If you have a Peloton Bike or the Peloton Tread you may have purchased one of their accessories bundles which used to include the Peloton heart rate monitor and now includes their newer Peloton Heart Rate Band.
I have seen a few people post questions asking about their older Peloton Heart Rate Monitor not working.
When I bought my Peloton bike I got an accessories package with it which included a bike mat, shoes, heart rate monitor, weights, and headphones.
I do think the package was worth it because I got a special on it at the time (hint, this special comes around black Friday and the holidays).
One piece of the package - the heart rate monitor, is something I previously used with the bike all the time.
This post was originally written a few years ago, so I am now updating this post for 2023 because Peloton came out with a new Heart Rate Band in 2022.
If you want tips on fixing the older Peloton Heart Rate Monitor you will find them below.
If you would like to read more about the newer Peloton Heart Rate Band which came out in 2022, you can read it here.
Peloton new Heart Rate Band
In 2022 Peloton introduced a new heart rate band that is wearable on your arm, and has optical sensors for measuring heart rate.
The new heart rate band has a rechargeable battery with 10 hours of workout time.
The older heart rate chest strap monitor had a replaceable battery, and it truly was a pain to replace it.
You can get this heart rate band in a size small or large.
The new Peloton heart rate band is considered better than the old Peloton chest heart rate monitor in several other ways:
- Comfort: The new heart rate band is designed to fit comfortably on the arm, while the chest strap monitor can sometimes feel restrictive or uncomfortable during intense workouts.
- Accuracy: The arm band uses optical sensors to measure heart rate, which is considered to be more accurate than the chest band's electrocardiogram (ECG) sensors.
- Convenience: The arm monitor doesn't require a separate chest strap, which makes it more convenient and easier to use than the chest band.
- Compatibility: The arm monitor is compatible with a wider range of Peloton devices, including the Bike, Bike+, Tread, and Tread+, Guide, while the chest strap is only compatible with select devices.
Overall, the new Peloton heart rate arm monitor offers improved comfort, accuracy, convenience, and compatibility compared to the old Peloton chest strap heart rate monitor.
To pair the Peloton heart rate monitor to the Bike or Tread, follow these steps:
- Turn on the monitor: Press and hold the button on the monitor until the LED light flashes.
- Go to the settings menu: On the Bike or Tread, navigate to the settings menu and select "Heart Rate Monitor."
- Put the monitor in pairing mode: On the settings menu, select "Pair New Device" and follow the prompts to put the monitor in pairing mode.
- Connect the monitor: The Bike or Tread will search for available devices and should find the Peloton heart rate band. Select the heart rate band and follow the prompts to complete the pairing process.
- Confirm the connection: Once the pairing is complete, the LED light on the monitor should stop flashing and stay solid, indicating a successful connection. You can now start using the heart rate band during your workouts.
Note: Make sure the heart rate band is within close proximity to the Bike or Tread during the pairing process. If you experience any issues, try restarting the pairing process.
The new Peloton heart rate band will also work with any third-party applications that support standard Bluetooth heart rate monitor profiles.
It does not have ANT+ like the older heart rate monitor.
I got the newer heart rate band when I switched out my Tread+ for the Tread and got an accessories package.
It is so much easier to use than the older heart rate monitor.
I gave up on the old one shortly after I wrote this original post, and moved to using my Apple Watch as my heart rate monitor.
Now that I have received the newer Peloton heart rate band, I am using it again instead of my Apple Watch and I love it.
I believe it's worth the price, but if you can get it as part of an accessories bundle when purchasing a Bike or Tread, even better!
The Peloton new Heart Rate Band retails for $90 and you can find it on Amazon, as well as Peloton's website.
If you are really looking for the old Peloton chest strap heart rate monitor, it is available on Peloton's website for $34.
Peloton Heart Rate Monitor
I got my first Peloton bike in early 2017 and back then the Peloton heart rate chest strap monitor was the best way for me to monitor my heart rate.
The original Peloton heart rate monitor can lose connection sometimes. Back when it was my main monitor, I had to troubleshoot it and call support a few times.
