Wearing a wrist band cures error high heart rate readings

[TontoZ]

You may have noticed that a Fitbit can give false high heart rate readings while walking about, especially if you wear it loose like me.  For example, every morning a go for an 18 minute round trip walk for a newspaper.  My HR readings are typically 40-70% in the peak zone, with readings of 181 bpm, clearly nonsense.  I have discovered that if you wear a wrist band which holds device further up your arm, and also stops the Fitbit moving about, you will obtain consistent 'normal' readings.  I discovered this when I was jogging with wrist band - the HR numbers were less erratic.

[checking]

You will also get much better readings if you simply wear it snugly, as Fitbit suggests. If you wear it loose enough that the sensor moves about on the skin or is exposed to ambient light, the readings will be garbage.

[TontoZ]

Agree that wearing snugly / tight solves problem.  However I find that uncomfortable.  The wrist band provides another option when I am interested in tracking HR numbers.

[SunsetRunner]

Wearing it tight ( in my case Ionic ) is very uncomfortable especially if you bend your wrist ( for example doing push-ups ). There is a trade-off and for regular workouts I track exercise but don't care what Fitbit shows as my HR is usually garbage ( with exceptions, as it does not too bad job during steady pace running or cycling ). I wear chest strap and add dummy exercise to correct Fitbit in terms of calories ( as it can't sync with Polar Beat ). Anyway, there is no really way to make it tight and steady when set of exercises involves whole range of motion. One thing, never really mentioned but it seems to help with accuracy is cleaning your tracker. We sweat, this leaves dirt on the sensor that is an obstruction for light. I think it may be partially a reason why the Ionic seems to be lot less accurate than for example Charge 2 - because it's waterproof and we are less likely to take it off ( not even when takint bath or shower ). But that's just my theory 😉 Anyway, for daily tracking I use Fitbit readings, for exercise I use chest strap. I wish Fitbit allowed to sync activities recorded with other HR monitors. Then I would accept that as kind of solution ( or at least good compromise ) in the topic of rubbish HR.

[SFgirl2017]

Hi, 

exact same thing happened to me on three or four occasions where I was just taking my morning walk and when I returned home, it said 181 -191 !! . I was like that’s impossible. thank you for clarifying. I was about to call my cardiologist ! 

Thank you what is it