Optical Heart Rate issues since 6.20 update?

Those Spikes Happen when the Watch is searching for a Pulse.

FR 35 Does it as Well.

Many other Watches also do it.

What helps is wearing the watch further up the Wrist and a little on the Tight Side.

Wearing a chest belt HRM eliminates the problem but it's defeating the objective (LOL).

Hi Joe, That’s odd, I’ve never had a problem in the past 9 months and I’ve always worn it tight and above the wrist bone as you suggested. It’s only been the past 5 runs since the software update, but perhaps that’s a coincidence. Totally agree I don’t want to to wear a chest strap!!!

I don’t know if it is a coincidence or not but I experienced the same today wearing a heartrate belt. I was running @ 218 watts with my Stryd which is zone 1 and is easy but my heartrate was way too high. It should be at 120-125 but was 140-151. I use a HRM red 

I've had the same problem with unusual spikes in HR and high readings when I'm barely running and I've found that I need to tighten up my band another notch such that it's uncomfortably tight. I mean I've always tightened it 1-2 notches for a run but now I'm tightening it 2-3 notches past what I wear it at casually and now it seems I always get accurate HR readings when it's super tight.

Wearing it higher up my forearm like many people recommend has never worked for me because I have skinny wrists but meaty forearms and it just sides back down as soon as I start moving.

Appreciate all the replies guys!

I’m wearing the watch on the same wrist, in the same position, at the same tightness as I have for over 100 runs. This issue only started last week. I’m thinking it may be an specific fault with my watch / sensor rather than a general software issue, else loads of people would be experiencing the same this weekend.

I’ll send my evidence to Garmin support and let you know what they think!

There are several reasons wich can cause it:

Wearing it wrong -> searching for pulse or a cadence lock where it thinks the light entering the space between watch and wrist is its own light and reading the running cadence as pulse. Even if you wear it the same style like always, try moving it just a little bit.

Sensor firmware update -> didn’t come with 6.20. If your watch was up to date before, there should have been no update for that.

Sensor fails -> Hard to tell, but Garmins service is really fast (i RMAed mine last week. You can get one upfront if you pay a deposit wich will be returned when your faulty one is checked in)

And now to the worst options:
Don’t forget we have a pandemic affecting lungs, hearts, organs. Two possibilities:

Long Covid: You had an undiagnosed infection and your heart is not up to the tasks you throw at it. Heart muscle inflammations are a thing with CV-19 and take a long time to get rid of. But as a runner, you should have heart about them. They are not CV-19 specific, even a normal cold/flu wich is ignored can cause them.
Actual Covid infection.

The easiest way to cross check a lot of this: Use a HRM, at the best with a second device. Or a ConnectIQ Datafield wich lets you record OHR and HRM at the same time. Throw the file(s) at DCRainmakers Analyzer tool and compare. Is the HRM data fine and the OHR ones not, get in Contact with service. If your HR is like you described with HRM and OHR showing the same, get in contact with a doctor..

https://apps.garmin.com/en-US/apps/a461bc0d-828d-47c8-a4a5-8d014b5fedc9#0

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/analyzer

Hey!

I've had A LOT of problem with HRM on my 945, changed the watch, etc etc. Usually the HRM was around 80-115bpm, even if I was running on 100%.

This was all before it was updated to 5.20. Now, even with 6.20 it is working great.

You are not alone - it was fine for a very long time and now the optical HR is inaccurate, Once I get beyond about 150bpm the optical heart rate tends to just increase or stay very high (even if I'm doing very little). This has only happened in the last 2 months (I think since v6.20). If I wear a chest monitor it's fine. 

The heart rate issues have been occurring much longer than 6.20 (or even 6.x) for me.  It often shows me, even at rest, 20+bpm higher than I actually am. Had to turn off the abnormal alarm, because I would hit 75bpm and the watch would have me over 100bpm. Though on average 6.20 has improved only showing me 5-10bpm high. And the sleep accuracy has been better (not the sleep zones those have always been terrible, but actually determining when I am sleeping). It was good for a while then we got 6.x and it was completely off saying I was sleep while actively walking around my house hours before bed or after waking up.  Now it isn't 100% accurate but it is far better.

Got my FR945 about 3 weeks ago. BPM during activities has only been accurate using a strap HRM or when biking indoors. Is this normal for most people? If I don’t use the strap, it seems to be completely off, sometimes over 200bpm for warm ups and barely in the 120 during sprints. I have used garmin for years so I have a good sense of my metrics and the OHR just doesn’t seem to work during activities with minimal movement. I have tried all tightness and places on the wrist and the results are just as bad every time. 
Oscar