My Garmin Device Will Not Pair or Display Data From My Chest Heart Rate Monitor

Garmin's heart rate chest straps can provide data to select watches and Edge® cycling computers during recorded activities. See When Does a Chest Strap Provide Heart Rate Data to My Watch? for more information.

If you are having difficulty getting a Garmin heart rate chest strap monitor to pair to your Garmin device and display heart rate data, try the following tips:

NOTE: Heart rate monitors that come bundled with a device are already paired at the factory. 

Run the Strap Under Water Before Putting It On

You must wet the electrodes on the back of the heart rate monitor chest strap with water. This will help establish an electrical connection between your body and the strap. See Related Content below for information on proper cleaning and care for your chest strap.

Wear the Strap When Attempting to Pair It

Most heart rate monitors must be worn while pairing. Make sure the logo on the front of the strap is right-side up, directly on the skin just beneath the breastbone as shown below:

NOTE: If you are in a cold environment, try warming up a bit and then try the pairing process again.

HRM 200

The HRM 200 does not need to be worn while pairing, but does need to be put in pairing mode if using a secure connection. For steps to enter pairing mode, see:  How Do I Enable Pairing Mode on My HRM 200?

Keep the Strap Close to the Device You Are Pairing It With

Bring the heart rate chest strap monitor within 10 feet (3 meters) of the device you are pairing it with.

Stay Away From Others When Trying to Pair

If you are attempting to pair the chest strap around others who have a heart rate chest strap, move far away from them in order for your device to pick up your strap and not someone else's. 

Try Restarting the Device You Are Connecting the Strap To

Rebooting the device can sometimes fix a pairing problem. If you are unsure of how to restart your device, refer to your owner's manual.

Update the Strap by Updating the Paired Garmin Device

When your heart rate monitor chest strap is due for a software update, this will be pushed to the strap by the paired Garmin device. To ensure this is a seamless process, your paired Garmin device will also need to be running the most up to date software. Review Installing the Latest Software On Your Fitness Device for instructions.

Now that the paired Garmin device is up to date, the next time your device connects to your heart rate monitor chest strap, it will ask if you want to update the chest strap software. The update will take 5-10 minutes and you can choose to do the update when prompted by the Garmin device or install the update later.

If you choose to install the update later, select the Sensors and Accessories from your paired device's settings menu while wearing your chest strap, and then select your chest strap.

For Previously Paired Straps, Try Pairing the Strap as a New Sensor

If you have previously had the heart rate monitor chest strap paired but are having difficulty with it connecting again, try removing the strap from your sensors and pair it again. To unpair the chest strap go to your settings menu on the device, select Sensors, select Heart Rate, select the Chest Strap that was previously paired, and then select Remove.

After you have removed the chest strap, attempt to add the heart rate monitor chest strap as a new sensor to the device. This is done from the device's settings menu by selecting the option to search for all sensors. Search your owner's manual for Pairing Your Wireless Sensors to get specific instructions. If pairing a dual-band sensor, it is recommended to pair via ANT+ whenever possible.

Try Replacing the Battery in the Chest Strap

View the video that corresponds with your heart rate monitor model below or refer to the owner's manual.

Changing the Battery on an HRM 200 Monitor:

Changing the Battery on an HRM-Pro™ Plus Monitor:

Changing the Battery on an HRM-Fit™ Monitor:

Changing the Battery on Older HRM Monitors:

Changing the Battery on an HRM-Run™, HRM-Tri™, and HRM-Swim™ Monitor: