Versa 3 heart rate and calorie not tracking accurately

[1995z28]

Just received versa 3 for Christmas. It’s not reading heart rate properly during exercise. I have contacted support they had me turn off auto recognize, I have disabled, removed versa 3 from IOS and set back up again. Still no fix. I consider myself to be a fitness guru as I have been working out for the last 32 years and know what my heart should be. I can’t even get the versa 3 above 110 BPM at my max (which normally is at 155 -185 BPM depending on workout). I am so frustrated with this.

I was walking at work last night to and from point a-b and my heart rate was showing higher than my regular workout of the morning (95bpm). Obviously there is something wrong with this version of Fitbit. I have owned several over the years but nothing this bad. It appears this is a common issue between the versa 3 and sense.

this morning I decided to get an accurate assessment of how off this is by doing a short HIIT workout and using the Ionic vs Versa 3. I put the ionic on my right wrist and versa 3 on my left wrist. I have a screen shot of the results but cannot attach to this thread. Even with 7 minutes of high intensity I could not get my heart rate above 99 BPM on the versa 3. (143 on the Ionic). The difference between calorie burn is:

versa3 - 7:20 min

• 84 bpm avg
• 99 bpm max
• 37 calories burned

Ionic - 7:15 min

• 119 bpm avg
• 143 bpm max
• 63 calories burned

I used “workout” for each watch to get the results. 

my quick HIIT workout consists of the following:

1. 10 burpee tuck jumps

2. 30 push-ups 

3. 30 tricep press-downs (50LBS)

4. 30 decline sit-ups.

these were down with little to no rest between each set. Just to get my heart rate up for this experiment.

The difference between the two are extreme and when using exercise app on the watch it does not register heart rate accurately.

please help and get a fix for this. My wife is having the same issue with her versa3. We are not new to Fitbit and have enjoyed them until now.

I hope the above information can help solve the issue with this Fitbit.

thank you for looking into this.

[Nyril]

I wonder if its that tempermental due to its shape? I would say try wearing it a bit higher on the wrist which sucks if you dint have pronoun wrst bones to stop it drom sliding back down cuz I think the light gets in the way woth the wrist motion and thus it skips a beat. 

When I jog and jump rope I notice the hr accuracy is different. Especially if I do some pushups between jump rope sessions. 

If it werent for my friends and family on fitbit I may have jumped to a garmin or samsung lol. But I make do with the watch tracking acurately during the day and just deal with my workouts being undertracked hahaha. 

[SarahBrodeur]

Having this issue on my versa 2 as well (bought through fitbit). I’ve had it for just over a year and all of 2021 my workouts have cut to low heart rate a few minutes in. I have been doing spin workouts for years now and know my heart rate is not at 100 bpm. I’ve directly compared the same music track workouts from 2020 to 2021 and the calories are off by ~150 each time with a much lower average heart rate. So annoyed! I’ve been a religious fitbit wearer since 2016 but this issue is making me want to switch brands. 

[ChrisSwim]

I've seen this between my Ionic and brand new Versa3, I have each one on separate phones and separate accounts with my details for testing, if I wear on device on one wrist and the other on my other wrist they rarely agree, most of the time the Versa3 reads 10 to 25% higher. During exercise I found the Versa3 showing 131 bpm and my Ionic showing 164 bpm at the same time, but at other times it would be reversed and the Versa3 would show a higher reading, rarely did they both show similar readings.

Looks like it may have to be returned for a refund, ill check them both against an accurate benchmark such as chest strap / finger pulse sensor / ECG device next.

[refturner]

Sad this solution did not work.

------------------------------------------------

Latest update June 2021 no solution for this problem.

[MarkMM]

I feel like I dropped the ball with this one. Trusting Fitbit and not researching. There are similar complaints on the Sense forum. So the issue is with Pure Pulse 2? Fitbit hasn't publicly stated anything on this that I'm aware of. But they tell some of us in personal support cases that they're working on it. 

It's been a while now with nothing happening. How are they working on it, future products will have something other than the current pure pulse 2 that Versa 3 and Sense have?

[m-umar]

I've put it out on the Fitbit forum else where that too many Zone mins are logged even when my HR is so low that I can't feel it. So all these issues are caused by Pure Pluse 2 or associated Algorithm which shouldn't be hard to fix but it seems FitBit and now Google don't care. It really needs to be addressed urgently NOW.

[MarkMM]

@m-umar Most of the complaints are low heart rate during exercise, which would also result in lower zone minutes. You seem to have a different issue. Unearned zone minutes? I can't even get the Versa 3 I have here, into fat burn zone. Everything is "below zone" under 100 BPM. With an occasional brief spike higher. 

@ChrisSwim Were you ever able to compare with something known to be accurate?

[m-umar]

I compared versa 3 on my left hand and versa 2 on my right hand during a 5 km jog and walk session and noticed versa 3 lagging in HR and also Max HR was 103 while on versa 2 was around 122. But I thought, at that time, that Versa 3 is showing right HR as I had phantom zone mins issue on my mind. Unfortunately I gifted out my versa 2 so can't test it any more.

[MarkMM]

I wore the Versa 3 and Versa 1 while biking. The Versa 3 was like 98% under 100 BPM and below zone. And the Versa 1 was 45 BPM higher at times.

It's like I'd have to be cycling at 15mph to get in fat burn zone. 

[m-umar]

I went for a brisk walk last night with "Walk" All tracking it and I noticed that HR tracking was certainly lower than expectations.  I did one walk without involving "walk" app and HR was bit better so I think problem is with the algorithm not the Pure Pulse2. I acknowledge that it is not a scientifically approved method but I did try to keep up the same path and pace.

