Is Heart Rate accuracy better in Fitbit Versa?

[Terryjx1]

Have just renewed my fitbit from charge 2 hr to the versa, I'm doing the same interval training on my bowflex max 3 the versa record's much more calories burnt than the charge did, is the versa a lot more accurate?

Moderator Edit: Updated Subject For Clarity.

[SirFit]

You could manually measure your heart rate. 

1. Exercise to a  high HR.

2. Stop.

3. Place your right index and fore fingers on the left wrist just below the left thumb. Count the number of heart beats in 15 seconds and multiply by 4 to get your BPM. Compare this value with what shows on your Fitbit.

[SirFit]

You have to stop exercising to manually measure HR. Inconvenient. Your HR can drop 20 points or more in one moment of rest. It takes much longer to get it back to the previous level. Thus defeating the benefit of having a digital HR monitor.

[dkroehm]

Hi, I have the same thing happening with my Versa.   My heart "rate" would jump around 60 points (resting from 57 to 115 and during the night when I'd wake up it would jump from 52 to 120's) with no change in activity.  Is there something we should do with our Versas or will a future "update" help to control this problem?   It has me so worried, I talked to my doctor about my having Afib, since both my parents died of heart-related issues.  (Neither parent had an autopsy so we have no definitive cause of their deaths.)  This "heart rate" jumping around has me worried.  I purchased a Versa specifically because I do half my weekly exercise in the pool and I wanted a watch that was waterproof. 

[SirFit]

I was having similar issues with my Charge 2. It would agree with my treadmill HR until about 124 and then they would differ by 20 beats or more. I got the Charge 3. Now my Fitbit and my Treadmill HR are usually within 2 beats of each other even at 140 per minute. I have more confidence in a device when it agrees with another one that uses a  different technology.

[lenny4d]

@sambiller  Yes, Blaze, Charge 2 had two LEDs and one sensor. Versa has 1 LED and one sensor, also in-line. Ionic and some competitor models have other geometries. I have seen a POLAR with 6 LEDS.
What is also/more (?) important is the blinking frequency. On the Charge 2 and Versa you can see them physically blink (32.5Hz??) Some competing watches have a much higher rate, thereby sampling the signals more accurately. But uses (a lot) more power!!  Can't have it all. There are also differences in the lens (or no lens at all) between sensor and skin. Lens = $$

[ksravana]

I’ve used both Garmin and Polar chest HR meters. The readings are essentially the same. Versa’s HR is matches Polar’s chest HR meter pretty closely but, when performing high intensity exercise, Versa is lower by 15-20 bpm, especially at peak HR, whereas Charge2 matches Polar HR meter pretty closely, though a bit lower (5 bpm). 

[ChrissyNotTeige]

I have the versa lite and have counted my pulse for one minute and compared with versa, it was off by 4 bpm the first time and exactly the second time

[ChrissyNotTeige]

I bought it to replace the note9 heart rate monitor when I got the note10...I did not realize there wasn't a hr monitor 😞 

[Lifeisinthesun]

 may I ask if the placement of the watch on your wrist is playing a part in its accuracy? Do you think that everyone who is getting bad heart rate readings is wearing the watch incorrectly?

[jonseymour]

Of course, this only really characterises the accuracy at rest, not during exercise - it might be accurate at rest and not during exercise (or vice versa). The best test is another device that uses a different technology (like an ECG or chest strap) and that can work over a variety of heart rate zones.