Using polar chest strap with Fitbit app

[maisy06]

Hi,
I recently got the charge hr and decided to compare the polar chest strap with it during exercise, at the and of my workout I opened the Fitbit app and realised that the polar had imported the data to the Fitbit app, probably because they are both linked to mfp.
So I have both Fitbit and polar workouts on the Fitbit app, as far as I can see only one set of calories burnt is included but I'm not too sure.
Next workout I used just the polar strap but carried on wearing the Fitbit for the steps as I was doing a step workout and it has just the one workout on the Fitbit app.
My question is should I take the Fitbit off while using the strap or can I carry on wearing it? I'm not sure if it will count calories burnt on its own from the heart rate or if it will just use the polar data. I don't want double the calories burnt from one exercise.
I would prefer to use the polar chest strap while working out, I just don't know whether to wear the Fitbit or not.
I keep forgetting to make a note of my calories burnt before my workout to see if it is doubling calories burnt or not.
Thanks

[tastybrew]

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@maisy06 wrote:
My question is should I take the Fitbit off while using the strap or can I carry on wearing it? I'm not sure if it will count calories burnt on its own from the heart rate or if it will just use the polar data.

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You'll lose HR values in your Fitbit data if you don't wear your Charge HR during the workout. Personally, I use my H7 for accuracy during all workouts, while still wearing my Charge HR. The Charge HR gives me a questionable HR profile (better than nothing I guess) during exercise so when I log the activity post exercise I'll enter the calories burned as estimated by my H7 and FT7 in place of the Fitbit guesstimation.

You only need to maintain a single activity. Since we haven't been able to edit activities for ~15 months now, I delete the activity imported from MFP and create a new one in Fitbit with data I record from Runkeeper. The whole process is clunky but it's the only viable one Fitbit left us with.

[maisy06]

Thanks for your reply, I do prefer using a chest strap so I think I will carry on using that, it also syncs with my fitness pal which the charge hr doesn't do.
I also really like the polar app, It is much more detailed than the Fitbit data.
I have noticed a few times the heart rate drops out completely with the hr and I don't want that during exercise. The calories were quite close between the two though, the last time I used both the calories from the hr were 9 less than the polar, so quite close.
I will try not wearing the hr next time and see if the data still imports to Fitbit. The polar is definitely importing to Fitbit through mfp as the data is the same as the data on the polar app, the Fitbit workout is slightly different but not out by much, they do use the Fitbit data over the polar data to count calories burned though, although if I only use the polar then they use that workout towards calories burned.

[tastybrew]

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@maisy06 wrote:
I will try not wearing the hr next time and see if the data still imports to Fitbit.

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Your activity will sync from MFP but you won't have any HR data if you don't wear your Charge HR.

[maisy06]

Oh I see so it will just be the calories carried over then? So if I wear the hr but don't put it into exercise mode I will get only one exercise with calories calculated from the polar but the heart rate graph will be from the hr.
I think I will stick with that then, I will still be able to use the polar app as well then.
Thanks for all your help, it is quite confusing to start with, when I used the chest strap the first time I didn't expect to see it in Fitbit, I was just trying to compare them.

[tastybrew]

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@maisy06 wrote:
So if I wear the hr but don't put it into exercise mode I will get only one exercise with calories calculated from the polar but the heart rate graph will be from the hr.

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Basically, yes.

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@maisy06 wrote:
when I used the chest strap the first time I didn't expect to see it in Fitbit, I was just trying to compare them.

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Technically, you didn't see anything from the chest strap HRM. It would be nice if Fitbit would allow third-party HRM but so far they've expressed zero interest in opening their ecosystem.

Good luck.

[vitalis]

Hi,

I have exactly same question in another thread - whether it possible or not to use an external strap HRM (in my case Wahoo Tickr X) together with Charge2 and Fitbit App?

Any suggestions / findings?

[maisy06]

No, when I was using an ipad the calories burnt would transfer from polar to my fitness pal and then from my fitness pal to fitbit, so my calories burnt would go to fitbit but not the heart rate data.

I then sold my iPad and now have android but polar does not sync to my fitness pal with android so I now have to enter my exercise calories manually which is a bit of a pain.

I wish I didn't have to use the chest strap but the charge hr just doesn't do very well during exercise. The heart rate cuts out a lot and if my heart rate goes higher than 150 the fitbit just doesn't seem to catch up.

I love my fitbit the rest of the time, it's quite accurate, but with exercise I trust my chest strap over the fitbit. 

I am thinking of trying the blaze next, I've heard the heart rate is more accurate with exercise but I don't know if it's true.

[Jogs]

Hi did you use a coded or non coded Polar strap T31 with your fitbit. 

Tx

[maisy06]

I use the polar h7 which doesn't need a watch, it will connect with the polar beat app and also other apps and gym equipment,  you can use a watch with it but it isn't needed.

[Jogs]

Hi, thank you so much. I'll get the same one.
You're right, I don't need the watch at all, it's just an added expense.

Keep fit and healthy
Yureev

[Jacki16]

It's not true - I'm in a bit of a battle with FB at the moment on how inaccurate the blaze HR is when exercising - they aren't being much help and don't seem to feel that there is a need for a chest strap!!!

[tghand]

RE: your battle w Fitbit...  kind of ridiculous really, because a lot of the heart rate values from the Charge HR during exercise are pretty much fiction.  For example, I went for a walk the other day for 17 minutes.... just a casual stroll down the street.  Fitbit had my heart rate at 146 bpm when it was probably closer to 70 and certainly not more than 90.  Misleading and actually alarming if I believed it.  My resting heart rate is around 46 so I have a low heartbeat.  146-not!  I do like the fitbit website though and a few other features of the watch.  I would be interested in the Versa if it could do accurate heart rates.  But if it's going to have the same kind of terrible performance of the Charge then a lot of us won't consider it.  If Fitbit would make a chest strap, they'd make a fortune, 'cause people like their watches I think, and their heart rate inaccuracy is apparent to all.  That king is wearing no clothes.  If they were afraid that making a chest strap would be an admission of how inaccurate their watch is, then they would quietly open their app to data from third-party HRM... esp chest straps.  We would all be grateful because it would allow us to continue using our watches.  In the meantime, I'm very interested in this thread where third party chest strap data can be imported via Fitbit compatible apps.  Thanks for the info!

[dplant55]

Tghand excellent post. I agree with your evaluation and am very interested in a reliable heart rate monitor (probably chest strap) that interfaces with Fitbit Blaze. I like the watch for all its functions except the unreliable heart rate monitor. My experience with Fitbit Blaze is the heart rate monitor at resting or sleep is accurate but for me if I walk faster than 16 minute mile the thing is terrible. I received mine as a gift in December 17. Initially it seemed to work somewhat decent but mid January reliability disappeared. After repeated/lenghty calls to Fitbit they did send a new Blaze to me but the new one is not any better than the initial watch. My opinion the technology just isn't there for a reliable wrist heart rate monitor.

[sololebow]

I just started using a polar HR chest strap, and am dismayed about the unreliability of the fitbit during exercise as mentioned above.  Since the above posts were written a couple of years ago, is there any movement on 3rd party apps that can integrate the data, FB opening their app up etc.?