Why isn’t my heart rate monitor working today?
May 2020 UPDATE: You can go thru the process of cleaning your heart rate monitor regularly . . . but seriously, just get a Polar H10. You’ll see in the comments below that I switched from saying, “A lot of people in my forums recommend it” to “I got one, and I recommend it.” I got mine Dec 2019 and it’s been just about flawless. The first battery ran out quicker than I expected . . . in March. The replacement is still going. No connection problems. No data drops. No data spikes. Will report again in December. Again, skip the frustration … just get the H10.
That’s a question I never want to ask myself yet I have several times this year. I have two Suunto watches — for tracking my triathlon training, mountain adventures, and navigating in the backwoods — the Spartan Ultra and the Spartan Sport Wrist HR.
The Suunto Spartan Ultra.My Heart Rate Monitor: Suunto Smart Sensor
The Suunto Spartan Ultra (SSU) doesn’t have HRM on the wrist, so I always wear a chest strap with it.
While the SSSWHR model has an optical heart rate monitor on the wrist, I wear a chest strap heart rate monitor all the time with that one too since chest straps are slightly more accurate … by all the time I mean except swimming, since pushing off the wall nearly always has enough force to slip the chest strap out of position and that’s mad annoying.
The Suunto Smart Sensor Multisport Heart Rate MonitorAnyway, things were going swimmingly … two watches, one heart rate monitor strap synced to both, connected quickly and flawlessly every time … for 7 months until one day in July things between my SSU and my HRM went south.
Heart Rate Monitor Frustrations
At first how it went is I’d go to the “pre-start” screen where the watch is locking in connections just before starting an activity, and the screen would show a connection to the Suunto Smart Sensor HRM (which connects to the watch via Bluetooth), even indicating my present heart rate. But as soon as I started the activity, the watch showed my heart rate as “—-“, and when I later finished the activity synced the data to Movescount, there was no heart rate data. Annoying.
So I tried stuff like unpairing my watch and the heart rate monitor. And repairing. And the same thing would happen.
And then it got worse … my SSU just stopped finding my HRM at all whenever I tried to re-pair.
I replaced the battery, hard reset the watch, un-paired the HRM from every other device and on and on … all to no avail. But there’s a good ending to this story.
In case you’re wondering, yes, I was soaking my chest strap as well to ensure there was enough moisture to conduct electrical pulses from my skin and so the chest strap had something to read and data to relay through the device.
Almost the whole time through this, I could still get my SSSWHR to connect … almost.
For awhile, my heart rate monitor performance was unpredictable, and I couldn’t stand it.
I mean really couldn’t stand it.
I count on heart rate data in my workouts to track how much work I’m doing and how much at what intensities. Without the HR data, my data has gaps and I my aggregate numbers get off. Since I really want that data, and I couldn’t get it from my SSU, it became almost unusable for me for awhile even though it is an amazing watch and can do so many other things.
This was no good.
It’s supposed to be a great watch! It IS a great watch! I’m the U.S. Endurance Community Manager for Suunto!!! … but my watch, within year 1, isn’t working!!!
Not a good situation.
Trawling the Internet for a Heart Rate Monitor Solution
Through my various attempts to getting a connection to happen, I did clean my strap. But not really clean it.
In trawling the internet for what people do about their HRMs, I found a forum post where someone went into depth about cleaning it. I decided to go Type A and clean every single thing I could to see if that would work. Because if a deep clean didn’t work, then it truly was a product defect and I’d send it back for a replacement.
How I Cleaned My Heart Rate Monitor
Prep: disconnect, un-pair, “forget” or otherwise completely sever the connections between your HRM and your watch, phone, bike computer and any other device you’ve connected it to. Get a bowl, dish soap, rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol and cotton swabs / q-tips.
Step 1: Fill a bowl with warm water and some dish soap. Place the chest strap into the bowl. Let it sit overnight.
UPDATES:
[1] Liquid dish detergent and laundry detergent are best.
