Garmin Fenix 3HR - FAKE HR

[bertusras]

I recently got a FR 225 and i must agree, used it with a belt and compared it to the results and it was out with 1 bpm. Also read up quite a bit about it on DCrainmaker and his testing was also that Garmin's optical HR is spot on compared to a belt.

 

Maybe your unit is faulty? Is it maybe not too loose? Have you given it to someone else to wear and compare?

 

Ditto. FR225 and Wahoo Strap+Edge, just about exactly the same.

[Brett]

wow. dont know what to say, I was going to pull the trigger on the Fenix 3, but now WHAT? Guess Ill stick to my current unit.

[Bigjim]

Mine is spot on - when measured against Cycle-Ops Garmin chest strap

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Mate of mine's is also spot on. May be a faulty unit. Is it running the most recent firmware?

[Irvin85]

Mate of mine's is also spot on. May be a faulty unit. Is it running the most recent firmware?

Everything is updated, this is then my second faulty unit as it is a in guarantee replacement watch. 2 weeks old 

[shaper]

Do you wear the watch tight enough, you have not said?

 

Ping Gerald24, he did an extensive write up of his 735XT (which uses the same optical reader) and his 310XT with HR Strap and was pretty spot on.

 

As an aside I have a Mio optical HR monitor which I wear on my wrist when running and sometimes cycling and have no issues and compares well with the normal HRM Strap

[Irvin85]

Do you wear the watch tight enough, you have not said?

 

Ping Gerald24, he did an extensive write up of his 735XT (which uses the same optical reader) and his 310XT with HR Strap and was pretty spot on.

 

As an aside I have a Mio optical HR monitor which I wear on my wrist when running and sometimes cycling and have no issues and compares well with the normal HRM Strap

I have adjusted the watch during exercises and tightened it so that it cannot move at all.

 

I will move it a bit up on my arm and see if that makes any difference. Will keep everyone posted.

Maybe I will return with egg on my face on monday.   

[Steven Knoetze (sk27)]

So I just bought a Fenix 3 and had the oppertunity to get a Fenix 3 HR.

I saw this thread earlier and had that in the back of my mind.

The HR model reading 73 on a counter top kinda put me off..........

[lurkerza]

Mine is the same - I use the chest strap for 99% of my workouts now, otherwise I get about a 20% lower reading on my HR - I have found when running that it becomes more accurate after a while of use - but this is not the same when cycling.  I have put it down to me having rather puny wrists.  I have used my wife's Apple watch and that thing is dead accurate! I'm  not too fussed about it anymore, I'm used to using the chest strap from before so not the end of the world

[Warthog]

I have adjusted the watch during exercises and tightened it so that it cannot move at all.

 

I will move it a bit up on my arm and see if that makes any difference. Will keep everyone posted.

Maybe I will return with egg on my face on monday.   

 

I have exactly the same issues... Then it catches HR, then it doesn't, then it's correct, then it's way off, have tried everything, loose, tighter, tightest, moved it up, moved it down, sideways, changed wrists, even bliksemed it a couple of times...

 

Have actually given up...

[Tubehunter]

Do you use the wrist based HR for anything other than training? e.g. resting heart rate monitoring etc? What's the heartrate readings like when you aren't exercising? Is it accurate before you elevate your heartrate?

 

If yes to the above, get the heartrate belt and keep the watch. That way you have everything you need. 

[Warthog]

Do you use the wrist based HR for anything other than training? e.g. resting heart rate monitoring etc? What's the heartrate readings like when you aren't exercising? Is it accurate before you elevate your heartrate?

 

If yes to the above, get the heartrate belt and keep the watch. That way you have everything you need. 

Tube, I basically wear mine permanently as a watch, and it's the same whether I'm cycling, or resting or sitting or sleeping or whatever. For example, this morning when I got up it showed my RHR as 38.

It's just not reliable.

[Pieterlab1]

I call bull****!

I have a Polar V650 with HR strap and a Fenix 3 HR. Tested it on 4 rides now and the HR readings are almost identical. You are doing somthing wrong or there's too much fat on your wrist. Tattoos? Too much hair? I cannot even!!!

[beachless]

I have a TomTom and water is my watches worse enemy. I have this habit of rinsing off my watch when I get to fresh water and it always has issues after that. It took me a while to figure that out. Sweating as I ride seems to be OK though and it's fine with my hairy arms.

 

I'm with the others it's likely that there is something throwing it off. Try keeping your watch and arm dry before the ride and make sure it's away from the wrist bone and reasonably tight and see how that goes. Or just wear a arm/chest sensor.

[AlanD]

I haven't had anything issues with my Fenix HR although i have nothing to measure it against as its my first HR. Im also not too fussed with to the beat accuracy.

 

The simple solution for you is to just use the chest strap.

[IceCreamMan]

My results from tests differ to yrs in that I find it pretty accurate compared to strap. The only difference being a slight delay in recording which is no more than 30 seconds or so. I dislike wearing a strap so enjoy the wrist monitor.

 

Strap is not 100 percent accurate either. I have read it is about 91 percent accurate an wrist based system around 86%. In my testing average an max are pretty spot on.