Blaze review from a heart patient

[kerrympls]

My needs for a HR monitor have nothing to do with workouts and I know there are a lot of people who are looking for the same thing I am.  I need to wear a monitor that will keep me from letting my heart rate get elevated.  I had horrible luck with the Charge HR - I also have a latex sensitivity and ended up with sores all over my wrist, so the ability to swap out wrist bands is GREAT!!  

So anyway, I found the heart rate monitor on the Charge sort of close most days, but not that reliable.  I've been wearing the Blaze for about 2 weeks now and I have to tell you it's been spot on every time I've checked it out.  

The steps on the Charge were accurate for my walking, but I'd also accumulate steps while driving.  I am getting an accurate count on the Blaze, no driving steps.  Much harder to hit my step goal with this watch.  🙂

Stairs never worked on my Charge.  Not once.  With the Blaze it was recording flights of stairs the first week perfectly (so excited!) but it doesn't seem to be doing as well this week.

I ordered one of the more inexpensive metal wrist bands on Amazon because of the latex thing and really like it.   It's not cheap at all.  Since it changes out at the pegs and not just easily popping out the watch like the Fitbit ones, I won't want to change it very often.  

I would recommend the Blaze to anyone looking for a decent HR monitor for anyone in a situation like mine (and I was someone on the boards ranting about how much I hated my Charge, so you can trust this review!).  I can't answer for its performance under a sweaty workout, but I have much more confidence with this than I did with first my Nike watch and then the Charge HR.  

[FerdinandFitbit]

Hey there @kerrympls. Good to see you around!

Thank you so much for sharing this valuable review! I'll be moving it to the discussions board where it will get attention from users that might be looking for something like this!

Thanks again for sharing and happy stepping! 😄

[Colinm39]

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@kerrympls wrote:

My needs for a HR monitor have nothing to do with workouts and I know there are a lot of people who are looking for the same thing I am.  I need to wear a monitor that will keep me from letting my heart rate get elevated.  I had horrible luck with the Charge HR - I also have a latex sensitivity and ended up with sores all over my wrist, so the ability to swap out wrist bands is GREAT!!  

So anyway, I found the heart rate monitor on the Charge sort of close most days, but not that reliable.  I've been wearing the Blaze for about 2 weeks now and I have to tell you it's been spot on every time I've checked it out.  

The steps on the Charge were accurate for my walking, but I'd also accumulate steps while driving.  I am getting an accurate count on the Blaze, no driving steps.  Much harder to hit my step goal with this watch.  🙂

Stairs never worked on my Charge.  Not once.  With the Blaze it was recording flights of stairs the first week perfectly (so excited!) but it doesn't seem to be doing as well this week.

I ordered one of the more inexpensive metal wrist bands on Amazon because of the latex thing and really like it.   It's not cheap at all.  Since it changes out at the pegs and not just easily popping out the watch like the Fitbit ones, I won't want to change it very often.  

I would recommend the Blaze to anyone looking for a decent HR monitor for anyone in a situation like mine (and I was someone on the boards ranting about how much I hated my Charge, so you can trust this review!).  I can't answer for its performance under a sweaty workout, but I have much more confidence with this than I did with first my Nike watch and then the Charge HR.  

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@FerdinandFitbit An excellent review and it confirms my findings. I have been wearing the Blaze 24/7 now for 4 weeks and no irritation for the supplied band. I have a very slow HR (genetic) with a 1st degree block (missing heart beat) and found the Blaze very accurate at low HR's. It agrees with my Omron BP machine. I regularly analyze my sleep because my HR gets down to 39 BPM and the missing beat. My cardiac man asked me if I noticed 2 or 3 catchup beats when I missed a beat. I only noticed it when they were running the electrocardiogram of my heart a couple of weeks ago.. All healthy..

The Charge HR used to spike when I moved while asleep and at my age the Fat Burning Zone starts at 72bpm.. Unwanted calories.. No spikes with the Blaze.

[FerdinandFitbit]

Totally @Colinm39! I have also been using my Blaze 24/7 (where the colored display plays a big motivating factor) but besides the look, It's been super helpful. Giving me very accurate heart rate readings and what I love the most is the integration it has with FitStar. I really hope new exercises can be added soon but other than that, the performance is great!

