Heart Rate Extremely Inaccurate, Microsoft Says Band is Entry-Level Device

[DroidUser42]

I noticed the Band is only showing "locked" in only 5 out of your 15 photos. I'm not sure if that's due to rapid change or poor signal quality. My last chart was locked 39 out of 46 a big improvement over the 40 out of 61 of my first one.

I'd think any lag is due to signal issues, since the display updates (changes) quite frequently.

 

[jwpear]

I'd think any lag is due to signal issues, since the display updates (changes) quite frequently.

I don't know how I would control the signal issues. Does that mean a faulty sensor?

I've tried wearing it in different ways to improve the HR lock. Snug, very tight, a little lose, top of wrist, under wrist, north of bone (toward elbow), and south of bone. I wish MS would provide better wear guidance than "not too tight and not too lose" that I got in one of their Band owner emails.

That's assuming a full heart means that it's locked and hollow means that it can't get a good measurement. Full makes sense because that's what it says when you tap the me tile to check your heart rate. It seems hollow means that it isn't getting a good reading, but I haven't seen the actual definition of the hollow heart in any official documentation. It's hollow a lot for me. If anyone has seen an official legend published by MS, please point to it.

@DroidUser42, thanks for the thoughts on this.

 

[DroidUser42]

That's assuming a full heart means that it's locked and hollow means that it can't get a good measurement. Full makes sense because that's what it says when you tap the me tile to check your heart rate. It seems hollow means that it isn't getting a good reading, but I haven't seen the actual definition of the hollow heart in any official documentation. It's hollow a lot for me. If anyone has seen an official legend published by MS, please point to it.

I'm making the same assumption. I'd also like to see more detail on just what that means. I have seen the reading change even though the heart is hallow, so it's not quite "no signal". And I've noticed that the accuracy improves in about 3-4 seconds after it goes to full heart. So it seems meaningful, but I wish we had better guidance or better tools as to how to find a solid signal for our own situation. It can make the difference between a keeper and a return.

 

[Sublimation7]

I can't post links unfortunately, but for anyone curious as to how the Microsoft band checks heart rate please google "this is how the microsoft band checks your heart rate" and click first link.

 

[smurfalarm]

I'm making the same assumption. I'd also like to see more detail on just what that means. I have seen the reading change even though the heart is hallow, so it's not quite "no signal". And I've noticed that the accuracy improves in about 3-4 seconds after it goes to full heart. So it seems meaningful, but I wish we had better guidance or better tools as to how to find a solid signal for our own situation. It can make the difference between a keeper and a return.

Hollow heart means "acquiring", full heart means "locked". My guess is that all it means is that the number it displays while "acquiring" is an uncertain estimate based on data the Band has gathered so far. Heart rate isn't an instantaneous physical measurement, it's a calculated statistic. Imagine if instead of wearing a Band, you have me there measuring your pulse on your wrist. If I measure your pulse for 5 seconds and count 8 beats, I could tell you your heart rate is somewhere around 95 bpm. If I kept on measuring to make it 20 seconds and 37 beats total, then I could tell you your heart rate is about 110 bpm. The 95 bpm isn't "wrong", but I know it is less accurate than the 110 bpm because it is from a much shorter sample.

 

[DroidUser42]

I can't post links unfortunately, but for anyone curious as to how the Microsoft band checks heart rate please google "this is how the microsoft band checks your heart rate" and click first link.

I didn't get an exact match. My first link is Track your heart rate which is pretty basic and This is how often the Microsoft Band checks your heart rate which much better, but still leaves some questions unanswered.

Are you referring to a different link? You can post it by "spelling out" the domain.

 

[dainla]

Biking. I live in an area with lots of hills, my ride is pretty up and down after about 13 minutes. Tried to keep my heartrate above 140.

 

[dbregman]

Biking. I live in an area with lots of hills, my ride is pretty up and down after about 13 minutes.
..

How accurate do you think it was based upon your perceived effort?

 

[dainla]

How accurate do you think it was based upon your perceived effort?

Pretty accurate. Maybe a little over on the calories but not too much.

 

[RiftPoint]

I finally tried comparing my band's heart rate reading with the treadmill's at my gym as I was cooling down from my run this morning, but it was within 2-4bpm. It also seems to recognize my HR fairly accurately during my strength training exercises as well. While I was actually doing the exercises it was constantly fluctuating (upward trend), but then again so was my actual perceived HR... I've never used a chest strap heart rate before (only treadmill ones), so I'll disclaim that I have no prior experience to gauge the accuracy on. I've included my HR graphs, what do you guys think? (By the way, the GPS off Treadmill running definitely IS extremely inaccurate, I was running about a 7'45" pace, almost 2mi total distance according to the treadmill)

 

[Joe920]

Just did another ride with the band while also wearing the HRM strap of my Garmin FR305. The band was on my left wrist, screen down. Something seems to be wrong with my unit, because this time the curves don't even look alike, see below. The red curve is the Garmin data plotted on the runtastic website. I put a marker at 160BPM on both for comparison. One is vs. time and one vs. distance, so you can't compare the horizontal scales, but it's clear that the band thinks I basically never went over 160bpm except for three short spikes.

