How to get Accurate Heart Rate from your Smartwatch or Sportswatch
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- Опубликовано: 3 май 2022
- Tips and tricks to get the most accurate heart rate from your sportswatch or smartwatch. Thanks for watching!
Budget Heart Rate Straps Comparison: • Best Budget Heart Rate...
Garmin HRM-Pro Chest HRM Review: • Garmin HRM-Pro In-Dept...
Polar Verity Sense Arm HRM Review: • Polar Verity Sense Opt...
Polar OH1+ Arm HRM Review:
Scocche Rhythm+ 2.0 Arm HRM Review: • Scosche Rhythm+ 2.0 //...
Wahoo TICKR FIT Review: • Wahoo Tickr Fit Heart-...
Thanks for watching!
/// Gear I Use (Amazon links) ///
Wearable: geni.us/Q6LJv2y
Bike GPS: geni.us/4cKAVA
Chest Heart Rate Strap: geni.us/hrm-pro
Arm Heart Rate Strap: geni.us/ESAv
Headphones: geni.us/tarahpro
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Des, this helped me. I was actually placing my Coros Pace 2 as far down my arm, near the smallest part of my wrist, as I could because I thought it had to be near my thinnest skin and close to the blood vessels. You’ve actually shown us to wear it as far up the forearm as possible, in areas with the most “meat” under it. Counterintuitive, but I like it!
Glad the information helped!
Has anyone ever told you that you’re a legend ✊🏾 I’ve tried some of the suggestions and over the last couple of days my HR readings seem to be more consistent and representative of my activities 👊🏾✊🏾🙏🏾
Nice! Glad the information helped. Thanks so much!
I really love the extra effort you apply to testing the watches. Second to NONE!!
Thanks!
After the amount of sportwatches you have reviewed, any suggestion coming from you is like a commandment. THANK YOU SIR 👌🏽
You're welcome. Thanks!
You never disappoint dude! Thanks for all the work you do.
Thanks Hugo!
Buddy the wrist band trick to protect watch is Gold. I love this channel!!!
Thanks so much!
Thanks for summarizing all these tips!!!
Sure thing!
Always a pleasure learning something new and useful.
Glad to share 👍
Great topic Des! I enjoyed your different approaches for accurate results.
Thanks man!
This is great. Hopefully people will *watch* this! I get so many questions about heart rate accuracy on x brand watch when it's 99% most likely that it's how they're using the watch and learning what the technology is capable of doing well. Awesome that you placed your tattoo based on HR data accuracy. #dedication Great tip on the wrist band. I'll totally be using that as I am not good at mountain biking. Thanks for making this. 👌
I hope people watch it too! 😁 Thanks Matt!
Great video Des! Thanks for sharing that mountain bike hack. I really need to try that hack the next time I go out. Your crash in the video reminded me of how I got 7 stitches in my right arm and some scratches on my fenix 5x display.
Those darn crashes - rubber side up, Ethan! 🙌 Thanks!
Great videos. Enjoy how fast and clear you speak
Thanks!
Nice video, actionable info efficiently delivered. Thank you!
You’re welcome!
Amazing video, I always wanted someone in the community to help with watch placement to get the most out of our heart rate sensors in Fitness.
👍 Thanks!
VERY helpful - thank you!
Glad the information helps! Thanks!
Thanks for this. I bought a venu 2 because of your review of how accurate the HR sensors were. I was getting frustrated because it would be 20 beats off but after watching this i realized i was wearing it wrong lol.
Yup, definitely an ideal way to wear them for better accuracy. Hopefully that works for you!
What do you mean wearing it wrong? What mistakes particular?
I'm also bought recently G venu sq2 music.
