Blaze not being accurate

[RN60]

How do I tell my wife that the Fitbit Blaze she bought me for Christmas is wholly inaccurate across all data fields. She still thinks I'm really pleased with it. Have tried all the fixes raised by all of the concerns but now find myself checking to see how inaccurate the results are compared to my activity as opposed to checking my fitness. It can't measure my heart rate when rowing, it fails to recognise the stairs at my home and work most of the time. Very disappointed.

Moderator edit: Subject for clarity

[AlejandraFitbit]

It's great to welcome you @RN60. Could you please be more specific about the inconveniences you have with your Blaze? What is the information that it is not recording properly? In the meantime, I recommend restarting your Blaze and check our How accurate are Fitbit trackers? article.

Hope to hear from you soon. 

[RN60]

Hi Alejandra,

All data seems to be inaccurate. Stairs at my work are long and steep but fitbit misses too many for my liking, My stairs at home are short and shallow and Fitbit rarely recognises these. I accept that rowing activity is hard for Fitbit to pick up because of the wrist flexing but I still train by heart monitor so this is not such a worry. I can burn more calories sitting reading a book than I can doing a 3 mile walk. This morning I woke up and got up at 05:30 but my Fitbit says I was asleep until 06:12. I have tried all the steps listed on the Fitbit site and it would appear that I am not alone with issues. I was very excited to get a Fitbit but find that free training apps give it a run for its money. I am open to suggestion because the concept, appearance and potential is excellent. This is my first foray into complaining about an item on-line, brought on by the fact that it was gift which had high expectations from the giver. I train everyday exept Friday and would like Fitbit to be part of that regime.

[RN60]

Hi Alejandra,

Any news?

[Colinm39]

@RN60Welcome.. I will help with some of your queries and don't hesitate to post again.

Firstly the stairs/floors. The Fitbit uses an altimeter and in controlled environments it becomes difficult registering floors. Likewise we have some Fitbitters who report extra floors because they move from a controlled laboratory to open corridors or move into a stairwell in a multi storey building. I live in an area when walking I have two gradients which always give the floors, and nine marginal floors (examined with Google Earth). On a good day I get all eleven. On a blustery windy day I can get 20-30 floors on the same route because of the change in air pressure. I live with that, because it balances out my statistics over time periods for the "lost" floors.  If a cold front comes in, you can also gain phantom floors.

To make it an honest contribution for badges I commemorated the 9/11 disaster by walking up and down my athletic track steps for the 110 floors and that gave me the incremental badges which covered the unplanned conditions. You get all of your incremental badges in one effort this way.. I don't worry about how many I have accumulated of each badge..

Secondly, sleeping. If you don't sync your Fitbit as soon as practical on wakening the sleep detecting Fitbits can detect that you are at rest/sleep. Yoga Fitbitters have posted about that and numerous times I have found, watching TV or in a long meeting it has detected "asleep". When I awake I put on the radio and listen to the news while still bed and will stay longer if the items news worthy. (I'm retired). Many times that shows as sleep. On a positive side

All you do is edit the "real" sleep record and in the meeting/TV record you delete it or if Yoga, edit again and change it to an Activity Record.

Well done on your positive approach to the Fitbit, like many devices we have to make adjustments/allowances because they aren't medical devices and always being improved.

[RN60]

Thanks for your reply Colin. Unfortunately, none of these anomalies are mentioned in any advertising for the Blaze. I accept that 'vaguely counts your floors depending on circumstances' does not have a positive ring when selling an item. All advertising literature for the Blaze is very positive and sells it as the ultimate, must have for training. It was based on this, that my wife bought me one. I can live with having to adjust the data to what I think I've done but my wife feels slightly cheated by it's claims. I will persevere and hope that updates and fixes will address the issues, if not the advertising blurb.

Regards

Bob

[AlejandraFitbit]

Thanks for stopping by @Colinm39 and @RN60 if you haven't checked the Things You Can Do To Make The Blaze More Accurate post, I recommend taking a look into it, since it contains really good tips that you can follow.

I hope this helps, catch you later. 

[RN60]

Hi guys, I have decided to live with anomalies and put it down to experience. You have not addressed my concerns over the advertised claims for the Blaze as to the reality of owning one. I work in customer service and endeavor not to make exaggerated promises for the products and services I offer. Stating that other products, by other manufacturers are equally lacking in delivery, is neither a solution or a resolve.

I do like my Blaze but will continue to rely on the output from training on a Concept 2 with chest heart monitor and using Runtastic.