[WendyB]

@kerrympls Thanks for the review! Im finding the same as well! Glad its working so well for you

[Roshelow]

I too have to monitor my heart rate and I bought the Charge HR last week. Mine works perfectly so far and I love it. My target steps were 2500 for the day as I soon get out of breath, I think I may have been a bit pessimistic because I have been over my target a few times and my heart rate has been over 50 bpm a few times which is good for me, hope all works out well for you.

[emili]

I love my charge HR as well- but I keep hearing awesome things about the blaze so I am thinking one will be added to my birthday wish list. Thanks for sharing!

[SteveThorp]

I am also an ex-heart surgery patient, luckily I am now cleared to live life as normal including exercise, but I do still monitor my HR. I need all day monitoring and more importantly fitness monitoring so as not to over exert. I totally accept these are not medical devices but it is imortant that they are at least in the right ball park otherwise, they are potentially dangerous to some users who will obviously trust the data they see.

Having used many other HR devices, I know my own heart rate incredibly well. Apart from at total rest (SitBit may be more like it?), Fitbit devices are WOEFULLY INACCURATE, i.e. 50 to 60 beats or more out during workouts. I have followed all the advice on how to wear them and it makes no difference whatsoever. This is not a faulty device as I have tried two to rule that out. I use a surge and a blaze.

I have three other devices to compare too..

Garmin with chest strap.

Mio Alpha wrist based.

Tom Tom wrist based.

All three of those consistently read the same and are within a few beats of each other. The data from the fitbit devices is consistently MILES OUT and as the intensity increases, so does the error factor.

There is aclearly an inherent problem with fitbit devices. I certinly don't accept the all day device agurment as an excuse. I have worn Mio Alpha and Tom Tom wrist based devices as all day HR monitors for over two years and they work. Looking at how bright the lights are on the back of the fit bit devices compared to the Mio and the Tom Tom, the lights are nowhere near as bright. So much so, that I don't think they accurately pick up the blood flow. I assume that this is to save the battery power maybe. I personally would rather charge daily and have accurate data, than 5 days worth of inaccurate data.

The upshot is that despite the otherwise great functions, steps, floors, competitiveness with your mates etc., you just cannot trust the HR data that the fitbit devices report.

Fitbit, you need to respond to this and not ignore the problem that clearly exists with your technology!

[Roshelow]

I didn't know this until I read your correspondence, so I checked with my
Fitbit and another heart rate monitor, the Fitbit said 83 and my other 66,
I have never been above 70 since a heart attack 2 yrs ago due to meds.
Thanks for info, will keep a check.

[SteveThorp]

Yes, I was just raising awareness that if for medical or health reasons you need to know where your heart rate is, the fitbit is a erm... rather unreliable and that is being genrous to the device. It does however seem accurate at rest or just over (Somone on one of these boards called it the SIT BIT lol).

I also have had a heart attack but have been given a free rain to get on with life including cardio exercise. I do keep an eye on my heart rate though for obvious reasons and can categorically say that if I relied on fitbit when exercising I would push myself well beyond where I would like to be.

Yes, its not a medical device but it is so far out that I think it is at best, not as described / fit for purpose as a fitness tracker and at worst downright dangerous for some users. Stay safe and enjoy life.

[rehandra]

I have never seen a response from the makers of Fitbit about its inaccurate heart rate monitor.

Why are they not telling us what the problem is because there definitelyd is one.

I have been getting readings of 195 many times and my heart rate should not go over 149 according to my age   220 less 71.

I would have been better off buying a cheaper model than the Charge.  I will see how long my second fitb it lasts (the last one got a bubble under the band...yet another problem with Fitbit).

Not worth paying a lot of money for something that only partly works.

[KLMCats]

My own needs are to be able to see high/low heart rate for a given day, not just AVERAGE RESTING. I purchased CHARGE HR nearly a year ago & was soarly disappointed that the ONLY way I can track this is to log in to the web app & hover (day by day) over the highest peak & lowest. Read where some individual with heart problems went to ER & thanks to Drs being able to access the history for hit CHARGE HR they were able to diagnose & treat a dangerous condition. Considering the advertizing, I expect better!

SURGE is a larger device than I want to wear & now that have come out with the CHARGE 2... lots of great new features, but I *still* do not see anywhere that the information I require is reported. I guess that when my CHARGE HR finally quits I will be looking at other manufacturer's products.