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Choose Garmin HRM-Dual if you need one chest strap for ANT+ bike computers, gym machines, and Bluetooth apps at the same time. Choose the Suunto Smart Heart Rate Belt if your watch and apps are Bluetooth Smart based and you value Suunto’s store-and-forward memory when the watch is out of radio range. Neither manufacturer’s published battery figure is a like-for-like laboratory comparison, and the available material does not establish an accuracy winner.
The practical decision is therefore about wireless protocol, how your training devices connect, whether you need recorded data when the watch is temporarily away, and how you plan to maintain a replaceable-battery textile strap.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Garmin HRM 200 Heart Rate Monitor, M-XL | $79.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Garmin HRM 600, Premium Heart Rate Monitor, M-XL | $157.90 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Garmin HRM-Dual Heart Rate Monitor, Black - 010-12883-00 | $59.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Garmin HRM 200 Heart Rate Monitor, XS-S | $74.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Garmin HRM-Fit™, Heart Rate Monitor, Clip-On Design | $110.99 | Buy on Amazon |
Suunto Smart Heart Rate Belt and Garmin HRM-Dual at a glance
These are both chest-worn heart-rate transmitters, but they are designed around different connectivity assumptions. Suunto’s belt is Bluetooth Smart first. Garmin’s HRM-Dual supports both ANT+ and Bluetooth Low Energy, giving it a broader range of simultaneous training-device options.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors| Characteristic | Suunto Smart Heart Rate Belt | Garmin HRM-Dual |
|---|---|---|
| Wireless protocols | Bluetooth Smart | ANT+ and Bluetooth Low Energy |
| Heart-rate data | Real-time heart rate; HRV support | Real-time heart rate; HRV support |
| Bluetooth connections | Bluetooth Smart compatibility is specified; the number of simultaneous connections is not stated | Up to two concurrent Bluetooth Low Energy connections |
| Onboard memory | R-R memory can store and forward up to 3.5 hours of measurements at 120 bpm when used with a compatible Suunto watch | Live-transmission strap; onboard store-and-forward memory is not stated for HRM-Dual |
| Battery | Replaceable CR2025 cell; approximately 500 hours | Replaceable coin cell; Garmin rates it for up to 3.5 years when used one hour per day |
| Water resistance | 30 m | Not stated in the supplied product specification |
| Best fit | Bluetooth-only watch, phone, or app setups, especially when Suunto memory is useful | Mixed ANT+ and Bluetooth setups, including compatible gym equipment and bike computers |
The table is a specification comparison, not an accuracy ranking. Heart-rate accuracy can vary with fit, skin contact, strap condition, exercise motion, and the receiving device; no controlled head-to-head accuracy test is established here.
#1 Best Overall
- The HRM 200 heart rate monitor transmits accurate real-time heart rate and heart rate variability data to compatible Garmin smartwatches and cycling computers, fitness equipment, and apps
- Comfortable strap is available in two sizes (XS–S and M–XL) for the most ideal fit for your body type
- Up to 1 year of battery life with a user-replaceable battery
- Durable and built to last with a 3 ATM water rating
- Machine washable for easy cleaning
How the wireless protocols change your buying decision
Bluetooth Smart on the Suunto belt
The Suunto belt communicates through Bluetooth Smart. A receiving watch, phone app, or training machine must support a compatible Bluetooth heart-rate sensor profile. If every device in your routine is Bluetooth-based, the belt can provide the signal you need without an ANT+ radio.
Bluetooth pairing is normally managed from the receiving device rather than from the belt itself. A watch may add the belt under a Sensors, Accessories, or Heart Rate menu; a phone app generally adds it from its sensor or device settings. Exact labels differ by watch and app version, so select the heart-rate sensor entry rather than pairing through the phone’s general operating-system Bluetooth page when the app supplies its own pairing screen.
ANT+ and Bluetooth Low Energy on HRM-Dual
Garmin HRM-Dual transmits over both ANT+ and Bluetooth Low Energy. ANT+ is common on many dedicated bike computers, sports watches, and commercial fitness machines. Bluetooth Low Energy is common in phone apps, tablets, and newer indoor-training equipment. Garmin also specifies support for two concurrent Bluetooth Low Energy connections, which can let two Bluetooth receivers use the strap at once; the receiving devices still need to support the appropriate heart-rate profile.
