Ionic not showing accurate heart rate

[PPerryman]

So it's been said time and time again i'm sure and is not just with the Ionic model i bet
The heart rate sensor is awfull.  Sure if you aren't exercising and fairly static in movements it keeps heart readings tho they seem to vary wildly.

Before ranting i will say
All the rest of the functions of the Ionic are great, other then the HR sensor and the band connections shotty design it's a great activity tracker.

My main issue
If you are exercising and moving your arms the heart rate drops in and out, regardless of where you have it on your arm or how loose/tight.  Even weirder, if you don't go into activity mode the heart rate seens alot more reliable but still drops out some times.  If i go into exercise mode guaranteed with a few mins it loses HR even if i'm not moving. It is still tracking the exercise but just uses an educated guess for calories.

Have also tested it against a Polar H10 chest strap and a few other devices and the heart rate when it is working is on average either alot higher or alot lower but never around the same mark.

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity

[EdsonFitbit]

Thank you for visiting the Fitbit Community, @PPerryman.

I'm sorry to hear about the difficulties you experienced with your Fitbit Ionic. Thank you for trying to get them resolved before contacting us.

There are some factors that can affect your heart-rate reading on your Fitbit device. If you haven't done so, please follow these tips to resolve heart-rate tracking issues.

In addition, you can find useful information in this article in the menu "Why is there a difference in my heart-rate reading on my Fitbit device versus another device?".

Hope this helps.