HRM - Poor Accuracy...

billykac

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This is basically a cross-post to a thread on the GalaxyWatch sub-reddit. For GW4 owners that read and post here, it's beneficial to be aware of the HRM issues that many of us owners experience.

Also, if anyone here has a fix, please let me know! Using the GW4 as tool to support exercise and health is a main goal for Samsung, and they are off the mark in this respect.

For me, I have the super-high HRM readings when exercising. At rest, the GW4 is relatively accurate, but it goes wildly off the charts when running. I have submitted an error report to Samsung, and they basically said to do a factory reset, which I am not inclined to do at this moment, given the time it would take to set the watch back up and the fact that I doubt that's the problem.

So, please weigh-in if you experience the same issue or if you have a suggested fix.

Thanks!
 

ABOSWORTH007

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I've been getting the stupid high readings as well on my runs and it's really annoying. I feel like it started happening a couple of updates ago. When I first got the watch, it seemed pretty accurate. Now I will start an easy run and it will spike up to 160+ when I know that is wrong. It generally eventually settles and I find it's better if I make sure it's pushed up further on my wrist but I'm not impressed at the moment. The last several runs, my HR has been way off for long periods, which also throws off the vo2 max.
 

billykac

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Thanks for your feedback.

By "further on your wrist", do you mean toward your hand?

Have you tried switching wrists? I did this yesterday on my run and it was way better, but that doesn't actually fix the problem.

Good to hear that you saw the higher readings with the last two updates. Maybe that means there's a chance that Samsung will get it right in a future update.
 

ABOSWORTH007

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Have you done anymore tests with the watch on your right wrist? I saw in your thread that you got better results doing that. Haven't tried that but I do have a tattoo on my right arm that would likely interfere.
 

ABOSWORTH007

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Thanks for your feedback.

By "further on your wrist", do you mean toward your hand?

Have you tried switching wrists? I did this yesterday on my run and it was way better, but that doesn't actually fix the problem.

Good to hear that you saw the higher readings with the last two updates. Maybe that means there's a chance that Samsung will get it right in a future update.
I mean further up like toward my elbow. It seems to get better readings if I keep it pushed up toward the elbow rather than letting it slide toward the hand.

I got the watch at launch (pre-order) and I definitely feel like it got worse with one of the recent updates. Not the last one, which I got last week but the one before that I think that I got maybe 3 or 4 weeks ago.

I'm with you, I wish the watch would support a chest strap. I'm waiting for the Fenix 7 and will probably move to that when it finally drops.
 

billykac

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Have you done anymore tests with the watch on your right wrist? I saw in your thread that you got better results doing that. Haven't tried that but I do have a tattoo on my right arm that would likely interfere.

No, I have just tried the other wrist once - yesterday. I'll test again tomorrow, as I run every other day.

The Polar H10 chest strap works great, but you need to use a separate app, Sporty Go, which does not sync data with Samsung Health. Samsung needs to provide BT to external monitors.

My previous watch was a Garmin VivoActive Music 3, about $275 a couple of years back. It did better with HRM, but nowhere near as accurate as the Polar strap - which is expected. The GW4 bests that Garmin on just about every other front other than HRM, and maybe GPS.
 

ABOSWORTH007

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No, I have just tried the other wrist once - yesterday. I'll test again tomorrow, as I run every other day.

The Polar H10 chest strap works great, but you need to use a separate app, Sporty Go, which does not sync data with Samsung Health. Samsung needs to provide BT to external monitors.

My previous watch was a Garmin VivoActive Music 3, about $275 a couple of years back. It did better with HRM, but nowhere near as accurate as the Polar strap - which is expected. The GW4 bests that Garmin on just about every other front other than HRM, and maybe GPS.
Yes, in familiar with the Sporty watch face. I just haven't bothered with it because it seems like a PITA and doesn't sync. I don't even have a chest strap yet because the Galaxy is my only watch. I love it but I'm a semi serious runner so I just feel like I should get a Garmin. Not sure how I will like button navigation and the lousy screen quality though. Maybe I should have two watches?

I might try the right wrist today but as I mentioned, I have a tattoo that might interfere. I usually run around 30 miles per week. GPS has been great for me on this watch. Spot on actually. No issues whatsoever.
 

theobject

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I've had issues with HRM with my Gear S2, AW2 and now GW4. In all cases the reading would spike during the start of the workout and then settle down after some time. My latest beef, which I posted in a different thread, is that when starting a cycling workout my HR gets picked up but after a couple of minutes it stops and it takes 10-15 minutes before it's picked up again.

I wear mine on my top of left wrist but during workouts I turn it under the wrist.
 

ABOSWORTH007

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Cool.

