FitBit Charge HR vs Apple Watch Reporting

anthonymattas
anthonymattas Posts: 7 Member
edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
So I've been wearing both my Apple Watch and FitBit Charge HR today for my every day activities. I also went for a 5K jog as well this morning.

The Apple Watch is registering 6,989 steps with an adjustment of 281 calories. The Fitbit is registering about 1,000 steps more at 7,944 steps - but a calorie adjustment of a whopping 708 calories.

Digging in a little more according to the Fitbit app it clocked my workout as burning 608 calories, versus the 373 calories the Apple Watch claimed I burnt. (Again this was a 5K run with a lot of hills). Even more interesting was the Watch seemed more accurate on my heart at 182 bpm max, versus 170 on fitbit.

So what's likely the more accurate calorie burn? 373 during a 5K or 608 during a 5K?

Replies

  • anthonymattas
    anthonymattas Posts: 7 Member
    Interestingly Runtastic estimated it was 496 calories, or about right in the middle. It looks like Apple Watch may not be taking elevation into account in their calculation?
  • louubelle16
    louubelle16 Posts: 579 Member
    When I run 5km, my Runkeeper app estimates my calorie burn as between 300-350 cal, depending on my speed, and MFP does about the same, as does the treadmill at the gym. Whilst I know they all have their flaws, as they are all in the same range, so I would be shocked if it were over 600! My PT also has always given me a rough estimate of 100cal per mile, so that works out roughly right. I would therefore be inclined to suggest the 608 estimate is well out...
  • anthonymattas
    anthonymattas Posts: 7 Member
    So my Apple Watch is a little more conservative than MFP/RunKeeper, but way more in line than my FitBit Charge HR. I'll have to try a few more tests to see if this was just an anomaly or if the FitBit Charge HR isn't as accurate as I thought it was.

    The Heart Rate difference really caught me off guard - on the device at one time one was reporting 151 on FitBit and 182 on Apple Watch, and that was after being about a mile in.
  • anthonymattas
    anthonymattas Posts: 7 Member
    Either I need to go to the doc and get an echo stat - or FitBit Charge HR loses accuracy at higher heart rates (which I've heard other people complain about as well)
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
    Apple watch is reporting the activity calories without the normal BMR calories added. The others are reporting both. In any case, a 5K is going to burn 300 to 400 calories (activity + BMR) unless you weigh way over 200 lbs.
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