Fitbit – Misleading Device or Innovative Assistant?

Earlier last week a new study tried once again to discredit Fitbit trackers, specifically the Fitbit Surge and Fitbit Charge HR. Before the study came the lawsuit. It alleges that Fitbit wearables are not as accurate as the company claims. The plaintiffs, being led in this study by the lawyers who paid for the study conducted at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, allege that some of the wearable activity trackers are not as accurate as consumers have been led to believe and they blame Fitbit for misleading consumers. The researchers tested the Fitbit wearables against an electrocardiogram (EKG) and found an "extremely weak correlation" with actual users' heart rates.

Okay, so this has been a big question of debate since consumers started wearing activity trackers. There are threads dedicated to users praising how well the trackers log their heart rates and just as many threads dedicated to users explaining how poorly the devices seem to track heart rate. First, let me say I've been wearing activity trackers since 2014. First, it was the Fitbit Flex (without heart rate monitoring) and now it's the Fitbit Charge HR. I've lost weight and become a much more active person. Sure, this is because I had the dedication to track my calories, my activity, and I put in the time and effort. However, the Fitbit was my constant reminder of how well I was doing and how much more I could actually do. It provided information about calories burned, it tracked my active minutes, and it helped me learn more about nutrition and fitness. I did the work – but my Fitbit helped me stay motivated to learn more about how to improve my fitness and to actually do just that. 

An EKG is medical grade equipment and not a reasonable device for consistent use or tracking. Fitbit provides small wearable devices that are much more accessible, easier to use, and understandable for the general public. Can it provide near accurate heart rate tracking? For me, yes, most of the time. I've tracked it against other tracking equipment at the same time to see if it was similar. It almost always is the same or very close. I know some users say they see an issue if they push their heart rate very high suggesting it seems to struggle with keeping up when the heart rate goes too high for the device to track. I'm not sure about this, but I have noticed strange readings here and there. It's usually very rare and only a small spike at a single time of the day. It's possible for the Fitbit to give a false reading if the user is not wearing it at the appropriate location of the wrist. If I had to give it a guess, I'd say it's been correct (or as close as any wearable can be right now) about 95% of the time over the past year, for me.

The only real issue I can see here is for someone who is in poor health or has serious cardiovascular issues that needs to be monitored for risks. In this case, I would suggest working with a doctor and properly tracking all vitals. Start slowly and work your way up. Listen to your body and any signs that might show you are pushing yourself too hard. Your body and how you feel during any exercise is the first indication of any risks. A Fitbit will still be useful for this demographic because it will motivate them and show them just exactly how active they are in a day and how many calories in vs out they have – if they use it correctly and honestly. It's not a magical device that will help someone lose large amounts of weight instantaneously, but it will help if used for continuous, honest monitoring.

Otherwise, I guess my point is this, is Fitbit perfect – probably not and no other wearable is right now (unless you can use an EKG every time you exercise) - but it does its' job if you allow it. It helps you lose weight and become more active and healthier if you do the work. I wouldn't want anyone overdoing it because he or she didn't listen to the body's signs based on a false heart rate reading. I think it would also be a disservice to those who could use Fitbit devices to become healthier and more active if people discredit them so much that people just choose not to use them and stay stuck in the same place without trying something. Some users may be unhappy with the device because they feel it hasn't given them what they expected. Remember you cannot blame the device for not giving you the results you are not working for – you are in control and the device is just a helpful assistant.

-L.Burden