Garmin HRM-Dual review: Simple, straightforward and with good battery life

The Garmin HRM-Dual is Garmin's most basic and budget-friendly heart rate monitor offering. 

Priced at £59.99/$70, it sits at the bottom of the brand's range which also includes the top-spec HRM-Pro Plus and HRM-Fit. 

While the HRM-Dual is the simplest option in terms of tech, it features good data accuracy and comfort, and thanks to its three and a half year battery, features in our guide as the best heart rate monitor for battery life. 

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Design and specifications

As per the name suggests, the HRM-Dual dual transmits via both ANT+ and Bluetooth technology. It offers unlimited ANT+ connections and two Bluetooth connections. 

The Garmin HRM-Dual measures both heart rate and heart rate variability, the latter of which is a measure of the variation in time between each heartbeat. Garmin uses this score to assess the users body battery, stress score, and lactate threshold, all of which are Garmin specific terms and scores rather than anything industry-wide, or medically adopted. To use the HRV element, users will need a compatible device. 

Where the HRM-Dual stands out is in its impressive battery life. 

The battery lasts for up to 3.5 years when assuming usage of one hour per day, which is much longer than most non-rechargeable heart rate monitors, including Garmin's HRM-Pro Plus and HRM-Fit. 

When it comes to replacing the battery, it's a case of unscrewing the slot in the central pod which is fiddly, but Garmin provides the screwdriver for this, and let's be honest, with that sort of battery length, you won't be changing it often. 

It has a waterproof rating of 1 ATM which means it has limited protection against water but can withstand light rain, and is of course able to handle sweat. 

The Garmin HRM-Dual does not come with onboard memory, running dynamics, or any benefits for swimmers as is the case with more premium options like the Garmin HRM Pro Plus. 

Performance

In testing, the HRM-Dual provided consistently accurate heart rate data, and paired and connected with a host of devices, including Garmin products and the Wahoo Tickr Smart, Zwift and Rouvy.

The monitor was simple to connect, and when the electrodes were moistened the device quickly came into action. I also find heart rate variability an intriguing data set, so this was a nice addition. 

As is typical with many heart rate monitor chest straps, the Garmin HRM-Dual consists of a detachable module which clips on to an adjustable chest strap. The strap is soft, although not as silky-smooth as the HR-Pro Plus, and the pod was easy to clip onto the strap and take off for washing. 

The HRM-Dual uses a hook and loop closure and has a well thought out cloth tab label to prevent any irritation from the closure. 

I wore the HRM-Dual for both cycling and running and didn't experience any discomfort or chaffing, but it was the three-part adjustment system that I found particularly fiddly and cumbersome to get right. 

I spent a good while trying to remove copious bunching while adjusting the strap, which while not catastrophic, was inconvenient. Once fitted, the strap didn't budge but I would have preferred a simpler adjusting design. 

Either side of the pod, the strap has a jazzy crisscross design, of what use this has escaped me, but when heart rate monitors often lack much fun in appearance, I welcomed the addition.  

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Verdict

The Garmin HRM-Dual is a simple and straightforward heart rate monitor with excellent battery life and data accuracy.  

At £59.99 it is a touch more expensive than the likes of the Polar H9 which has similar technical ilk and costs £56.50. 

Of course, the HRM-Dual doesn't boast a wide range of data insights like its higher tech counterparts, but for accurate heart rate data you won't go far wrong, as long as you can nail adjusting it.