Garmin HRM-200 review: gets straight to the heart of the matter
Accurate, comfortable and dependable for indoor cycling on Rouvy. It occasionally needs waking with the button before connecting, but this is a very minor inconvenience.
Pros
- Accurate and dependable heart-rate readings
- Comfortable enough to forget it is being worn
- No heart-rate dropouts experienced
- Straightforward to set up and use
- Strap has washed well
Minor drawback
It does not always wake and reconnect automatically and occasionally needs a button press followed by a short wait
Garmin HRM-200 review
I bought the Garmin HRM-200 in June 2026 to give me dependable heart-rate readings during my indoor rides on Rouvy—and, occasionally, to confirm whether I was genuinely working hard or merely being dramatic.
Connecting it for the first time was straightforward, although it took a few minutes rather than a few seconds. Nothing was actually difficult; it was simply that familiar modern ritual where two clever electronic devices sit a few feet apart pretending they have never met.
I connect it through Rouvy’s sensor screen on my laptop before starting a ride. I have not confirmed whether that connection uses Bluetooth or ANT+.
Since the initial setup, the heart-rate connection has been reliable. The laptop and Rouvy occasionally have their own disagreements, but the HRM-200 itself has not dropped out or caused any problems.
The readings appear accurate as well. During one ride, my heart rate looked surprisingly high, so I checked it against my watch in the hope that the chest strap was exaggerating. Unfortunately, both agreed. The equipment was working perfectly; the alarming figure was entirely mine.
Comfort is excellent. Once the strap is on, I normally forget I am wearing it, which is exactly what you want. Indoor cycling already provides enough discomfort without adding a chest strap determined to make its presence known.
It has also washed well and continued working normally afterwards. This is useful because, after a hard indoor ride, both the strap and its owner are usually ready for some attention.
My only minor complaint is that it does not always reconnect automatically when I put it on. My previous monitor generally woke up and connected without being asked. The HRM-200 occasionally needs its button pressing, followed by a few seconds while Rouvy finds it. It is hardly a hardship, but when you have finally persuaded yourself to exercise, even a short delay feels unnecessarily risky.
Overall, the Garmin HRM-200 has been accurate, comfortable and dependable. It has not made me any fitter by itself, but it has removed most of my opportunities to pretend I was trying harder than I actually was.