I have been using Fitbits for many years and have had many Fitbit devices. I just bought the Vesa 2 in hopes that the heart rate monitor accuracy will be better on this latest and greatest from Fitbit. Sadly, I experience the same disappointing readings with my Versa 2 as I did with my other devices from Fitbit over the years. Due to medical reasons, I need to really track my heart rate during exercise. So I wear a chest strap heart monitor because that is always super accurate during exercise. When comparing my heart rate during workout from my chest strap and 3rd party app and my Fitbit, Fitbit is consistently off by being as much as 40 bpm lower than actual during my workout. Very disappointing. I understand that the optical heart rate monitor technology probably isn't as accurate as chest strap during intense activity. And yes, I have tried different positions on my arm, different levels of tightness with the band etc. I have tried everything imaginable with Fitbit devices to try and get accurate heart rate readings during intense exercise. I don't understand why Fitbit won't allow a 3rd party chest strap monitor to sync with Fitbit app, or 3rd party app to transfer over heart rate data or even to allow customers to manually enter heart rate data into Fitbit app, or maybe had an edit function where customers can edit the incorrect heart rate data. For comparison, Samsung Health allows for customers to connect a 3rd party chest strap. So you wear their wearable device all the time and your heart rate is constantly measured, but then you put on your synced chest strap monitor when working out. All data syncs perfectly with the Samsung Heath app. Perfect and easy. I don't understand why Fitbit doesn't allow such a workaround for their customers, especially if it is well known that optical heart rate monitors aren't very accurate during intense exercise, especially when there is lots of movement (burpees, shadow fighting, pushups, mountain climbers etc.). I keep hoping that Fitbit will announce an update that will allow this. Yet this hasn't happened to date and I continue to be disappointed. Not sure how much longer I will stay with Fitbit to be honest. How can you get an accurate picture of your overall health if you are forced to use an optical heart rate monitor that isn't accurate (not even close) during intense exercise? Even if Fitbit says they are considering letting heart rate data from 3rd party sources (device or app), I would be encouraged to hold on a bit longer. Even if they made this a premium feature that customers have to pay for, I'm in! Seriously take my money, it's that important. Here's hoping that changes are coming soon, or else I may sadly have to end my decade plus long relationship with Fitbit. Sad.
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