Wearing the Garmin or Suunto Chest Belt
To wear the chest belt properly:
- Wet the contacts but not the area between the contacts (see images).
- Ensure the chest belt is positioned correctly and is the proper fit:
- The logo should be right-side-up.
- Men: Position the chest belt just under your pectoral muscles.
- Women: Position the chest belt just below your sports bra.
- Fit: The chest belt should be fairly tight around the torso; just tighter than is comfortable.
Additional Tips
- If the chest belt is having trouble picking up your heart rate, try rotating the chest belt to the left side of your torso (closer to the heart). You can also try moving the chest belt higher or lower on your torso.
- Warm up, so that you are sweating a bit, before putting the chest belt on; this can help establish a connection between the skin and the contacts.
- Try using electrode gel on the contacts.
- Excessive body hair can degrade performance; shaving or moving the transmitter to a smoother area can help.
- Excessive body fat can block the signal from the chest belt. Position the transmitter in the leanest area possible, and avoid body parts, like the breasts, that are composed primarily of fatty tissue.