After a frustrating run around with Polar HR7, where it did not work with any of my apps including Polar’s own app I decided to give Beets Blu a try. Running on an iPhone 5 with several apps including Digifit, my first choice, this HRM connected the first time and every time since, seven workouts. The iPhone 5 uses Bluetooth Smart (4.0), which makes it different than other versions or connections. Typically these products are simple enough and they either connect or they do not. In my combination of iPhone 5, Beets BLU and digifit it works and I couldn’t be happier with it

Item arrived on Wed. Got it to pair with iPhone 5 after 15 minutes by wetting with water, spit (suggested by several web sources), and gel. It stayed connected for about 20 minutes then dropped out. Assumed that because I was not active and moisture may have dried out I didn’t give it another thought.

Thursday… got it to connect after a few minutes through endmondo. Started my walk and placed iPhone in jacket pocket. When I got back from a 4 mile walk found that the heart rate data was collected for less than a minute. The weather was cool and did very little sweating so assumed it was not moist enough.

Later that evening downloaded another compatible app called Heart Rate. Eventually was able to get it to connect again with water, spit and gel. Stayed connected for about an hour and I took it off.

Friday.. could not get it to connect with either app so I changed out the battery. Connected shortly through both apps. Started my walk again using endomondo but checked after the first mile. Not connected. Spit, licked (again web sourced) and water on sensors and skin. NO joy. Checked again after second mile. Spit, licked and water; NO joy. Repeat at end of mile three; NO joy. Repeat at end of fourth mile; NO joy.

Saturday.. Would not connect after spit, water and gel. Maybe there’s interference in the house so out to the middle of a ball field. Spit, water, gel; NO joy. So back home to remove the battery and put in another. Connected to endomondo and Heart Rate app after starting and stopping apps several times. Connected to Heart Rate app and started on elliptical. Dropped out after about a minute. Not sweating much so after a half hour and moderate sweating tried to connect again with spit, water and gel; NO joy. After another 30 minutes with heavy sweating, licking and gel; NO joy.

I replaced a Timex Mid-Size T5G941 Easy Trainer Heart Rate Monitor Watch (bought through Amazon also) with this device. The Timex connected every time using just water and never lost signal with the watch when I was using it. Gave it to my daughter who has had it connect with an elliptical, treadmill and stationary bike at the gym she uses. I have some experience with band type heart rate monitors and have tried everything I can think of to make this thing work.

In all fairness I have not contacted the company about the issue but I’m not willing to wait for an answer. I know, my bad, I should give them a chance to respond but I’m the impatient type and expect things to work out of the box.

Sunday… returning for a refund and it appears I may have to pay return shipping. Amazon will not allow an instant refund due to being shipped by Beets BLU. NO JOY.

Follow up……

To be fair, I was contacted by the company several days later. They apologized for the problems and offered me a replacement for the same price I initially paid as the price had increased by . I had already moved on but the response was appreciated. I also did not have to pay return shipping.

Although the BeetsBLU literature claims the battery life is approximately one year I had burned through 9 batteries in 10 months. The manufacturer suggests removing not just the sensor from the strap after use to conserve battery power but the battery from the unit, then turning the battery over and reinserting it I guess to “reboot” the device so it stops sending an erroneous message that the battery is dead. I opened the back so many times the plastic is damaged and now it is impossible to unscrew the battery cover. BeetsBLU was initially responsive to my concerns regarding battery life and they said “others had complained about the issue.” Wow! How helpful! Subsequent attempts to contact them through Facebook and Twitter in an attempt to get a replacement model under warranty have been met with silence. Time to look into another manufacturer.