[2] By “warm” I mean less than 100F (<40C). So, like “the middle” of your hot and cold settings. Very lukewarm or maybe a tad on the “when I put my finger in to test it, it feels slightly chill.”
[3] Yes, a bowl and not the laundry even though that’s what’s in the user guide.
Why? According to my biochemist bro:
For dish and laundry detergent: they don’t have any moisturizing additives that leave non-conductive deposits behind. The whole point of washing is to get rid of the non-conducting oils.
For water temp: hotter water will do a better job cleaning, BUT above 40C it will damage the elastics & stretchy fabrics in the band. And that breakdown is no good. (Fwiw, 40C is the hottest recommended temp by Suunto in the user guide.)
The crud that builds up on the electrodes and makes them non-conductive (so you stop getting accurate readings consistently) is a mix of greasy skin materials. Sweat is bad for your HRM band and the electronics because sweat includes oils and salts. That combination loves to stick to smooth, rubbery surfaces like the electrode pads. Detergents are their enemy and will wash them away.
And my take on why soak overnight instead of tossing in the laundry machine per the user guide (English PDF, other languages): less wear and tear. I’d rather my band sit in a little bit of water than get tossed around with my jeans.
H/T to Dimitrios Kanellopoulos for starting a convo with me that lead to adding this info! He’s active in this Suunto users group on FB. Join us.
Step 2: While the chest strap soaks, open the HRM to replace the battery. And then clean the battery with a q-tip and rubbing alcohol, on both sides. When the alcohol has evaporated, put the battery in. Using the q-tip and rubbing alcohol, swab around the sealing edges of the case but don’t swab directly on the electronics board. If the battery connectors look dirty, carefully swab those. Swab the entire removable casing/shell/battery cover. Finally, reinstall the cover.
Somewhat risky step … not liable for anything that may or may not happen if you do this: if you are still having data consistency issues after all this, some people say to put the battery in upside down for about 20 seconds. Not recommended because reverse voltage can damage electronics, and while the sensor probably has some voltage regulating safety bits, it’s best not to stress them with a battery the wrong way.
Step 3: Clean the connector terminals on the sensor. Whatever brand of HRM you use, there are likely two metal posts on the sensor that “snap” into the chest strap. That’s what I’m talking about. Swab those super clean with a q-tip and rubbing alcohol as well.
NOTE: Rubbing alcohol will also damage the elastics. So be careful where you swab (same in Step 5).
Step 4: (Next morning) Remove chest strap from water and dish soap solution. Rinse out the soap.
Step 5: Again with a q-tip and rubbing alcohol, swab out the receivers on the chest strap where the posts on the sensor snap in. Really get in there to wipe them clean.
Step 6: Let all the alcohol evaporate, run the chest strap under water or apply electrode gel. Put the strap on. Snap your sensor in. Reconnect to your devices, one at a time.
Step 7: As a result of your cleaning efforts, enjoy a HRM that works!
I Cleaned It. That Worked. Heart Rate Monitor Restored.
So after all that my SSU found and successfully paired with my HRM and hasn’t skipped a beat since.
So . . .
Yeah . . .
(Chest strap) Heart rate monitors need clean electrical lines to sense the electrical pulses of our heart beats and clean lines to send all that info from the strap to the sensor. If those lines (in the strap) and connections (from strap to sensor) get too dirty (easy to happen when you train daily and jump in a lake now and then), then they need to get cleaned.
OK! Now I can stop ranting about my HRM not working … because I know it’s my job to clean it.
New ritual: HRM deep clean every 2 months.
Between Deep Cleans, Try This:
Put a small drop of dish soap on the soft side of a kitchen sponge, and then quickly swipe the contact pads. This will keep the contact pads cleaner so you can go longer between deep cleans.
[FOR REFERENCE: I hear people have success using the Polar H10 belt and Bluetooth enabled HRM transmitter, and they say it’s more robust than the Suunto Smart Sensor, requiring less maintenance.]
[UPDATE Sep 2018: I got a Suunto 9 in June when it launched and have sold the Sport WHR.]
