Blaze and strollers/carts

[BlazeMoMX4]

I recently got a Fitbit Blaze and am having trouble getting it to log my steps and activity. How can I get it to track my steps while pushing a double stroller or cart?

[JohnRi · Accepted solution]

My Surge never registered steps when I was pushing a cart.  I just got a Blaze and I think it will be the same issue.  When you have your hand on the cart that has your watch, it can't detect the movement from your steps.  Really the only solutions, is push the cart with your other hand, and keep your other arm down, and moving on your side.  Yeah I know it sucks...

[SunsetRunner]

I went the the grocery store yesterday a Dan wore my Charge HR on one wrist and the Blaze on the other and the Blaze was 40% less than the Charge HR in step count.

[Rich_Laue]

When wearing your tracker on the wrist, while bussing a cart. Hold yhe cart losely and ypu should get more real steps credited. Hold tight and the tracker trends to count the umps as steps.

[JenaB]

I have the same problem when running with my kids in their jogging stroller. Its too hard to push a double stroller with one hand and when my arm isn't moving I don't get the steps. Does anyone have suggestions or solutions that involve still keeping both hands on the stroller?! When I upgraded from the Flex to the Blaze, I thought this problem would go away, but I guess not 😞

[emccormick]

I also upgraded from the flax to the blaze with hopes that this issue was resolved. Along with the device counting steps while rocking in a chair.

[SunsetRunner]

Wierd. I have had my Blaze for two days. I started to mow the yard yesterday with a push mower and it counted all my steps. I would count and look at the watch and it was pretty accurate. Went out today to start finishing it up and did the same thing. It worked. Haven't tried with a stroller or cart yet, but I would think that it would work if it works with a mower. I was happy that it counted while doing the yard since I spend about two hours a week doing this. 

[smickie]

I did this when I took my neice to the zoo and had to push the stroller all day. 

I removed my tracker from the watch (as if I was going to charge it) and put it inside my bra.  Yeah, I know it sounds weird, but I could feel it there and knew it wasn't going anywhere.  My son attached his Fitbit Zip to my shoe laces, and I had a Charge HR on my wrist.  (Just to be sure, as this had happened before.)

Result:  The Zip had more steps than the Blaze, the Blaze had more steps than the Charge HR.  The wrist had about 10k steps.  The bra picked up about 25k steps.  And the shoe picked up about 40k steps.

[racertempo]

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@emccormick wrote:
I also upgraded from the flax to the blaze with hopes that this issue was resolved. Along with the device counting steps while rocking in a chair.

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The problem is there was nothing "wrong" to fix.

[racertempo]

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@SunsetRunner wrote:

Wierd. I have had my Blaze for two days. I started to mow the yard yesterday with a push mower and it counted all my steps. I would count and look at the watch and it was pretty accurate. Went out today to start finishing it up and did the same thing. It worked. Haven't tried with a stroller or cart yet, but I would think that it would work if it works with a mower. I was happy that it counted while doing the yard since I spend about two hours a week doing this. 

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I have said that on here many times.......I am with you.  I get steps 100% of the time when mowing the lawn or pushing a regular stroller on the bumpy greenway.  

The issue is that people holding the strollers or carts have their hand in a fixed position AND the surface is so smooth there is little to no vibration to be felt.....mall or giant warehouse stores are examples.  In those rare instance the one hand is an option or putting the tracker in your pocket.   It does stink the most for the exercise when jogging with a stroller that has those large wheels that are designed to be super smooth....because you want the HR with the exercise.

No fitness tracker will be 100% perfect in these instances, otherwise it would be counting too many steps when it should not and people would be on here complaining about that too 🙂

[bbarrera]

The problem for many long-time Fitbitters is that Fitbit Zip and One are accurate step counters when pushing a stroller or cart.

[Colinm39]

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@bbarrera wrote:

The problem for many long-time Fitbitters is that Fitbit Zip and One are accurate step counters when pushing a stroller or cart.

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@bbarrera The Fitbit One is the reason why I have Multi Fitbit on my Android. If I'm doing a great deal of shopping trolley or pushing my daughter in her wheelchair I turn off the Blaze on the wrist, allow the One to count the steps. When I'm back to a normal walking situation I sync the One and then turn on the Blaze and sync it.  Perfect result.

I also agree with the shopping trolley and pushing the trolley on a pebble surfaced pavement outside a supermarket... 100% steps because of the vibration.

[racertempo]

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@bbarrera wrote:

The problem for many long-time Fitbitters is that Fitbit Zip and One are accurate step counters when pushing a stroller or cart.

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Of course it counts since it is on your hip or in your pocket.  Pushing anything would not affect those, but then you don't have the HR function in those products either.  I would be interested to see how Jawbone, Garmin, and others track steps with a HR function on when pushing a stroller or cart in a mall.  

The blaze will 100% work if you put it in your pocket, then you get the same data you get when using the Zip or the One.  I just don't see a perfect solution to this, and I know it is frustrating for people, but nothing will be 100% for all people all of the time.

[bbarrera]

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@Colinm39 wrote:

@bbarrera The Fitbit One is the reason why I have Multi Fitbit on my Android. If I'm doing a great deal of shopping trolley or pushing my daughter in her wheelchair I turn off the Blaze on the wrist, allow the One to count the steps. When I'm back to a normal walking situation I sync the One and then turn on the Blaze and sync it.  Perfect result.

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You don't need a One or Zip, just a supported MobileTrack phone in your pocket (thats what I do):

http://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/1875/?q=mobiletrack&l=en_US&fs=Search&pn=1

[KBiv78]

My Charge HR counts "steps" when I knit!! 

[Rich_Laue]

@KBiv78 That's possible,  the Blaze is mounted on your arm and looking at arm motions. 

[gulisao18]

I usually will loop it through my shoe laces and that seems to work! 

[Socrates777usa]

My guess is that the charge was on your dominant wrist. Try them on the same wrist. 

[Mrs.Jorgensen]

I have two kids, a two year old and six month old and I use my double stroller all the time! Went to the Minnesota Zoo yesterday and about an hour and a half in, i realized my Blaze wasn't picking up any of my steps! I am so sad, but I'm definitely going to try this bra trick since I know it's not going anywhere like you LOL and also I'm super sad because I upgraded from the flex as well and that did count my steps while pushing the double stroller! I love my Blaze and I really hope for a solution in the future so I don't have to put it in my bra. #boobsweat 😂

[AlejandraFitbit]

A warm welcome to the Community @Socrates777usa and @Mrs.Jorgensen.

If you're doing something like pushing a stroller or shopping cart, your tracker will count your steps but the total may be slightly lower than usual since your arms are not totally moving. Since you can take off your Blaze wristband, you can place the pebble another place like the pocket of your jeans. Now about the bra, that doesn't sound that bad but just keep in mind in clean the tracker after for the sweat. 

I hope this helps, let me know the outcome.