Can You Trust the Data from Your Wearable? A Critical Evaluation of Heart Rate and HRV Accuracy

Abstract

This study critically evaluated four wearable devices for their accuracy in measuring heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) against a gold-standard monitor. Surprisingly, even a widely used research-grade device did not outperform consumer models, particularly during physical activity. The findings underscore the importance of validating wearable technologies before using them in research and caution users against overreliance on closed, proprietary algorithms that may produce unreliable data during daily use.