Ability to use Chest Strap Heart Rate Monitor or foot pods

[JSy]

I like that the Charge HR and Surge have the ability to monitor heart rate via the wrist based optical monitor, but from what I have gathered, it sounds like all wrist based optical heart rate monitors have poor accuracy at high intensity workouts.  It would be great if fitbit had a product that had a wrist based heart rate monitor, but would switch to using a chest strap heart rate monitor if one was detected.  Any chance that the firmware/software on the Charge HR and/or Surge could be updated to use a bluetooth chest strap heart rate monitor? 

Moderator edit: labels and title.

[Deezel]

I just switched over to Fitbit from a Polar watch with HRM chest strap. Got tired of having problems with there products. I've had my surge for 5 days now. So far I like your app & easy access to everything. The biggest downfall is your HRM on surge is so unreliable. Has a very hard time reading HR when working out or on treadmill. On treadmill most of the time it's way off or it loses the reading & just shows--. So adding a chest strap HRM to your products would make them 2nd to none.

Moderator Edit: Added Labels

[PatCat]

I totally agree,

I've been wearing my Surge for a year now almost 24/7 and my only complaints are about two things:

1- The laousy wristband being not replacable and it starts looking bad when its worn-out.  Not good for a watch i wear for sport but also with a suit & tie attire.

2- The heart rate monitor accuracy at high level cardio training intensity.  Something, it is way out of real hear rate (20 BPM plus lower than the real heart rate).  For that reason, i would not mind having to use a chest strap monitor that would link and override the watch HR monitor when training then come back to regular monitor (wrist) on a day to day basis.

[jstp]

I love my "One" and my my "Ultra" before it and my husband really likes his Surge.  I would like to have the heart rate monitor capabilities but don't want to wear the bulky wrist watch.  I wear my One clasped to my bra every day (as suggested by Fitbit), I think it would be great if Fitbit made a version of the One that had heart rate monitoring sensors - since I wear it so close to my heart it seems like it should be possible.  Also the Polar heart rate monitors are worn in the same area.

[pebbles2029]

I completely agree. I actually have stuck with the Polar Loop device because the chest transmitter is the only one that accurately reads for the activities I choose (which are NOT running/walking). Still, the Fitbit is a bit better overall in the other areas for the device.

I request that you add chest strap compatibility to your products as well. I would love this to be added to the bracelet style monitors like the Flex or the new Alta rather than just the watch style.

[pebbles2029]

I completely agree. I actually have stuck with the Polar Loop device because the chest transmitter is the only one that accurately reads for the activities I choose (which are NOT running/walking). Still, the Fitbit is a bit better overall in the other areas for the device.

I request that you add chest strap compatibility to your products as well. I would love this to be added to the bracelet style monitors like the Flex or the new Alta rather than just the watch style.

[lmuros15]

I am heart rate chest strap user for many years and found that the wrist heart rate is not as accurate .both my fit bit and heart monitor strap took a dump at the same time , if the new fit bit or smart watch synced with a chest strap I would continue with fit bit ,love the fit bit , had it for many years just chose to go a different route this time so I can get all in one and would love to rejoin fit bit family again if you can get a chest strap involved or make the wrist sensor more accurate

Moderator Edit: Edit title for clarity; Added Labels

[SFGG]

My FitBit Charge HR is SIGNIFICANTLY INACCURATE when I am engaging in a high-intensity workout.  No matter how carefully I position or tighten it before the workout, it measures as much as 60BPM below what my chest-strap heart-rate monitor measures.  The FitBit might catch up about 6-12 minutes into a 30-minute workout, but only if I reposition it during the workout and am lucky when I do so.  Because my tracking *is* my motivation, I feel cheated and angry when I don't get "credit" for my calories or active minutes from the FitBit.  If there were a FitBit that had an integration with the chest-strap transmitter (maybe manually activated?), I would be comfortable that I was getting an accurate accounting of my workouts and would be more forgiving of the FitBit's HR measurement foibles.

[Ericlux]

+1. My Charge HRM function is really bad and completely out of range when I bike... The only time it is OK is when I do not do sport which is very sad. On the bike I use a Garmin Edge 800 and a very accurate chest band HRM. It would just be so nice if the Charge HR could switch automatically from the wrist HRM sensor to the perfect chest band whenever one is available. And please do NOT make your own because I do not want to stop using my Garmien Edge 800. My Garmin Edge 800 is special for bikers and therefore much better than anything you will ever produce for wrist use so compatibility is the key. And also with Polar and other bluetooth chest band sensors.

Thanks

[smoknj]

I think the FitBit surge is great minus the lack of the ability to use a chest strap.  I know this may present a power drain.  If you could write it into your software, that would be great.  To balance out the battery life, you could give the option to turn off GPS during certain types of exercises such as hiking.  This feature is already available in many free apps on Itunes.  Having a chest strap during hiking, elliptical and other workouts will greatly increase the accuracy and make your custormers happy.  Even better, would be if you do this upgrade such that we don't have to purchase a new FitBit.

[Gaudarr]

I too feel cheated, mainly because I fell for the advertising depicting people doing all sorts of strenuous exercise and also because a waited too long to return it.

I can't afford to buy another device. I just hope they listen some day and add a blue tooth chest strap option to the existing Surge and not just release an entirely new device geared towards the "athlete" with the features people have been requesting.

[SilviaFitbit]

This could expand the Fitbit world to other users because you could combine Fitbit and use any other chest strap. 