[UPDATE Dec 2018: I also sold my Ultra. All-in with the 9.]
Very good article "how to clear HR belt": Heart Rate Monitor Not Working? That's Because It's Dirty
Give me a break. If this is what it takes to keep an accurate reading then the product needs to be redesigned. The Garmin hard strap never and i mean never let me down day in and day out without the need for this level of care. The comfort belt with the Ambit 2 was better than the dumb(smart) sensor. I go with a chest strap for reliability rather than a wrist sensor. It’s too bad the Ambit 3 only works with the dumb sensor.
Fair enough. I think it would be smart for Suunto to have a rubber strap and to beef up the “comfort”/cloth one so the circuitry withstands typical use with less care.
Great 🙏 I cannot get my new 9 baro to pair with either the Suunto sensor or my Viiiiva? Brand new watch. The vIiiiva is picked up by the Sufferfest cycling app but not the ssu? I just get a moistened belt put on and then it searches to no avail?
Wait, do you have a SSU (Spartan Ultra) or a 9 Baro? Lots of Bluetooth devices will connect to only one device at a time. So if your Suunto Smart Sensor or Viiiiva are in range of anything you’ve paired them with before, they might pair with those devices and then be unavailable to pair with your new 9 Baro. Best to take the sensors far away from anything else they could connect with and then set up the pairing with the S9B.
Had one replaced under warranty and the 2nd is now going the same way. I wash it in the sink with travel wash. It works for a few days and then starts playing up again. They recon a wash every 3 sessions. I haven’t gone to the extent of the alcohol but will give it a try. Thought about trying another make.?? Polar etc
Hey Mark, a handful of people in one of my Suunto peer groups have switched to the Polar H10 and are happy with it.
Hi Nat,is the Polar H10 HRM Chest Strap compatible with Suunto Spartan Ultra watches???
Hi Michal. I have not personally tried it. But it is Bluetooth and several people in one of my Suunto groups have said they use it and are happy with it. I will publish another post soon on tips to get the best results from regular use … more day-to-day tips vs doing the deep cleaning occasionally as I’ve outlined here.
Hi
Thanks for article, as I was struggling to find any help directly from Suunto.
It confirms that, as a 46 year old, my heart doesn’t beat at 228ppm when I jog…
And that, instead, I am just too lazy to deep clean my belt!
My question to suunto, like may other users, is: How come I ran with a Suunto T6 with HR belt for 10 years without having experienced so many issues?
Thanks again. So tonight I’ll just try to deep clean trick…
Comforting to know others are experiencing the same problem with erratic readings which make HR Zone training impossible. However, given the cost of this device it’s not very comforting to know. It’s ok cleaning the device, the problem is that you don’t get any warnings, it just flips and you lose a training session! This morning I was on a treadmill and had to keep jumping off to take my HR manually, 119 actual v 155 chest strap, I don’t think that’s acceptable as I’ve only used the strap about 25 times?
I agree that’s a good idea! See if there’s a way for the watch/device to sense it is off … too much variation possibly … and to suggest a cleaning. Hard to say about # of times it’s good until it needs to get cleaned. Variables such as condition of your skin and sweat, whether your shirt wicks much or any of that away, etc.
Also – do you put the strap and sensor on a few minutes before you begin? Giving it time to “calibrate” and settle in often helps vs strapping it on and hitting start right away. Also, I think it’s in the comments elsewhere … but if you are wearing a tech-fabric shirt, the static from friction of the synthetic fibers against your (dry) skin can cause interference with the sensor. I think getting everything more wet helps in that case (or go w/more cotton … or shirtless!).
I don’t specifically plan to calibrate the device before a session admittedly though I’ll give both of those tips a go… thank you.
Yeah there isn’t an actual calibration process for you to follow through with. There just is the opening period of time when the sensor is turned on and the chip and watch are interpreting the data and deciding what in that moment is HR and what isn’t. I haven’t read any of the technical documentation on this, but one of my Suunto colleagues said there is a calibration process that the sensor goes through when it is first activated and it can take a few minutes; hence, best to put the strap and sensor on as part of your prep/warmup routine rather than just before hitting start.
