Fitbit has bring a lot of advancement in wearable tech industry, since the inception Fitbit are consider one of the most accurate fitness trackers.
When it comes to heart rate tracking most folks question how accurate is Fitbit heart rate tracking?
You can’t compare the Fitbit heart rate tracking with the professional medical equipment like electrocardiogram. Also, Fitbit officially declared that Fitbit trackers and smartwatches are not medical devices. Source
But still Fitbit gives heart rate reading near to the actual reading. And the accuracy of Fitbit heart rate monitoring is still better than reset of computing brands.
If you want to know more about how Fitbit track heart rate and how accurate it is then keep reading this article.
How Fitbit Tracks Heart Rate?
So before know how accurate is Fitbit heart rate is you should know how Fitbits can monitor your heart rate.
All the Fitbit trackers including; Fitbit Sense, Versa, Charge, Ionic, Flex, etc uses Photoplethysmography PPG to monitor the heart rate.
The PPG sensor in your Fitbit emits green light, the light is absorbed by the blood in your vessels, and the photodiodes measure how much light is being absorbed by the blood.
When the heart pumps the volume of blood in your articles go high and then fall, the photodiodes measures the light absorption for both rise and fall and their difference represents heart beat.
Using this algorithm Fitbit can estimate your average heat beat per minute which is your heart rate.
How Accurate Is Fitbit Heart Rate | Real Time Testing Results
As I have mentioned earlier that Fitbit heart rate tracking is accurate than other competing brands in the market.
Fitbit conducts lot of testing before launching its new flagship, that’s why their fitness trackers stand ahead in the market.
When it comes to resting heart rate accuracy Fitbit gives much accurate results. But in terms of high intensity workouts the Fitbit heart rate values fluctuate.
We have compared the heart rate of Fitbit with Polar H10, and got some interesting results.
In the below images you can see that while spinning the average heart of Fitbit and Polar H10 are fairly equal.
Where while weight training Fitbit can’t increase the sudden increase in heart rate, and Polar H10 efficiently track the sudden increase in heart rate.
The Fitbit heart rate tracking is quite accurate for sleep, and running activities. And the average heart rate score is very closer to the actual one.
In a nutshell, the PPG sensor in Fitbit is fairly accurate for resting heart rate activities, but for workouts and strength training activities the results might fluctuate.
How To Get More Accurate Heart Rate Readings On Fitbit?
The accuracy of Fitbit heart rate is not only depend on PPG sensor, but few other factors can also impact the accuracy.
Have you ever read the Fitbit’s user manual when it came out of box? I know most us don’t read that manual, but Fitbit user manual clearly tells how to wear your Fitbit for more accurate results.
But if you don’t have user manual or your lost it, don’t worry, I’m here to help you.
- Wear Your Fitbit On Non-Dominant Hand: Most of the time we move our dominant hand while activities, and the ore rapid movement can cause inaccuracies in data.
- Wear Fitbit Properly: Make sure that the Fitbit is properly sung on your wrist, also consider your comfort, and avoid wearing it too tight or loose. Always make sure that the sensor is properly in contact with your skin.
- Positioning: It’s recommended to wear Fitbit one finger behind your wrist bone. In this way the Fitbit properly come in contact with your skin.
- Regularly Clean The Sensor Area: Avoid any type of moisture on sensor area. Daily clean the back of of your Fitbit with any microfiber cloth.
- Turn on Exercise Mode: As I mention earlier Fitbit heart rate data fluctuate more while workouts. That’s why it’s recommended to turn on exercise mode to increase the frequency of heart rate readings.
Which Fitbit Offers More Precise Heart Rate Tracking?
Are you getting confused due to vast majority of Fitbit trackers? And thinking which Fitbit has more accurate heart rate?
Well! Fitbit has several line ups including Sense, Versa, Charge, Inspire, Ionic, Flex etc. Among all these lineup the Sense, Versa, and Charge are considered more accurate.