​By the way, I hadn't restarted the band since I got it, so maybe that's the problem. I restarted it once after this ride, and I'll check if that improves things for mine. And otherwise a reset may be in order.

 

[Upstate Dunadan]

I was at the gym the other day doing an exercise that had my heart rate pegged. I looked down and my HR monitor was showing 70-80, which I know was way off. I've noticed the Band does lag slightly in catching up to actual HR but this was different.

First thing I did was loosen the Band a touch. I had snugged it up a good bit to keep it from sliding down during my exercise, more actually than normal. As soon as I loosened it, the HR caught up. I'm thinking too tight isn't good for the HR monitoring.

How tight do you wear it?

 

[solidsnakejv]

I've done many workouts, both runs and strength training, and I have compared the band's HR readings with the polar loop and H7 chest strap HR monitor.
I can definitely say that the band gives and average of 10 beats per minute under what the H7 does.

For the just part, the band is accurate up until about 150 beats, but it has a hard time when I go over that. The band barely read anything above 180.

 

[DroidUser42]

I've played with the Band some more. At least for my body, arm movement (in my case, arm swing when walking) seems to confuse it. But if I keep my arm still, then I get a solid reading. It makes sense that arm flexing can cause false pulses of blood flow. How much depends on the individual body.

Where the HR sensor rests on your arm can make a difference, but I can't find any broad statements beyond that. I'm hopeful that MS can work out better software filters for it's sensor. Because an HR sensor that flakes out when you're active isn't all that useful.

 

[teemulehtinen]

At gym, I've seen peaks of over 180bpm but they don't get registered as highest heart rate at the end of the day when the data of session is on the phone.

I have worn the Band as watch, which means that every time I curl our squeeze my forearm, the contract with heart rate sensor loosens. Next week I will try wearing it the other way around, screen inside wrist.

I think it seriously lacks behind the actual rate when getting 160-180 range, but I have no comparative data to prove it other than my feeling and experience of level of stress, which, after 25 odd years of fitness should be relatively accurate. Our then not...

 

[greyskytheory]

At gym, I've seen peaks of over 180bpm but they don't get registered as highest heart rate at the end of the day when the data of session is on the phone.

I have worn the Band as watch, which means that every time I curl our squeeze my forearm, the contract with heart rate sensor loosens. Next week I will try wearing it the other way around, screen inside wrist.

I think it seriously lacks behind the actual rate when getting 160-180 range, but I have no comparative data to prove it other than my feeling and experience of level of stress, which, after 25 odd years of fitness should be relatively accurate. Our then not...

I've had the exact same problem and posted numerous graphs depicting the data discrepancies between the Band and my Suunto Ambit 1. I've accepted that for any rigorous training where I will perform dynamic and or compound movements and have quick rises and drops in HR the Band can not be depended on. It's too hit lr miss with HR tracking for me. For the overall functionality of the device it's nice to have but if it was the sole method of tracking my workout stats I would be disappointed. It's excellent for steady state cardio though. I've had no problem when taking it on a long boring run.

 

[DroidUser42]

I've had no problem when taking it on a long boring run.

I wish I could say the same. All my graphs have been based on "mall walking" and do not inspire confidence. It may be a difference in body type/fitness.

 

[realwarder]

At gym, I've seen peaks of over 180bpm but they don't get registered as highest heart rate at the end of the day when the data of session is on the phone.

I have worn the Band as watch, which means that every time I curl our squeeze my forearm, the contract with heart rate sensor loosens. Next week I will try wearing it the other way around, screen inside wrist.

I think it seriously lacks behind the actual rate when getting 160-180 range, but I have no comparative data to prove it other than my feeling and experience of level of stress, which, after 25 odd years of fitness should be relatively accurate. Our then not...

The Daily view definitely has a bug. I have examples of workouts in a day with a peak of X where the daily chart doesn't show it... it's like that shows a peak of averaged data or something.

 

[teemulehtinen]

The Daily view definitely has a bug. I have examples of workouts in a day with a peak of X where the daily chart doesn't show it... it's like that shows a peak of averaged data or something.

And not only. Even the exercise sum up shows an averaged heart rate. Only yesterday, I had peaks of heart rate after lifting heavy that were above 175 several times and I saw it tipping at 180 at least twice. The Band's exercise summary shows only 175 as max. and for some reason shows 170 as the max in the mauve box.

 

[rambo47]

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