HR sensor fails on tattooed wrists- transparency issue

As someone who has two sleeves, all watches that measure HR have an issue with tattoos. I haven’t had a watch yet that works well with tattoos (and no, AW’s aren’t an exception…I have the AWU 2 and have the same issue).

We made our bed, now we have to lay in it.

2138476 said:

Are there any plans to fix the heart rate sensor for tattooed users?

Yes, all tattooed users will be forced to undergo a tattoo removal procedure.  That's currently the only available solution, as far as I can see. Well, increasing the power output of the LED could perhaps help a bit in some cases, but it is uncertain, and it would result in considerably shorter battery life time. Alternatively you can use a chest strap HRM, or an optical sensor on a part of your body without tattoos.

2138476 said:

Competitors like Apple Watch don’t seem to have this issue, yet Garmin appears to hide this limitation.

The Apple Support page says the following:

"Permanent or temporary changes to the skin, such as some tattoos, can also affect the performance of the heart rate sensor. The ink, pattern, and saturation of some tattoos can block the light from the sensor, making it difficult to get reliable readings."

https://support.apple.com/en-us/105002#heartrate 

By the way: the Garmin support page says exactly the same thing:

https://support.garmin.com/en-GB/?faq=HKvhN4usdo8TcVrcbkRLCA 

2138476 said:

Why does the company not warn customers at the point of sale?

2138476 said:

Let’s be honest: either improve the sensor, or clearly state on the packaging that “accuracy may be limited for users with tattoos.” That’s transparency and honesty.

I suggest you raise this in the Apple forum as well. In any case, I haven't seen the warning on any Apole packaging either.

I can relate to your experience. I’ve also worn both Apple and Samsung watches — while I noticed that HR readings were not always 100% accurate, I never had a situation where they completely failed to show any heart rate at all. At the same time, my Fenix 5 worked perfectly fine, but with the Fenix 7 the HR wasn’t displaying properly, and now with the Fenix 8 I have the same issue — no HR at all.

I don’t have full blackout tattoos — I have lighter areas as well, but that doesn’t help either. I do own a chest strap HRM, but for everyday use it’s not really a good solution. What frustrates me the most is that most other HR sensors on my wrist work and don’t completely shut down. With Garmin, when HR isn’t displayed at all, many additional features disappear too .

Have you ever tried using epoxy stickers? I remember seeing a post about them somewhere and was curious if they could help with this issue.

Yes, Apple states it clearly—but Garmin’s wording is much more oblique. It’s buried within support notes about “skin defects” and similar conditions, which makes it easy to miss. In fact, nowhere in Garmin’s packaging, marketing, or product description is it explicitly stated that the heart rate sensor may stop working entirely—it merely says that accuracy can be affected . This is a big transparency gap: consumers aren’t forewarned that in some cases, the sensor might not register HR at all, not just show inaccurate data

I see you are well-versed in this topic, but I haven’t found any official information stating that the heart rate sensor would not work at all. Everywhere Garmin only mentions possible inaccuracies in readings, but not a complete failure of the sensor. Also, as I’ve mentioned earlier, when Garmin positions the Fenix 8 series, they emphasize the high quality and reliability of its heart rate monitoring. That’s why for me it’s an important point — if the company presents it as a premium sports device, then the issue with tattoos should be explained more clearly, not just hidden behind vague wording about “skin defects.

I understand your frustration, but if you are unhappy with the product, and the Support cannot help. then there is nothing easier than returning it, and buying a different model or another brand. I do not quite believe the problem with your watch, not able to read the HR through your tattoos, can be fixed by some firmware update. You can certainly try getting a replacement watch  (the same model) from Garmin, just in case the one you use is defect, but if that does not help, then I'd look elsewhere.