Thanks for the article! I’ve recently started getting gaps in HRM measurements, going to try proper cleaning.
I have the same problems. I had an Ambit3 run, I never had any problems. With Spartan Baro, measurement of my HR is way off.
With the Baro – measurements from the optical wrist HR or from a chest strap?
With both of them. My hr, goes constantly up and down. Over 200 bpmin, when realy is just 120.
Hm, cheststrap shouldn’t be bouncing around like that. Could be (1) the watch display is still showing the optical WHR which I think you can adjust in the sport-mode settings of your watch settings on Movescount.com (2) your strap needs some cleaning, see above or (3) put the strap and sensor on 5-10 minutes before you roll out and begin your activity so the sensor has some time to “calibrate” and focus in on what’s actually your HR vs static electricity w/shirt fabrics and other interferences.
Tnx for help. I will try with clining, other staff are done corretcly.
I will report, when I’m done with it.
you’re welcome! talk soon
Same issues-I’m about to throw mine in the trash. Please keep posting solutions…
Will do! I am always working toward getting the most out of my training and having fun in the outdoors, which includes knowing my devices and how to best take care of them.
Thank you! Am 45year old female love endurance running and the last month my HR has been spiking to 235 whilst I’m just standing still or hiking – so frustrating to the point was worried about my health – have been running on feel (which is good) but screws with my head the high hr range for no reason…will try and deep clean today and do a hard reset – fingers crossed for tomorrow’s run!
Yeah definitely give it a clean and see if things change. Always the possibility of a heart condition you didn’t know about, but if the HR spikes started after awhile of it not happening, then yeah I’d bet first on something changing with your device. Go get it! Happy trails.
Got rid of my woeful strap and bought a Polar–even got refunded the amount I paid from my Amazon seller. The Polar is infinitely better.
awesome, good to know!
Tried this with my Suunto strap, still doesn’t pair with the watch or the movescount app.
It does however pair and sends data to a 3rd party app on my phone.
Any suggestions?
So you’re trying to re-pair after forgetting and now it won’t pair? Reboot the watch. (Hold top button 15 sec)
So I followed a YouTube video by Suunto about pairing the strap with the watch, which involved taking the watch very close to the strap.
Funnily, it worked perfectly! And once the initial pairing was done, I am able to pair it across my phone on Strava, tacx, as well as the watch!
Thank you for your time and help 🙂
you bet!
I tried to pair my old strap thath came with ambit3 with my new watch, and its working. So I think that sunnto hawe problem with some seria of new belts.
Possibility for sure
[…] press start, I even followed an excellent article on cleaning the strap, but still the same spikes. Heart Rate Monitor Not Working? That's Because It's Dirty It is a bug, Suunto has acknowledged it (see the 'Inaccurate HR' thread). They're supposed to be […]
I faced this problem recently. I also applied these tricks.
Great tip! Too bad I threw away my old belt already. I will test this method if I get a problem again. However, dirt is not the only problem. I did try to clean the electrode surfaces and even used fine sand paper, without success. The conductive plastic material is contaminated/degraded by chemicals/acids in sweat. But maybe your method of soaking in soap might cause some conductive chemicals in the belt to rejuvenate or maybe the soap injects some new conductive molecules in there. Anyway, I made earlier a video with many trick how to improve HR quality and how to test the belt. You can view it on YouTube here:
Na, I think you are right — once conductive materials break down, they are broken down.
I have been using my Suunto Smart Sensor for more than 18 months without any problems with the HR readings while cycling and running. I had the problem of the strap flipping over in the swimming pool when kicking away from the wall, but solved that now by wearing a trisuit. After using the sensor for the first time in the pool I saw at the end of my swim that halfway through the session, my HR had flatlined at 85 for the rest of the session. Tried “forgetting” sensor and reconnecting, changing battery, but would still show a consistent 85 even when not wearing the sensor. Would this also be a cleaning issue? With every post exercise shower I rinse and rub the sensor by hand, but have not tried deep cleaning it. Hopefully this will work.
