nueva me parece algo cara y hacerlo de esta forma abarataba el producto considerablemente. Era la primera vez que me lanzaba a ello y hasta ahora he de decir, que estoy muy satisfecho con el producto.Tengo un Fenix 3 HR con la Banda/Pulsometro HRM Run (Pulso + Running Dynamics) y buscaba otra banda para medir y tener reflejado el rendimiento de mis entrenamientos cruzados en piscina. Sin cinta, tienes GPS (en aguas abiertas) y te mide distancia en m. nadados (piscina y aguas abiertas), pero no pulsaciones ni rendimiento.Dudé entre la HRM-Tri (Pulso + Running dynamics + memoria) y ésta, la HRM-Swim (Pulso + memoria). Y me decidí por esta ya que dónde más metros hago al año es en piscina. El uso y diseño de ésta, es principalmente para piscina (tejidos y material, en principio, están pensados para la durabilidad y resistencia a los productos químicos como el cloro).Ambas tienen memoria ya que es necesaria para almacenar los datos porque las bandas mientras están sumergidas no pueden transmitir los datos que almacenan, al reloj.¿Por qué no elegí la HRM-Tri?En principio es la más completa ya que nos valdría para correr y nadar (bici también). En cuanto a tejido y compuestos es idéntica a las HRM-Run. Está pensada más para triatletas que nadan en aguas abiertas, con traje de neopreno. Gracias al neopreno, el agua no ejercerá ninguna presión, provocando que se mueva. Por lo que no necesitamos que ajuste/ciña tanto como cuando nadamos en piscina (normalmente sin traje). Por otro lado, en piscina se verá afectada en la durabilidad de sus tejidos/compuestos, que no están pensados y/o desarrollados para soportar los productos químicos del agua de la piscina.Es decir, si nos echamos a la piscina con este banda, antes de hacer el primer largo, es muy posible que la tengamos en los tobillos y el su uso diario en “cloro” provocará una reducción considerable en la durabilidad de los materiales que la componen.Edito 22.10.19; Link a la opinión HRM-Tri (la compré por fallo en la HRM-Run) >> https://www.amazon.es/gp/customer-reviews/R37DRQ9WNIOHN9?ref=pf_ov_at_pdctrvw_srpHRM-SwimApenas es elástica y sí algo más ancha (0,5cm. como mucho) respecto a la HRM-Run y HRM-Tri pensando en el ajuste al torso, el movimiento que tenemos al nadar junto a la presión que ejerce el agua. Otra particularidad que la diferencia de las otras dos cintas es, la fina capa plástica/silicona que tiene en la cara interior (la que está en contacto con nuestro torso) que contribuye a que ni se mueva. Y lo han logrado, ni se mueve!!Al principio (50-100m. no más) me costó un poco adaptarme ya que estaba acostumbrado a nadar sin nada ejerza presión en esa zona, pero una vez haces unos cuantos metros con ella, no te das ni cuenta que la llevas.Durante el entreno va almacenando todos los datos en la pastilla de la banda y una vez acabas la sesión, paras el reloj y estás fuera del agua, se sincroniza con el reloj enviando los datos a este. Los datos adicionales que aporta con respecto a los datos del reloj sin banda, son principalmente: Frecuencia cardiaca, training effect, tiempo en zonas de FC, sumándolo a computo de datos generales/totales en Garmin connect (por ejemplo los minutos de intensidad).En definitiva, recomiendo el producto a todos aquellos que quieran tener reflejado su rendimiento durante los entrenos en piscina y/o aguas abiertas.Espero te haya sido útil y te haya gustado mi opinión. Gracias
Brent2u –
Works perfectly for biking and running .. haven’t had the opportunity to use it in the water yet.Update it is now 1 year and 2 months since I purchased this HRM .. During a recent run the device informed me the battery was low .. I thought that was odd since I had replaced it maybe 2 months ago, I went for a bike ride the next day… apparently that last run was all that it had left in the battery… After replacing the battery it didn’t register with my watch or my bike computer … I took a battery from my cadence sensor and tried it .. still not working. I understand this device has to endure a lot of sweat and movement but seriously .. 1 year and 2 months or 287 hours and 23 mins of use, I have many other garmin devices and this is the first one to disappoint me.
Dan911 –
The 31 days or so that I used the HRM-Tri with a Fenix 5x were ok. Then it died and my troubles began. By the time I troubleshooted the device I was out of the return period to the Seller so I had to contact Garmin directly.The Garmin Support system is notoriously bad. I spent one hour holding, proving that I taken all the necessary steps to try and fix the problem. Including having to reset my Fenix 5x settings, even though all the other devices (foot pad and cycle power meter) worked fine.Eventually, after I replaced the battery, the Garmin agent agreed the unit was probably faulty. I then had to provide proof of purchase, and am now awaiting an RMA number so I can send the faulty unit back. *If* Garmin identify a problem, and they have a replacement unit available, I will receive new unit. This entire process has/will take weeks.Never. Will. I. Buy. A. Garmin. Product. Again.
Stanley Balcom –
Purchased in April. It worked fine until the battery died in December. I changed the battery according to instructions and it wouldn’t pair. I changed the battery two more times and still it won’t pair.By the way, the battery is very difficult to change, much to difficult for the price of the item.I’e had this problem with other Garmin devices. I’ve had older heart rate monitors that did the same thing; after changing the battery, the devices won’t work Since I started triathlon training 4 years ago, I’ve had 5 HR monitors because of this. Same thing happened with the foot pod.Honestly, these are way too expensive to have to buy two a year. So, consider buying another brand.I bought another one, same as with the previous one, It lasted only a few months until April 2020, then died. Changed the battery and it then refused to pair again. These things are really, really bad. Way too expensive. Garmin doesn’t seem to care about the quality of these.
Christoph Prockl –
Das ist bereits mein zweiter dieser Sorte weil der erste nach ungefähr einem Jahr (ungefähr 3 mal pro Woche benutzt) einfach aufgehört hat zu funktionieren. Und gerade eben ist mir das gleiche mit dem zweiten Gerät passiert. Einfach aus und tot. Auch nach ungefähr einem Jahr.
adam –
This HRM is awesome when paired with my Fenix 5; the information it reports is beyond what I was expecting and has helped me tweak my training for the better while actively monitoring improvements in fitness.If you’re on the fence about these and not sure which to get, I chose HRM-Tri as it has the ability to log data away from a smart watch/device (after pairing and activating the activity) and updates your device when back in range E.G. if you want to log a hard circuit session but didn’t want your watch to get knocked around OR if you do a couple rounds on sparring/punchbag etc.4* for ‘working out’ as regardless of how good it performs, just like its competitors, HRM’s are no good for weight training (my interpretation of ‘working out’). Calorie consumption & energy output algorithms are not brilliant for weights/gym so be warned, if that’s what you want a HRM for, it’s not going to give you accurate feedback.
Eljay –
Read a few hit and miss reviews about this HRM but friends where I live use it and recommended.I have had no problems at all.I have used the HRM for lake swimming under a wetsuit and use it most mornings while working out on an inside bike trainer.I do not know of any issues regarding battery changes at this time but the product is now 4 months old and is working well.The HRM connects easily with my Garmin 735xt and is picked up by some tablet software such as Tacx training, at the moment though it doesn’t connect through zwift