Permanent heart rate display during workout

[chiguy]

As a workout enthusiast I would like to view my heart rate on my Charge HR throughout my workout without having to hit the side button.  I would like to see an option that can be set to "keep display on during workouts".

Moderator edit: Updated title for clarity and labels.

[cind523]

You can change the display to show heart rate on the monitor but....there
is bout a 10 to 15 sec delay in current rate which I hate...I went back to
my polar. very basic but what I want

[BobbiP]

Thank you for your comments, but I noticed another peculiarity-- as I was
exercising, I pressed the button to display HR and noted 133BPM. But,
later, when I accessed my Fitbit app, I found the graph only showed
something like 110BPM peak.

Clearly, there is some averaging going on and I read somewhere that the
display averages over a one-minute period. If so, the cellphone app
further averages, apparently, so this is misleading, especially if you want
to see what your true peak HR was during some strenuous activity.

Bobbi

[aandreou]

Fully agree.

Fitbit, please include "screen permenantly on during exercise"  functionality in the next update.

[lindajojo]

You are welcome, Redfeet!  They probably still have a bunch of original Charge HRs, so you might want to either insist on receiving the Charge 2, or ask for a credit towards the new purchase.  Good luck!

[Jade2017]

Hi there I'd like an option to have the hr display on permanently to enable me to work to my maximum and recover to the correct hr when interval training on my spin bike please! 👍🏻

[redhillmike]

I have the same issue. I would like to be able to see my Charge 2 screen displayed ON all the time whilst exercising and also would be very nice to be able to customise the info that would be continuously scrolling on my device - as could be seen on GARMIN devices. I am missing it here.

Fitbit, this has been raised in 2015, could you advise if this is being reviewed please?

[Chloegeek]

I'm am super disappointed this isn't a feature. I recently had to purchase a Charge 2 as the Surge I was wearing was giving me skin irritation. Now that I have the Charge 2 I can wear it all the time but without the ability to see how far I am through my workout I have no way of properly timing my intervals. 

The interval timing mode is near useless because of this too. I do a set of 4 exercises at 30 seconds each with a break in between but I now have no way of knowing when to change what I'm doing without wriggling my wrist in my face like an idiot or stopping my planks or squats to press a button, repeatedly. 

Super disappointed this isn't already a thing. I charge every day whilst I'm in the shower anyway. A reduction of a few days of battery means nothing to me.

[BobbiP]

Agreed-- this would be very useful, as well as a shorter averaging period.
Currently, the display you see is an average of the past minute. I'd like
to see past 5 seconds, or even less if possible. I understand that the
reading would be jumping arround because of inaccuracies, but perhaps the
averaging period could be set by the user, via the Dashboard?

It's a true shame that a device with this potential is not fully
implemented.

Bobbi

[Mpaule]

I would like to see heart rate displayed on the "normal clock face" and continuously while doing an exercise without having to punch a button. The latter is both awkward and dangerous while skiing or bike riding, etc. 

[Reevose]

This is a must, even when using the Stopwatch feature. It's so hard to be working out and having to continuously turn on the watch to check features, this needs to be added soon.

[jkverd]

A longer screen timeout would be especially useful during exercise becasue the position of my arms running, biking, and many other forms of exercise are such that the motion of lifting my arm is not recognized and I'm constantly having to tap it during strenuous exercise. It's distracting and annoying. 

[Dky]

It would be better if heart rate could be permanently displayed as that's why I bought the Fitbit charge 2 

when exercising it would be nice to just check heart rate 

without haveing to tap/swipe screen 

[mamaeiss]

I am in complete agreement with the other two posts regarding the stopwatch and timer feature. I, too, need to time my intervals or situps, etc...and then rotate to different stations....hard to do when you can't A) see the display or B) time the intervals....I am sure, almost positive, this would be a HUGE selling feature for the Charge 2 = profit for Fitbit!! 

So get on it tech gurus and update this feature!!! 

[moose27]

BobbiP, thank you!  So folks, the following pretty much satifies me and perhaps you.  I speak of on a Windows PC.

Setup a fitbit account>download and install the free fitbit app from the Windows Store>log into your account and open the app>go to settings>customize>scroll down to what views you want to see and/or see first>I turned all off except the heart rate.

