Charge 3 heart rate information too high

[ahasenko]

My Charge 3 is consistently showing my heart rate much higher than it actually is. When rested and sitting down it typically show my heart rate in the 75-85 range. Yet when I manually check my heart rate with a stopwatch at my wrist, use a blood pressure monitor or an iPhone  HR app,

they all show my heart rate to be 47-52 range.

I have tried the advice on how to wear the watch for best result (loosely worn, 2 fingers width above wrist) and also tried resetting the watch... it doesn't help. It always shows 20 to 30 bpm too high.

Is there a fix for this? Do I need to return it for a replacement?

Thanks.

Moderator edit: subject for clarity

[SunsetRunner]

I actually got a replacement in the end so far isa doing ok reading heart rate normally 😃



Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

[jhoward]

I am having the same problem. I'll be sitting at my desk with a resting HR of 60 or so and my Charge 3 says my HR is 150 or higher. I've been in contact with Fitbit support; they keep telling me to do the long restart, which I've now done several times. (It didn't fix the problem.) They also keep asking how I'm wearing the device; I have not changed how I wear it since I got it a few months ago. Frustrating to keep getting the same advice over and over again and to be reminded that exercise affects HR etc. when that is not the problem. 

[SunsetRunner]

I couldn't deal with the issues with heartrate detection and how long it
takes Fitbit support to fix the problems. I've gone over to Samsung. Much
better.

[JinJersey]

My Charge 3 after  9 months of wearing suddenly started giving me HR readings 45 to 50 beats too high . At rest it was reading 95-100 bpm. I emailed customer support and after 4 troubleshooting sessions of restarts and try this and then try that I was sent a replacement . Lo and behold the new one is having the same issue . I thought maybe it had something to do with my body chemistry and my wife tried it on with the same results . We both compared results with her Apple watch which was accurate for both of us . I suffer from occasional A-fib so having an accurate heart rate monitor is critical to me . Totally frustrated !

[SunsetRunner]

I’m having same issue I went for pre op but my heart and pulse was about 170/60 and they told me to get into my GP but I could until next day by this time I went out purchased Fitbit charge 3 thinking it was the best 12/12/2019) anyway I shown her on the Fitbit and it was reading around 90 bpm at this point and resting 62 all the time she checked the old fashioned way and it was much higher at 90 resting.....now I’m new to Fitbit I don’t no what to do ? Is it the watch ? Should I contact Fitbit......can you help

[JinJersey]

Fitbit replaced my Charge 3 after a number of emails. However the new Charge 3 had the same issue giving me readings in the 90’s when HR was actually about 55 -60 . After about two weeks the Charge 3 settled down and has been giving fairly accurate heart rates since . I’m getting an Apple 5 watch for Christmas which supposedly has the most accurate monitor since it monitors electrical impulses and not just blood flow .

Sent from my iPhone

Moderator edit: personal info removed

[Mocho]

Mine is haywire as well after six months 😞 My previous Garmin lasted 2.5 years and was much more accurate, at least the heart rate trended unlike the HR3 which jumps around, totally useless. And of course I’ve tried all the canned responses.

[SunsetRunner]

Right my problem is I no I have a fast resting rate of 100 or so but the
Fitbit says it’s only 61 resting.
Which is the best for heart and sleep monitoring?

[SunsetRunner]

I am sorry this is happening to you. I will never get another charge 3 because of this issue. I owned they charge 3 about a year ago. My heart rate detector was off considerably. I would be sitting watching television and it would indicate my heart rate was 190. When I contacted Fitbit, they immediately acted like I must be doing something wrong. At one point they actually asked me if I was sure I wasn't working out. If I was working out with a hundred and ninety BPM I would be dead. So stupid. They finally did fix it by replacing it. The replacement started doing the same exact thing about 3 months after I had it. From that point I went to a Samsung Galaxy active. I love to that watch very much. The features were wonderful and the watch worked great until it stopped being water resistant and needed repair. And then Samsung wanted to charge me more than the price of the watch to repair it. I fought it and they replaced it without charging me. But I never felt comfortable using it in the water again and I am a swimmer. So now I have a Fitbit versa and so far it's working well. You would think with the amount of complaints the charge 3 has had about the heart rate monitor that they would have figured out a way to fix it by now.

[SunsetRunner]

I thought Fitbit was the best and I also thought the charge 3 was the
newest but obviously no. Now I have only had it 4days and its my first
Fitbit I just don’t no what to do

[SunsetRunner]

If you bought the insurance for it, it may not be too late to return it.

[SunsetRunner]

I purchased it from amazon so I don’t think you get insurance but should get a month to return it

[SunsetRunner]

I would consider returning it and maybe looking at the Versa. 

[Mocho]

Thanks for the reply. I don't expect fine accuracy but I sure do expect it to trend properly!

This device is dangerous in my opinion as people that don't know their normal heart rates could be using the Charge3 and getting bad data.

Guess I'll run the silly question gauntlet and see if Fitbit will replace it. 

[SunsetRunner]

I absolutely agree.

[Mocho]

Davey137, I too have an elevated resting heart rate of ~80 and am getting back into shape. At my age and being 10% overweight the last thing I want is to overwork my heart. So if were me I'd be returning it and doing some more research on a different device.

I'll be using my biking chest strap (when going hard) which is very accurate or try someones Apple device as I hear it is much more accurate, but you pay.... But then again when I'm excreting myself up to max heart rate, I need that rate to be accurate so I don't give myself a heart attack. So in that case the extra $$ seems well worth it!!

P.S. The apple watch fits the two criteria you mentioned perfectly. And personally it is nice to have the ECG feature, just in case.

P.P.S. Can't see how your sleep calcs can be of any value when the heart rate isn't working properly.

[SunsetRunner]

Thanks for your reply but I am 46 yrs old and 10 stone many medical problems but this has just been flagged up as I went for a pre-op now it might of been a one off but it’s happened before as I had to call for an ambulance and I was tacky...

now my blood pressure was 156/89 and my 130 when I went for the pre-op and it took them an hour to get it down to 100, so I new Fitbit was good but didn’t no they had this many bugs in software......thx for messaging when Apple bring out a watch with sleep tracking also with heart tracking I will be first in line. Be fussed of that and this is going back

[SunsetRunner]

Maybe I’m going to look into them as I have been contacting support via email I rebooted and fully charged it yesterday like they ask but that sent last nights sleep time log all over the place and the customer service is not very good as they Suggested that I was doing something else when I went to bed.....which when I go up I go to relax and drift off.

[jhoward]

Sorry to hear this problem continues to crop up for other users. I ended up getting Fitbit to replace my Charge 3; I had to go through several rounds of customer-service support, which included performing a hard reset several times, etc. It took a lot of persistence to convince Fitbit of the problem, which was a drag, but in the end they did agree the device was wonky and sent me a replacement. I haven't had the same problem with the replacement yet. Good luck!

[SunsetRunner]

Thankyou for your response I quest I will have to keep emailing them thanks
again

Happy holidays