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Other/Mixed Fitbit heart rate tracking is dangerously inaccurate, lawsuit claims

Other strength modalities (e.g., Clubs), mixed strength modalities (e.g., combined kettlebell and barbell), other goals (flexibility)
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I use mine just for the steps and sleep track. I've tested the steps before and it's pretty accurate. Hopefully the sleep is too.

I am also an on-call firefighter and one morning we had a call at 5 am. My heart rate went from 40 to 106 immediately. Pretty scary. The lowest I've seen mine is 38 at night.
 
these kind of lawsuits smell of commercial blackmail...everyone knows the fitbit is not a lab or EKG quality HRM, but it's a general fitness tool. I'm not a fitbit user (Polar & Garmin, with chest straps), but if people like them and it helps them stay fitter, then more power to them. From what I read in the lawsuit, there's nothing even claimed in it that makes them "dangerous"- the plaintiffs are privileged against libel and slander when they say things in legal pleadings, so they can try to get a large settlement from the company to avoid this type of publicity. I'm glad the company didn't cave in.

a friend's daughter, who's been a total couch potato, got one for Christmas and now is fanatic about getting her "steps" in, goes out walking and jogging, etc. and trying to get her heartrate up while she does it. Good gateway to kettlebells, eventually! haha
 
Back to topic: I also wonder about the accuracy between optical (watch) and electrical (chest strap) readings.

Currently planning to buy a HR watch, but I'm in no hurry.
 
I just got a Garmin Fenix 3, comes with a chest-strap. The watch is awesome. I highly recommend. A bit more pricey that the fitbit, admittedly
 
I had a nice little birthday present of a fitbit charge hr. Quite good for heart rate tracking if not doing anything. And checking how long you sleep. Despite being a bit anti tech in general I like the idea of 24hr tracking and monitoring resting heart rate over time. And for seeing how much I walk these days with my mutt. I am deeply honoured to have been awarded a number of badges already having amassed 10,000 steps a day by dinner time. Surprisingly I walk 12km on an average day and my average resting heart rate is mid fifties. So all good to know.

I played about wearing it upside down so the kbs wouldn't smash it to bits. And it doesn't smash it to bits but gives wildly inaccurate hr measurements with mild exertion....also even walking to be fair at times. I wore my polar h7 chest strap for comparison with kbs and the fitbit was pretty much useless. I know my h7 to be accurate as there is a pretty close match up to the carotid pulse, finger, watch and counting technology and the fitbit wasn't even close. I take it off now with kbs, really no point.

However I do quite like it for what it is. I've had a good few very stressful days lately and it is interesting how my resting heart rate had changed due to it. Quite funny too that you can see the rise in heart rate when you lose the plot in family disputes over the cleanliness of the bathroom after your teenagers destroy it. As a general thing it is pretty good, for specific heart rate measurement at intensity it is crap.
 
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