Charge 6 heart rate spiking randomly

[j1ommy]

I’ve had my Charge 6 for about 8 months and lately I’ve noticed my heart rate reading will suddenly jump from like 70 to 130 for no reason while I’m sitting still. I’ll check my pulse manually and it’s normal, so it seems like the sensor is just glitching. It happens a few times a day now and it’s messing with my resting heart rate and cardio load numbers. I’ve tried cleaning the sensor and restarting the watch but it keeps happening. Is this a known issue with the Charge 6 or did my sensor just start failing I’m not really worried about my actual heart, it’s more that the data feels useless now. Wondering if anyone else has run into this and if a factory reset fixed it or if I should just start looking at other brands.

Moderator edit: clarified subject.

[ManuFitbit]

It's good to see you participating in the community for the first time @j1ommy. 

Thank you for taking the time to share this information with me regarding the difficulty with heart rate on your Charge 6. Thank you for trying to fix it on your own. 

Keep in mind that air temperature, stress level, alcohol or caffeine intake, immune response to illness, and medication use can affect heart rate (source). Cold weather can hinder your device's ability to accurately measure your heart rate during exercise because it affects blood flow to the skin. Sudden movements during sleep, like waking up and getting out of bed, or a poor wrist placement affecting the signal, can lead to increased heart rate readings.

Review our tips on How do I improve the accuracy of a heart rate reading.

In addition, swipe down from the clock screen and tap the Settings app to open it. Tap Heart Rate and turn it off. Restart your device as indicated here and then turn Heart Rate on again.