Two things:
(i) When you wear in the water/pool or in “team sports” (running around w/o your watch on) or in any case where the BT connection can be compromised, I would — before ending the activity — get out of the water and into a space where the HRM and your watch are close and sure to not have interference, and then end the activity. When you end the activity, the watch checks the HRM to get any data that wasn’t transferred earlier. I’m not sure of the programming, so it might get the full download again at that time. So if you end an activity while you are still standing in the pool, it might not transfer. And I have never heard of re-transferring the data from HRM to watch, so I think that is your one shot. Even if standing in the water, your HRM is above the water line . . . I wouldn’t risk it. I’d get out of the pool and try it.
(ii) I am thinking it flatlined at 85 because the connection was lost and the data didn’t transfer later. If that’s the case, then what I outlined in (i) may help. If however, you are continuing to get flatline HRM readouts, whether in the pool or exercising in open air (wasn’t totally clear to me if this is the case for you), then it may be time for a new battery. If a new battery doesn’t do it, then try pairing with another watch/device to see if the sensor still has reliable Bluetooth broadcast ability. If the data is bad to another watch, then the sensor has come to the end of it’s days. Hope this helps too!
Hi Nat, First thank you for a brilliant article, it really did help when i was having trouble with my sensor connecting to my Spartan Ultra 3. Problem was that it was only temporary and while the device worked for a while the old behavior returned. I eventually contacted Suunto support and after sending the belt in and Suunto testing it, they replaced it!
Should be good news hey! But unfortunately this is not the case as after less than 2 months the sensor now wont even connect to the Spartan, despite me cleaning it again and following the whole process again.
Strangely enough in frustration I took my Ambit 1 out the cupboard, charged it for a 1/2 hour, slapped on the ANT sensor and belt and it WORKED…. it connected and ran like a dream even after sitting in a cupboard for more than a year! This begs the question . . . .why is the old Ambit /ANT so robust and the new Spartan so unreliable?
You’re welcome! Yeah, I don’t know why the BT HRM seems to be so irregular in syncing with the watch. I imagine it has something to do with more variables … that BT programming has greater chance of interference with software updates whereas ANT is disconnected from the software . . . that’s just a guess; I’m not sure. That’s why it seems a lot of people are happy to switch to the Polar H10. They say the strap holds up better, and I haven’t seen complaints about BT locking in, so that’s what I would do!
2 more tips, which actually solved my problem with reading drops and spikes (Suunto Ambit2):
1. Wear it TIGHT
2. Wet BOTH SIDES of pads with lots of water
Good additions, thank you.
Thank you Nat.
Cleaning the HRM strap worked like a charm. Heart rate is consistent and back on track.
It’s been frustrating for the last several months trying to figure this out.
Thanks again.
You’re welcome! Glad to hear it worked.
THANK YOU for fixing my problem! I followed your instructions to a tee and now it works! Which is great, as my Suunto 9’s optical HR monitor leaves much to be desired. Hooray!
Yeah, the optical HR on the wrist is still a tough call in all cases other than 24/7 + sleep monitoring when your arm isn’t moving much. I stopped tracking HR once I got a Stryd. Already had a ROTOR meter on the bike. So it’s feel for pace in the water and watts all day after that.
Thank you for sharing. I have have this exact issue, and this fixed itt, my belt is about 7 month old, my polar I never had this issue. But while I was soaking my belt I I hooked up my polar belt in the mean time which I wouldn’t have thought was compatible until I read this!
You’re welcome, glad to help.
Thanks a million for this, Nat.
