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Heart rate is completely inaccurate only with specific profiles

disgruntleddave
over 6 years ago
The HRM readings on my va3 seem accurate while not in an activity profile, while running, doing weights, etc.

However, when I'm in cardio mode the HRM is completely off. It often reads around half of my actual heart rate. When I change profiles while doing the same exact thing (eg: change from cardio to run profilex or even no exercise profile) suddenly my readings jumps to reasonable values.

It seems like a bug to me. I've tried positioning it differently, tighter, looser, other wrist, on the inside of my wrist, and occasionally I can get it working but it cuts out again with any movement. Whereas I never have this issue in other profiles.

Had anyone experienced similar situations?
  • 0 over 4 years ago

    Happens here aswell. Yesterday I started working out without any excercise mode active and the heart rate was reacting rationally, until I turned strenght exercise on. After turning it on measured heart rate dropped from 90-130 to 70-90 and got stuck there for the next 20 minutes. Really frustrating..

  • 0 over 4 years ago

    Ever since the last update mine has been crazy inaccurate with cadio excercise.  At one point the HR dropped to below 35bps and averaged around 90bps.  This is a HIIT class and there is no way my heartrate was that low.  I've since bought a HR chest strap and just using the optical for walking/hiking.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to Former Member

    Yes, rowing, I get a HR of 96, which is about 60 beats lower.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to 7509843

    Me too first time i tried the cardio option yesterday. I have done Run and Strength and it looked fine so far. The cardio had me like at least 40HR higher than where it should, and it was stuck there... I removed the VA4 it stopped recording HR, wore it again on other hand and got the exactly same wrong measurements.

    So it's not like it was stuck or something. It's something in the Cardio mode.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to olgi

    I would suggest we all log issues with their helpdesk and see if it gets attention. Everybody is complaining on this and even a chinese 10 euro thingy does a better job at it. Please file an issue with support to get it prioritized. 

  • 0 over 4 years ago

    I just got my Garmin Vivoactive 3 and am also very frustrated with this issue of very inaccurate HR readings. Seems ok during mountain biking, but when I do a strength workout- it will read 43 bpm when I know my HR is at least 120 bpm.  Very frustrating!! I just got this watch and now wishing I did not! 

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to runbikelift

    There are lots threads about the accuracy of wrist-based HRMs. You might want to check out this from the Garmin Support site: The Heart Rate Sensor on My Watch Is Not Accurate, especially where it mentions weight lifting. 

    "Activities that cause flexing of the wrist (ex. rowing, weight lifting, or gripping a tennis racket) may create an effect similar to wearing the watch too tightly and restrict blood flow.  When this occurs the watch may have a difficult time detecting an accurate heart rate."

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to runbikelift

    same thing man. three days and it's fine bumming around the house. will not recognize a heart beat above 100 when exercising. whats the point of the watch if the main selling point doesn't work properly?

  • 0 over 4 years ago

    2 days ago my Vivosmart 4 started to register wrong HR values (way to high) in the middle of a very slow jogging. I had a small heart infarct less then 2 weeks ago and got a bit nervous... but checking my pulse I realise VS4 is way wrong. The HR has worked fine for a year- I was thinking it was due to blood thinning medicin, but is it the VS4!?

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to 5826820

    For me it is random, I tried some tips (wearing it loose, other wrist, etc etc) and some days it works correctly, other days it stays below 100. I also had one incident during walking where it stayed on 56 bpm. I am still trying to find a way to make it more reliable. My only point is, I had a cheap device before and even though it was not accurate, it was at least reproduceable in its behavior, where VA3M is definately not.