Versa 2 heart rate is not accurate

[CPGlendale]

I purchased a Versa 2 a couple months ago. I thought it was great that I could record my activities and see summaries following the workouts on the watch face. I immediately noticed my heart rate was hitting an extremely and potentially dangerous peak rate which caused me to see a cardiologist. After doing an echo stress test and wearing a heart monitor for a week I found out the heart rate monitor on the Versa 2 is extremely inaccurate. There was a 30-40 bpm difference in what the cardiologists heart monitor recorded and what the Fitbit recorded. I’m extremely disappointed in the Fitbit inaccuracy as well as the anxiety and cost associated with having to see the cardiologist only to find out everything was normal. Anyone else having this issue?

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity

[JuanJoFitbit]

@CPGlendale, I'm sorry for the late response. However, let me welcome you to our Fitbit forums.

I'm also sorry to hear that your Versa 2 is not tracking your heart rate accurately. I totally understand how you feel about this.

I would like you to try some troubleshooting steps in order to fix this issue. Please restart your Versa as described in this help article. After this, make sure your device is positioned correctly on your wrist  so that it doesn’t slip on your wrist. Finally, monitor your watch for the next 24 hours and see if the issue gets fixed.

Keep me posted on the outcome.

[CPGlendale]

I restarted this morning then worked out. I made sure the device was positioned correctly on my wrist and it still recorded a peak heart rate of 183. How can this issue be resolved?

[mtmann213]

Hi, I too am having an issue where I work out and it will show a high heartrate. When I run on a treadmill at 7.5 speed and 3% grade I usually hang out around 155-165 heartrate with my old blaze and I'm pretty sure that is accurate. With the versa 2, I've seen it show 172-189. It'll will show correct numbers if I tighten it and slide it up my arm. Really frustrating.

[CPGlendale]

I purchased my Versa from Amazon. I contacted them about the issue and they allowed me to return it and get a replacement. The new Versa is much more accurate. Every once in a while I’ll get a high reading but I just ignore it.

CP

[StarSixtyNine]

I'm experiencing the same thing, but all the updates and restarts have not helped. Just sitting in front of the computer and reading emails for 15+ minutes and my Versa2 tells me my HR is 161. Then 2 minutes later, it's 66, with no change in activity levels. I put my old Blaze on my other arm, and a pulse ox on my finger, both within 2-3 BPM of 66.  Looking back over the last few months of HR data and every day has wild swings of off the charts HR, so all of that collected data is useless. Now I have an open case # with support, but unless this gets resolved, I'll likely just go back to my Blaze. Support says "our engineers are looking at it", but it's such a waste of time, constantly checking the HR, wondering if it's accurate or not. Received the Versa2 as a gift, but what a disappointment. I would have sent it back had I known the HR was so unreliable. I assumed that if my 3 year old Blaze could accurately track my HR, a newer model wouldn't decrease in accuracy.😕

[CPGlendale]

Send it back! I got mine through Amazon. I called them and they let me exchange it. The new one works much better, although every once in a while I get a weird reading.

CP

[StarSixtyNine]

My daily HR report in the Fitbit app makes it look like I work out for 5-6 hours every single day, with my HR spiking up to 144-160. I'm not willing to accept crap tech that makes $hit up. It would be different if it just didn't have a reading, but inventing data that doesn't exist is inexcusable. My 3 year old Blaze didn't do that, so why would the latest product?

I'm not sure what your point is... just put up with it because it all averages out? Maybe your watch isn't as off as mine, but incorrect data are worse than no data at all because I end up wasting time looking at it. I probably would have ended up running to the doctor (more time and $) if I didn't have several other devices to confirm my actual HR. So maybe Fitbit should replace my device for me? My last call to them made it sound like they are aware of a problem with this model, idk.

Thanks, mine was a gift, and I believe it was purchased direct from Fitbit. I'll post any exchange news here, but I'm going back to my Blaze for now.

Moderator edit: merged reply

[gkbdvm]

after just having a stress test and a nuclear stress test, and having the Versa 2 fairly accurate with the ekg, I freaked today.  I was on my stationary bike where my usually cruising HR is 140+/-.  Today, all of a sudden it shot to 180+/-.  I jumped off the bike and hooked up to my Kardia app( this is medical grade) and HR was in the 120's ( took about a minute to get .  I also use the Cardiogram app to track my recovery and it showed that my HR dropped 61 beats in the first minute and 53 in the second.  I have to conclude the 180 was inaccurate.

    Small changes from normal are ok, but a 40+ jump in hr is scary!

I have rest and re-paired unit via bluetooth to my Iphone.

[cazasjohnston]

My versa 2 HR doesn't work. Fitbit sent me a new one which also didn't work. Turned out it's because I have tattoos.  I asked to return the watch and they said because I've already had a replacement I cant return it! 'Even tho it was them who diagnosed the issue and offered me a new watch" I have now gone back to my 3 year old blaze now.

[adrienneurban]

I just got a Versa 2 and I have the same issue. My bpm was about 30 bpms lower when I was using my Charge 3, now with the Versa 2 it looks like I have a heart problem.

