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Wrist based HRM way out compared to my Garmin chest HRM!

sc0ttb88
over 3 years ago

I’ve always used my Garmin tri band or wireless HRM chest strap but noticed recently when training on Zwift (with the HRM connected directly to it) that my heart rate was 140bpm. I looked at my fenix on my wrist which didn’t have the HRM strap connected and it was showing 85bpm! It’s making me question how inaccurate the wrist based reading are. I understand they are not as accurate but that is a massive difference. Is the software problematic or is it the watch? 

  • 0 over 3 years ago

    Wrist HR is often problematic for some with high exertion, or wrist flexing. Why arent you using the HRM paired to the watch and then broadcast that to Zwift? For me, 24x7 wrist HR is ok, but I really don't rated any wrist hr from any device for activity usage, when a hr strap is like £20

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to Ɛpsilon

    Thanks I agree, I always use the strap for training. What benefit is there to broadcast to Zwift via the watch as opposed to just connecting the strap directly to Zwift? I sync Zwift so it lands in my Fenix anyway as a workout. 

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to sc0ttb88

    You'd avoid this sort of issue and it would help keep all your stats and training in sync, and not risk crappy data affecting recovery etc. That way you wouldn't have conflicting hr data for the period of time covering the activity - that could affect body battery, stress, recovery etc

  • 0 over 3 years ago

    why not just connect the HR strap to both at the same time? I believe, the wrist HR is more accurate when recording an activity rather than just sitting there in passive mode.

    if you are interested in the Physio True Up stats, you need to record the activity on the watch anyway as importing from Zwift will not do it.

  • 0 over 3 years ago

    The Wrist HR seems to work well for DCRainmaker and a few other people, but not for me.  I've long since given up at getting anything remotely accurate if there's any movement involved.  Running, cycling, weight lifting, even walking it's way off on my wrist- no matter how tight the band, or where I position it.  I guess I've got a boney divot in my wrist and the sensor just doesn't make a good connection.  Or have very little blood flow in that location.  I wear a separate Optical HR monitor on my forearm that does a pretty good job.  

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to sc0ttb88

    The wrist HR is more accurate recording an activity, than in 24/7 mode. If you peek under the watch, you will see the sensor go from strobing to solid On when you start an activity. In particular, I think strobing has problems consistently picking up HR over about 120 bpm.

  • 0 over 3 years ago

    in the last few weeks I've noticed that my indoor cycling HR are about half of what they had been previously as I'm expecting to see around 130-140 bpm spiking around 150 bpm but my Garmin Fenix 6 is showing 60-80 bpm. It was suggested elsewhere to just use the 'Cardio' activity and then edit it to the preferred activity afterwards which worked initially. However, now my 'Cardio' HR is reading at about double what I'm expecting to see  as an example, today I did a 30 minute indoor ride and took it fairly easy. I didn't feel like my HR got much above 100-120 and my Fenix pulled 180 bpm average. I track the weight training activity and it has remained consistent to what I'm expecting to see and what feels about right. 

    I'm very frustrated at this because this is all a new problem that I was not experiencing before the last update. It would be one thing if these HR inaccuracies were consistent in their inconsistencies but they are actually inconsistent in how they are inconsistent.  

  • 0 over 3 years ago

    I came to this thread searching the forum for the same problem.  Certainly it must be a setting  - right?  lately  - I have been using broadcast HR but not connecting it.  Drains battery a little, but my wrist HR matches the chest strap, and intensity minutes, etc all line up correctly.  There has to be a way to make it not go into standby mode when we are on the trainer

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to Ngabikedad
    Ngabikedad said:
    There has to be a way to make it not go into standby mode when we are on the trainer

    Yes. Press Start to actually commence recording an activity. You can Discard rather than saving at the end to prevent duplicate activities if you want.