Incorrect Heart rate measurement - Charge 4

[mstinagray]

Just did a workout with my new Charge 4 and my polar chest strap. I was so hoping the good reviews of the HR functionality of this Fitbit were true, but alas, it still cannot track HR properly. If it were only a little off, I would be okay, but same workout with Charge 4 = 115 bpm/avg and a high of 163 with 214 calories burned. Polar measured 155 bpm/avg, high of 188 and 378 calories burned. I hate wearing all this gear, but guess I still have to. So annoying! And yes, if adjusted the strap.

Moderator edit: Subject for clarity.

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi @mstinagray. Welcome to the forums.

Thanks for sharing that your Charge 4 isn't recording your heart rate correctly, as well for trying to adjust the band on your wrist. There are multiple factors that impact the heart rate reading and to make sure those don't apply to you, please take a look to this help article.

Once that is done, I'd recommend to try the following steps:

1. On your Charge 4, swipe to the left to open settings.
2. Scroll down to find heart rate and turn it off.
3. Restart your tracker as described here.
4. Turn back on the heart rate settings.
5. Wear your tracker on your wrist and keep an eye on it.

Let me know how it goes.

[Tolis]

Hi from Greece,

I also just tried my new charge 4 and I had the same situation: sometimes the heart rate counter would show nothing and other times it would show a number much lower than what I could count with my fingers at the vains of the neck. I really hope its because I still dont know how to use it - because I bought it for accuracy or I wouldnt buy it at all. 

For this first session I chose 'outdoor activities' and I did some running, stair climbing, and some burpees and jump rope. The HT it showed was about 30bpm below my real ones (my estimation) and although I did extra cardio to raise it up, I seldomly saw it go near the 150-160bpm where I count my heart rate to be on those peaks. Also the gps didnt start working until I had run for about 400 meters.

Thank you for writing about this too, and I thank the lady who gave us a first answer.

Dear @LizzyFitbit I also clicked on your help tags but they take me to an 'error' page. I have a samsung android mobile.

Moderator edit: merged reply

[Ralf]

I got the the same problem (as have a bunch of people reporting here) since 2 months (bought directly at release).

After trying all ways of support (forums, twitter, via phone) that made me work through all sorts of turn off/on hr / restart / reset to defaults and reconnect fresh to the phone which of course all did change nothing

Today they ran out of FAQ items to hand me, they finally acknowledged that this is a known issue that many customers and they ask for patience (no time frame given) since they have no solution/fix for the problem at all.

[Tolis]

Thank you very much for the reply Ralf, I appreciate it. The load of things in my mind and the stress of the days made be send it back today. Since it was my first smart watch I cant tell yet if theres another similar or better watch that I could buy instead - if you happen to know some other similar+good stuff feel free to suggest to me some if you have the time anytime. Thanks again

[SunsetRunner]

Hi Tolis

I am on my third Fitbit. Having had a Charge HR, Charge 3 and now Charge 4 I can say that the HR function has never been as accurate as a chest strap. I have never expected parity given the technology involved. Have you compared post-exercise graphs? They normally look pretty much the same. Some of the reading errors are due to lag.

Given this, and numerous other issues, with the Charge 4 I am giving-up on Fitbit once and for all. I have tried a few alternatives. Polar Ignite is a good option but it too has accuracy issues compared to a chest strap. However, the range of metrics is far greater and you get things on the Flow app for free that Fitbit put behind a pay-wall. I've tried the Polar OH1 that sits on the forearm. Without the interference caused by wrist movement it was much more accurate. Unfortunately, it was a defective unit and had to be returned. Back to a chest strap at that point.

I'm currently awaiting delivery of a Wahoo Tick FIt. Reviews are excellent and the other Wahoo kit I have is first class. It's purely HR monitoring though. No steps, sleep monitoring....

Depends what your requirements are. Fitbit will give you trends but if you want accuracy you will need to look elsewhere. As a diabetic, I need accuracy when exercising and I have not got it from any Fitbit. My Charge 4 is now my watch and alarm, nothing more.

Ray

[mstinagray]

I know that the accuracy is never going to be 100%, but it's just WILDLY
inaccurate. I guess I'm using mine as a step counter and for sleep 😕

[SunsetRunner]

Totally agree.

A couple of examples.

Walk:

Fitbit Avg 102 Max 123

Wahoo Avg 107 Max 140

Cycle:

Fitbit Avg 98 Max 120

Wahoo Avg 125 Max 144

The Fitbit really loses the plot at the upper end of HR.

At least it works as a watch. 🤣

[Tolis]

What can I say... first of all thank you all for sharing your experiences here. I would feel that its just me whos strict or something. I believe that there are problems with the charge 4 and I really hope theyll correct them because it seems that fitbit is a large company. Most of all what made me feel bad was the time I lost trying to figure out whats happening, the fear now that the seller may not return my money or let me buy something else (I found another beautiful watch) and of course the fact that I wanted that first gadget of the kind to make me feel that I had control over every calorie on my body, even with a just 'good to very good' accuracy. Hey, after all every day of running and trying is hard so what else is new? 

Cant wait now for the answer of the seller.

Thanks again.

[mstinagray]

Ugh, a "known error" -- how annoying! DON'T RELEASE AND MARKET IT THEN! I've had a fitbit since they started as a step counter as a clip-on device. I love the step count and would love the HR to actually work properly. 

[Tolis]

I am with you @mstinagray  I'd really like you to find what you are looking for! And even if something went wrong - I'm sure it wasn't on purpose - I really hope that they will support you so keep trying to find an answer here. As I see a new update was online yesterday. I really hope it helped you and all!

[AlejandraFitbit]

Hello guys, I hope you are doing fine.