Even though Fitbit use the same heart rate tracking technology across their devices, but the flagship models always perform better than predecessors.
That’s why if you want more accurate Fitbit tracker, you should invest in the new flagship of Fitbit. Every new models has fewer bugs and glitches, and they also offer more features and upgrades.
Currently, Fitbit Charge 5, Versa 4, and Sense 2 are the top notch Fitbit variants that offers more accurate heart rate data than the older models.
User Experiences and Feedback
The users has share the mix review on Fitbit heart rate tracking. And reading reviews before make purchase is a key ingredient in the recipe.
One of the Fitbit user notice sudden stop in heart rate tracking when he get sweat while workout.
“ My versa 3, and previous versa 2, both have a habit of pausing during workouts. This causes my calorie count and exercise time to be wrong, also it loses my heart rate when I sweat “
Source
Another Fitbit Charge 5 user seen more accurate heart rate readings, and he stated that the Charge 5 readings are similar to its finger clip oximeter. But while workouts his heart rate data spike much higher.
“My average resting heart rate recorded by the tracker matched what I saw from a finger clip pulse oximeter.
However, during workouts, I faced a weird issue with heart rates. When I first started some workouts, my recorded heart rate would begin much higher than it actually was.”
Source
Comparing Fitbit Heart Rate Accuracy with Other Fitness Trackers
Different heart rate tests have been conducted on Fitbit, Apple Watch and Polar, and each one shows different results.
Are you excited to see the heart rate accuracy war of different fitness tracker? And Where does Fitbit accuracy lies?
For walking and running the Apple Watch has high heart rate accuracy, where as the Fitbit HR accuracy got second slot, and polar has average heart rate accuracy.
Similarly, for cycling the Apple Watch and Fitbit again beat the Polar watches.
When it come to running, the Polar watches have more accurate heart rate tracking, where as Fitbit and Apple Watches falls behind.
Unfortunately, for weight training workouts Fitbit shows more fluctuations in heart rate data. And the Apple Watch is clearly winner in weight training department.
In a nutshell, if you’re investing in Fitbit for the intention of measuring your workouts then stop! For workouts the Apple Watch is the best option.
Check out the best deals of Apple Watch
I’m not against the Fitbit, but the results and testing always speak the truth.
The Impact of Heart Rate Accuracy on Fitness Tracking
The heart rate is the fundamental pillar for all fitness features.
The PPG sensor in Fitbit measure the heart rate, and the data is use to calculate calories burn, sleep score, workout intensity, cardio vascular health, and active zone minutes.
So for effective fitness tacking it’s the accurate of heart rate is like a treasure map for a pirate, if gets false your entire fitness journey is useless.
Fitbits trackers use advance technology and algorithms for precise heart rate tracking, but for workout we have seen that most of the time Fitbit don’t measure the sudden spikes in heart rate.
Where as Fitbit heart rate is very precise while you’re at rest, that’s why Fitbit sleep tracking is much efficient than rest of fitness tracker in the market.
FAQs
Can I rely on Fitbit’s heart rate data for precise measurements during workouts?
No, in most of the cases Fitbits shows inaccurate heart rate data while workouts. It has been seen that Fitbits don’t track sudden increase the heart rate while workouts.
What factors can affect the accuracy of Fitbit’s heart rate readings?
Various factors can affect the heart rate accuracy of Fitbit including fit and position of fitness tracker, sweat on your wrist, and movement of your arm. To get the most accurate readings make sure that your Fitbit is perfectly sung on your wrist, and also wear it on your non-dominant hand.
Which Fitbit is has more accurate heart rate tracking?
There are lot of Fitbit line ups, but the Versa series has quite accurate heart rate tracking. Due to the wide profile of versa series they sits perfectly on your wrist and come in contact with your skin, that’s why their heart rate data is pretty much accurate than other series.
About Author