Abanen hook and loop straps from Amazon have really my HR accuracy (due to flexibility/ adjustability) and comfort beyond what I knew possible on my Fenix 7. Affordable, comfortable, and will save your pricy Fenix straps from damage during workouts 🙌🏻 Blind bought a 2 pack with no regrets
There are even cheaper straps like those on aliexpress, about 2-3$ each, I've been using them for 3 years for my Galaxy Watch 46mm and now on Venu 2 Plus. They are very comfortable and long lasting, even at 2$. They have the same quality, no matter the vendor or site.
@@RaduButiulca I’ll def check it out! Thank you! 🙌🏻
Based on personal experiences my etalon among the optical HRMs is still the Polar Vantage V2, but my new Garmin with Ultrafit band is very close in accuracy.
Suer usefull video! Thanks!
Sure thing! 👍
Very useful. Thanks.
You’re welcome
Thank you. Just upgraded to Fenix x7 from the five. Figured somethings wrong with x7. No readings 50% of the time. No issues with my Fenix 5. Switched arm to non tattoo arm and looser fit. Voila! It works. 👍
Boom! Glad it's working for you 👍
Thanks for the info had no idea about the snug aspect. My HR was reading 148 when it's really 125
Great job, Des!
With respect to my Fenix 7X, I have found that wearing it snuggly above the wrist bone (like you suggest), is exactly correct.
👍👏
Nice! Glad that it's working for you 👍 Thanks!
Thanks I was so confused before this
Glad the information helped!
Thanks dude, i love my fenix 6 but HR was so sketchy i bought a 7x. Same issue, but i have a full tattoo sleeve. After this video i switched it to the other arm. It feels terrible but, it is reading perfectly! Thanks for the tip
Glad it’s working for you!
I generally agree that the chest based heart rate monitors are a lot more accurate. Especially for weight training, and cardio boxing the chest based heart rate monitor is extremely helpful and collecting good data.
👍
Thanks very good information
You're welcome
Thank you!
You're welcome!
Good video, thank you. Regarding nice flexible straps that allow for a comfortable and snug fit, I recently got one of the elastic bands from Nick Mankey for my Garmin 745 and it's awesome. Highly recommended and worth checking out.
Nice! I’ll try to check it out. 👍
I like the elastic-style cotton bands. Comfortable and stretchy
great video, ty.
You’re welcome
Very good video! Funny with sweat wristbands I have been doing that for awhile now but I have been using a chest strap for HRate. Nice to see I don’t need to use the chest strap.
The solution with the wrist band isn't perfect but it's certainly helpful. FWIW I still use a chest HRM for MTB for my personal data (not just testing). Thanks!
@@DesFit I play field hockey with an apple watch and have been using the wrist band in a similar fashion for protection
I found this video while trying to find out why my Garmin Venu 2 heart rate data keeps dropping out. I have now moved my watch further up my forearm and made sure its nice and snug. I also have two full tattoo sleeves which may be affecting the sensors so will look into stickers you mentioned too.
Good work 👍
Thanks!
Thank you
Excellent! Epix -Gen2
This was really informative, thankyou. Im struggling with 3 different watches to pick up my heart rate and I'm now guessing it's down to my tattoos as I have 2 full sleeves on both arms.
Happy to help. Unfortunately tattoos can be tough with optical HR sensors.
Does sunblock have any effect on the light-based reading? thank you for this informative clip!
Great video, Can the Galaxy Watch 4 be use as a heart rate monitor for Zwift?
5:13 You know you're a fitness tech RUclipsr when heart rate sensors dictate where your tattoo's go. 🤣
A new series: you know you’re a sports tech reviewer when…
I’ll start: when you have a note in your notes app with the ANT+ IDs for all your sensors 😂
@@DesFit 😂 When you have a watch tan... on every limb of your body.
Thanks Des, good informative video as usual. First time I’ve seen one of the crash videos too! 😂 But that’s a whole other genre of RUclips video though 🤔
😂 Thanks Carlos!
