I have a cheap aldi Hr monitor, I’ve found it really useful so far, but its started to not work so well – takes a bit of time for strava to find it and then takes a while to pick up my pulse – it then sometimes drops to zero (while I am still alive). I’ve replaced the battery. I find the strap slips a fair bit too. Is this just because its a cheap aldi p.o.s, is it common with all HR monitors, or do I need the strap tighter (it feels tight already).
The other thing that occurs to me is that my chest-wig might cause interference?? 😳

As far as I know chest hair can interfere (according to the instructions in mine anyway) so that could be part of the problem. Are you really wetting the back when you put it on?
Mine is only a cheap one I got free from uni, probably the same as yours, and seems to be ok but I do have the strap really tight to stop it slipping.

Lidl one here, has worked fine though recently some dropout signals.
End of last week, as it happens, refused to pick up signal – it would connect I think, but not register a HR. Tried new batteries, nothing, reset it, nothing – suspect it’s goosed. If I spend more cash though, will it be better or just fail differently? How reliable are the Polar ones e.g.?

tried a new/different strap?

Hm, the Lidl and what sounds like the other ones are all in one affairs with two bits of stretchy fabric and the sensor block in the middle, no real option to swap out for a different strap I’m afraid.

Kind of – vaguely – like this –

tried a new/different strap?

Does this make a difference? the one I have (crane connect) is detachable. I see you can get polar straps for a tenner or so. Do all detachable HRMs have the same width between the two poppers?

I have a topeak bluetooth one that appeared to have packed up. fitted it to the garmin strap that came with my 520 and it came back to life. I think the fitting is pretty much standard.

I’ve had a Garmin Edge 500 with the premium HRM for well over a year now and never had any problems at all. Always shows me as being alive.

I did pick up a cheapy from Aldi before this, but it would have benefited from some kind of instructional video on how to use it, and it stopped working properly after a few weeks. Aldi do some good stuff, but that wasn’t one of them, IMO. Cheap though.

You can improve the contact by damping the area with water to make a better contact

I always lick the electrodes before i put em on…..

CHeers, I’ll risk a tenner on a new strap and make sure i damp down the electrodes, I normally do with a bit of spit, maybe just water is better?

I always find spit hit & miss until I get sweaty later in the ride.
I did wonder whether I should give some conductive gel a go.

Lots of them about (HRM-specific and medical ones at 1/5th the price natch)

I’ve used several chest straps now, Garmin premium, standard, tomtom etc. For me, none of them worked with any kind of reliability. Spent half the cycle/run twisting, wetting, repositioning, tightening, etc etc. Gave up and bought a mio link. Just works, no more faff.