Are fitbits remotely accurate?

[Wulver]

So I've been using my blaze for quite a few months nows and I've noticed the tracking is a bit odd and today I realised why.

First off I can take the watch off and some how it can still detect my bpm. I can leave it sitting for any length of time and it'll still have a bpm. Even if it doesn't have a bpm reading all I need to do is pick the watch up, shake it side to side and not only will I get a bpm reading but it will start to rise as I'm shaking it, even though I'm holding it by the strap or frame. 

Shaking the watch also registers steps, which I've noticed is completely useless as it registers steps for everything. Sitting at a desk moving my hands counts as steps.

Since both bpm and step count change by themselves I've noticed my calories burned also goes up even when I'm not wearing the watch.

I've got to say that for the money and the fact it's targeted for fitness, I expected it to be accurate enough to rely on it, at least a little. But every reading on it is pretty useless atm.

Take your readings with a pinch of salt people.

[Baltoscott · Accepted solution]

Probably not accurate enough to use for pace counts in a pirate's map for buried treasure.  🙂  

But they are good enough to automatically collect and record data that can help you with your health.  Fitbits (and similar trackers) are good for recording your fitness trends so that you can look at them over time, and they provide a decent starting point for evaluating diet and calorie burn. This can help you make adjustments to improve your diet and activity level.  But they can, of course, be fooled.  Hand movements while sitting at a desk will not represent a large portion of your daily steps unless you are really TRYING to register steps while sitting at your desk.  If you are acting normally those types of "steps" -- whatever they are -- will be roughly the same day to day and will not fool you into thinking you did a lot of extra exercise.  To be sure, there are some activities that create exceptions, (I've heard that knitting and playing drums, does), but in the 5 minutes I've spent drafting this response, my CH2 has not registered any steps.  

As far as detecting BPM while off.  If the tracker is moving (in your pocket, say) the reader will be looking for a pulse and will often pick up noise.  If you leave on the table for a few minutes and later look at your daily HR records, you will see data gaps.

Finally, your daily calories go up in the app, whether you wear your Blaze or not, because your total calories include your basal metabolic rate (BMR).  This calorie burn number goes up throughout the day and then resets to zero at midnight.

[Rich_Laue]

I take a walk, counting my steps in my head. With a  500 step walk, the tracker |gives me 489 -500 steps. I say tyat is peetty accurate. 

Now since tour tracker us mkunted on your arm, can you tell me what body part the tracker is monitoring?