Related
Options
This discussion has been locked.
You can no longer post new replies to this discussion. If you have a question you can start a new discussion

Garmin Epix Pro Heart Rate Measurement Issue

Chris
over 1 year ago

Hi there,

I'm writing to share an experience I recently had with my Epix Pro (Gen 2), one of Garmin's premium watches designed to deliver accurate health and fitness measurements.

Today during my run I encountered a concerning issue with the heart rate monitoring function that I'd like to bring to your attention. There was a significant discrepancy in my heart rate readings, which I believe is indicative of a problem with the heart rate monitoring feature on my device. To provide a clear picture, I've attached images of both my heart rate chart and pace chart from the run in question.

The issue manifested as follows:

  1. In the first half of my run, my heart rate readings were consistently below 130 BPM, despite putting in a full effort. My typical heart rate during this level of exertion is around 150-160 BPM.

  2. Suddenly, at a single moment, my heart rate measurement jumped to 150 BPM and remained at that level for the duration of the run.

The attached image shows that this jump in heart rate occurred while my pace remained stable. It's a small proof that there was no corresponding change in physical activity that could explain such a spike in heart rate.

I'd like to emphasize that I took special care to ensure the watch was properly positioned and that my wrist was clean before starting the run. The Garmin Epix Pro is designed to excel in providing accurate health and fitness measurements, which is why I find it unacceptable that a simple and crucial measurement like heart rate could be so far off the mark.

As a user of one of Garmin's top-tier devices, I expected reliable and precise heart rate monitoring, especially during workouts.

If any other users have encountered similar issues or have suggestions for troubleshooting, I'd greatly appreciate your insights. But mostly I'd like to hear from Garmin's support about that matter. If there is no guarantee that a watch with this price-tag can make the simplest measurement right, while being in ideal conditions (tight strap, not extreme weather etc) then what's the point of having it in the market?
I mean, there is a point, since people like me buy it, but I guess it will not continue for long if your performance remains that bad.

Cheers

  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 1 year ago

    I abandoned my apple watch ultra for an epix pro gen2 51mm at 1149 €, big mistake! The epix pro gen 2 and not reliable at all cardio zero this watch and does not even finish a shame for a very high price I resold them 30 days later and took a cheaper and very reliable apple watch with an ecg

  • 0 over 1 year ago in reply to Former Member

    The only fair comparison for the epix pro is the following:
    Take a piece of paper, cut a stripe of it and shape so that it looks like a watch. Then in the middle of this paper-watch write your average heart rate with a pencil.
    You want it or not, this paper watch is more accurate than the epix pro, that's the reality, no jokes!

  • 0 over 1 year ago
    Chris said:
    mostly I'd like to hear from Garmin's support about that matter

    For that to happen you need to contact Garmin Support yourself

  • 0 over 1 year ago

    posts like those are completely nonsense cause 1. Not helping other users. 2. you attack a company without first contact their support. My experience is opposite yours anyway.

  • 0 over 1 year ago in reply to Skordilovich

    I agree about #2, but why do you think that it doesn't help other users? I posted my data with a chart and you can clearly see an illogical HR jump. Don't you think sharing this experience is something helpful for the users to know?

    I believe that starting a thread and talking about such flaws in public can help the customers make more informed decisions. Otherwise, the only measurement comparisons we can find on the net will be the ones created by YouTubers or other influencers which may just be staged for promotional reasons.

  • 0 over 1 year ago in reply to Chris

    The chart you send is completely wrong. HR compared to Pace is nonsense. Any way posting here doesn't affect customers very much cause most customers doesn't care if someone post here something is posted a million times.

  • 0 over 1 year ago in reply to Skordilovich

    As I described to my post, I didn't use the pace next to the HR expecting to see a correlation or anything. I just used it to give a small indication that I didn't change something in my run during the HR jump. Of course it could be that I started going upwards on a hill, or anything else (btw, let's also post the same chart with HR vs. elevation) which I didn't because I just had a normal run.

    One question after you found the post wrong, the chart non-sense etc. Do you find that the HR jump is ok?

  • 0 over 1 year ago in reply to Chris

    No that jump is not right at all. From 132bpm to 148 so fast is not normal. I've never seen that in my trainings even with garmin fenix 6. But thats only words cause for many years i use garmin chest straps for my trainings specially for running.

  • +1 over 1 year ago

    For sports use it's always recommend using a heart rate monitor. Not even the most high-performance sensors installed in watches can have the same precision due to a thousand factors: vibrations, movement of the wrist, how it is worn, etc.
    There are various tutorials and tests of various watches online that confirm what I say

  • 0 over 1 year ago in reply to Dalfy

    Thanks for the answer, I totally accept this explanation.

    To be precise, I'm aware of the fact that the accuracy can't be that high and most of the times I was able to explain to myself why I see wrong data (i.e. when lifting weights, the watch doesn't sit good etc).

    Regarding my post now, this was the first time that I saw this kind of weird jump in the metrics while I couldn't find an explanation why. But after reading a bit more about it, I see that even such things can happen, that's why I accept your answer.