Ionic Incorrect Heart Rate Readings

[Rhys1]

 Hi, I have been using a Charge 2 to track a Heart issue these last 4 months, the Doc want me to keep my pulse under 150 for 90 days while Biking and fast walking, My charge 2 seems to match a chest strap monitor and my bikes Pulse Rate fairly well so I can speed up or slow down as needed. My wife gave me a new Iconic Gray/ Black for Christmas and it reads about 20 to 30 BPM lower, I have tried moving it up my arm, switched arms tightening the strap with no change, the base resting is 10 higher than normal as well. I noticed quite a few folks having high readings, but not what I see, did I get a bad one and need to return or has someone got some options for me?

Moderator Edit: Updated Subject for Clarity

[SantiR · Accepted solution]

@Rhys1 Welcome to the Fitbit forums! Thanks for taking the time to post the situation you have experienced with the heart rate readings on Ionic. Thanks for checking the wrist placement tips.

In this case, you could try restarting your watch. This should refresh itself and help you out. 

Also, are you completely sure the readings Ionic is giving are not correct? 

Keep me posted! 

[Rhys1]

Hi yes I'm sure ku ts reading low, I use a strap monitor on a stair climber, a handset on a stationary bike and have a fitbit charge2 that all seem to read about 30 bpm higher which is a match for my cardiologists stress test. I will try restarting the unit and see if that helps, Thank you!


Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

[SantiR]

@Rhys1 Thanks for your reply and for sharing those details. I hope the restart process will help you out with this.

Also, take a look at the Discussions Board as you will find a lot of interesting things there. Feel free to post on any thread you want. If you are looking for Fitbit friends to compete with on challenges, check this thread to add some! 

See you around! 

[lenny4d]

@Rhys1  IMHO the Charge 2 is one of the most reliable fitbit heart-rate trackers. Average HR is probablu quite ok, but when actual HR really matters I would not swap it for the Ionic! My take.

[Niecy17]

I would stay with the units most accurate, The Ionic is nice, but if your heart rate is being monitored by a Doctor, than you don't want to play around with the numbers. Hope you are feeling well, and having a great new year.

[scrybler]

I'm having the same problem. As a mountaineer I've been wearing smartwatches and heart rate bands since March 1995. So (1) I'm used to monitoring my heartrate for my activity and (2) I have regular medical check-up in which we baseline my heart rate, vo2 max, sleep behaviour and so on.

I bought my Ionic in early July 2018. It's great I love it. It was a replacement for my Microsoft Bands 1 & 2 and previoius Polar watches. But I noticed first in August last year, that it seemed to be showing a lower pulse rate than I was sensing.  A couple of minutes with my fingers on my wrist on safe ground showed that was the case, it was 10 or 15 beats lower than my heart. In October/November last year trekking in the tropics I found the same thing.  Fine at around 60 to 80 beats, but reading too high when I was idling at around 50bpm and too by around 20/25 bpm when i was pushing it.

I got the firmware update in January. Almost immediately afterwards I observed the problem remained whislt doing just a bit of mountain day walking.

I continued to notice the problem and yesterday, whilst in the gym I wore a heart-rate belt paired with the treadmill.  I recorded about 112 on the ionic and 148 on the treadmill.  Now the ionic does show that my max heart rate for that activity was 148, but it never showed on the screen, at least I never saw it.

Action:I've followed the thread above, and reset the watch (I did this whilst wearing it, i assume that's ok, the instructions do not say)

I'm off to the mountains again on Monday, and I'll probably have a session in the gym tomorrow. I'll try to monitor the ionic and test the results of the reset.

I'll keep you posted.

In the meantime thanks for the guidance.

I love both the Windows app and the watch.

[Flavius]

This is ridiculous.  $300 for this garbage?  Fix it already.  I went for a 90 minute run on the treadmill.  I guess I am dead now as I had a pulse of 206 for an extended periot.  According to this **ahem** anyway.  So yeah, do NOT use this for any real work.  Oh, and that restarting bull, keep that to yourself.  I have restarted, reset, reconnected NUMEROUS times and thrown it in the garbage twice.  Nothing works.

[ClaireT2]

I have the same issue! FitBit shows a ridiculously HIGH heart when I go running. I would be dead if it was accurate. I reported it a year ago and got the reset it song and dance🙄

There is an existing ticket out for this issue, but it’s been open for over a year and still it’s not fixed. I’ve been a Fitbit user for almost 5 years, but my next tracker will be a Garmin. 

[Kamercer]

Have owned Fitbits for about 5 years, various models. Last year I got the Ionic, had minor HR spikes but seemed to iron out. Within last month or 2, extreme HR spikes (not real)showing during workouts. It was spiking at very beginning of workout when first started and would then be accurate. NOW within last week or so showing spikes during entire workout 170 vs manual reading of HR 100. I have made sure most recent update, reset, recalibrated etc.... Nothing. Now I workout without turning HR on since it inflates it so bad which in turn throws off all my stats.i now have an expensive watch. FIX THIS!

[driver111]

Why is this solved?
Mine does this all the time and it drives me insane, it spikes from 100-200+ 

Restarts don't help, I dont remember having the issue before os 3.0

[Kamercer]

No and now I'm having notifications not coming through. everything worked fine before and now they say my phone's not compatible whatever I'm done with Fitbit

[ClaireT2]

No, it was never resolved. I finally gave up on Fitbit after 4 years and 3 trackers. I now have a Garmin Vivoactive 3. 

[GSK924]

I have had the same problem of high HR spikes during intense exercise. The erroneous HR readings have gone away when I charge it everyday to max before working out.

[SunsetRunner]

When I wake in the morning and while still laying in bed, I check my resting heart rate on my Ionic, and it reads 47 to 50. Later when I check the dashboard, it says my resting pulse is between 52 and 57. Not sure why it has the correct resting pulse but somehow decides my resting pulse is higher. I know during activity I cannot count on the Ionic accurate pulse, but at rest and when not moving it seems very accurate. I use a Polar chest monitor when I work out, so I can tell the difference. Sometimes it registers high, then other times it registers low.

[GSK924]

My HR seems to be correct at rest or low level activities. It skyrockets at high activity levels. I’m sure it’s wrong at high activity levels because I stop and take my HR manually.

The Ionic reading could be as much as 50 beats higher in comparison with manual readings. I’m 78 yrs old; was a marathoner. I still “run” but shouldn’t get an Ionic HR reading of 185.

Sent from my iPhone

[SunsetRunner]

I'm in your age range also, that's why I went to a Polar chest monitor. I work out hard and do HIIT heart training. I need to know my correct heart rate for safety and results. I thought some of my work outs were too much based on my HR, but I felt fine. Now I know I was working out 30 beats below what it said often. Keep it up and good luck.