I went through three Mio wristband HR monitors before I finally tapped out at bought the Garmin. I've had it ten months (600+ hours of use,) and it's been flawless. The Mios run anywhere from $60-80 ( I had two Links and a Velo) while the Garmin soft strap model is $43. If it lasts another two months, I'll feel like I got my money's worth. Anything beyond that is gravy. As far as maintenance, I just wear it into the shower once a week.
I'd say just buy a new one. A new soft strap is $29, and the whole thing is $43. As soon as mine starts acting weird, I'm just buying a fresh one.
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