[Aseraph]

I could not agree more with this recommendation. I understand that certain activities (rowing for me) don't work well with Fitbit's tech. But for Fitbit to be unable to get accurate data during exercise has been a big frustration. I bought a Polar H7 recently to compare a rowing session. This is about an hour of exercise according to my Fitbit Charge HR (with significant periods of lost signal):

And this is the same session as recorded in iCardio using the Polar H7:

For intense activities, there ought to be an easy way to pair with another HRM and overwrite the Charge HR's heart rate data. Then it would be just about perfect, from my point of view!

[Vaya1989]

Hi, it would be really nice if there is an Option to get the HR data even more better in Workout Mode.

This could be done if you could add the ability to connect a chest strap to the blaze or the charge hr.

Especially HIIT Trainings are not tracked accurately.

I hope this will be added in future Updates

[studentathlete]

i would love to see a waterproof chest strap that can be worn during competition (biking, soccer, baseball, lacross, hockey, etc.) and swimming. The strap should be able to measure heart rate, distance, steps (if not swimming) and calories burned. It would also be nice if the info could be bluetoothed to your smart phone app or to your account and be added to the preexisting data from the day. 

Moderator Edit: Added Labels

[Aseraph]

Another comparison demonstrating the need for Fitbit (at least with the current devices) to be able to sync with a chest-strap HRM:

The above is the measurement I got after rowing for an hour, as seen by my Charge HR. Below is the same workout, as recorded by a Polar H7:

Being able to seamlessly incorporate the best data, whether it's from a Fitbit device or not, will ultimately be best for both the company and consumers. I'm inclined to remain a Fitbit customer for a long time but if another company were to have an equivalent product with the ability to sync with a chest strap HRM when needed, that might be an overpowering tempation.

[Paul_G]

I came to this section of the forum to request exactly this. I actually gave up on my Charge HR as my 24*7 tracker for a Garmin Forerunner 235 as it had 24*7 tracking and could link to an ANT+ strap. I found intervals to be inaccurate abd had issues in cold weather where the Fitbit would not lock on to the HR for 10-15 minutes.

However poor sampling rate and buggy software meant I now only use my Garmin for the gym and the occaisional run when I need accurate HR. For now I have switched back to the Fitfit for 24*7 tracking.  If I could pair a strap with a Charge HR equivalent I wouldn't need the Garmin.

[Fiz007]

The HR function on fit bit surge is not the most acurate on heavy exorcise. The resting rate and day rate seems OK but It would be nice if a chest strap could be sinc'ed on my more intensive exorcise but turned of to save battery when not in use.

I would suggest wireless strap rather than bluetooth to keep the fitbits sinc to your phone.

Moderator edit: added tiles

[Pollywaffle]

Wireless strap would work for swimming, also.

[Pollywaffle]

Hi there,

Can you please consider incorporating the capacity to sync and/or pair Fitbit Charge with waterproof chestband? This would solve two problems: 1. my wrist band is not waterproof, so cannot register swimming workouts. 2. My wrist band loses accuracy on bike rides. It significantly under measures my heart rate when I am cycling.

Thank you (in anticipation:)

[York_5]

Something new?

[York_5]

This will be critical for crossfit ...

[Urge]

I agree with all those before that the Fitbit Surge would be even better with a companion chest strap for heart rate monitoring.  I noticed from the community board that this has been a request for over a year.  Is there any chance this is actually going to happen?  I understand that the product developers review these post to get an idea of what the users want.  How do we know if our comments have been heard and if this a option that we can expect in the future?

[joeclimb]

I too ride and learned that my Fitbit Surge under reports my heart rate relative to a chest monitor.  Independent of your request, I also sent Fitbit a note asking for the ability to connect my Fitbit to my chest monitor (ANT or bluetooth). 

Just curious to see if you had receive a response and if so how satisfied you are with the response.

Joe

[DJmn]

I have a Charge HR, and it of course is also inaccurate for measuring heart rate during sprint intervals and other high intensity workouts. I've looked at upgrading to the Surge, but will not do so unless a chest strap option becomes reality.

[zubs1aa]

ADD THIS FEATURE AND I BUY FITBIT ON THE SPOT AND THROW OUT MY GARMIN.

I bought a Garmin vivoactive HR a couple months ago...along with a chest strap.  It has 24/7 writs OHR like the surge, but I wanted the precision for workouts.   

However, I am so fed up with Garmin in general that I will on the spot toss out their product and buy a surge...IF you add the option to use a strap with it as well.  Lack of strap cability made me rule out all Fitbits from the get-go.

I don't understand the resistance to add the capability.  It doesn't diminish your claims about OHR at all.   And to be honest I am sure Fitbit corporate knows the issues with OHR since many are addressed in the FAQ.   THey spin it nicely but anything with wrist flex or quick HR increases or decreases will be inaccurate regardless of brand.

I have tested the Garmin OHR vs a strap during crossfit and Garmin OHR yields the same problems many in this thread have alluded to about accuracy when not in steady state, or due to sweat, or accelration, or rowing or weights etc...We do so many high intensity non-steady state activities that OHR just can't handle and requires the strap for accuracy.   I have comparion graphs like the posters above -same problem at Garmin.   

Anyway, your commmunication at Fitbit seems SO MUCH BETTER - Garmin changes things and doesn't tell us why or when they did them. I'm fed up.  I want a fitbit!

Mod said : This could expand the Fitbit world to other users because you could combine Fitbit and use any other chest strap. 

YES!  Fitbit doesn't have to get in the strap market (though they could).  Add BT (or even ant- though not my preference) and there are plenty of straps out there.   Polar of course, and I own a Wahoo.  By adding the interface but letting us use standard BT straps you don't lock us in to whatever you do. We don't buy new stuff. And yo uneedn't build straps.  There is only upside here!

Anxious for the day this feature does get added

-Hopefully ex-Garmin user