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Dual protocol does not mean every receiver can use both signals simultaneously. A device chooses the protocol it supports or the one you select during setup. If a gym console sees ANT+ but your phone sees Bluetooth, HRM-Dual’s protocol choice can avoid carrying two separate straps.
Battery life: why the published numbers cannot be declared a simple winner
Suunto’s operating-hour rating
Suunto lists approximately 500 hours from a replaceable CR2025 battery. That is an operating-time estimate: the transmitter consumes power while it is active, and actual life depends on use patterns, storage temperature, battery quality, and how promptly the strap is turned off or allowed to sleep.
Rank #2
- Sends accurate real-time heart rate and HRV data to compatible Garmin smartwatches and cycling computers, fitness equipment, and apps
- Comfortable machine-washable strap is available in two sizes (XS–S and M–XL) for the most ideal fit for your body type
- Understand how much you slow down when your foot hits the ground with step speed loss, and improve your running form with additional running dynamics, including stride length, vertical oscillation and ground contact time balance (requires compatible smartwatch)
- During activities where you can’t wear a watch, such as team sports, HRM 600 will record the workout and sync data, including heart rate, calories, speed, distance and more, directly to the Garmin Connect smartphone app
- Tracks daily metrics, including estimated steps, heart rate, calories burned and more, and syncs that data directly to the Garmin Connect smartphone app
Garmin’s calendar estimate
Garmin rates HRM-Dual for up to 3.5 years when it is used for one hour per day. That is a duty-cycle statement rather than a continuous-use test. Multiplying the stated schedule gives roughly 1,280 transmitter-on hours across the calendar period, but real users may train for longer or shorter sessions and may leave the strap active between workouts.
How to compare the figures for your routine
Estimate your own annual transmitter hours instead of comparing the headline units. Someone training five hours weekly uses about 260 hours per year; someone training 12 hours weekly uses about 624 hours. Add time spent testing the strap, waiting at a start line, or leaving it damp and connected. A manufacturer’s maximum is not a guarantee, and the two brands use different assumptions, so neither published figure proves a universal battery-life advantage.
Battery availability matters as much as the rating. Both products use replaceable coin cells, so ownership does not require discarding the electronics when a cell is exhausted. Keep a fresh cell available, observe the polarity marking, and replace the seal or battery cover exactly as the product instructions require.
Onboard memory: the Suunto belt’s distinct use case
The Suunto belt documents R-R memory that is used when the watch is not within reach of the Bluetooth Smart radio. With a compatible Suunto watch, it can store and later forward 3.5 hours of measurement data at 120 beats per minute. This is useful for activities where the watch is temporarily separated from the chest, such as certain water sessions, equipment placement, or short periods when the watch is shielded by body position or surroundings.
Store-and-forward is not the same as independent workout recording. The compatible watch must retrieve the stored data, and the feature is documented specifically for Suunto-watch use. If you pair the belt only with a phone app or a third-party watch, do not assume that the memory will create a recoverable workout file.
Rank #3
- HRM dual features a soft strap that is comfortable and adjustable
- Simply remove the heart rate module, and it’s washable, too
- Don’t worry about running out of juice
- The battery lasts for up to 3.5 years
Garmin HRM-Dual is positioned as a live-transmission and HRV strap. The supplied HRM-Dual specification does not state an equivalent onboard workout-memory feature. If your watch loses the signal, plan on a gap unless the watch itself records another source of data.
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Suunto watches
A Suunto watch page explicitly requires a Bluetooth Smart-compatible sensor. Add the belt in the watch’s heart-rate sensor menu, wake the belt by wearing it or moistening the electrode areas, and confirm that the watch displays an external heart-rate source rather than its optical sensor. The memory workflow described above depends on using a compatible Suunto watch.
Garmin watches and bike computers
Garmin devices may receive HRM-Dual through ANT+ or Bluetooth, depending on the device generation and the connection option it exposes. ANT+ is often the practical choice when a Garmin watch or cycling computer is already using ANT+ sensors; Bluetooth is useful when the same strap must also feed a Bluetooth app.
Check the receiving device’s manual before purchase if you need a specific protocol. A device can support external heart rate but omit one of the two radios, and some devices reserve Bluetooth channels for particular accessory types.