@@DesFit Hi Des, I don't know if you'll read this but I have an interesting real life heartrate headscratcher. I was testing a few devices at the same time on a bike ala DC Rainmaker (one on each wrist and a chest heartrate strap connected to a third watch :)) on some hill repeats and noticed that whilst neither of the two watches got anywhere the chest strap's accuracy the one worn on my left wrist was way below the accuracy of that on the right wrist (I swapped them over half way through, with identical results). The one on the right wrist was around 20 seconds behind the chest strap but actually got to the peak reading; the one on the left didn't get there at all. Any ideas why that might be the case?? FYI: the two watches were the Polar Grit X and the Garmin Instinct Solar.
This is really going to screw up my tan lines but thanks for the tips Des.
Cyclists talking about screwing up their tan lines?!? We’ve got some strange ones going on already.
Deciding what to wear for that workout, might be just as challenging as the workout itself. 😉
😂
My brother and I had a discussion about this while running a trail the other day, he has a forerunner, I have a 6pro, and sometimes the readings are just like night and day different. Would be great to have like a small capsule that would be inserted under the skin to be able to measure absolutley everything, like bp, spo2, c02 levels,hr, blood sugar, lactates etc, and send all data in real time to your device, being a watch or a mobile, you could track your training to perfection, especially the pro athletes
You really are okay with going down that rabbit hole road to putting chips in your body? Of course it's your choice, but I'm only asking how you feel about that
@@IrondrgntpHow did we get this far haha...
@@Irondrgntp hahahaha yeah you're right. Afterwards, he would like to pay with it. Sounds scary.
always great tips....thanks mate! by the way, in this particular topic, Coros is better than Garmin (at least for me)... more accurate and stable (provided is not too cold outside, when pretty much every watch sucks),
Nice! Glad you found a sensor that world well for you.
Yeah, living in Canada and doing walks, jogs, and hikes in the winter.. I just bought a polar H9 and an OG Garmin instinct.
No way even their newest wrist sensor is gonna work flawlessly when my fingers are stiff cold. Plus I want to track the HIIT as well, and keep most of my hiking in zone 2 so I'm not too out of it, 20km in.
First like, then watch :-)
Haha, thanks!
Great video and tips, thanks for sharing. Now about hair in the skin ?
Yes! I forgot to mention that but I appreciate you bringing it up 👍
@@DesFit to me it make sense because when I get a medical check up that includes ECG and I have hair in my chest they usually will shave the areas where the will place the sensors, so I apply the same principal to my top wrist (just in case) trying to find those extra accurate data.
@@juancmunozr wow appreciate this info since im also a hairy mofo
I can tell you 2 more things that effect smartwatch HR & that is high blood pressure and AFiB. I am currently battling a little of both & recently had a cardioversion to get the AFiB under control. Without AFiB and only high blood pressure a chest strap will be pretty accurate where your watch could bounce quite a bit especially when you move. With AFiB smartwatch will make it seem like you don't sleep many hours and your stress levels are high. And with AFiB, if you wear a chest strap and it shows crazy high numbers for chilling or exercising, you might want to see your doctor. I thought my chest strap was broken last year. Nope, had AFiB :) Ahh, gotta love genetic heart issues :D
as a fellow AFib sufferer, the apple watch ECG function has been very handy to confirm if/when I was having episodes.
Thanks for sharing that info and experiences!
Can you make your heart rate appear higher than it actually is on a smartwatch, fake a high heart rate? Thank you! Your video was very insightful.
Oddly, my favorite part of this video was you mentioning your tattoo haha. As a tattoo enthusiast I’ve always noticed it and was curious about it. What’s it of? Do you plan to get more?
The tattoo is a tribute tattoo for my dad. 👍 Not sure if I’ll be getting any more on my arms but as you probably know, these things are addictive!