If you are trying to get the original Peloton heart rate monitor connected, read on below.
Peloton uses ANT+ or bluetooth to connect heart rate monitors
A little more about ANT+
ANT+ is a wireless protocol for monitoring sensor data such as a person's heart rate or a car's tire pressure. ANT+ is designed and maintained by the ANT+ Alliance which is owned by Garmin. It is based on the ANT protocol.
Source - Wikipedia.
How to use the Peloton heart rate monitor
Make sure you have the heart rate monitor positioned on your body and ready to go.
There is a heart rate monitor connection on the bike.
It is found by joining a class, or by tapping on the time in the top right corner of the touchscreen and choosing "heart rate monitor".
Troubleshooting a Peloton heart rate monitor that stops working
- First check the bluetooth connection to your bike. Even though the Peloton heart rate monitor uses ANT+ to display your heart rate, it still needs to be connected by bluetooth as well.
- This was not intuitive to me and ended up being my problem. Even though they were connected originally, I had an update run and they then became disconnected. So, try connecting bluetooth again as this seems to be the most common issue.
- If your bluetooth connection is still showing but your heart rate monitor is not working, I would still try disconnecting and connecting again to completely rule it out.
- The next obvious item to check is the battery. I replaced my batteries while troubleshooting but they did not end up being my issue. Still, they run out at some point.
- To save battery life unsnap the plastic piece from the band when not riding. When the battery is starting to run out I notice extremely inaccurate heart rate information on the bike so this will give you some idea when it's about to happen.
- The next item to check is the connection on your chest. Knowing how to wear the Peloton heart rate monitor is key. I found as a woman right under my chest was best. Wet the connection pads, this is important, or it won't work. Adjust the monitor around on you till you see it show up connected. The less it moves during a ride the better so I make mine pretty snug.
These are the most common issues I see come up with the Peloton heart rate monitor. If it's still not working for you then it may be faulty and you can call Peloton support. They were ready to send me a new one if I could not get mine working.
Peloton heart rate monitor battery
If you need to check the batteries or replace the battery you can remove it from the back of the heart rate monitor.
The Peloton heart rate monitor uses a 3V Lithium batteries number CR2032.
How to turn the Peloton heart rate monitor on or off
The monitor does not actually turn on and off, but when connected to the strap it is using the battery.
Peloton recommends removing the monitor from the strap when not in use to preserve the battery.
Alternatives to the Peloton Heart Rate Monitor
If you decide you are done with chest straps and would rather have an arm band this one from Schosche has rave reviews and does work with the Peloton bike.
Scosche Rhythm+ Heart Rate Monitor Armband - Optical Heart Rate Armband Monitor with Dual Band Radio ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart
It seems to be one of the most popular heart rate monitors to use with the bike according to the many Peloton groups where I participate.
Wahoo TICKR X Heart Rate Monitor with Memory, Bluetooth/ANT+
This is another popular alternative to the peloton monitor.
My husband has this one for his outdoor cycle and also uses it with the Peloton and loves it.
I have heard Garmin heart rate monitors also work well with the Peloton Bike.
Apple Watch now pairs with the Peloton bike
I will write a new post on how to pair them but it is really easy.
This is what I use now since I always wear my Apple watch anyway.
Please let me know if you have any questions about any of these heart rate monitors.
If you want to know more about the Peloton bike you can read my full Peloton review here!
Peloton Products at Amazon
Peloton now sells many of my favorite products on Amazon, including the Peloton bike and the new and improved heart rate monitor!
