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Wrong HR

6093419
1 month ago

Hi All,

A week ago, I bought a Forerunner 265—my first Garmin device, as I previously used an Apple Watch.

I’ve noticed some concerning discrepancies in the heart rate (HR) readings. During my running sessions, my HR appears unusually low and stable around 100 bpm, even as I increase my pace and intensity. Similarly, while weightlifting, my HR drops as low as 38 bpm between sets, which seems unrealistically low given my activity level. This is far below what I would expect and much lower than my usual readings on the Apple Watch.

Additionally, I've had some issues with the sleep-tracking feature. Yesterday, my Garmin suggested reducing my sleep time, based on its detection of two naps I didn’t actually take.

I’ve already tried performing a full device reset, but there hasn't been any improvement in accuracy.

Has anyone else experienced similar issues? Are there any further troubleshooting steps or adjustments I might try to resolve these inconsistencies?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

  • 0 30 days ago

    Many people have issues with inacurrate HR tracking.

    Garmin chooses to ignore the issue and close threads that raise the issue. Such as this one: forums.garmin.com/.../1843513

  • 0 29 days ago

    Same here. Garmin told me to hit button for an activity, wait five mins whilst gps loads up (e.g. for a run) then hit start. This did work for my long run 2 days ago, but not for the run I did today, when I stopped the watch and then restarted mid session. 

    Garmin told me they're aware of the issue and are working on it, but didn't have a date. I'm going to try get a refund or replacement - not like the watch is cheap!

  • 0 29 days ago in reply to 8787940

    I wanted to share the feedback received from Garmin’s customer support team regarding the Forerunner 265:

    The optical heart rate sensor is designed for everyday, simplified monitoring, and therefore its precision is limited. It’s not intended for medical purposes. For more accurate tracking during sports, a chest strap sensor is recommended. While repair or replacement may not enhance performance, it can be offered as a courtesy. Additionally, if the product doesn’t meet your needs, contacting the retailer may also provide further options.

  • +1 3 hours ago

    Thank you for sharing this feedback. Since we've released sw version 21.19, I am going to go ahead and lock this thread. If you still experiencing OHR inaccuracy after a few activities on 21.19, please create a new thread. 

    If you haven't already read through Garmin Watch Optical Heart Rate Accuracy Tips, please do so as well for good measure!