Bro i want to ask, there are out there smart watch actually accurate detection activities? Next video i think that good for comparison
Does it help if I wear the watch inside facing rather than outside as that is closer to my pulse for heart rate?
electrode gel is super cheap and available at everyone's favorite online store. I'm not sure why more people don't use it on their HR chest straps for dry skin/cold weather/lack of sweat. It makes for an extremely strong reading on my Polar H10 at all times and I even put apply it to the strap when I will end up sweating a bit... why not ensure great readings from the very start of the run
I tend to get spikes on my fenix series both 5 and 6 that pair with my run cadence, do you think this is a result of bouncing?
Great video , can you tell us what fitness app you use to gather all your data from the different watches? I use two and I’m having a hard time with Garmin moving my apple activity rings
The only app that all my data goes into is Strava. When I switch watches so often for testing it's a whole 'nother level just trying to aggregate data. Thanks!
Useful information 👌
Which Watch you use ?
I try to use them all! 😁
I do have a question I wear a Samsung smart watch and in looking at my heart rate over the past year it only shows three times where my heart rate went to 209 bpm which is absolutely deadly it doesn’t show what time it only shows what month each time however was 209 I have checked my fit etc. And I’m not finding anything else however where I live the roads are extremely bumpy and I drive in a small golf cart up and down those bumpy dirt roads the ride is extremely jarring at times could that possibly be my watch assuming that is a pulse rate when it’s actually Me hitting a pothole
I’m still on the Apple Watch se because the HR sensor has been extremely accurate compared to a chest strap. The battery life as you know is awful. How does the 255 or instinct 2 hr sensor match up to the Apple Watch ? Instinct 1 I had the sensor was terrible.
The temperature issue is just a side note in this video, but to me a big one. I often have wrong values with my Fenix 6 when running in 0-10 °C and not wearing gloves or having the watch under the jacket. I have a slim wrist and am often cold, anyway - that probably worsens things.
Yup, sometimes my hands become a little numb in cold weather and that can definitely throw off these sensors.
Which watches shown here are the top 3 most accurate for heart rate measurement?
I always wear a HR band for my workouts. period.
Hey Des,
do you have any tips for metal strap smartwatches? I just bought my Huawei GT 3 Pro titanium strap watch and I have some hard time to make it fit good. I have a quite wide wrist (23cm above the bone at the wrist). I expand the strap by adding extra 2 part to the strap to have the 2 finger rule, but eventually it will slide down if I'm just hanging with my arms. The human forearm/wrist is kinda shrinking as its going towards the hand, so is there anything I can do?
Probably not since metal bands don't have the stretchy and grippy nature of silicone or nylon bands.
Thanks for your tips Des.
While steady workout my forerunner 245 doing great job, but doing intervals (bike indoor or run) they mostly staying in zone 2 while I do really hard efforts.
Same problem with my heart rate strap (was Garmin, now wahoo) they don't show correct data . I did crit race last weekend with 333 watts average but according to my wahoo strap I had average heart rate of just 120 bpm
It may be as issue if the watch/app you are using has a smoothing algorithm to filter noise like showing you an average of the last 5-20 readings/seconds. It could also be dropping too many erreneous beats it just stays stuck on the last measurement for a while (polar beat app did this to me but it will be obvious because the graph flatlines.
I just tried my new garmin forerunner 245 on an interval trail run and found something similar.
It showed a steady heart rate (130 - 140) throughout 6 x 30 second sprints with 2:30 rest, only increasing after the last sprint, then said I was at max heart rate (170-180) for about 4km at a steady effort level!
I’ll try wearing it higher up and on the inside of my wrist next time to see if that helps.
that wristband hack to cover and stabilize the watch, doesn't mess the GPS readings? that's probably useful also for SpO2 readings while sleeping
Not one bit 👍
Can you pleas review the Huawei Watch GT3 in depth? :-) Looks like they finally improved the heart rate sensor (rumors say, it's better than garmins :O)
yeah i hear it's really good for 169€
Left arm completely tattooed. My Apple Watch series 5 Nike edition finds heart rate and is very accurate. My Venu 2 doesn’t even find a heart rate on that arm!
