5 ms·

this is kind of a trivial question but is the apple watch HR monitor known to be better than that of FitBit? I got a Charge 3 for Christmas and I barely even

by zzzeek 8y ago

this is kind of a trivial question but is the apple watch HR monitor known to be better than that of FitBit? I got a Charge 3 for Christmas and I barely even wear it anymore, as it would say things like "95 bpm" when I'm working out and I'm clearly at around 135 bpm. you can say things like "oh wear it higher / lower / tighter" whatever but if it's that prone to being 40 bpm off the mark, what use is it.

dareiff 8y ago
One-off comment, but the new band has really improved HR detection for me. I went from the rubber strap (with holes every centimeter or so) to the adjustable velcro strap and it's night & day. It went from being 100% useless on runs to _actually_ keeping accurate detection the entire run.
- julien_c 8y ago
  What do you mean by the velcro strap? Is it the "Sport loop" (https://store.storeimages.cdn-apple.com/4982/as-images.apple.com/is/image/AppleInc/aos/published/images/4/4/44/alu/44-alu-space-sport-loop-black-nc-s4-grid?wid=540&hei=550&fmt=jpeg&qlt=80&op_usm=0.5,0.5&.v=1538158577243 https://store.storeimages.cdn-apple.com/4982/as-images.apple...)?
  - dareiff 8y ago
    Exactly that.
    - julien_c 8y ago
      Thanks for sharing. Just bought one :)
tibbon 8y ago
My cardiologist has looked at it when I'm hooked up to a full 12-lead EKG and has noted how pretty solid the measurements seem to be. If it's on a slightly looser setting, sometimes it initially catches only half the tempo for a second, but then locks in. This is on an Apple Watch 4.
- jrnichols 8y ago
  my Apple Watch series 2 is quite accurate. I've hooked myself up to a cardiac monitor (I'm a paramedic, and sometimes do this as an equipment test anyway) and it was spot on.
appleiigs 8y ago
In my experience, FitBit Charge HR 2 was useless. Same issue with you where it would 40 bpm off or provide no reading at all. Apple Watch 3 was pretty bad too. It would give inaccurate often enough that I couldn't use it for training in a heart rate zone. For example, I'd be walking for warm up and it would give a reading of 160 at the beginning, then back down to 110, then 10 mins later back to 160. I can't imagine the Apple Watch being a medical device with lives depending on it. Garmin 935 has been great. It has the most accurate HR and GPS readings.
- zzzeek 8y ago
  this is the thing I wonder if the mechanism by which wrist-based HR monitors work (seems to be optical) is just not effective for some people, for some physiological reason.
  - drited 8y ago
    An electrical engineering friend who did some hardware development work on these a few years back suggested that noise in the observations was a fairly significant challenge. Seems the devices use a lot of data smoothing to counteract this.
Ensorceled 8y ago
My Apple 3 is dead on unless I'm very sweaty or wearing it loosely (it only needs to be snug). Confirmed with my BP monitor and my Garmin's chest strap (before I retired that system). I'm a runner so it gets a bit upset when my resting heart rate gets below 50 but other than that ...
mr_toad 8y ago
I haven’t had this experience. I can push my heart rate up to about 165 running uphill. Considering my age, that’s pretty close to what my maximum HR should be. Conversely, I can get it down to about 45 when sitting very still. Much lower and I’d be unconscious. It’s possible yours was just faulty. Fitbit aren’t known for their quality control.

by zzzeek 8y ago

dareiff 8y ago

One-off comment, but the new band has really improved HR detection for me. I went from the rubber strap (with holes every centimeter or so) to the adjustable velcro strap and it's night & day. It went from being 100% useless on runs to _actually_ keeping accurate detection the entire run.

julien_c 8y ago
What do you mean by the velcro strap? Is it the "Sport loop" (https://store.storeimages.cdn-apple.com/4982/as-images.apple.com/is/image/AppleInc/aos/published/images/4/4/44/alu/44-alu-space-sport-loop-black-nc-s4-grid?wid=540&hei=550&fmt=jpeg&qlt=80&op_usm=0.5,0.5&.v=1538158577243 https://store.storeimages.cdn-apple.com/4982/as-images.apple...)?
- dareiff 8y ago
  Exactly that.
  - julien_c 8y ago
    Thanks for sharing. Just bought one :)

tibbon 8y ago

My cardiologist has looked at it when I'm hooked up to a full 12-lead EKG and has noted how pretty solid the measurements seem to be. If it's on a slightly looser setting, sometimes it initially catches only half the tempo for a second, but then locks in. This is on an Apple Watch 4.

jrnichols 8y ago
my Apple Watch series 2 is quite accurate. I've hooked myself up to a cardiac monitor (I'm a paramedic, and sometimes do this as an equipment test anyway) and it was spot on.

appleiigs 8y ago

In my experience, FitBit Charge HR 2 was useless. Same issue with you where it would 40 bpm off or provide no reading at all. Apple Watch 3 was pretty bad too. It would give inaccurate often enough that I couldn't use it for training in a heart rate zone. For example, I'd be walking for warm up and it would give a reading of 160 at the beginning, then back down to 110, then 10 mins later back to 160. I can't imagine the Apple Watch being a medical device with lives depending on it. Garmin 935 has been great. It has the most accurate HR and GPS readings.

zzzeek 8y ago
this is the thing I wonder if the mechanism by which wrist-based HR monitors work (seems to be optical) is just not effective for some people, for some physiological reason.
- drited 8y ago
  An electrical engineering friend who did some hardware development work on these a few years back suggested that noise in the observations was a fairly significant challenge. Seems the devices use a lot of data smoothing to counteract this.

Ensorceled 8y ago

My Apple 3 is dead on unless I'm very sweaty or wearing it loosely (it only needs to be snug). Confirmed with my BP monitor and my Garmin's chest strap (before I retired that system). I'm a runner so it gets a bit upset when my resting heart rate gets below 50 but other than that ...

mr_toad 8y ago

I haven’t had this experience. I can push my heart rate up to about 165 running uphill. Considering my age, that’s pretty close to what my maximum HR should be. Conversely, I can get it down to about 45 when sitting very still. Much lower and I’d be unconscious. It’s possible yours was just faulty. Fitbit aren’t known for their quality control.