Fitbit Charge HR question

AlyM725

I have a question for those that have a Fitbit, particularly the Fitbit Charge HR. My father suffers from atrial fibrillation. Sometimes he doesn't even realize he is in afib. However, a heart rate monitor would tell him he's in afib, because his heart rate jumps around. We've been looking at heart rate monitors, and they're so expensive. I have been looking at Fitbits, and wondering if it would get the job done. Here are my questions:

Does Fibit Charge HR continuously monitor and display heart rate? Or does it just take a reading every so often

Do you need a smartphone with an app to set it up and/or use it? My father doesn't have a smartphone, just a flip phone

ASKyle

I have one and I do not believe it would be a good option for what you're looking for.

I think you need something far more accurate, with a chest strap. Surely there are some heart rate monitors that are in the $100-150 range of the Charge HR?

ETA you do need a smart phone for the app or a computer.

NorthCascades

My girlfriend had a Fitbit Charge HR for months but ultimately returned it due to a lack of accuracy, especially at high heart rates. She was using it for exercise and general fitness, which are important but probably less crucial than your father's purpose. I wouldn't risk it, personally.

Is this something he intends to monitor 24/7, or only certain times? Polar's H7 strap is very highly reputed and can be had for much less than the Fitbit you're looking at. It can also send its data to a smart phone. But it isn't something you'd want to wear every hour of every day.

PiperGirl08

I have a FitBit HR that I no longer use due to its extreme inaccuracy, even at rest for me. I have a resting heart rate of 45. I dug it out just a few weeks ago for a work-related challenge and it showed my heart rate at 110, 112, 115, etc. I confirmed that it was actually down in the 50s and 60s at the time. I kind of panicked at first, but then recalled reading an article about a woman who went running to her doctor for much the same reason. The problem was with the HR.

I read a different article several months ago about a kid who had an unknown heart condition, but that the heart rate readings of his apple watch pointed out something that proved to be lifesaving (I'm sorry, I don't recall the details of the story). Unfortunately, I have since read that Apple has changed the algorithm in their heart rate feature so it is no longer as accurate as it used to be.

I have a Mio Fuse that is supposed to be EKG accurate. It corresponds closely to my EKG-accurate Polar H7 chest strap at rest and at low intensity. With the Mio, you can turn on the heart rate feature and tap the device to show heart rate at a given point in time. Heart rate is not logged in this mode. While in this mode, however, your heart rate will show continuously in the bluetooth-tethered app on a phone. I am not sure what the battery life of the device is in this mode, however.

Alternatively, you can set the Fuse to activity mode, in which case it will both monitor and log heart rate. Battery life in this mode is published at 8-10 hours.

As NorthCascades mentions, you can also go with a chest strap. I have bother Garmin and Polar chest straps and corresponding devices. In both cases, you must be in activity mode in order to monitor and log heart rate. I believe I have read, though, that the Polar H7 can be used independently of a device. I have not looked too deeply into this, however, so could be mistaken.

AlyM725

Thanks for your advice! I'll look up the suggestions that were posted and go from there. Its not necessarily something he'd wear all the time, just when afib is suspected. I appreciate your responses!