What about hairy arms? Worth shaving?
Thanks Des for all the content.
Don't have any hair on my arms to test (or my legs 😂) but yes, I have heard of hair also contributing to less than ideal accuracy. Thanks for asking!
You weren’t kidding about your seriously hefty wrist bones!! Hahah awesome
💪
My Garmin 935 and now 945 have the irritating habit of changing my heart rate when I turn a 90 degree corner. It must have something to do with sunlight leaking under the watch? The sweat band is a great idea. I always get better readings when my watch is under a windbreaker or long sleeve. Of course, a HR strap is really the way to go…
👍
I have a FR255 Music S-Version bc I have a rather small wrist. The watch is all good, but it shows me false heart-BPM all the time. If I do heavy deadlifts where my heart beats crazy and feels like 170, the watch only shows 60-80... and it also delays it. Meaning, if my heart rate goes up, it takes 10 seconds to show that it goes up. I have the newest updates and already restarted it a couple times. It wear it fix/close to my wrist. What can I do?
did yo solve it? I have similar problems with the HR sensor of my fr 255s music.
Have you investigated the affects of arm hair on consistency and accuracy?
Not personally (because I’m nearly hairless) but I have heard of this as a concern.
So he just mentioned about every exercise out there and how these devices don't track correctly. So what's the use of having one?
I have a chest strap heart rate monitor.... It will be great to have a wrist based display to just view those numbers, those products don't really exist except for those watches with ant+, currently i lock the screen touch on the phone and see my readings there, gets tiring after sometime
A lot of chest HRMs nowadays also have bluetooth where you can do the same pairing with a watch. I may not be understanding quite correctly but you should be able to view your chest HR in real time on a watch.
@@DesFit true man, the watches that have ant+ also come with bluetooth but the thing is two fold, those watches that do support external heart rate monitors(ant+, BLE) are mighty expensive in india almost 40-50% more than USA, and the regular ones only connect via Bluetooth to the phone and nothing else
What sport should I set if I play ice hockey? Well thank you
You could probably just use a generic Cardio activity profile for something like that.
Which watch do you think is more accurately from Garmin
The more recent devices with the 4th gen HR sensor are the most accurate (Fenix 7, Epix, Forerunner 945 LTE, Venu 2 Plus, Instinct 2) and then the previous gen 3 sensor was pretty good too.
I just got the Amazfit T-Rex pro and I cannot wear it on my left wrist because of my full sleeve tattoo. In the beginning I thought that the watch was defected but after switching wrist it worked .
Glad you found out the issue and it's working for you 👍
I put it on my inner wrist. I got nervous watching this.
What about hair? Is it advisable to shave the area beneath the watch?
Yeah
100!
🙌
I have a very simple method to get the exact heart rate! Simply letting the watch measure double up through the wrist and chest by applying the sensor at the heart through the belt. The watch measures the wrist and the belt measures the chest. And thereby you can see the correct measurement afterwards.
Does arm hair affect the results ?
Yes, a substantial amount of hair can interfere with the sensor
Thanks for the Video 👍🏻
Is it Right, that Apple Watch 7 is having the best, fastest and accurate Heart Rate Sensor?
Apple seems to have the most accurate sensor at the moment but it doesn't necessarily track your HR all the time. When not working out it only takes periodic measurements. Garmin is a very close second at this point with their 4th gen elevate HR sensors which do track 24/7. Thanks!
@@DesFit Thank you 🙂
I have dark skin and my watch won’t take my heart rate accurately, what else can I do?
You are obviously ripped to shreds.
A diet video would be awesome!
Maybe one day! Thanks Rich!
Bought my 1st Garmin, Epix 2, and sometimes I don't get a reading. I have tattoos on both arms so now I know why. Thanks for explaining this, I will try the hack.
Hopefully it works for you 👍 Thanks!
Talk too fast.
You can set the video to .75X playback speed in the RUclips player settings which may help.