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.

[Statiraroyal]

Ok, after about a month hiatus, I finally received my replacement Versa 3. It is a different one and not the one I originally bought (I know because I had already put a slight scratch in mine). I was very skeptical but after working out this morning it seems to be MUCH more accurate. I plan to test for a few more days before I can make that claim officially, but after just one workout it does appear to log me in the correct cardio zones. My most recent workout shows 6 minutes below zones (warm up and cool down) and the rest of the time I was in fat burn or cardio. 

In the past I've bought my Fitbit's directly from Fitbit. My Versa 3 I bought off Amazon. I'm not sure where everyone else got theirs or if there might be any connection there, but I wanted to bring it up just in case. 

Hopefully this helps. I will update back again in a few days but wanted to report back my initial findings. 

[Nyril]

@Statiraroyal Hey there. Just wanted to know if this is still working well. I just ordered one but if you are back to having that issue I may just return right away and stick to my less than stellar charge 3 s

[Statiraroyal]

@Nyril thanks for the tag! I totally forgot to come back here and leave an update. I will say that the replacement is much better. Based on my workouts and how I know where my HR range should be, I will say that its sometimes inaccurate but no where near as bad as the first one I purchased. Today's workout was 27ish minutes of lifting weights and ab work and it only registered me as 9 minutes in the fat burn zone - when I feel like it should have been closer to 20. It also gave me active minutes one time for being in the shower (only one time, which is very strange) so it's not perfect, but again, it's an improvement over the first Versa 3 I received. 

[Nyril]

@Statiraroyal awesome. Glad to hear it. Ueau to he honest I notice even my charge 3 and charge 2 never cared uch for heart rate during weights and ab exercises.  I think its the muscles flexing screwing with its ability to read the blood flow. Fitbits are better aimed at cardio training I think. (Till your drenched with sweat... then they don't do much either hahaha)

[charlie.the.red]

I just want to chime in that I'm having the same problem with the Versa 3.  I did my arms this morning and it said the average heart rate was only 75 (!) BPM!  Normally it would be at least in the fat burn zone. 

My weight workouts never break 100 except on one leg day, it suddenly spiked to Cardio halfway through the workout.  I've adjusted the wrist strap and tried wearing it inverted and had no luck.  It just does not get a good heart rate reading. 

On top of that, my cardio fitness score has dropped two points in the Fitbit app since I got the Versa 3, and I suspect it's due to these false readings.  I only get a good heart rate reading when I jog or use the treadmill. 

Is there any chance of fixing this?

I saved up for several months in my company's Virgin Pulse to be able to buy this.  Everyone told me to get an Apple Watch but I've used the Ionic for years and wanted to stay within my usual apps.  I'm considering going back to my Ionic until I can refund this and get an Apple Watch instead.  I hope this gets fixed soon so I don't have to do that. 

[Statiraroyal]

Hey Charlie! I experienced these same things with my first Charge 3 that I bought off Amazon. I'm not sure if you bought yours directly from Fitbit or from a third party (like Amazon) but once I received a replacement directly from Fitbit, it has been much more accurate. I sometimes will still notice that it takes a bit for my Charge 3 to get an accurate reading (generally when doing arms as well) but if I get to a point where I can stop, catch my breath or even get a drink of water, then my HR jumps up and appears to be accurate the rest of the workout. Definitely not ideal, I agree, and my Cardio Fitness score has also dropped, but it is significantly better from the first Charge 3 I had. If you want to stay with fitbit, I've heard the Charge 2 is more accurate than the 3 (which was also mentioned on this post). Hopefully that info helps! 

[Nyril]

So far my versa 3 has been nice. It does have a smidge of lag but if you are keeping a steady rate it seems to stay correct. 

As for weights I can promise you my apple watch was more than useless with heart rate. I would suggest reaching out to support as I wonder if there is a hardware revision in the last months. 

[charlie.the.red]

I purchased my Versa 3 through the Virgin Pulse store using a voucher and rewards I'd earned from working out over a period of several months.

I called customer support about my Versa 3 and they had me update my iOS software and reinstall the app.  Just tried to do some arm reps, with my Versa 3 on my left wrist and my Ionic on my right wrist.  My Ionic was in the fat burn zone while my Versa 3 never went above 90 bpm. 

Calling them back, but this doesn't look promising...

[Statiraroyal]

I believe I spoke with them about 11 times. They had me send my original one to them and they sent me a replacement. I referenced this thread each time. Perhaps if you do that they'll just have you ship it to them for a replacement right away. They'll ask to make sure you're wearing a Fitbit brand band, two fingers above your wrist and that everything is up to date. If you tell them you've done all that, it should help speed along the process. 

[Nyril]

Yup. Even there reach put through chat. Don't bother calling lol. I prefer written transcrips of my interaction with fitbit. 