Zwift and other phone or tablet apps
Zwift and similar training apps normally need a Bluetooth heart-rate source when they run on a phone, tablet, or computer without an ANT+ receiver. Suunto’s Bluetooth Smart output can work in that arrangement if the app accepts standard Bluetooth heart-rate sensors. HRM-Dual can also supply the app over Bluetooth Low Energy.
Rank #4
- The HRM 200 heart rate monitor transmits accurate real-time heart rate and heart rate variability data to compatible Garmin smartwatches and cycling computers, fitness equipment, and apps
- Comfortable strap is available in two sizes (XS–S and M–XL) for the most ideal fit for your body type
- Up to 1 year of battery life with a user-replaceable battery
- Durable and built to last with a 3 ATM water rating
- Machine washable for easy cleaning
If the app runs on a computer with an ANT+ USB receiver, HRM-Dual can use ANT+ instead. Suunto’s Bluetooth-only design will require the computer, tablet, or bridge device to offer Bluetooth heart-rate support. The key question is not the app’s name but the radio available on the device running it.
Commercial gym equipment
Garmin’s HRM documentation confirms ANT+ or Bluetooth connection to compatible fitness equipment. That makes HRM-Dual the safer choice for facilities where treadmills, bikes, and rowers vary by console or installation date. Compatibility remains equipment-specific: look for a heart-rate sensor pairing screen and support for the protocol you intend to use.
A Bluetooth-only Suunto belt can work with a gym machine that explicitly supports Bluetooth Smart heart-rate sensors. It will not be visible to an ANT+-only console. Ask the facility which protocol its machines accept before relying on the belt for recorded sessions.
Step-by-step setup for a reliable first connection
Prepare the belt
- Open the battery compartment only if the cell needs replacement, and install the specified battery with the polarity shown on the housing.
- Fit the textile strap snugly around the chest, below the pectoral muscles. The electrodes must remain in firm contact during movement.
- Moisten the electrode areas with water before wearing the strap. This improves initial contact, especially in dry conditions.
- Keep other nearby heart-rate straps switched off during first pairing so the receiver does not select the wrong sensor.
Add it to a watch
- Open the watch’s Settings or Sensors/Accessories menu.
- Choose Add sensor, Add accessory, or the equivalent heart-rate option.
- Wear the belt so it is awake, then select the sensor identified as an external heart-rate strap.
- Save the pairing and start a short activity. Confirm that the activity screen shows the chest-strap heart rate.
Add it to a phone, Zwift, or tablet app
- Open the app’s sensor, device, or connections page rather than pairing only from the operating system’s Bluetooth settings.
- Select Heart Rate or Bluetooth heart-rate sensor and wait for the belt ID to appear.
- Connect the belt, close other apps that may be holding its Bluetooth channel, and begin a test activity.
- Check that the app receives a changing heart-rate value before starting a long workout.
Add it to ANT+ equipment
- Wake HRM-Dual by wearing it and open the machine or bike computer’s sensor menu.
- Choose ANT+ heart rate and run the equipment’s search function.
- Select the strap ID, save it as the preferred sensor if the equipment offers that option, and pedal or walk for several minutes.
Troubleshooting by symptom
The receiver cannot find the strap
- Re-wet the electrodes and tighten the strap enough to prevent gaps while breathing deeply.
- Replace the battery if the belt has been stored for a long period or shows intermittent transmission.
- Move away from other active heart-rate transmitters during pairing.
- Restart the receiving watch, app, or console and repeat its sensor search.
- For a Suunto belt, verify that the receiver supports Bluetooth Smart; an ANT+-only receiver will not see it.
- For HRM-Dual, try the other supported protocol if the receiving device offers both.
The connection drops during exercise
- Check that the strap remains flat against the skin and that the textile section has not stretched.
- Inspect the battery cover and contacts for dirt or moisture damage.
- Keep the receiving device within its normal wireless range and avoid placing it behind a body or metal obstruction.
- Disconnect the belt from unused Bluetooth apps. HRM-Dual supports two concurrent Bluetooth Low Energy connections, but additional connection attempts can still create confusion.
The workout has missing heart-rate data
First determine whether the watch recorded an internal optical signal or no signal at all. The Suunto belt’s store-and-forward behavior requires a compatible Suunto watch and does not guarantee recovery in a third-party app. HRM-Dual’s supplied documentation describes live transmission, so a receiving device that lost the signal may show a gap rather than backfilled data.
