Assessing Heart Rate Using Consumer Technology Association Standards

It is difficult for developers, researchers, and consumers to compare results among emerging wearable technology without using a uniform set of standards. This study evaluated the accuracy of commercially available wearable technology heart rate (HR) monitors using the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) standards. Participants (N = 23) simultaneously wore a Polar chest strap (criterion measure), Jabra Elite earbuds, Scosche Rhythm 24 armband, Apple Watch 4, and Garmin Forerunner 735 XT during sitting, activities of daily living, walking, jogging, running, and cycling, totaling 57 min of monitored activity. The Apple Watch mean bias was within ±1 bpm, and mean absolute percent error (MAPE) was 10% during sedentary, lifestyle, walk-jog, and running. The Jabra mean bias was within ±5 bpm for each condition, and MAPE exceeded 10% for walk-jog. The Scosche mean bias was within ±1 bpm and MAPE was <5% for all conditions. In conclusion, only the Apple Watch Series 4 and the Scosche Rhythm 24 displayed acceptable agreement across all conditions. By employing CTA standards, future developers, researchers, and consumers will be able to make true comparisons of accuracy among wearable devices.