Apple Watch Heart Rate cuts in half until I start walking to cool off, then the heart rate pops up again

Question

Apple Watch Heart Rate cuts in half until I start walking to cool off, then the heart rate pops up again

Just bought the series 3 apple watch, and the heart rate sensor STILL *****! I was really hoping they would fix this with the new model.

I did a treadmill run today and the watch will work ok for the beginning of the workout (I warmup by walking for the first 5 minutes, then start running and the heart rate rises, but then the heart rate cuts in half until I start walking to cool off, then the heart rate pops up again). This "cutting in half" phenomenon has happened with all the apple watches I have owned.

I have owned the original watch (replaced it once at the apple store because of this problem, but it didn’t help), then I got the series 1, and now the series 3. I have tried tightening and loosening the band. I have no tattoos. I have tried different bands.

Apple quit touting this as an effective fitness tool or fix it!😠

Posted on Oct 1, 2017 10:36 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Jonathan UK

Level 10

164,021 points

Oct 1, 2017 10:43 AM in response to black banshee

Hi

Apple advises that, even under ideal conditions, Apple Watch may not be able to record a reliable heart rate reading every time for everybody.

Besides wrist tattoos (which you have advised that you do not have), other issues that can impact sensor performance include skin perfusion, which can vary by person:

Your heart rate. What it means, and where on Apple Watch you’ll find it. - Apple Support
Get the most accurate measurements using your Apple Watch - Apple Support

As you continue to experience issues with recording your heart rate during workouts, for more consistent readings you may wish to consider pairing an external heart rate monitor / Bluetooth chest strap to your Apple Watch:

Use Bluetooth accessories with your Apple Watch - Apple Support

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Answer 2

Oct 1, 2017 12:35 PM in response to black banshee

Buy a cheap snug fitting sweatband from amazon or eBay and place the band over the watch on your wrist. While you lose the ability to glance at the screen, if done correctly, you will get much more accurate heartbeat tracking during intense workouts. If anyone uses his idea to design an elastic sweatband band for the Apple Watch, it’d be cool if you sent some royalties my way 😉

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Answer 3

Oct 2, 2017 5:24 PM in response to Jonathan UK

Yes I'm well aware of Apple's disclaimer, it's the same story they have been telling for nearly 3 years. I was simply hoping they would spend some of their hundreds of billions of dollars in profit on actually making their "revolutionary fitness tool" work properly as a heart rate monitor. I was cutting them some slack for the first generation or two of the watch, but this is now the FOURTH generation.

If there's any good news, Watch OS4 now easily plots the heart rate during workouts so one can see the laughable inaccuracy. Here's an elliptical workout from today:

The heart rate isn't even close and it jumps all over the place (I know it's in the 135-145 range).

Don't get me wrong, I like the watch for other reasons, I'm just venting here under the likely pointless hope that Apple tries a little bit harder!

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Answer 4

Oct 1, 2017 11:01 AM in response to black banshee

I'm amazed that anyone finds the AppleWatch gives a reliable HR reading and I don't buy the argument that the watch shows 50% of the actual reading, in my experience the watch is far less accurate or reliable than that. In fact on its own its totally unreliable for me and like the proverbial broken clock which is right twice a day I even occasionally find it accurate. I've tried turning the watch around so it reads the bottom of my wrist, I tried a special strap that straps my watch sans bands to my upper arm supposedly for more accurate readings with no luck. I bought one of those new "don't call it velcro, velcro straps" to get a tighter fit without success. However I use a compatible Polar HRM and band on my chest and sync my apple watch to it via bluetooth and of course that gives me accurate HR readings regardless of the activity. I don't think that HR technology using light to read blood flow is a very accurate technology at this point, for that there's nothing Apple can do at the moment. But you're right, pitching the watch as a fitness device is questionable at best. Fortunately I find several other uses which make the watch worthwhile.

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