Garmin has added a new chest strap to its line-up – a supercharged version of its HRM-Pro.
The HRM-Pro Plus offers smarter indoor run tracking features, as the company builds on its chest strap platform.
The main change is for indoor running workouts. Those recording track or treadmill activities where GPS isn’t available will now get pace and distance tracking via the HRM-Pro Plus.
While estimates have been given from the wrist in the past, it means those that workout indoors don’t have to shell out for a beefy GPS watch to get some decent tracking.
And it’s good news for users of the existing HRM-Pro too. These features have already rolled out via an update – to bring the older chest strap in line with the new.
Elsewhere, the features are all the same.
The HRM-Pro Plus still uses ANT+ and Bluetooth, and it will connect to compatible gym equipment, which means you can have heart rate data broadcast. You can also hook the HRM-Pro Plus up to running apps, so track your progress.
The HRM-Pro has also become a key partner to the Forerunner 255 and Forerunner 955 sports watches, and will enable running power data. And that continues with the Pro Plus.
It continues the HRM-Pro’s work as a running dynamics sensor, and will deliver data such as ground contact time and vertical oscillation to Garmin sports watches.
And for swimmers, it will track heart rate in the water – and sync this with swim sessions recorded on compatible Garmin watches.
Cyclists are also catered for, and it will hook up to the latest Garmin Edge cycling computers.
The only real difference is that Garmin has updated the battery hatch on the newer HRM-Pro
The HRM-Pro Plus is available now has the same $129/£119 price tag as the older HRM-Pro. As we mentioned, the OTA update for the older chest strap means both offer the same features.
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James is the co-founder of Wareable, and he has been a technology journalist for 15 years.
He started his career at Future Publishing, James became the features editor of T3 Magazine and T3.com and was a regular contributor to TechRadar – before leaving Future Publishing to found Wareable in 2014.
James has been at the helm of Wareable since 2014 and has become one of the leading experts in wearable technologies globally. He has reviewed, tested, and covered pretty much every wearable on the market, and is passionate about the evolving industry, and wearables helping people achieve healthier and happier lives.