Heart rate readings on Ionic are not accurate

[eeimmon]

Hi, I purchased a Fitbit Ionic last week, having previously owned a Charge 2. The heartrate readings are crazy on the Ionic, frequently showing a heartrate of around 209 bps at moderate exercise, when my Charge 2 would have shown 140 bpm. Additionally, it varies wildly between 120 and 209 on a treadmill, when I'm not changing sped, incline etc. My old charge 2 on the same runs shows a consistent 150 to 160 bpm on the same run. I've tried all the fixes suggested - loosening the band, tightening the band, wearing the Ionic high up and low down on my wrist....but the same result. Is my Fitbit likely to be faulty? Seems a big disappointment compared to the Charge 2. How do I get a refund if it can't be fixed? Any thought much appreciated. Thank you, Regards, Mick

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity

[MarreFitbit]

Welcome to the Fitbit Community @eeimmon, hope you're doing great today! Thanks for already taking the time to troubleshoot this inconvenience on your own, nice way to go! 

I'd recommend restarting your Ionic by following these steps. 

As you may know, your heart rate may be affected by any a number of factors at any given moment. Movement, temperature, humidity, stress level, physical body position, caffeine intake, and medication use are just a few things that can affect your heart rate. Different medical conditions and medications can impact your heart rate as well.

When your heart beats, your capillaries expand and contract based on blood volume changes. PurePulse LED lights on your device reflect onto the skin to detect blood volume changes and finely tuned algorithms are applied to measure heart rate automatically and continuously. The heart-rate icon you see on the display tells you if you're in 1 of 3 heart-rate zones.

Resting heart rate refers to the heart rate measured when you’re awake, calm, comfortable, and have not recently exerted yourself. We use your heart rate data from when you’re awake and asleep to estimate your resting heart rate. For best accuracy, wear your device to sleep. 

Your resting heart rate is usually higher than your heart rate while you are asleep, so don’t be surprised if your resting heart rate is higher than the lowest number that you see in your heart rate graphs.

Your tracker can have difficulty finding a signal, typically due to the tracker's fit. For example, wearing your band tightly may constrict blood flow in your wrist and affect the signal. We recommend experimenting with how high you place the tracker on your wrist. When you're not exercising, wearing the tracker just above the wrist bone--as you would a watch--typically works fine. However, moving the tracker up a couple inches can be helpful during high-intensity exercises or exercises that cause you to bend your wrist frequently. If you haven't already done so, please review our recommendations for wear and other tips shared by @SantiFitbit. 

Note that on Fitbit Ionic, the heart-rate value appears gray if your watch is searching for a stronger reading.
 

Give this a shot and let me know the outcome! 

[eeimmon]

Hi Maria,

  Thanks for getting back. I reset the fitbit but it has not helped. Sitting down, when my heartbeat is really in the 50s, measured on a trusted device, my new Ionic fitbit now registers 80-95 BPM. 

I would like to have a refund as I am disappointed. The ionic is not really fit for purpose.

Can you please tell me how to secure a refund?

Thank you,

Regards,

Mick

[MarreFitbit]

Thanks for getting back @eeimmon! Since you just bought the Fitbit, give the RHR a few days to settle down. It does some calculations, looking at heart rate throughout the day and while you are sleeping, so it might just not have enough data to give a reasonable value yet.

Thanks for your question about a refund or exchange. I'm going to briefly describe our options so you can choose the one you prefer.

If you bought your tracker from fitbit.com:

We accept returns for 45 days from the date of purchase. We can also exchange a tracker for the same model in a different size or color within 45 days. We're unable to exchange or "upgrade" trackers to a different model. If you want a refund or to exchange your tracker, please let us know and we'll provide the address where you can return your purchase. In the US, wIthin the first 45 days of purchase, you can start your return using this website: http://returns.narvar.com/fitbit/returns. Please, contact our Customer Support Team by clicking here. 

If you bought your tracker from another retailer:

If you didn't purchase your tracker from Fitbit directly, you'll need to contact the retailer about returns and exchanges. We can only exchange or refund items purchased from fitbit.com.

If you received the tracker as a gift:

Please reply with the serial number on the box. This will let us determine if the tracker was purchased on fitbit.com. If so, you'll be eligible for a size or color exchange.

We look forward to hearing from you.