I stumbled across your post while I gave my Smart Sensor one last chance to find a solution for this annoying HR belt issue. Aaaaaaaand…it worked!!! I was so happy to see a pulse of 130 instead of 230. Nevertheless, I am disappointed about Suunto. It seems reasonable to me to clean the parts from time to time, but this procedure (even though it’s great, thank you again) is a little too much for such an expensive watch. I had replaced the belt and the sensor before I found your post. And even contacted Suunto service to receive a ridiculous reply that said I should connect the watch to Suunto link before each training and avoid interference by synthetical clothes (among other useful tips)… But that’s another story. My problem is solved for now which is great!! 🙂
You’re welcome, Irene. Well — I think most of these matters are troubles all HRM manufacturers face. As noted in other comments, people seem to be satisfied by the Polar H10.
Wowowowow thankyou finally got my HR monitor to connect. Owe you big time !!
you’re welcome, go enjoy 👊🏼
Does the Polar H10 HR monitor pair with the Suunto 9?
absolutely. I got one a few weeks ago and it works flawlessly with my S9B.
Hello, I’ve had a similar problem with my Chest HR monitor using an Ambit 2s, It has been working reasonable ok for a couple of years, that’s is it does skip periods whilst monitoring execises which I’ve lived with. It has now stopped synchronising to my watch. I’ve performed the usual troubleshooting tips i.e. performed a factory reset on the watch, changed the battery in the strap, cleaned the strap, even bought a brand new Suunto strap but nothing has worked. I’ve called Suunto helpdesk but they’ve only said to perform a reset. I then tetsed the HRM with a cheap Poalr watch and the display on my Concept2 rowing machine and both pick up on the heart rate.I now feel that Suunto have a software issue which they are not addressing.
I’ll give Suunto one more chance to help me and if thay can’t help I may have to look and purchasing a new watch, which is likely not to be a Suunto which is a shame as I do like the watch..
Ambit 2s! Way to get some life out of that thing. Since your new HRM straps are connecting to other devices and not the watch, then yeah sounds like the watch antennae have come to the end. It might be as well that the BT specs have changed so much that you’d have to get an old HRM that’s still compatible. I could be wrong on that. Not sure when the last firmware update was pushed out for the 2s.
Hello Nat,
I have conducted further testing with the compatibility and working of my chest HR monitor to my Suunto Ambit 2s.
Purchased a brand new Suunto Dual comfort HR belt, — this would NOT sync with my Ambit 2s but will sync with all other exercise machines and a polar watch that show HR that I tested.
NOTE: belt purchased via the Amazon UK web site
NOTE: the Suunto website states that this belt is compatible with the Ambit 2s watch.
Purchased a second-hand Suunto Dual comfort HR belt via Ebay this does work with my watch so proves the watch antennae sensor in the watch is working.
My conclusion:
……….I like the watch but come on Suunto get your act together…………
I’ve experienced a similar problem with my Suunto Spartan Trainer (latest firmware installed) and a brand new Suunto Smart sensor (and belt). Worked perfectly for about 2 weeks. I have recently noticed short periods were the heart rate would spike when using the wrist sensors. Two days ago I noticed very erratic readings when paired with the Smart sensor. This evening it went crazy. A session on a elliptical trainer flat lined at over 220bpm for 20 minutes (at 58 years old that would have killed me if true). This was followed by a short spinning session which under read the heart rate for the entire duration.
Here is the confusing part, the smart sensor was also linked to Endomondo on an android device (as it has been in all previous instances when it worked) and the readings recorded by that app were perfect. In my case the problem does not seem to be the Smart sensor, but either the communication between the sensor and the watch, or the watch itself.
I also have a old Polar H7 heart rate sensor that links perfectly to the Spartan so I will test it to see if I can duplicate the errors.
Hey Mike. BT sensors connect to only one device at a time. When your phone and Endomondo grab the Smart Sensor, the watch won’t. What you are seeing on your watch is optical HR from the wrist.
good job mate! Thank you a lot
You’re welcome 👊🏼
I was using Suunto Heart rate monitor with Sports tracker installed on Android smart phone for 3 years. I have had all about
written problems. So I decided to buy Polar H10 heart monitor. Now I am not able to pair it with Sport tracker. I can pair it with Polar applications I have installed on my phone, but Sport tracker does not recognize it.
