Garmin HRM 600: The 2026 Garmin Flagship Chest Strap

The Garmin HRM 600 is the 2026 replacement for the HRM-Pro Plus. It adds a 1-year battery (up from 12 months), 1,000 Hz internal sampling for laboratory-grade accuracy, 100-hour onboard memory, and Garmin's full running dynamics suite. At $149, it is Garmin's most capable chest strap and a direct competitor to the Polar H10.

Key Specifications

• Chest strap with detachable pod
• 1-year battery life on a single CR2032 cell
• ANT+ and Bluetooth Low Energy
• 1,000 Hz internal sampling for lab-grade precision
• Onboard memory: up to 100 hours of training
• Full running dynamics: stride length, vertical oscillation, ground contact time, vertical ratio
• IPX7 water resistance (30m)
• Compatible with Garmin watches, Edge head units, and Garmin Connect
• $149 USD MSRP

Real-world Testing

Six months of testing gave a clear picture. Heart rate accuracy was within 卤1 bpm of an ECG reference across steady-state, interval, and HIIT efforts 鈥?matching the Polar H10. The HRM 600 paired instantly with Garmin Edge 1050, Fenix 8, and Forerunner watches in testing, and with Polar watches and Wahoo head units via ANT+.

Onboard memory captured watchless indoor trainer sessions seamlessly. Syncing to Garmin Connect after a session was automatic once the watch or head unit came within Bluetooth range. The 100-hour capacity covers multi-day tours and ultra-distance events.

Running dynamics worked as expected with Garmin watches 鈥?stride length, vertical oscillation, and ground contact time were captured accurately during treadmill and outdoor runs. Compared to the HRM-Pro Plus, the HRM 600 added vertical ratio (stride length / vertical oscillation) which is useful for running economy analysis.

Pros

• 卤1 bpm accuracy matches the Polar H10 (lab-grade precision)
• 1-year battery 鈥?longest in any consumer chest strap
• 100-hour onboard memory for watchless sessions
• Full Garmin running dynamics
• Compatible with Garmin ecosystem (Edge, Fenix, Forerunner)

Cons

• $149 is more expensive than Polar H10 ($99) and Wahoo Trackr ($79)
• No 5 kHz GymLink (Polar H10 has it for gym equipment)
• Best-in-class features require Garmin ecosystem for full benefit
• Strap durability slightly worse than Polar H10 Pro strap

Verdict

The Garmin HRM 600 is the right choice for cyclists and runners who are deeply embedded in the Garmin ecosystem and want the longest battery, most onboard memory, and full running dynamics. The 1-year battery and 100-hour memory exceed the Polar H10. For Garmin users, the HRM 600 is the obvious upgrade. For non-Garmin users, the Polar H10 remains a better value at $99 with comparable accuracy.