I understand how are you feeling and appreciate all the efforts in trying to fix this heart rate issue. If you are having problems with this reading, I recommend trying the following:

• Tighten the band so that it doesn’t slip on your wrist. For more information, see How do I track my heart rate with my Fitbit device?
• Heart-rate tracking may not work with certain accessory bands, especially if they’re loose-fitting. For best results, use the wristband that came with your device.
• Use the Exercise app  to record GPS data for your workout. If you use MobileTrack in the Fitbit app, your heart rate might not appear on your device. For more information, see How do I use GPS on my Fitbit device?
• If you tried the other steps and don’t see your heart rate, restart your device. For more information, see How do I restart my Fitbit device?

Let me know the outcome. 

[mstinagray]

Nothing has worked for accurate high heart rate training. I give up and
just really using as a pedometer.

[Tolis]

I am very sorry @mstinagray . I wish the Fitbit friends here can do smth for you, please if anyone from the Fitbit industry can help mstinagray and possibly help her or guide her on how to replace the watch. 

I gave mine back and they made me an offer for the Ionic model in a better prize but Im not sure yet what I will do. 

[SunsetRunner]

Hi - same for me.

Similar to you, I now use my device as a watch and alarm. The Charge 4 is not fit for purpose based on my requirements. It simply fails to record higher heart rates accurately and the algorithms used for resting heart rate and zone minutes don't deliver useful information.

To be fair to Fitbit, their devices are for the more casual user who wants to get active and identify trends. I believe that when you reach a certain point of fitness, and level of activity, you move beyond what Fitbit offers. Others, such as; Polar, Garmin and Wahoo have better offerings.

I don't need a lot of the metrics available on Fitbit. At the end of the day, there is little evidence to support 10K steps a day, other than 10K is better than 8K, etc. The basic premise of 10K steps derives from the Tokyo Olymics where some entrepreneur marketed a device to those attending the games and got very rich.

The 150 moderate, or 75 intense, minutes activity is based much more in science. However, you can't rely on Fitbit for accurate measurement. Yes, the Karvonen method is gold standard but the formula used needs accurate data to be meaningful. Calculation of heart rate reserve is key so you need a true, individual, morning resting heart rate and accurate maximum heart rate. Currently you can't even use custom max HR or custom zones as the system resets to default. Add to that inaccurate HR measurement and it renders zones and active/zone minutes inaccurate and somewhat irrelevant.

This i my third, and last Fitbit. I need uncomplicated and accurate HR recording. I purchased a Wahoo Tickr Fit, it is excellent and a lot cheaper!

However, Fitbit does what it says on the tin. Up to a point!

[Tolis]

Hi @SunsetRunner thank you for participating here. I, like you, am diabetic since 9 years old. I didn't buy the watch for diabetic purposes, but now that you said it (a few days ago) it might come quite handy to calculate better. 

Yes, through my search I got a feeling that some companies may be more accurate when it comes to HR and similar stuff. I will definitely try one of those too. But I also wonder a lot - how come it be that the Charge 4 not count the higher HR numbers? I wonder if Charge 3 had the same issue. If not, could it be a malfuctioned model? That would be of a great cost to the company too through the watches given back and the words of mouth. So it will be a two-ways trouble, both for customers and the company and how the two may ballance. In their place I would try to find a way to make the disappointed runners - if indeed there are a lot of them feel *really* good after this failure. That would sound difficult but there is always a way if someone searches enough for the answer.

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi @mstinagray, @Tolis and @SunsetRunner. It's good to see you here in the forums and I'm sorry for the delayed response.

@mstinagray, thanks for keeping me informed about your Charge 4. I see your point of view about not getting an accurate heart rate reading and I'm sorry that you've had this experience. I've gone ahead and contacted our Support team so they can create a case on your behalf and provide you with further assistance via email. Please note that due to recent events affecting our operations there might be a delay in their reply, but they'll get in touch with you soon.

@Tolis and @SunsetRunner, thanks for stopping by and sharing your insights about the inaccuracy heart rate readings when using your Charge 4 devices. I understand where you're coming from and how important is to get accurate details from your Fitbit device. Our team is always taking the feedback submitted in the Community Forums to evaluate our procedures and make sure that we are delivering what our users want and need. Your thoughts are really appreciated and we'll continue working to improve our products, services and overall environment. If you need more assistance, please let me know so I can help you out.

I'll be around, keep me posted.

[RBParker]

My problem heart rate problem is the opposite. During movement and exercise fitbit reports a much higher heart rate and calorie count I am experiencing. I have restarted and reset heart rate which made no difference. I am very disappointed. I have used a Charge 2 for several years and loved it. This Charge 4 is a challenge.

[Tolis]

Hi @RBParker, I am sorry for you disappointment.

I felt the same and it was really awful because when you order such a fine, exceptional device your hopes are really up-high! And then you fall from the sky.

Well one idea I have is for you to see if the type of exercise that you tested your watch at was accurate. It seems that for different exercise modes, the watch uses different algorithms and gives other results if not appropriately specified. 

One second idea I can think is for you to try and wear the watch about 3-4cm above your wrist bone and to avoid moves of your hand that stretch the wrist. 

And one last idea is for you to ask the support team right away - don't waste not one minute, it is their job to help you personally.

I gave my Charge 4 back right away when I found out that it wasn't working well. I bought with some more money another watch that seems to do a great job from the first time - I use it for about 3 weeks now. The Fitbit were fair with me though when I gave back the Charge 4 and they also offered me a 70 euro lower prize for another model of Fitbit if I wanted to make the change. But if you do give it back, make sure that you buy a watch that will be guaranteed to count your heart rate etc. well. Ask and research cleverly.

Good luck!

[lina_ba]

Could you say which model did you buy?