Otherwise I'm running out of ideas and appears Fitbit (Google) doesn't think there is a problem or don't care to fix it

[MarkMM]

@m-umar Wouldn't the algorithm be the same across models? I have widely different results between the Versa1 and 3. Yes, I'm not 100% certain either, but a glaring difference is different hardware technology for heart rate on the Versa 3, as well as the Sense.

[m-umar]

@MarkMMoum. you have a quite valid point. When I tested it with versa2 the difference was around 25-30 in favour of versa2. Like I said I'm out of ideas and have started talk on twitter with Fitbit Help center but they are beating the same drum of that it is impacted by the environment factors. Don't they read/monitor these forums. I actually injured  myself ( Taking Voltern 500gm twice a day now) by pushing hard without realising that the HR is not reflecting rightly on versa 3!

[Yashna]

Hi 

Did you get a new one and is it working better? I am having the same issue and purchased mine 3 weeks ago. At first I thought I needed to get used to the device and wear the strap tighter but that is not the problem. The watch is not picking up my heart rate - even at 190 its saying 120.

Update: 

Hi this is affecting me as well. I used to have a versa which tracked very accurately. It recently malfunctioned and so I bought a new versa 3 and thus watch does not track accurately during a workout at all. When my heart rate is 170 the versa will say 120. It's extremely frustrating given I paid so much money. I am considering returning and switching to another brand. They need to fix this. The older models work better. This is the most recent version and should be working the best. 

Update: Hi Lyn 

Did you get this sorted? I am also from South Africa and experiencing the same issue. I have contacted customer care and they said I must try the watch for 1 more day before contacting them again with my case number. 

[charlie.the.red]

Hi Yashna,

I had this problem several months ago and had to switch to another brand.  I am still subscribed to this thread.

I am being careful with what I say here because I have had posts get deleted.  This problem has been unresolved for almost a year.  My best advice to you is to contact customer support and pursue getting a refund.  If Fitbit could fix the problem, they would have done it by now. 😞

[m-umar]

The issue is real one with the new Pure Pulse technology which could be H/W most likely or be S/W related but has not been fixed in both Versa 3 & Sense.

Fitbit is ware of the issue but there is no ETA of the fix if there is one coming!

[lawler801]

I never got a fix. Even after consulting all the online resources and help desk.  I kept getting advised to restart/reset and I'm likely wearing it wrong on my wrist (thanks for these great insights - ugh!).   I see that Fitbit marked this issue as Answered -- but we continue to have defects in the tracking of heart rate.  Mine is worst when doing HIIT workouts or cross-training (not working on equipment like a spin bike, elliptical) -- I can go through an entire 40 minute HIIT workout and never get above 100 bpm.  I spent so much for this "deluxe" fitbit, didn't get an offer to return/exchange, didn't get resolution, and now live with it.  Going to get something new in the 2022 -- and it likely won't be a fitbit.

[refturner]

Smart decision to get a different fitness watch, given the lack of customer support for the Versa 3. I never got my monies worth from the Versa 3 for the reasons you cite.

[MarreFitbit]

Hi there.

We‘re taking your comments and sentiments in regards to our products and services into consideration.

Thanks for letting us know about this issue. We’re aware of it and are working to identify a resolution as quickly as possible. 

Nevertheless, note that you might notice slight variations between your heart-rate reading on your new Fitbit devices compared with your old ones due to improvements in the heart rate sensor and algorithm.

Differences between heart-rate readings on your device and on exercise equipment are likely due to wrist or hand position. Make sure the back of your device is in contact with your wrist and that your band is snug.

Several factors can affect heart rate, including air temperature, stress level, alcohol or caffeine intake, immune response to illness, and medication use (source).

Exercising in cold weather can make it more difficult for your device to track your heart rate, as environmental conditions can affect skin perfusion (the amount of blood that flows through your skin). Spikes in your heart rate during sleep may be caused by sudden movements (for example, waking up and getting out of bed), or a weak signal due to wrist placement. 

As with all heart-rate tracking technology, accuracy is affected by personal physiology, device location on your arm, and type of movement. For a more accurate heart-rate reading:

• Wear your Fitbit device on top of your wrist, and make sure the back of the device is in contact with your skin.
• When you’re not exercising, wear your device a finger’s width above your wrist bone.

• During exercise, wear your device a bit tighter and higher for an improved fit. The band should be snug but not constricting (a tight band restricts blood flow, potentially affecting the heart-rate signal). Many exercises such as bike riding or weight lifting cause you to bend your wrist frequently, which could interfere with the heart-rate signal if the watch is lower on your wrist.

To resolve common issues, see our troubleshooting steps in What factors can affect my heart-rate reading on my Fitbit device?

We're sorry for any trouble. We appreciate your patience and look forward to getting you back on track.

[MarkMM]

@MarreFitbit It's not more accurate, it's faulty! Are you suggesting that not being able to hit 90 BMP walking as hard as I can and meanwhile, watching TV can be 110 BPM, is more accurate?

[charlie.the.red]

@MarreFitbit With respect, we should be past the point of “consideration”.  I paid $300 for a heart rate monitor that has a 30 bpm margin of error.  We keep getting the same boilerplate response about wearing the watch differently, but that clearly has not worked.  I had the watch replaced and it still didn’t work. How is Fitbit going to make this right?  If you aren’t going to use the $300 I gave you to pay someone to fix it, then just give me my money back.