[KellyJoP]

I too have an issue with the heart rate. When I run it reaches a heart rate up to 188 but then I stop and manually check my pulse and it’s not even close to that high.

I also notice that if I’m just sitting watching tv and knitting and using both my arms, heart rate will start going up into the 70s when in actuality it’s in the mid 50s.

This versa 2 watch is so far from accurate at I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone who is buying it to monitor their heart rate during activity

[MrsGray75]

I’m having the same problem, my resting heart rate is now 78!!!!! Usually in the 60’s. I was warming up for a workout this morning and my hr was 156bpm, during the actual HITT workout it was showing between 98 and 113bpm which it said was below the zones. I was sweating and my heart was pumping. It is so inaccurate. I’ve not had it long but since the update this week it has gone haywire. I have turned her off, restarted the versa, synced it several times all to no avail. Never had this issue on my Alta!

[KellyJoP]

I contacted Fitbit and did the software update and was told that should fix the problem. I haven’t done a run yet or manually checked my HR to compare but hopefully it’s fixed.
If not I think it might be time to switch to Apple

Sent from my iPhone

[TheFLStig]

My Versa 2 is also very inaccurate.  I'm in pretty good shape.  My resting heart rate is 60 or less and my Versa 2 shows that accurately.  But, during my jogs/walks, it routinely shows a rate of 170 or 180 or higher.  No way.  I purchased a dedicated heart rate monitor (strap around my chest) and linked it to the app I use.  It shows my heart rate during strenuous exercise is 135-140.  My Versa 2 shows >180 at the exact same moment.  The firmware is updated, I've restarted it, I've tried moving it up and down my write, moved it to the other arm, moved it to be on the inside of the wrist.  Makes no difference.  It's pretty frustrating.

[jonseymour]

I had an ECG stress test  a few weeks ago (it was clean) and the report from that showed the max heart rate for each of 5 2-minute intervals. I pulled the 1-second data from my FitBit Versa 2 and calculated the same statistic and then fitted a regression line to the resulting scatter plot.

The resulting slope (1.18) is suggestive that my FitBit, for me, is reading 18% higher than reality. This is consistent with the fact that my max HR for my age is 167, yet I regularly run with a FitBit HR of 185 bpm without significant (dis-)stress. Corrected this would equate to a real bpm of 156 which is more consistent with the experience as lived.

So, before rushing off to see an (expensive) cardiologist about a high FitBit HR do consider finding a cheaper way to calibrate your FitBit first.

 

[StarSixtyNine]

My issue isn't that the Versa2 is off by any consistent percentage. In
my case it seems to be quite accurate most of the time, but will
randomly give me readings like 168 when I'm just sitting at my desk
working. I'll reach for my pulse ox meter and confirm that my HR is way
more realistically matched to my activity level. Over time it looks like
I've been working out, burning calories and/or achieving certain
exercise goals when I have not been doing anything. So my Versa2 is
great for step counting and getting text messages on my wrist, even
sleep tracking seems to be pretty accurate, and it tracks my
bike/walk/run activity distances, but the HR data and related exercise
and calorie burning data is not trustworthy. I actually had an RMA setup
to return the unit but went through several iterations of reinstalling
the firmware and it seems to be better behaved now. I have still
"caught" it over-reading the HR a few times, but overall it seems
better. At the same time, I've pretty much given up on caring about that
data. Seeing all of my accumulated activity is great, but trusting the
HR data will have to wait for some better quality device than the
Versa2. I've read that the Apple watch has actually detected/diagnosed
legit heart issues and potentially saved lives. So that might be the
better product for someone who is hoping for some actual health
monitoring product. I don't think they can sell it with that claim
though, and fitbit definitely can't.

[Calgarygirl04]

I purchased my versa2 a few months back and it worked great up till now.  All of a sudden in the past 3 days my HR is off the charts.  As some others have posted sitting at my computer working and I’ll notice I’m at my peak HR.  Got out of bed the other morning and I’d already completed 300+ zone cardio minutes. (I wish it were that easy).  Other than returning it since that’s not an option are there any other fixes.  I have turned it off numerous times in an attempt to fix the problem.  

[EddieB1]

I'm also getting accuracy issues - primarily while cycling. Regularly I've been getting sensible looking readings for portions of a ride, but then suddenly the reported HR dropped like a stone to resting levels (this was reporting wrongly). More recently I've taken a firmware update and on just one ride so far it has reported a significantly too low reading for 40 mins and then suddenly shot up to report a higher HR for the last 5 to 10 mins. These sudden shifts are unusual and clearly wrong, where the reported HR normally is smoothed and there is often significant lag between what actually happens and what is reported (like an averaging function in play to reduce noise/spikes).

However general accuracy around the home and walking appears very satisfactory to me.

  

[JasonB5]

Yeah that's very aggravating because it won't stay where they suggest you place it for exercise.

That will give you the flaming red a..it does it to me too. My heart rate measured with a watch for a minute after a jog will be close to 160 and good ol crap versa 2 says 124.

Moderator edit: merged reply