[charlie.the.red]

Followed your advice.  We exhausted all the troubleshooting methods so I just dropped my Versa 3 in the mailbox.  Switching back to my time-tested and proven Ionic for now until they fix it. 

[HeidiMo05]

I gave up on fitbit and spent the money on garmin venu sq instead. Best
decision. Works like a charm

[Camilion]

I’ve been having the same issues since I bought the watch and I researched and it occurred to me that Versa 3 and Charge 4 had the SAME Heart rate sensors so I bought the charge 4 just because I wanted to see if it really was a software related issue. 

The result was that the same heart rate sensor in charge 4 was performing accurately during my workouts when the Versa 3 didn’t (even though it is somewhat accurate during the rest of the day)

the issue is the elevation of heart rate basically the software can’t get the data through quick enough when there is big spikes in heart rate often when you are moving fast.

since the charge 4 has the same sensor, it must be a really easy fix as they are both based on the same system (Fitbit app gallery etc). I cannot understand why it’s taking so long with such an easy software bug to solve? 

I will try different things yet even the reset to fabric settings however I think the error must have been occurring since the beginning of release? I don’t know if anyone ever experienced accurately heart rate during workouts with Versa 3 before an update though?

[charlie.the.red]

Just to give an update, I sent off my Versa 3 via mail.  I didn't realize until after the fact that the customer service rep never gave me instructions as to what I should include with my item, they just sent me the label.  It was picked up by FedEx from the post office, and that was the last tracking I saw of it (no FedEx tracking number was given).  I have no idea if I'll ever get it back again since the only return address is what was on the label they gave me ... it didn't have my address listed or my account info, to my knowledge. 

I have moved on to the Apple Watch and it syncs better with my iPhone/Apple Health and I get much more accurate reads on heart rate with all types of exercise, not just jogging.  If I do get the Versa 3 back and it's fixed, I will gladly give it to a family member that's interested as long as I can tell them it works properly.  Fitbit has been great for years.  I've been on a weight loss journey for over a year now and accurate tracking is extremely important to me.  I had to keep going...

[Nyril]

I can say my current versa 3 seems about as accurate as my old charge 3. Havent had any issues at all really.

As for going to an apple watch, i made that mistake a few years ago. 600$ watch. Doesnt care about teacking heart rate outside of exercise. Battery dies so fast and no apple app for food and calories. You have to rely on MFP and the sort. Never managed to lose a pound with apple until i took off that piece of junk and threw it out. One lb gone lol. Fitbit works better. At least for me. And with support just reach out and they will likely ship you a replacement. 

[charlie.the.red]

I've always used LoseIt for tracking my food, and I've discovered that Lose It in conjunction with Apple Health and Virgin Pulse syncs perfectly.  It works better than what I had before and I don't have to use the Sync Solver app.  I haven't noticed any issues with my Apple Watch and tracking my heart rate.  I'm still holding on to the Fitbit app of course, because I still love the Aria. 

I have to say that I thought my experience with Versa 3 was just a fluke until I read these forums and found out that the issue with the heart rate was widespread and unresolved.  I was very disappointed by that. 

[Statiraroyal]

I didn't include any info when I sent it back and they still knew that it was mine. They will send you an email so that they have your return address. The tracking number they gave you should work for Fedex as well so that you can see when it arrives and they sent my replacement out a week later. 

I agree that it's frustrating, because I did lose a month of stats with sending my Versa back. I am also incredibly stats driven but I also keep in mind that my body knows the accurate numbers, regardless of what any watch says. Hopefully you have it back soon  - I'm glad you're having a better experience with your Apple Watch. It's important for these companies to keep in mind that we, as consumers, do have other options. 

Two months since having the replacement back, my cardio fit score has gone back up to where it was previously (and a little higher!) so I've been pleased with that. Frustrating the hoops I had to jump through to get here but I am pleased with my device now. 

[Nyril]

No. Its not a fluje. Ibjust finished 15 mins if jumo rope. Watch kept sitting at 130-145bpm when i was taking my pulse and coming bavk at 150-165. But, when it comes to weight loss. I sorta find it benefical to undershoot burned calories and overshoot intake lol. But still. Not cool and i hope they fix soon. Most days it seems fine but today. Not really. Could of been was too loose though. 

[charlie.the.red]

That's good to know that they'll know where to send it.  If it comes back and it works great, I have a family member that really wants one so I'm going to hook them up.  The money won't be wasted and I'm sure they'll get great use out of it.

[Camilion]

It’s not that it isn’t accurate during the day, it happens when you are working out in high intensity with a quickly elevating heart rate this is when the Versa 3 is kind of stuck because it can’t really comprehend the amount of data fast enough. Same sensor in charge 4 and no problem occurs anyway.. so my question is if your workouts are in high intensity? If that’s so, I’ll like to know how you wear it? And if you updated it lately.