I too have had problem with the Garmin soft strap, far into a run when the shirt gets very wet. I tried all of the usual things including a different shirt, electrodgel, new battery and it didn't work. Contacted Garmin and got a replacement - same problem again.
But – there’s a small segment of the population which has occasional (or continuous) issues with the soft strap. From time to time, I see these issues myself – I’m certainly not immune to the challenges that sports technology sometimes throws at ya. Recently I saw a bit of an uptick in heart rate reading spikes – in particular while wearing some of my DriFit type t-shirts while running. It was getting to the point over the last few weeks where I couldn’t even wear them because of the spikes. I’m not clear on why the exact change, as the weather hasn’t turned to fall (which is when the issues typically crop up).
After a bit more information he noted that some folks Down Under were actually utilizing the Wear Link straps which were compatible with the Garmin’s. So, up for a bit of experimentation, I ordered one off of Amazon and waited until Mr. FedEx arrived.
DC Rainmaker 接著交換 strap 做實驗.
See, the transmitter itself is almost never the problem (unless the battery is dead). But it’s the strap where the electrode sensors are that’s the root of all evil. The strap is what picks up the readings off your chest, whereas the transmitter just relays that information."
實驗結果是正面的(Garmin sensor + Polar strap),
Not a single erratic/unexpected reading. In fact, during the whole ride the readings were exactly what I’d expect them to be. No weird issues up front like usual, no issues during high speed descents, nor any problems with the buffeting winds that I also experienced. Just perfection. And my browsing of various forums is showing the same thing for others who have switched over.
Garmin today itself offers two straps - one is the classic strap, and the other is the newer 'Premium Soft Strap'. However, an even newer premium strap has also been tossed into the mix. This one looks very much like the Polar Wearlink Strap and is oddly enough 'licensed' from an unnamed organization. Garmin had no comment on who it was licensed from.