Pacemaker report vs. fitbit report

Mike

by IAN MC - 2017-03-24 14:29:58

Your findings have been confirmed in published studies.  Researchers in a Californian university compared Fitbit heart-rate measurements with those done on an ECG.

The average difference was 20 bpm . In many cases Fitbit devices recorded no heartbeats at all.  They concluded that the technology in Fitbits is fundamentally flawed and  " cannot be used to provide a meaningful estimate of a user's heart-rate "

Other wrist devices have been  shown to be equally inaccurate . They MAY  work for measuring your number of steps but are pretty useless for heart rate. You really do need a device with a chest strap if you want to measure your heart-rate with any degree of accuracy.

Ian

Chest strap

by Hamsquatch - 2017-03-24 14:34:53

As IAN MC said you will need a chest strap if you want true accuracy. I used one for awhile and had a couple bad arrhythmias one while wearing the strap and one I threw the strap on and in both instances after device interrogation he strap was within 3bpm of the interrogation reading. 

Thanks!

by Xxmikexx - 2017-03-24 15:07:25

I was thinking chest strap but dind't want to spend more $$$ without some feedback.  Many Thanks!

monitors

by Tracey_E - 2017-03-24 17:37:17

I couldn't get the chest strap type to give me a reading, so try before you buy. The stores may not want to let you do that, but if you tell them why I found they are very accommodating.

Fitbits are glorified toys, good for overall activity but not much for accurate details.I carry a pulse oximeter in my gym bag but rarely pull it out. If I feel good, can talk but not sing, am sweating, then I assume my rate is good and as high as it needs to be. 

VIVOFIT

by gleesue - 2017-03-30 12:49:43

I use a Garmin VIVOFIT with a chest strap and find it to be very accurate. I use it most often in my spin class. I have campared it to the devices on my home cycle and my eliptical and have found them all to be very close. The chest strap is the answer.

Jerry

Fitbit Charge 2 - Handy

by AnnaFerris - 2021-02-10 21:23:44

I'm on my 2nd Fitbit and I really like it but I know it's not a state of the art medical device.  My doc checked it out for me with a heart monitor as we took a quick hike around his medical suite a couple of times - before my pacemaker.  Fitbit said 122.  Heart monitor said 172.  He scheduled my Pacemaker  surgery that day.  That said,  even with a PM , my Fitbit is still a handy little device for monitoring sleep quality,  comparing "relative" heart rates during various activities and tracking steps.  If I'm out of breath and pushing myself and the heart rate is fairly high, I know to back off a bit.  I consider it just another tool but not an exclusive one.