Heart rate accuracy on Charge 3

[Tonygg]

Hi. I have a versa and when I exercise on my stationary bike it does not track my heart rate properly unless I select an exercise. Basically it shows I had a heart rate of around 110-120  if I don’t select an exercise and correctly 110-157 if I do select and start tracking an exercise like bike. Does the charge 3 do a better job of heart rate without selecting an exercise?

thanks

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity

[MarreFitbit]

Hey there @Tonygg, thanks for stopping by!  Sorry to hear about the inconveniences you had with your Versa. 

I'd like to start by saying that the algorithms used in both devices are the same, so you should see no more than a standard 4% variation between the two. It's possible to get different readings if the trackers are worn in different locations (dominant vs non-dominant wrist). 

Our heart-rate tracking technology, known as PurePulse, is specially designed to give you a more complete picture of your health and fitness. As with all heart-rate tracking technology, whether a chest strap or a wrist-based sensor, accuracy is affected by personal physiology, location of wear, and type of movement. 

For tips on wrist placement and how to wear your Fitbit device for best heart-rate tracking results, please see our help article: What impacts the accuracy of my heart-rate readings?

You can also try moving your device to your other wrist.

Heart rate tracking may not work with certain accessory bands, especially if they’re loose fitting. For best results, we recommend wearing a Fitbit-branded classic or sport band during exercise. For more information, see: What should I know about my heart rate data?

Hope this helps, I'll be around! 

[Owlet]

No, the charge 3 doesn't do a better job. I exercised today without using the exercise app on the charge 3, and I was getting readings around 110 when my actual heart rate was around 160.

[Tonygg]

Thank you. Saved me wasting more money.

[madbean]

I have the same if not worse problem...on the bicycle in the gym my heart rate was reading 75-80 when it was actually 133! now thats a huge difference 😞

[Owlet]

I have the same problem when I use the exercise watch app on my watch. My heart rate will be 170 but will read 70-80 BPM. When I don't use the app my heart rate will read 110. The heart rate sensor is really bad on the charge 3, and I'm going to return it soon. 

[wollja]

Update: 12/14/18****
When i first got this the heart rate was wildly inaccurate, but it has miraculously recently become more accurate. While it still isn't quite as accurate as my heart strap it is close enough now to be usable. So, i'm much happier now, and the notifications from my Samsung Galaxy S8+ are spot on and very reliable. I did have to go into the fitbit app settings and tell it which texting app was my main one, and which calendar and email app it should sync with after that notifications work like a charm. Battery does last around a week, I shower with this every day so the waterproofing is good. Overall, this is turning out to be a good purchase.

Original Post***

I have the Charge 3 Special Edition with a white strap. Something is terribly wrong with the heart rate accuracy. I have compared results with an Apple watch, and a Garmin device with heart strap, and the built in HRM of the Elliptical machine. They all match and agree with each other. But, my Charge 3 SE when exercising will wildly switch between 70-110bpm while my other devices stay around a solid 140-155bpm. Most times when I look down at my Charge 3 it is displaying low 70s BPM during my workout. The higher my actual heart rate gets, the more my rate drops on the Charge 3. Usually the Fitbit app will only count about 9 minutes of actual activity in my 45 minute workout because it thinks I'm resting since my heart rate is recording so low. The majority of the workout it is stuck around 72bpm when my actual rate is 150ish. It' is pretty common to have a difference of 60bpm+ between the chest strap/apple watch/elliptical HRM and my Charge 3 during workouts.

It is pretty accurate if I don't ever exercise and just putter around the house.

Maybe this is a problem with the Special Edition?

I tried rebooting the device, cleaning the sensors, changing strap tightness and wrist location. Nothing helps.

Basically this a great basic smart watch, and pedometer. But, the HRM is completely useless if your actual heart rate gets over 110BPM during exercise. I'm thinking of turning off the HR to save battery and just use it as a smart watch, and use my Garmin strap when exercising instead. Very disappointed, was my first and will be my last Fitbit purchase if they can't fix this with a firmware update..

[GuyQ]

Hi, I just stumbled on a cool way to track my heartrate while biking.  I googled the best place to take your pulse on your ankle and found it to be right above the ankle bone on the inside of your foot.  I put the tracker there and the heartrate profile matches the climbs and docents much better than on my wrist.