My heart rate monitor is erratic and incorrect.

[ASTraveler]

The FitBit Charge 2 displays my heart rate while on my wrist, but the rate it displays is incorrect when I am under exertion.  I am new to using the FitBit.

Example.  These readings are confirmed by my dashboard, and not just as I am looking at the readings at the fitbit on my wrist.   I walk at a park with some steep short hills of 150-200 yards long.  One in particular is about 150 yards with an incline of about 30 degrees

--  I started this climb with a heart rate of 100 and when I reached the top, my rate was 91 according to the fitbit & dashboard. At the top I measured my rate using my watch, counting my rate for 15 seconds and multiplying by 4.  My count for the 15 seconds was 34 or multiplied by 4, 136 beats per minute.  I continued walking on level ground after the climb.  I could feel my rate dropping, and the fitbit showed the rate in creasing from the 91 to about 112-115, which is about the rate I expected. 

--  I had similar results on some of the other hills on my walk.  

--  I tried tightening the band, loosening the band, pushing the band up my arm until it was 3 to 4 fingers above the wrist bone, but that did not help.  

--  Only one climb did the fitbit show the somewhat expected results.  I started at the bottom of the climb at 120 and as I started up the rate DROPPED to 109 and at the top was at 134. 

How do I get the fitbit to properly record my heart rate? 

Or do I just return this thing?

[ASTraveler]

Note:  If I am at rest or walking at a mild pace the fitbit displays my correct heart rate.

[CaptKen]

I have been monitoring this forum for a couple of weeks and there have been numerous complaints about the heart rate monitor similar to yours. I, too, have been frustrated with the heart rate feature. As you and many others have noted, the difficulties appear when actually exercising - exactly when we want the heart rate monitored​! Suggested solutions include restarting multiple times, varying the location of the charge 2 on your arm, adjusting band tightness, keeping the Charge 2 clean, keeping sweat away from the sensor (like sweat was unexpected of someone exercising!), etc. Nothing sees to work. Clearly, there is a problem with the Charge 2 sensor or software that needs to be addressed. Seeing the heart rate display showing (- -) is maddening. I have also noticed that mine continues to display a heart rate after I remove it from my wrist (it displayed my resting heart rate while sitting on my desk as I typed this). It's too late to return mine to the seller, but it's still under warranty; asking for a replacement under the warranty may be the next step.

[CaptKen]

Here's an update. Went for my first outdoor GPS tracked run, today. The Charge 2 showed HR very consistently during the run! But, during cool down, frequent (- -) were observed. Is there something wrong with the HR monitoring when the heartbeat is changing? Also, took off the Charge 2 to shower, it showed a heart rate sitting on the desk. When I picked it up to put back on after the shower, it was still showing a heart rate. Does the charge 2 pick up the electrical signal of the heart? Just wondering. 

[ASTraveler]

I am the OP, with an update from testing/usage.

--  I returned the FitBit Charge 2

--  I tested again, this time closely following the suggestions from help.fitbit.com. 

--  Basically I moved the Fitbit from my right arm to the left and placed it above my watch so it would be higher on my arm.  The watch kept if from falling down as I walked and climbed hills of 15 to 30 degree grades. 

--  I also tightened the band so the fitbit stayed close to the skin and flat on the top of the wrist/arm as suggested by help.fitbit.

--  Basically it did OK until I started my hill climb at about a heart rate (HR) of about 95-100.  Once as I started the climb the HR dropped some and stayed level until I got to the top.  At the top it still registered no higher than about 100.  I checked my pulse with my watch and my rate was about 135-140.  Finally when I finished taking my pulse the fitbit did register at about 135.  I had about the same results on additional climbs.  BTW I have a total of 9 climbs of 100-150 yards distance and elevation change of 50-80 feet. 

--  Along the way, I have a stop at an exercise station and I do some pushups, pull ups & chin ups.  At the end my HR measured by the fitbit was in the mid 60's.  As I continued walking the fitbit did not display a HR, just "- -" (pair of dashes).  At this point I did my last climb of my walk and again the fitbit would not show the increase in HR as I did my climb and did not show the increased rate at the top until I took my pulse rate using my watch.  My rate was right at 150.  Which is the max for my 72 years of age.  After taking my pulse the fitbit did display a HR of mid 140's.

Bottom line, the heart rate monitor, at best is erratic and does not show a consistent, real time heart rate.

Paying $150 for this thing, I would expect it to work properly.  If I maybe paid $40 for it I would accept it's limitations. 

As I said in the beginning, I returned the device.

[CaptKen]

I feel your frustrations. In another thread, user bbarrera summarized a study that can be found at https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/03/170308145327.htm regarding wrist heart rate monitors. Bbarrera states, “The simple fact is that optical wrist units operate indirectly - estimating from blood flow under skin - and when exercising its hit or miss as shown in that study or reading the more technical reviews on the Internet. For example optical wrist devices don't work well when your wrist is cold, can be fooled into tracking running/walking steps per minute instead of HR, someone else may see better accuracy as a result of your unique physiology, etc, etc. On the flip side optical wrist units are pretty good at resting heart rate, and generally good at walking and running heart rate although they can be a little wacky for the first 5-10 minutes, and sometimes during a walk/run wander off into the weeds for no apparent reason.”

This is consistent with my experiences which include indoor running on a treadmill and outdoor running using the GPS feature. As long as the heart rate isn’t changing drastically, the Charge 2 appears to adequately measure my heart rate. The Charge 2 appears to be affected by low temperature and sweat. Any kind of sudden change (like during interval training) causes frequent outages in that the charge 2 shows a heart rate of (--).

Overall, I like the Charge 2. The battery life is excellent and there are quite a few features that make it fun to have as well as to assist in motivating the user. Although I've decided to keep mine, had I known the limitations, I probably would not have purchased the Charge 2 because my primary motivation was to monitor heart rate during exercise.

[Sh1tb1t]

Charge 3 gives me the same issue. The harder I train the  lower the heart rate. Really annoying. I will never buy this brand again. Any recommendations? 

[CaptKen]

As I stated almost two and a half years ago, the heart rate monitoring capability of the Charge 2 is unsatisfactory. Based on the independent research I referenced back then, it's probably not a fault of Fitbit, but it's a fault of the technology involved. I still use the same Charge two, I still get the same erratic results, and I don't intend to buy another piece of equipment that uses this technology. When outdoor activity is not possible due to weather, I do use a chest strap connected to an indoor piece of equipment that never falters. If I decide to buy a mobile heart rate monitor in the future, it will involve a chest strap.