Sense heart rate monitor is highly inaccurate

[SunsetRunner]

I can be running at full speed, already breaking a sweat and the heart rate will show 112 and then drop even lower. No amount of authentic fitbit wristband adjustment has helped- tighter, higher on the wrist...I've tried it all! I've performed reset after reset. It's so much worse than not having a fitness tracker at all. I'm so close to smashing it with a hammer and ending my premium membership!  

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject, updated label and word choice

[Marvelguy]

I'm having the same problem, using the elliptical trainer, my ionic always showed my HR in the peak at 167hr zone, ive had my sense for 4 days. Everytime ive use the elliptical trainer the sense reads me at HR 99. The elliptical reads me at 167. Its beyond a joke, ive spoke to 2 people on the online chat and basically there response is yeah we know but not much we can do about it. Do disspointing 

[JKFitUser]

So I returned my Ionic due to the recall and ordered the Sense which is supposed to be better.  Turns out, quite honestly its not good.  Not even a little bit.  I have never had issues with the Ionic in regards to heart rate monitoring and calories burned.  I wear the Sense now and it is pointless to wear. Heartrate is all over the place and when in exercise tracking function, it doesn't even record heart rate at all.  What is the point is paying for and using an exercise tracker if it doesn't even track the exercise? I have never been so unhappy or disappointment in a purchase.  I try to talk to customer support and get no where.  No help can be given so i just purchased a Charge 5 hoping it would be better.  But what and utter waste of money to buy a product that doesn't even come close to living up to all it offers.  Very disappointed.

[dragank56]

Sense is inaccurately showing my heartrate at times. My spouse also has Sense and when I see a sudden jump in rate on my watch I also put her watch next to mine and it shows a difference in heartrate of up to 50 BPM. I made pictures of both watches together and they are sure telling a true story of Fitbit failure. It is even more disturbing that Fitbit is refusing to replace a bad watch.
Shame on you Fitbit!!!

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject and word choice

[eezeepee]

@dragank56 Welcome to the Fitbit community.

Just trying to clarify, but when you said you "made pictures of both watches together" are you saying that you had them both on the same arm but with different readings?

Also, the heart rate monitor accuracy especially during workouts is, unfortunately, a very known issue. A quick search in the community would show so. They have acknowledged it and it's not getting fixed.

[JKFitUser]

100% agree!!!! tried tracking exercise in work out mode, it didn't register a heart rate at all.  Not even once!!! piece of junk. And now working, it say 125 resting heart rate? unreal. 

[Marvelguy]

Ive had mine less than a week and honestly i think im gonna send it back! Ive tired everything to try and get it to work correctly. There are vidoes on youtube of people comparing sense with apple, Samsung and garmin, the HR monitor on the sense is easily consistently 10 to 40 beats per minute under what the others show. Fitbit know this is a problem and they continue to sell them. I just dont understand how a fitness tracker that doesnt accurately track your fitness is fit for purpose 😕 

[Marvelguy]

You're correct it wasn't a same day comparison, so Removed. Thanks for sharing your side by side comparisons. 

 

[t.parker]

@Marvelguy "2 weeks apart" isn't the same walk regardless of route. If it's the same route then the Ionic must have had a faster pace (total time 2:55:47 while Sense 3:39:22). Sense has issues (you can very easily find my like-for-like data-based comparisons in the forum, at least those that haven't been removed) but if you try to compare anything you need to compare like-for-like. What is your reference to know which readings are correct?

[San1122]

I’m having the same problem and it’s been very frustrating. Had a long chat with customer service and the answer is the heart rate tracker is highly inaccurate for exercise tracking. They refuse to come out with a compatible chest strap or allow data integration from a third party chest strap - despite customers requesting this for years. For a high intensity exercise my chest strap shows heart rate average of 150s with Fitbit showing 100s.  Makes you feel crazy until realizing what your heart rate actually is. But not being able to sync outside exercise data with Fitbit and them not making a more reliable heart rate sensor has led me to the conclusion I need to go with a different company. Probably will go with Apple Watch as they are now pretty comparable in pricing, sync better with phone functions and allow integration with chest straps. Too bad as I like Fitbits interface and have used it for years