As if Fitbit didn’t have enough public relations problems when along comes a recent study that claims its heart rate trackers are so inaccurate as to not even be trusted. So claims researchers at the California State Polytechnic University and their results just seem to provide more ammunition for the class action lawsuit that Fitbit was hit with in January. In fact, the law firm that is pursuing the class action against Fitbit funded the study.
When the California State researchers made their comparisons, they found wild swings in accuracy. The researchers compared some generated electrocardiogram readings with the readings generated from Fitbit’s Pure Pulse sensors in their Surge and Charge HR trackers and they discovered that the Fitbit readings could be off as much as twenty beats per minute.
Despite these research findings, the class action lawsuit still may be a tough battle to win because the actual product manual for the Fitbit devices specifically tell the users that the heart rate sensors may not be accurate. Movement it seems, according to the manual, “may prevent the sensor from finding an accurate heart rate”.
One of the points of the lawsuit is to try and bring Fitbit to account for putting their disclaimers about their heart rate trackers buried deep within their operating manuals. People have been buying their products expecting both reliability and safety. Trouble continues for the company as investors showed little, if any, interest in its new Blaze watch. Many thought it too close to Apple’s new watch and considered the Apple technology to be superior.
PHOTO CREDIT” Pixabay