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Textile strap care
The electronics can outlast the fabric. Salt, sunscreen, sweat, and repeated stretching reduce electrode contact and can cause erratic readings. Rinse the strap after workouts according to the manufacturer’s care guidance, let it dry fully before storage, and avoid folding it tightly around the sensor module.
Best Value
- Purpose-built for women, the clip-on design easily attaches to medium- and high-support sports bras (longline, front-zip or light-support sports bras not recommended)
- Premium heart rate monitor transmits accurate real-time heart rate and heart rate variability data to your compatible Garmin devices, compatible fitness equipment, the Tacx Training app and other smartphone apps
- Comfortable to wear and provides accurate heart rate data for various activities, including running, indoor and outdoor cycling, strength training, HIIT, fitness classes and more
- Captures running dynamics, such as vertical oscillation, ground contact time, stride length, vertical ratio and more to help improve your form (requires a compatible Garmin device)
- Computes pace and distance for treadmill or indoor track workouts
Textile straps are consumable components. A replacement strap can restore fit and contact without replacing the transmitter, but confirm that the replacement is designed for the exact sensor module and attachment system.
Coin-cell replacement
Both models use replaceable batteries. Suunto specifies a CR2025 cell. The appropriate cell for Garmin HRM-Dual should be confirmed from the marking on your unit or its current manual; do not substitute a different thickness merely because the diameter looks similar. Dispose of used coin cells through a local battery-recycling route, and keep new cells away from children and pets.
Storage between seasons
Remove the strap from the body, rinse off residue, dry it, and store it in a cool, dry place. Avoid leaving a damp strap sealed in a kit bag. If you will not use it for an extended period, follow the product instructions for separating or removing the battery so accidental activation does not consume the cell.
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Which monitor fits each training setup?
| Your setup | More suitable starting point | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Suunto watch and Bluetooth-only accessories | Suunto Smart Heart Rate Belt | Native Bluetooth Smart compatibility and watch-specific store-and-forward memory |
| Garmin watch plus an ANT+ bike computer | Garmin HRM-Dual | ANT+ support avoids a protocol mismatch |
| Phone-based Zwift with occasional ANT+ gym or cycling equipment | Garmin HRM-Dual | Bluetooth Low Energy and ANT+ cover both receiver types |
| One Bluetooth app and one Bluetooth watch at the same time | Garmin HRM-Dual, subject to both receivers’ support | Up to two concurrent Bluetooth Low Energy connections are specified |
| Activities where the Suunto watch may be out of Bluetooth range | Suunto Smart Heart Rate Belt with a compatible Suunto watch | R-R store-and-forward memory is documented for that pairing |
| ANT+-only treadmill, bike, or rowing console | Garmin HRM-Dual | The Suunto belt is Bluetooth Smart-based and will not provide an ANT+ signal |
What neither specification tells you
The published material does not provide a current price comparison, region-specific availability, independent accuracy testing, or a controlled battery head-to-head. It also does not establish that one strap is more comfortable, more accurate, or more durable for every athlete. Those outcomes depend on fit, skin contact, training environment, receiver design, and maintenance.
Do not choose solely from the longest-looking battery claim. A strap that cannot speak the protocol used by your watch, app, or gym console is unusable regardless of its nominal runtime. Conversely, a strap with the right protocol but a worn textile band can produce unreliable readings.
Bottom-line buying decision
Buy the Suunto Smart Heart Rate Belt when your receiving devices are Bluetooth Smart-compatible and you specifically want Suunto’s documented R-R memory workflow with a compatible Suunto watch. Its replaceable CR2025 cell and 30 m water-resistance specification suit users who want a straightforward Bluetooth chest strap.
Buy Garmin HRM-Dual when your training ecosystem mixes ANT+ and Bluetooth, when you use compatible gym equipment, or when two Bluetooth Low Energy receivers may need the same live signal. Its battery estimate is based on one hour of use per day, so compare that duty cycle with your own training schedule rather than treating it as a direct laboratory contest against Suunto’s operating-hour estimate.
In either case, confirm the protocol on every receiving device, pair the strap before the workout, maintain the textile band, and keep the correct replacement coin cell available.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