Two taps and it only opens the heart rate everytime!  Not necessarily continuous, however, if it opens by lifting your arm, for all intents and purposes, that is continuos since you would have to do that to see it anyway!  Next time I log in I'll try to figure out how you can see it if you move your arm.

[BobbiP]

Just be aware that it displays an AVERAGE over the past minute, so not only
does it not show instantaneous HR, but when you review the app's graph over
the day, it *further* averages over 10-minute periods.

For example, I counted an HR of 132 while exercising, the display showed
123, and when I checked the graph on my phone, it shows 109, because it was
not a sustained exercise. So, while all this is useful, it's important to
understand what is going on and it's limitations.

Bobbi

[cind523]

I have done this. The prob I have is the delayed readout on display. I
need to kn ow what my heart is doing when it is doing it..the delay in
displayed reading could be unbenificial to an ol gal like me. I have gone
back to polar with chest strap to keep a close eye on current heart rate as
it happens

[BobbiP]

Yes, exactly-- the delay is because the FitBit HR averages the HR over a
minute, so you are seeing NOT an instantaneous reading, but the average
over a minute. And the Android app displays the graph which is an average
over TEN minutes. Very disappointing!

Yes, I am an "old gal" too.

Bobbi

[Danatlanta]

I love my Charge 2 but in spin class I AM BUSY SPINNING!!!!!,  I just want to glance down at any time and see my heart rate,  No button pushing,  I totally agree with those above - I understand the battery issue - I accept the faster battery draining - I want constant heart rate information during excersise.

[RyanNice]

New Charge here. Just sent back my Samsung Fit 2 to Best Buy. Will be sending thie Fitbit back too. I can't believe how hard it is to find a "fitness watch" that shows you your dang heart rate WHILE you are working out!

This should have been a no brainer. 

Will watch this space but then return the watch if this doesn't get implimented. I am a bicyclist. I want to do intervals. I can't keep pushing the dang button while riding! Come'on now! 

[RedFeet]

YES!

I returned my 13 month old FitBit Charge HR and got my money refunded, since the plastic side of the display was loose and so was the rubber wrist band.

I immediately ordered a (refurbished) FitBit Charge 2 HR and I am very happy with it!

And Yes! It does show the heart rate without the need of touching the watch (pressing the button or tapping the display): I just need to raise my arm with a sudden move and the display will show a metric (for me: heart rate) + the time.

pros:

+ more solid hardware (stronger sides and button)

+ replaceable wrist bands

+ more info on the display: for instance time + date + some metric (for me that is heart rate)

+ option to choose the activity metric you are interested in (hr, distance, steps, calories, etc)

+ separate run and stopwach mode, with start, pause/resume and finish options

+ average hr (and highest hr) of a running/other session are now being displayed until the button is pressed

+ notifications and alarms can now be activated/disabled from the watch, the app is only needed to set the time of the alarms.

cons:

- the watch is bigger and therefore less "elegant" than the classic Charge HR

- there (still) is no clock face during running mode where the heart rate is in huge digits

- there (still) is no option to have the display show the heart rate (or other metric) continuously (without having to raise you arm with a sudden gesture)

- the Charge 2 HR still suffers from the "flatliner flaw", just like the classic Charge HR does... I mean the issue that when your heart rate drops too fast the display shows -- instead of the measured heart rate... I have created a new post for this issue: Flatliner-Flaw-hiding-of-fast-dropping-heart-rate-value-of-Charge-2-HR

But where I was 80% satisfied with the classic Charge HR, I'm now 95% happy with the Charge 2 HR!

[NHB]

And it should be in BIG digits

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@aflaher wrote:

I would like to keep my Heart rate on display during my entire workout.  I want to be able to look down at it while exercising and not have to constantly be pushing the button or touching the display in order to see it.

Moderator edit: Added labels 

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[BobbiP]

I would too-- for sure! Even if I had to recharge the FitBit after each
seesion!!!

[Beckyinky]

Set Heart rate screen display to stay on constantly

[RedFeet]

I have to add another very welcome improvement of the Charge 2 HR:

+ a clip on usb-connector for charging the battery

It also seems to me that the charging takes less time than with the classic Charge. With 15 minutes charging during my shower I can wear the Charge HR nearly 24/7 (yeah, yeah, I know that it is advised not to wear the fitbit all the time, but no skin issues here)

[MarcoF]

+1 vote for this feature