First week with Fitbit Surge

[JonasP]

This is my first Fitbit that í´m using. I´ve used different pulse watches during the last 10 years, mainly from Polar, i know my pulserate rather well.

The thing i got impressed with is the sync with the dashboard here at Fitbit. Very nice and good overview.

BUT and a big big issue is the heart rate how it works with the Surge.

I do a lot of gymtraining and spinning.

I measured my own heartrate at 140bpm, but my Surge measured it at 80-90, MAYBE an ocassional 106. After sitting stilI for 30 sec the rate bumps up to 120-130 suddenly, then i kept my wrist FROZEN IN PLACE beforew i managed to get a reading. For a normal gymsession i´ve burned 140-180 kcal and with a regular pulsewatch up to 3-4 times as much. It´s with Polar RS600CX with a pulseband around my chest.

For the moment i´m not that satisfied, especially with the price on the SURGE.

[SunsetRunner]

Measuring pulse with a chest strap (almost direct connection), and measuring it by reading

dilated blood vessels at the pulse (an indirect, and delayed reaction) is not the same.

FitBit Surge is reasonably accurate, with (usually) a delay of 30 seconds or so.

I have both the Garmin VivoFit (chest strap method) and FitBit Surge.

I find having the readings done at the wrist, to be very convenient.

[JonasP]

Of course it´s not the same with a chest strap. And you have to calculate with some delays, but not that much. 

BUT with a workout for 1 hour, to have a diff up to 400-500 kcal is high!

To do 30 set in the gym and still have a calorie burn for maximum 200 kcal is not so accurate.

[SunsetRunner]

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@JonasP wrote:

Of course it´s not the same with a chest strap. And you have to calculate with some delays, but not that much. 

BUT with a workout for 1 hour, to have a diff up to 400-500 kcal is high!

To do 30 set in the gym and still have a calorie burn for maximum 200 kcal is not so accurate.

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My FitBit Surge is just fantastic for me, but you seem to be negative.

FitBit has a return policy, and you may want to use it.

[JonasP]

I will try to see if it gets better during the next couple of weeks.

Some features are great, logging food etc.

[Cocoadot]

I have the exact same experience. I am now five days with my surge. I love everything about it EXCEPT the fact that I am certain it is not measuring my HR even close to accurately. After many years in the gym using HRMs that agree with the HR readout on the gym equipment, this thing is so low its demoralizing!!!

I am a fitness instructor actually and when I teach spinning, my HR will normally reach 175 BPM and I burn around 400-550 kCal/ 1 hour session.  The fitbit calls me "moderately active" during spinning and says I burn 299. On the elliptical which reads the same as my HRM, my HR read at one point yesterday 144 bpm and the Surge said 110.

I am so frustrated. I WAN to love this thing I do love how accountable it makes me feel but I need accurate data! HelP?

[SunsetRunner]

Using a chest strap (almost direct measurement) is not the same as using the delayed reaction

of dilation at the wrist (an indirect measurement). The Surge is accurate, on a delayed basis, and

is much more comfortable and convenient. If timely accuracy is needed, use a chest strap.

[Heybales]

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@Cocoadot wrote:

I have the exact same experience. I am now five days with my surge. I love everything about it EXCEPT the fact that I am certain it is not measuring my HR even close to accurately. After many years in the gym using HRMs that agree with the HR readout on the gym equipment, this thing is so low its demoralizing!!!

I am a fitness instructor actually and when I teach spinning, my HR will normally reach 175 BPM and I burn around 400-550 kCal/ 1 hour session.  The fitbit calls me "moderately active" during spinning and says I burn 299. On the elliptical which reads the same as my HRM, my HR read at one point yesterday 144 bpm and the Surge said 110.

I am so frustrated. I WAN to love this thing I do love how accountable it makes me feel but I need accurate data! HelP?

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So true.

And the normal advice to wear it a tad farther up the arm just doesn't work on spinning because the arm is just pointed the wrong way, especially when standing, it'll easily slide back down.

You might need to keep wearing the other HRM for the intense stuff where the HR goes up, and use the Surge for the wimpier stuff.

I don't really think it was intended for training level of accuracy anyway, like if you were training for triathlon and needed really decent calorie burn estimates to confirm you actually ate enough for good performance.

Not for that.

But for typical hopping on elliptical or spin bike doing what compares to a slow jog level of calorie burn, but the step-based devices just couldn't get accurate enough, it's an improvement.

I'd wager probably half the folks in spin classes I do would work well. Because I'm pretty sure they aren't getting that intense, they don't stand for that long, they are pushing easy enough to not be rocking normal amount, arms not sweating, HR probably not that high, and some are older so when instructor gives out rough estimates of ranges to be in based on age, they aren't getting that high HR anyway.