My Ionic heart rate monitor is inaccurate

[Mike2222]

My Ionic heart rate monitor is waaaay off when I work out.  As soon as I start running, it immediately jumps to 160-180, when my actual heart rate (measured either manually or with another device like the treadmill heart rate monitor) is actually closer to 110.  This happens every single time I run.  

Aside from this it appears to work normally (though it reads about 10% higher than my manual reads).  The funny thing is that my old Surge developed exactly the same problem when it was about 18 months old (it had worked perfectly until then, but then started giving crazy heart rate readings when I exercised).  

Has anyone experienced a similar problem?

[Chrissmall]

My ionic hr monitor is all over the map all the time sitting watching tv telling me I’m at 140 hr upto 180 during workouts and I’m not sweating yet I’ve reset it several times still won’t work right it’s two weeks old 

[Wilf18]

Dear Chrissmall,This has been going on for well over a year now, I have tried all the suggestions and have now given up on trying to get a resolution. It is a problem Fitbit can't apparently fix,I still use my Fitbit as I hate the fact I spent all that money and I cannot afford another fitness tracker, but ignore the heart monitor, I think  if they are  still selling this knowing the problem and it is not fit  for purpose and could be liable! Take care and stay safe, Sent from Samsung tablet.

Moderator edit: personal info removed

[Chrissmall]

Ty so much for the post if they are still selling these knowingvthis has been a issue and won’t fix it says a lot about there company and I may join woopstrap 3.0 

Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone

[Prnt007]

I posted on here almost a year ago now. Seems lots of other people reporting the same problem regarding completely unreliable heart rate readings. Take my advice. Do what I did. Bite the bullet and if you can, buy an Apple Watch. Unbelievable piece of tech just for fitness tracking alone. As accurate as could be possible. If you’re serious about your fitness tracking don’t waste your time or energy with a Fitbit.
Best of luck all. Stu.

Sent from my iPhone

[sdwein]

I agree completely. After giving up my ionic due to wildly inaccurate heart rate measurements, i went to pub med and did some research. I looked at the last 2 years of studies, and bottom line is Apple Watch 3,4 were consistently rated as the most accurate heart rate trackers of all tested. This included Fitbit, garmin, etc were evaluated by researchers.
Considering Apple Watch is mostly a smart watch it makes it even more amazing.
Another take away from these studies was that wearable trackers are more accurate when you tell the watch you are about to exercise as opposed to letting it use its own metrics to decide you are entering a fitness activity. This was true for all trackers, not just Apple.

[Wilf18]

Dear sdwien,I always set my watch to run mode before I start my run, I am pleased that your research showed the problem with Fitbit which is after all an expensive bit of kit.Take care and stay safe, Wilf Laidler Sent from Samsung tablet.

[LisaMartin83]

My heart rate was always 170-180 in spin class and now my highest is 122... very inaccurate 

[Wilf18]

I have given up on my Ionic, I use a  chest belt for my heart rate and the Ionic for everything else! Wilf Laidler Sent from Samsung tablet.

[Joelbabes]

Using a Versa more than 2 years, I have experienced similar HR monitoring problems. 

Much of the time, its HR is reasonably accurate. This is generally true at rest or with low intensity activity.

The monitor runs 30+ bpm high when I jog/run, but 20-30 low when bicycling. I never use the Exercise-Run or Bike functions, but allow the Versa to detect this activity. 

There is a big difference in HR monitoring when I do workouts. If I use the Exercise- Workout or Weights function, the monitor shows much higher HR than when I do the same exercise without activating the Exercise function. The higher readings tend to be more accurate. 

At times, the readings are simply erratic. At others, they are accurate for a period of activity, but then go too high or too low for a period. For instance, in walking, I may get an accurate reading for 10 or 15 minutes, but then see the reading shift up (or down) 20-30 bpm for 10 minutes.

There does seem to be a HR monitoring lag, which is to be expected, but that does not account for these discrepancies.

I have been a personal trainer, strength and conditioning specialist, and wellness coach for over 35 years, and have employed HR monitoring through out those years. I am also exceptionally fit and healthy.

Accuracy in the Versa's HR monitoring is crucial to using it to guide exercise and to evaluate health and fitness. The erratic and inaccurate performance of this monitor greatly reduces its functional value.

The Versa does, however, keep very accurate time.

[KidMiracleman]

I am having the same problem.  My elliptical was reading a HR of 160 but the Fitbit was saying my Heart Rate was 122.

I was thinking of going with an AppleWatch since I have an iPhone but I do not know if that will make a difference.

[SilviaFitbit · Accepted solution]

Hi everyone, 

Thank you for the detailed information shared and the troubleshooting performed prior to posting. 

As with all heart-rate tracking technology, accuracy is affected by personal physiology, device location on your arm, and type of movement. 

For a more accurate heart-rate reading:

• Wear your Fitbit device on top of your wrist, and make sure the back of the device is in contact with your skin.
• When you’re not exercising, wear your device a finger’s width above your wrist bone.
• During exercise, wear your device a bit tighter and higher for an improved fit. The band should be snug but not constricting (a tight band restricts blood flow, potentially affecting the heart-rate signal). Many exercises such as bike riding or weight lifting cause you to bend your wrist frequently, which could interfere with the heart-rate signal if the watch is lower on your wrist.

Check out this article for more information on the factors that can affect your heart-rate reading on your Fitbit device.

As of now, this thread will be closed. If you experience difficulties with your heart rate after checking the information above, feel free to contact our Support team or start a new thread.

Hope this helps.