Is the Sense 2 heart rate accurate on an elliptical?

[HR722]

I've got an Inspire 2 and when I'm on an elliptical machine the heart rate is wildly inaccurate.  Would the Sense 2 be accurate on an elliptical ?  How about an Apple Watch as an alternative ?

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[LZeeW]

@HR722   I think you should check out the individual independent reviews done by The Quantified Scientist.   He tests many different brands of devices.  To the best of my knowledge, he uses the same test on every device.  You won't see a side-by-side-by-side comparison.  But he does evaluate heart rate accuracy during exercise. 

[HR722]

Thanks LZ that was a great resource.  I did see where the fitbit Sense and Inspire 2 drop from .9 on a stationary bike to .65 (or worse) with a little movement/flexing on a road bike.  So I'm thinking it's a safe bet to say accuracy would drop off even further with arm movement.  Have you seen any smart watch heart rate studies where there is arm movement-as in an elliptical machine or even running ?

[t.parker]

@HR722 the Sense 2 HR accuracy during exercise is quite bad for most of activities. Sometimes, I get running right (surprisingly, even tough hill sprints can be alright) but that's like 9 in 10 runs. Everything else is rather random. Sometimes, it may be quite good for some time and then suddenly something happens that accuracy is lost. Cycling - never ever I had even remotely accurate HR readings. Probably cycling is the worst possible scenario. Elliptical - pretty much as accurate as running. Sometimes yes, mostly not. If you search forum by my username you'll find tens of HR analysis I posted in the past tested against PolarH10 chest strap.

[HR722]

Without searching your username I'm just gonna take your word for it.  So a Polar chest strap is the only way to go ?  Or would an Apple Watch get me in the ballpark of Polar accuracy ?

[t.parker]

@HR722 I never tried Apple Watch but as a general rule I just don't trust wrist HR sensors when exercising. The chest strap is a great option if you have a watch that can connect to it so that excludes all Fitbit devices. Apple Watch may be better solution as a smart watch (if you own Apple phone) and there are tests showing a greater accuracy but I can't tell how good it is (as I mentioned, I don't use it myself). Definitely, Sense 2 is not an option if HR accuracy is one of the requirements.

[HR722]

Thanks parker and I do have an iPhone so I'm looking into something like a Polar H9.  I bought the Inspire 2 just last year and it's sitting around collecting dust now.  Was hoping to avoid a similar fate with an Apple Watch (they're not cheap).  Just seems like a watch would be so much easier/more comfortable than a Polar strap+Polar App+iPhone Lock Screen.  Anyone out there running/doing an upper body workout with a chest strap and an Apple Watch for comparison's sake ? 

[t.parker]

@HR722 Polar offers also armbands which are almost as accurate as H10 straps: OH1, OH1+ and Verity Sense. VS is an upgrade over OH1 models that includes swim tracking (counting laps and gives nice breakdown of swim workout). All the monitors support ANT+ and BLE connectivity so you can pair them with majority of Gamin, Polar, Suunto, Coros or even Samsung/Apple watches. My way of using it is chest strap/armband for workouts and watch HR for everything else. My primary watch is Garmin and it pairs to all of my HRM devices. For me, this is a must-have feature but I'm probably crazy 😋 There is one more advantage of an HRM with ANT+ connectivity - you will instantly see your HR on the gym machine screen (elliptical, treadmill etc.). In that matter, H10 works best for me.