Charge 5 Heart rate on Elliptical Mode is Inaccurate

[Johnboy20311]

I've been using the Charge 5 for over two weeks.  I have noticed that the heart rate readings during my two-hour workouts is most inaccurate.  To prove this, I have compared it against my Polar H7 heart monitor and my Samsung Galaxy smart watch.  The smart watch is far from perfect but is more accurate than the Charge 5.  The Polar H7 is accurate.  

If I maintain a steady heartbeat for a period of time, the Charge 5 elliptical feature frequently changes zones from fat burn to peak, showing the heart rate much slower and slightly faster than the actual steady heartbeat for extended periods of time.

I have moved the Charge 5 to various positions on my arms.  It doesn't make any difference.  

With my condition, it is important to have a reasonably accurate device.  The problem is, with the Charge 5 alone, I would exceed my maximum heart rate when it is showing a much slower heartbeat.

Is this a known issue, or is my Charge 5 defective, and what can be done to resolve this problem.

Moderator edit: subject updated for clarity

[DavideFitbit]

Hello @Johnboy20311, welcome to the Community forums. 

Thank you for sharing this information about the inconvenience you've been experiencing with your Charge 5 and that you already tried a few troubleshooting steps. 

Before considering other options, I recommend that you try restarting the device using the three pulse restart method mentioned here below, instead of the restart option found on the Charge 5 itself: 

1. Connect your device to the charging cable. For instructions, see How do I charge my Fitbit device?
2. Press the button located on the flat end of the charger 3 times, pausing for 1 second between presses. Then wait 10 seconds or until the Fitbit logo appears.

In addition, please follow the instructions in this article to improve the accuracy of heart rate information and check the information mentioned here about other factors that could affect your heart rate reading, this has been useful to other users who have experienced something similar. 

Let me know if you continue to experience the same behavior after exhausting all these troubleshooting steps mentioned earlier. 

Hope this helps, I'll be around. 

[Johnboy20311]

Hi Davide,

Just today I was able to reset Charge 5 via the charging cable.  I have read the applicable information as directed. I'll report back within the next two days to advise if this problem is resolved.

Thanks,

John

[DavideFitbit]

Ok, thank you for the update, @Johnboy20311. 

Let me know if you continue to experience the same inconvenience. 

I'll be around.  

[Johnboy20311]

Hi Davide,

Sorry for the delay but I wanted to actively work on this problem, and I found that when using the doing the resets from the charge cord are of no value.  However, I did determine that the problem resolves when I deactivate the "Heart Zone Notification" from within in the Elliptical feature.  I turned it to the off position.  When it is off the heart rate reading is much more accurate, not perfect but much closer to my actual heart rate.  

Hopefully the engineers can fix this problem soon.

Thanks,

John

[DavideFitbit]

@Johnboy20311 Thank you for taking the time to share the steps that worked out for you. I'm sure this will be helpful for many users as well. 

Let me know how the device is working for the next few days if you do turn off the heart rate zone notifications or if you experience the same inconvenience again. 

I'll be around. 

[Johnboy20311]

Hi Davide,

I got ahead of myself with respect to this problem.  This problem has returned in full.  It doesn't matter if I do the power cord resets or if the heart zone notification is on or off.

Where I do my elliptical, the average temperature is around 53 - 60 degrees Fahrenheit.  Could the cold have some effect?  I've made it a point to keep my arm stationary for a considerable time, but this makes no difference. 

Thanks,

John

[DavideFitbit]

@Johnboy20311 Thank you for your reply and for confirming that you're still experiencing the same inconvenience. 

In this case, since you already tried the restart procedure along with other troubleshooting steps and you continue to experience the same problem, I recommend that you get in touch with the Customer Support team for further assistance with this. They will let you know how to proceed. 

The best way to get help for this problem is to chat with us online or give us a call. Click here to get connected. 

Have a great day.