Well, Actually: A Fitness Tracker Is Only as Good as Its Heart Rate Data, and Someone Finally Bothered to Check
Matt Evans of TechRadar tested the Garmin Cirqa against a 'gold standard' electrical heart rate strap. The device is positioned as a Whoop rival. Evans evaluated whether its optical sensors match the accuracy of a chest-worn electrical monitor.
This teaches you that validation matters more than marketing. Consumer wearables make claims about biometric accuracy that you should verify against established benchmarks. Your training decisions depend on data quality, not brand prestige.
Matt Evans, TechRadar's fitness and wearable technology specialist, conducted the comparative testing. He used a professional-grade electrical heart rate strap as his reference standard.
Step 1: Put on your current fitness tracker and note its resting heart rate reading. Step 2: Take your pulse manually at your wrist for 60 seconds, counting each beat. Step 3: Compare the two numbers; if they differ by more than 5 beats per minute, your device's optical sensor may be unreliable for zone-based training.