Heart Rate Accuracy - Exercise Mode

[AmandaK78]

Heart rate is amplified if I set exercise mode vs doing same activity without which makes me question accuracy of HR tracking.

I’ve noticed this many times. If I set exercise mode my HR tracks immediately in cardio and peak but if I do exact same exercise without turning on exercise mode my heart rate is much lower.

HR should track how my heart is actually beating at any given time, not “boosted” by enabling exercise mode.

If I forget to turn off exercise mode after workout I get elevated HR for hours!

I had the same issue with Charge 4 and now Luxe so I think it’s a general Fitbit issue.

So is Fitbit HR tracking inaccurate in general or is it inaccurate in exercise mode? 

[Julia_G]

Hi, @AmandaK78 the answer is that heart rate detection is slightly different in exercise mode.  Outside of exercise mode your Fitbit device samples your heart rate readings every five seconds and averages them over five minute periods, which will tend to some extent to iron out peaks and troughs.  When you turn on exercise mode, by design, it samples your heart rate at one second intervals and averages your heart rate over one minute intervals - the engineers assume that you wish to keep a closer, more detailed eye on your heart rate when you are in exercise mode.  

Heart rate tracking is more detailed in exercise mode.