Versa 3 heart rate discrepancies

[JulieRS]

I have been a longtime Fitbit user, having owned three different Fitbit Charges.
I just purchased a Fitbit Versa because my Charge was having issues with brightness.  

I am really disappointed in this tracker.  It doesn't seem to be calculating my heart rate accurately.  I do the same walk every morning.  In general my heart rate is between 105 and 125  when I do this walk.  There is a long history of it in my APP. 

With this tracker, my pulse is showing up in the 90s, though I was dripping with sweat, my heart was pounding, and I was walking up a hill..  Later the day, I went to Target, and for a leisurely shopping trip, and my heart rate was in the 110's.  

I have already adjusted the Heart Rate Zones because the Peak, Cardio and Fat Burn calculations are so much different from the Charge, but I just feel that the tracking of my heart rate should not be so different from my previous device.

I did ask for help on Twitter and didn't feel like the person really cased about my situation.

My next product will not be a Fitbit.



Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[Guy_]

Hi @JulieRS  - there is a return policy if you are dissatisfied, if you bought from Fitbit it's 45 days to get a refund. 

Some shops may have similar policies but may only be 30 days.

[MarreFitbit · Accepted solution]

Hi there, @JulieRS. Welcome to the Community Forums. We‘re taking your comments and sentiments in regards to our products and Twitter services into consideration.

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?

@Guy_ Thanks for your advice!

Hope this helps.