Report back on your wrist swap findings.
I did not try my right wrist today but I did put my watch band a notch tighter than I normally do on my runs. I usually wear it loser and always tighten it one notch for runs but today I tightened it 2 notches and made sure it stayed up on the wrist toward my elbow the whole time. I did not get any abnormally high readings today and it actually seemed pretty accurate. It was a faster run so my HR was a bit higher than my easy run days but it seemed to match my perceived effort and wasn't fluctuating all over the place.

I'd suggest making it a bit tighter on your next run.
 

billykac

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Here's an update after a number of runs and hikes since I posted this. This is my experience, your YMMV with HRM. So far, these results are highly repeatable and consistent.

When worn on my left wrist (preferred), I continue to get inflated HRM results. 10-20 beats higher in my low range (walking), 30-40 beats higher when under stress (running).

When worn further up my left arm - two fingers spacing between wrist bone and watch - HRM is spot on most of the time, and sometimes going a tad high, but then returning. Totally usable, for me. These results are the same on my right wrist.

So what does this mean to me? Well, I've been using HRM's for years during exercise, including a Garmin watch, and a Samsung GeatFit2 before that, and my preferred left wrist was never a problem. I had to go looking for a workable location for the GW4. This is inconvenient for me, but I can live with it. Samsung should look into exactly why this is an issue for so many GW4 owners.

Curiously, if I start a run with the GW4 positioned up my left arm, getting good HRM numbers, and then move it down to my left wrist during the run, the HRM numbers remain in the proper range. Why don't they spike back up as they normally do when I start a run with the watch on my left wrist? Hmm...

Maybe there is something for Samsung to fix here?
 

ABOSWORTH007

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Here's an update after a number of runs and hikes since I posted this. This is my experience, your YMMV with HRM. So far, these results are highly repeatable and consistent.

When worn on my left wrist (preferred), I continue to get inflated HRM results. 10-20 beats higher in my low range (walking), 30-40 beats higher when under stress (running).

When worn further up my left arm - two fingers spacing between wrist bone and watch - HRM is spot on most of the time, and sometimes going a tad high, but then returning. Totally usable, for me. These results are the same on my right wrist.

So what does this mean to me? Well, I've been using HRM's for years during exercise, including a Garmin watch, and a Samsung GeatFit2 before that, and my preferred left wrist was never a problem. I had to go looking for a workable location for the GW4. This is inconvenient for me, but I can live with it. Samsung should look into exactly why this is an issue for so many GW4 owners.

Curiously, if I start a run with the GW4 positioned up my left arm, getting good HRM numbers, and then move it down to my left wrist during the run, the HRM numbers remain in the proper range. Why don't they spike back up as they normally do when I start a run with the watch on my left wrist? Hmm...

Maybe there is something for Samsung to fix here?
I'm seeing similar results. Question though, when you let the watch fall back down and aren't seeing it spike back up. How long/far of a run are you talking about? I've found that it will give me the high readings if I let it slide down toward my wrist but only on my longer runs. My short runs are 3 or 4 miles and normal runs are about 5 or 6 miles with my long runs being 10 or 11. I will even see it creep back up on the 6 mile runs bit since I've been actively making sure it stays pushed toward my elbow, I've been getting much better results.
 

billykac

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I combine running and hiking - usually around 3 miles. I don't do longer runs now as I am overcoming shin splints.

I will be on the trail today. I'll check this out yet again.

Lastly, I don't let the watch fall down to my wrist to test in that position. I move it down and re-tighten to limit variables.
 

abbeybrown312

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My HRM was correct before the update, now it's all jacked up. I'm sitting at my desk at work and it's saying it's 106 when it should be low 80s. It stopped recording HR during my workout this morning as well. Grrrr
 

billykac

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I continue to try to figure out how best to use the HRM in the GW4. I exercise daily, and I want a decent HRM on my watch. I have a Polar H10, but unfortunately, Samsung does not provide a native app that provides a BT connection to that chest strap. My experiences with the GW4 have been unlike my previous Garmin, but also unlike my inexpensive GearFit2, surprisingly, in that both of those devices work well for me, right on my left wrist.

I am not sure that the recent OS update has done anything for HRM "accuracy", but I find that for me, the position of the GW4 seems to have everything to do with whether or not the GW4 has any value as an HRM - this is the same before and after the OS update. I have tested the GW4 on both wrists and up (towards the elbow) both arms. My findings have been generally consistent over time.

On my preferred left wrist, the GW4 continues to provide wildly inaccurate readings during strenuous exercise - like 20-40 bpms too high. I discovered that it's fairly accurate on my right wrist, and up both arms. But I find that wearing it up high, or switching wrists to be a bit of a PIA.

I found a recommendation on the Suunto site to wear their watch just two fingers above the wrist bone - not touching the wrist bone (where I usually wear it) and not uncomfortably up my arm. This seems to work well for me, but I need more exercise sessions to really prove this out.

I hope this helps others with the same crazy HRM readings that I was getting.