Heart Rate Errors

9888457 12 days ago

Hello, FR-165 user here.

I notice some heart rate errors during some workouts, typically while doing simple biceps and triceps curls and my mini-stepper.

Check the attached screenshots :

- Curls: modest 15' workout with 2 x 2kg dumbbells. My real HR was around 60-70 BPM throughout. The irregularity in the HR graph is crazy.

- Mini-Stepper: 20' workout. Here too my HR would be around 70 BPM. The sudden jump at around 6' is completely unrealistic.

On the other workouts that I typically do (running, walking and elliptical), the HR is being recorded correctly. And yes, all of the user data are nicely filled in and up-to-date.

I want to wear my Garmin 24/7 to keep track of my condition, but these erratic HR data turn all of the metrics into a joke.

What is going on here, and how can I get correct HR logs?

0 CitizenX 3 days ago

Happens to my FR165 too. Usually at the beginning of an activity and it will jump to some unrealistic number and then it will drop. This is my third garmin watch and I'm almost about fed up with their watch HR accuracy. I actually got a Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro to compare and the HR is so much better. I'm comparing the two with my HRM chest strap. In terms of HR accuracy, HUAWEI WINS HANDS DOWN! However, Huawei's health and training metrics are not as complete as Garmin's. Not even near.

0 9888457 3 days ago in reply to CitizenX

Thanks for sharing your experiences !

I talked to Garmin Support, sent them the above screenshots - but they had no explanation other than "Get a Heart Rate Strap". While I did learn that curls can be a nightmare for a wrist watch to deal with, I have no explanation for the outrageous jump while on the Stepper. Anyway, after a number of emails with me insisting on a solution or even a hack, Garmin Support was kind enough to send me a HRM 200 for free. That, indeed, solved the problem.

(BTW - the bumps in the Curls graphic are the actual pauses in my workout).

0 Saganist 3 days ago

First, make sure the watch is secure on your wrist for those exercises...Second, get used to it, Garmin's Wrist HR tracking is middling at best, closer to the bottom amongst wrist HR trackers...my cheap Fitbit was better, which is sad, but true. It hasn't gotten any better, just worse over time honestly with each update. See Quantified Scientist on YouTube as well...everyone is getting better through software updates except Garmin. Garmin is so good at everything except WHR, Sleep, and ability to connect to gym equipment like with bluetooth FTMS...it's kind of sad