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Comment by zimpenfish | Hacker News Reader

They can be accurate - In a static test I did the other day, the Charge HR reported the same* as the Garmin HRM, Withings Scales, and a finger pulse oximeter. It was within 5-10bpm of the Garmin on a 25 minute run after I'd adjusted the position according to their advice for exercise.

* they were all within 5bpm

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They are mostly accurate. I use a Garmin Forerunner 235 and the average heart rate seems to be mostly accurate. I don't really pay attention to the absolute values though. It's only interesting to see how they change as I my fitness improves.

And this is an important lesson the plaintiff's trainer should have stressed. The actual numbers aren't (quite) as important how quick they rise and fall as you push and rest.

Except a reading of 60-80bpm when the actual is 160-180bpm is completely inaccurate. Those are opposite ends of most people HR range. 60 is close to, or actually, resting for most people. 160 is a hard aerobic effort, bordering on anaerobic, for most people. The FitBit, if the report is accurate, is completely useless as a fitness tracking devices (WRT to heart rate).

I've got a wahoo tickr chest strap that will report something like half my real HR from time to time... all of these monitoring devices are intended to give some helpful information to go along with a workout, NOT to be a reliable medical device...

Hopefully there'll be some sanity with how this is handled...

Finger pulse ox meters are often inaccurate and can't be trusted to give a reliable pulse for a whole host of reasons

But as a comparison to three other methods at the same time, I think it's safe.

I've been wearing a Pulse Ox for a few days, which uses a Optoelectronics sensor.

I've checked the reading three times by comparing with my radial pulse, counting against my wristwatch. Each time it was bang on, or within 2bpm.

That's when fairly inactive, though. Will have to check it's consistent at much higher pulse rates.

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