Peloton Guide | Strength Training Device with Built-In Camera Technology, Movement Tracker, and Handheld Remote with Voice Activation
Peloton Heart Rate Band | Arm Band with Rechargeable Battery, Sweatproof Design, and Bluetooth® Compatibility - Small
Peloton Light Weights | Set of Two Sweat-Proof Weights with Nonslip Grip, Designed to Fit in the Back of Peloton Bike and Bike+ - 3 lb
Peloton Altos Cycling Shoes for Bike and Bike+ with Single Hook and Loop Strap and Delta-Compatible Bike Cleats
Peloton Bike Mat | 72” x 36” with 4 mm Thickness, Compatible with Peloton Bike or Bike+
Vladimir
Wednesday 17th of February 2021
Hi, can you tell me. Can the Peloton Heart rate from 2019 be connected to Garmin Edge devices? This heart rate support ANT+ and Bluetooth. Thanks all :)
Jennifer Brenan
Monday 22nd of February 2021
Hi, I am really not sure. If it has ANT+ and bluetooth I think it should but I have never tried this.
Liz
Monday 11th of January 2021
Has anyone tried to change bands for the Peloton HR monitor? I'm a petite female and the band, at it's tightest (cinched up to the measuring pads), keeps slipping. I would like to find one that comes in a 'small.' It works well for me (bike, tread) when I can get it to stay in place.
Jennifer Brenan
Tuesday 12th of January 2021
Hi, I have not heard of anyone switching out the bands but if you do find one that works let us know!
Leo
Friday 23rd of October 2020
Wondering if anyone has had a slight twist on the "it stopped working" problem. My bike and monitor are less than 30 days old. The monitor worked great right out of the box and I was impressed by how seamless it all was.
However, after about three weeks, a new problem emerged: the monitor is connected (according to the screen on the bike), but for the first several minutes of the ride it is obvious that it is not properly connected as it will display a heart rate in the range of 30 or 40. Then, after several minutes (sometimes as long as 7 minutes) out of nowhere the display on the screen shows a heart rate well over 100. Basically, the signal won't work in the early minutes of the ride, but then suddenly kicks in.
At first I thought maybe it was because the monitor needed to be moistened and perhaps only after I worked up a sweat would it kick in, but that doesn't explain why this problem started after three weeks (it worked from the first minute during the first three weeks). Also, I have tried to dampen the monitor before starting my ride to see if that would help, and it hasn't made a difference.
Has anyone experienced a heartrate monitor not working for several minutes and then suddenly working? If so, have you been able to solve this problem?
Brad
Thursday 28th of January 2021
I too have this issue. The Peloton Heart rate monitor will connect and start as it should but then at random times throughout the ride, it appears that I have died and come back to life. My heart rate will be 130 and then zero and a min later, back to 130 and works the rest of the ride. Peloton replaced my first monitor but the second one continues doing the same thing. I always make sure that the strap is wet before any rides. Any suggestions to stop if from intermittently dropping?
Jennifer Brenan
Tuesday 27th of October 2020
Hi, I do not remember having this particular problem but it does seem like the Peloton heart rate monitor can be a little glitchy. I know others have had experiences like this. I always rewet it when I had issues or paired it again and that usually would take care of any connection problems. It has been awhile though since I have used it so I am not sure if this is a new issue. Hopefully someone else may be able to chime in and help. You might also want to ask on the Peloton official member page on Facebook. There is lots of good advice there. Good luck!
Toth
Thursday 8th of October 2020
I am wondering if the people who are having connection issues are shutting down their bikes (hold power button and then press Shut Down) or putting it to sleep (short click power button, screen turns off). I've been having connection issues since I've just been putting the bike to sleep, and not rebooting it every time. I'm going to try shutdown after every use and report back.
Jennifer Brenan
Friday 9th of October 2020
Hi, it's been awhile since I have used the Peloton heart rate monitor so I don't remember if this helped or not. Let us know! I am currently waiting on the bike+ and will use my Apple watch with it.
Bruce
Saturday 11th of April 2020
Similar questions above. I have a garmin hrm dual. Connected to bike for about 6 months then stopped. Bike can’t find it. I wet the contacts first. I’ve changed the battery. I’ve gone to the Bluetooth section to find it. The hrm is ant+. Is going to the Bluetooth section correct? Bike finds my earbuds.
Jennifer Brenan
Monday 13th of April 2020
Hi,
I have not tried a Garmin with the bike but I do think any of them need to be connected via bluetooth first. I would try rebooting and reconnecting it if possible.