Heart Rate Readings are Lagging When Exercising

[deepoison]

I bought Ionic few days back and was very happy with the way it looks and its lightweight. But my joy is being bullished with the way Heart Rate sensor is working.

I believe Heart Rate is lagging in time. I start an exercise, it will still be showing 100bpm and I keep running, running and running....it raises to 140bpm.... I am sure that my HR is much more than 140bpm and I can hear it loud and at a point when I no longer cant take it further, it shows 150-160. Then I stop running and start walking, now it shows 180-190. I completely relax by walking for a while where I no longer hear my own Heart Rate, (it should be lesser) but it shows up at 150-160. I start running as my heart beat has settled down although the app shows 150-160. Now, my HR shows 130-140.

If we observe the sequence, I can clearly tell that the HR rate is not showing up immediately and is lagging for a while. I tried tightening and wearing it 2-3 fingers above my wrist but I am going through same cycle everyday. Has anyone else observed this?

I've used several fitness trackers charge, alta HR, vivosport, polar m600. I have never been so disappointed with HR of any of these devices.

Moderator Edit: Updated Subject for Clarity

[SantiR]

@deepoison Welcome to the Fitbit family! Thanks for sharing the experience you are having with Ionic's heart rate readings. Thanks for trying those wrist placement steps to sort this out.

I'd recommend not wearing it too tight on your wrist. That may interfere with blood flow that is up your wrist. Try wearing not too tight, but not too loose. Just as this recommendation from the help site says:

"Do not wear your device too tight; a tight band restricts blood flow, potentially affecting the heart-rate signal. That being said, the device should also be slightly tighter (snug but not constricting) during exercise than during all-day wear."  Find more details here.

Also, try performing a restart on your watch. That should help you out in case the readings are really lagging.

Hope this helps. Let me know how it goes! 

[Kosnick]

Hi @deepoison.

Along with what @SantiR said, i would also frequently wipe off the sweat from underneath your wrist where the HR sensor is making contact to skin. I sweat a lot, and have found that sometimes my readings are a bit off when there is too much sweat.

Hope this helps

[deepoison]

@SantiR: I have used used Charge 2, Alta HR, M600 before. I had issues with Alta HR but got it working after adjusting tightness day by day for few days. I have a fair idea how to wear. So, I seriously doubt if there is any scope for improvement. I am gonna give it a try by adjusting the tightness/loosenes. But Fitbit for sure is making it difficult to get the right HR reading.  I got it right on day one with Polar M600.

[deepoison]

@Kosnick: Thanks for the pointer.

Sweat is expected when we exercise. Its ridiculous if it cant handle sweat. I bought this as this is swim proof. Its even more ridiculous if a swim proof HR cant handle sweat.

[MaddogWLV]

I used my Ionic for the 1st time today and ran the sames hills I always run as a test and it did the exact same thing,  lagging.

I have been fitbitting for many years so i know how to wear it.

[deepoison]

@MaddogWLV: Thanks for the reply. Seems like how to wear is just an excuse when someone posts this.  Fitbit has to take this seriously.

[soss3osp]

hr is indeed lagging in time. on a long run 2h i found out nonetheless that the average hr compared to polar chest strap is pretty close

[SantiR]

@deepoison Thanks for your reply and for providing all of those details. I'm glad to read you have used different types of Fitbit trackers. 

Did you got any different results when adjusting the tightness/looseness?

Also, did you performed the restart steps? If you haven't, please try them and check how the heart rate tracks after that.

@MaddogWLV @soss3osp I hope you're doing well! Thanks for jumping in on this thread to share your experiences with Ionic heart rate readings. I'm glad you are using the right wrist placement when running with your watch. 

Please try to restart it if it continues to lag or not track your heart rate correctly. This has helped other users in the past.

@Kosnick Thanks for sharing your experience on this thread! I appreciate your help a lot. 

Keep me posted!