Have someone experience with connecting Sport tracker to Polar H10? Thank you in advance.
Hi Karol. I don’t use Sports Tracker, but I found this support article which may be helpful: Is my Bluetooth Smart Heart Rate monitor compatible? (Android)
Thank you Nat, I have already tried all recommendation from this support page, it did not help.
Bu once more thank you for your quick answer.
Hi Nat.. Im at my wits end as I cannot get the HRM to pair with my Ambit 3.I bought a new belt and everything worked for a couple of month and now Im back to square one… nothing working!!! I have changed the battery, washed the belt, reset the watch, etc. Dont know what else to try so I will now try the deep cleanse
Good luck! It can help troubleshooting if you (1) can verify your belt will pair to another device (like someone else’s watch or your phone). It can also help to test whether your watch will connect to other belts. That can help locate the problem.
I had the same problems. Bought another new two belts. Worked for a while, after 2-3 month situation repeated. Tried to wash,clean in detergent during night. At the end it totally stopped sensing during my walking. At home I checked sensor with magnifying glass and have found very small crack around one contact. So I decided to buy Polar beat sensor, which looks much more reliable. Now I am using Polar beat sensor daily for about 4 weeks without any problem.
right on, glad you found a solution. I similarly got a Polar H10 to replace my Suunto Smart Sensor instead of getting a second one.
I switched to a Polar HR10 and have had two replacements as the HR just drops down very low during runs. If I stop and take the module off and put it back on it will go back – but later drop again. It is like it goes to sleep?? Have cleaned it, tightened it, bought conductive gel… I have a Suunto 9 Baro but I tested it with my Suunto 9 and same issue… any ideas? I am thinking about trying a Garmin HR next!
hmm, interesting. First time I am hearing from anyone about this issue with the H10. Did you get both strap and module replaced, or just one or the other?
Same problems on Suunto 9 and Spartan trainers, both baro and wrist sensors, the readings are way off. Today again (Suunto 9), when I did manual pulse check it was ~120, when reading stated 170. I am on aschedule using HR method and should run in a zone. This is very frustrating.
Is there a solution available?
accuracy of optical WHR is a whole other animal. I believe I have said it in other comments … if you are dialed into HR zone training, chest strap is the only way to go … for all companies. This is not a unique-to-Suunto problem. Optical on the wrist is OK for general 24/7 monitoring, but it’s temperamental as soon as you start moving.
Thank you for your article: Sometimes you think you are the only idiot in the world. My Suunto watch is great BUT the strap is useless for 2 reasons: 1. its not accurate especially if used for more than several months (washing might help, but I’ve not had to do this with Polar straps or Garmin straps) and 2. the elastic does not last 12 months and you cannot easily and cheaply replace it as it it is moulded to the terminals. BAD DESIGN IMHO. I will move to the Polar H10 rather than wash that way. I suspect Suunto straps are below par. So thanks for all the comments etc. Cheers
Alastair, good call. That’s ultimately the direction many of us have gone.
I’m so frustrated with Suunto. I never had any problem with my Ambit 3 and ant+ heart rate belt, which I’ve used for years. But since I use the S9 Baro with this smart sensor I get frustrated every single time I run. My belt is 2 months old and it has yet to show a decent heart rate. It’s is all over the place. During my Z1 runs my heart rate is goes up and down from 130 up to 180 bpm within minutes according to my watch. It should be stable around 135 bpm. As a result my training (based on heart rate zones) is undoable. I’m not wearing any other equipment that could interfere with the reading, I’ve tried moisturizing the pads with water, saliva and conduction gel, resetting, reconnecting. Nothing helps. And all these steps mentioned here that are required to just get a normal functioning belt, it is ridiculous.
So, the heart rate issues combined with other issues I have with the S9 Baro regarding navigation made me decide to give up on Suunto. I’m done with Suunto. They used to build reliable equipment but now I get the idea that they’re only focussed on flooding the market with new shiny watches of inferior quality.
sorry for the frustrations, saka. I’ve been pleased with the Polar H10.