COROS Heart Rate Monitor, Comfort, Easy to wear, Auto-wear Detection, Advanced Sensor, Precise Data, Bluetooth, 38 Hours Battery Life, Connects up to 3 Devices at Once, for Run and Bike

I’ve been using my garmin HRM for past two years and honestly, not a big fan on chest hrm. Decided give a coros a try and man, oh man… what a difference. I cycled with it, ran with it and also wore it to jiu jitsu practice, and I can’t even feel that it’s on! Must have! Highly recommend it

I was a part of a voluntary COROS HRM device testing program for two months ahead of the public release for this device, and was so impressed with the metrics it provided that I felt it valuable enough to buy as a gift for a fellow athlete. This quick review reflects my experience with the device during testing (and afterwards), and is not sponsored by COROS.About me: I’ve been an avid runner since 2012, trending towards longer endurance-based events. I’ve run a number of ultramarathons and a handful of 100 mile races. I also do a bit of road and indoor (stationary trainer) cycling as cross-training.Things I like: This HRM appeals to me because of its simplicity and versatility. I like that there are no buttons (it senses when it is being worn), and I like the fact that once you set the sizing, it stays put and is easy to slip on before an activity. For sizing: I’m 5’-9”, 160-ish, and I still have plenty of slack in the strap…but I don’t do a lot of lifting. It is SO much simpler and WAY less noticeable than a chest strap. I also love the magnetic charger–even though it is relatively short (and proprietary). Charging is quick, and the battery life is ample, so it won’t be charging for very long anyhow.Data accuracy: During testing I compared this new HRM to my Wahoo TICKR HRM, as well as data from wrist-based optical HR sensors (COROS Pace 3 and Apex 2 Pro watches). The short summary is that the most consistent data came from this COROS armband. The KICKR chest strap–while plenty accurate–was slower getting an initial reading before beginning an activity, and had some data drop-outs during the activity as well. Chest straps occasionally require adjusting during activities as they loosen and slip. Wrist-based HRM sensors work fairly well, but are somewhat activity dependent. Cycling (especially if venturing off-road) can jostle these sensors from wrist contact and can result in some inconsistent data too. The armband stays securely in place, and is so comfortable and light I often don't notice I'm wearing it. During testing there were data anomalies from all devices, but the armband HRM produced FAR FEWER than any of the others.Material thoughts: The armband material has held up well so far, but DOES tend to get stinky and discolored with wear. I’ve had mine since early July, and wash it with soap and water occasionally when I can’t stand the funk, and it cleans up nicely (see photos). Replacement armbands are also available, though I can't see needing one for a good while.Something I wrote to the product testing group during evaluation: “The more I run with both an arm and chest strap the more I LOVE the arm band. I’ve now got a rash from the chest strap and it drops signal more than any of the three HR options. I’ll admit that I’m a sucker for simplicity, so would normally just use readout from the watch (decent)…but if I need an accurate and responsive HR readout, I’m picking the HR31.”Summary: This armband doesn’t miss a beat (ha!) and makes a lot of sense for an athlete interested in reliable HRM data across multiple sports. I initially wasn’t too keen on adding another device to my quiver, but this HRM earned its place, and would be a worthy asset to those who value consistent accurate data across disciplines.

If you're considering a polar, don't. The polar is uncomfortable and unreliable. This is dramatically more comfortable and appears to be more reactive and more accurate than any monitor I've used.

Quick connection. Easy to wear. Feels so much better than a chest strap. No issues.

Everything about the COROS HRM appeared to be just what I needed. What the description on Amazon leaves out, however, is that in order to use even its most basic function (I wanted to monitor my heart rate during exercise...) you had to pair it with either a COROS watch, or one of many similar devices. In order to simply pair it with my iPhone it was necessary to install an app such as Strava which (after a free trial period) required a subscription for a mere $80 per year. For my use an investment like that was completely over the top and unnecessary. Had that been made clear in the COROS product description I would have never made the purchase. It does appear to be a well made and sophisticated device, but definitely not what I had hoped for.

I have not had the opportunity to own any other optical or ECG sensors, so I can't compare the usability. I can say this thing worked immediately out of the box and has been rock solid since I've owned it. I don't feel the need to even consider something else.Having the Apple Watch, I've discovered that while the heart rate monitor works fine during a run, the watch must be on very tight and there is some serious lag in the readings, making running to heart rate or doing intervals to heart rate very dodgy. These are the reasons I bought this monitor. It has exceeded my expectations. The heart rate is constantly updating, and it never has me feeling like I'm waiting on it.Here are some Apple Watch/Coros Monitor specifics you may want to know about:- You do not need to download the Coros app in order to use this with your Apple Watch. Thank you Coros for not making that necessary. It may give you stats on battery level or whatnot, but I just toss it on the charger once a week and I'm good. No need for the app.- It truly is "wear it to turn it on, take it off to turn it off" in the most nearly flawless way. There is a sort of "soft latch" it has on your watch's internal heart rate monitor, so there is a blackout period where manually reading your heart rate on your watch will not work. It's not a long time, but it is noticeable.- One thing I don't care for is that the monitor comes on when charging. I don't see why this is necessary. The impact that has is that while it's charging, it is connected to your watch if it's in range, and you will not be able to manually read your heart rate.- However, the good news is that it appears that the watch continues to do the random readings with your watch's internal heart rate monitor regardless of whether the Coros monitor is charging and hijacking your watch, if you are wearing the monitor, or if you've just taken the monitor off and are in the "blackout" period where your watch is waiting to release that connection. I believe the watch somehow separates the source of the readings based on workout data or health tracking. It looks like the automatic health tracking does not utilize the external monitor at all.It took me a while to figure out what was going on, and I hope this is helpful to Apple Watch users considering this monitor. It doesn't appear to be well documented, I'd imagine since the watch is not their product.

My husbands and I wear our coros watches and he wanted to try the heart rate monitor for a more accurate reading during his runs.He LOVES this monitor. He finds it to be more comfortable AND more accurate than the one he was previously wearing that strapped around his torso. This one stays in place nicely and has an adjustable strap.