Heart rate monitor doesn't work on rowing machine

[smichael]

I know there are similar threads, but I have never seen a solution. 

While on a rowing machine, the Charge HR massively underestimates my heart rate. After 20 minutes of rowing, it says my heart rate is ~70-80bpm. Within 10-15 seconds of stopping, it jumps to ~135bpm (which is accurate). As a result, all my measurements for activity/cardio are wrong, which kind of defeats the purpose of tracking.  

I've tried it on both wrists, high on wrist, low on wrist, inside of arm, outside of arm. I cannot find any way that it will accurately measure HR. 

Please don't tell me "Fitbit is a step counter." Yeah, I know, but this one is also sold as a heart rate monitor. Reasonable to expect it to do so. 

[BitScott]

I get pretty good readings wearing it on my ankle with the face on the inside of my leg and a little back. Not sure why I have to experiment like this though. Fitbit should be providing us with this kind of guidance and updating their software to handle a common situation like a rowing machine.

[thegiantjames]

I think that is my frustration here. It's not like we are asking Fitbit to track some crazy special exercise! Rowing is very popular and several other fitness tracker brands are able to do it.  

[ALittleClarity]

Are you able to link your Polar chest belt to your rower and sync the rowing exercise to fitbit with the Polar heartrate (does it override the inaccurate fitbit readings)? I've been debating getting a HR monitor that works with my Concept2.I already am able to sync my row with the app to fitbit, and I was hoping I could also sync the correct heart rate.

[ALittleClarity]

When you sync your workouts from the erg data to fitbit, does it also sync your Polar HR readings too? Does it correct the calorie burn for fitbit?

Thanks! I am sooo hoping you say it does! 

[ALittleClarity]

I'll give that a go! Thank you!

[JellybeanJim]

I have a Wahoo chest strap and it works perfectly fine with the Ergatta rower. If there's a way to link your readings into the fitbit as well I'm not aware of it though. I suspect NOT.... But I'd love to be proven wrong. Monitors won't normally sync with two different pieces of hardware. It's just an OCD thing for me, I like being able to correlate all my workout info in one place. It's an annoying inconvenience but I've kinda learned to live with it. Kinda.😂 

[ALittleClarity]

YES, I am with you there! Hahaha! Concept2 and ErgData have a way of syncing the rowing portion to my Fitbit app. ErgData syncs to the Concept2 website, and the website then talks to Fitbit. My hope was that if my heartrate was also being monitored on the ErgData app and that synced to Concept2, that the heartrate info from the other monitor would also sync. 

[thegiantjames]

That has been my experience too. Ergdata doesn't sync with Fitbit that I'm aware of. I would love to keep my data all in one place as well!

[ALittleClarity]

Ergdata syncs with Concept2. Concept2 can then sync with Fitbit. It's how my rows are logged. It's nice not having to manually log it. I just wish the heartrate was correct.

[thegiantjames]

Well thanks! I had no idea I could at least sync my workouts from the rower to Fitbit. At least I'll have something!

[ALittleClarity]

It's GREAT! https://log.concept2.com/blog/integrating-with-other-platforms#:~:text=In%20order%20to%20connect%20y.... 

[ALittleClarity]

When you try it, please check back here and let me know if the HR monitor you use also syncs! 😄 If it does, I know what I'm getting for my birthday.

[Nicholdeaddis]

Just a thought, we know FitBit doesn’t record HR where the muscle is pulling (so in rowing, both wrist and ankle are in almost constant tension) but what about removing the strap, and putting the FitBit (with a band or tape) in contact with a part of the body that doesn’t get too much tension during rowing, like forehead, neck, waist?
Not ideal obviously, but worth a shot

Sent from my iPhone

[internettum]

Can confirm that the HR monitor is pretty much useless on my Versa 3 while on the rowing machine. Significantly underreported during exercise and jumps up after the workout is done.
Very disappointing that this have been an issue for 5years+ with no info/suggetions/fix from the fitbit team.

[Donnalea]

This only makes fitbit feel better as they have something to recommend.  It does not solve the problem.

[cnelsonak]

The HR monitor does not override the Fitbit unfortunately. Your Concept2 log will have the HR from your HR monitor but Fitbit will sync the workout sans HR and overlay its own (usually lower) HR.

[ALittleClarity]

THANK YOU. I really appreciate you letting us know. 

[AndrewC1705]

I've been finding the same on the rower but I was playing canoe polo last night and used my Charge 5 and it seemed to work fine there with a max HR of 191bpm recorded, don't suppose it's an entirely constant grip on the paddle but it's pretty close, I did wonder if the water helped the connectivity or something along those lines....?

Really frustrating that it won't read correctly on the rower though as you can do a hard session and get 0 zone points. 🙄

[Oxford89]

I have started rowing a lot more often recently and grown pretty frustrated with this issue. Constant HR around 90 with long flat lines that aren't accurately reflecting my real HR. Today, I flipped my Charge 5 to the under side of my wrist and got a much better reading with more consistent polling. There were still a few flat lines though. Next time I will try wearing it midway up the underside of my arm and will report back.

[AndrewC1705]

I'm rowing later on today so will give that a try as well, I swapped to the larger strap so I can move it around more as I'd seen someone else say they'd had good results strapping it around their ankle!  Used it on the treadmill last night though and I'd say the readings were about inline with how it felt throughout the run although I didn't have a HR belt on to compare to.  Certainly no flat lines like you get on the rower though and max BPM felt about right for the effort level.  Will see how it goes today with some more experimenting...