Fitbit Blaze step count inaccurate

[OmarLittle]

Hey there,

Today was my first full day rocking my Blaze. I went to an outdoor festival and had some solid step count, however, when I got home and checked my step count I noticed that the blaze tracked about 1/4 the steps I actually took. My iPhone health app logged about 10K and my Fitbit did about a 1/4 of that (2500). Also I noticed it did an auto workout and thought I had rode my bike. I think this is due to my sons stroller I was pushing. Any suggestions on how to calibrate? If I go for a run and use the GPS- will that help? Thanks!

[Efxit]

Returned my Blazes, the one I bought and the extra they sent me, went back to the Charge HR, I have three, the one I bought and the two fitibt sent me. I now keep the Charge in my pocket and get 103% of my steps up from the 60-70% I had been getting. Fitbit will not admit that they have issues, they just keep sending devices. I wear it at night for sleep tracking and the alarm feature. I agree the Blaze needs to be removed from the market.

[JCBH]

After doing laundry and other household chores in the morning I noticed that my Blaze had recorded only 7 steps.  It should have been several hundred steps.  I concluded that it probably wasn't recording steps on carpeted surfaces.  I continued with my normal daily activities before shopping at Costco that afternoon.  Anyone who has been to Costco knows that not only are their parking lots large, requiring one to walk a fair distance just to enter the store, but the stores are also large.  After pushing the large Costco shopping cart (with both hands) for an hour, up and down most of the aisles in Costco, I had a whopping total of 1746 steps for the day.  This time, I have to guess that the Blaze didn't record steps taken while pushing the shopping cart.  Likewise, I am quite sure that Blaze didn't record all of my steps as I walked my dog later in the day. Blaze needs to be able to record steps taken while pushing carts, strollers, holding leashes, etc., in order to keep accurate records.   I purchased the Blaze to encourage me to walk farther each day.  Keeping an accurate log of the steps taken daily is a big part of that goal.  Is there a way to adjust the sensitivity of the step-recording device on the Blaze?  If not, I am seriously tempted to return it.

[kathysjourney]

Return it! Fitbit will never fix this repeated issue unless people return their devices.
Some stores have refused to sell the Blaze now because so many have complained about this exact issue.

[JeromeZ1]

Yes return it while you still can! It's a faulty model. I nagged on Fitbit so badly they sent me a second Blaze free of charge and the replacement is just as inaccurate. Go with a Charge HR or something like an Apple watch 2 if you want to throw down some serious coin.

[gretchenmoll]

Me and my Husband ran 9 miles (measured with google maps) and he wore a G*rm*n device while I wore the fitbit blaze. We kept the same pace and stride length today and boy was my device off. 30% deviation right of the start 

Fitbit sent me a few replacement devices which I appreciate so I won´t return my device for a refund but I will say that the Blaze needs more work on accuracy and so I will be using a G*rm*n device until fitbit releases a product that caters to my needs.

thanks

[Rich_Laue]

@gretchenmoll I'm confused, we are talking about steps here, are you saying your step a off? Have you done a step count test? It looks like your husband is more an a little taller Ms it is very unlikely at you both the same stride. 

[arkaycee]

As has been pointed out time and again, stride length has no effect on step count. Step count * stride length = calculated distance, but a change in stride length won't make 100 counted steps change to 90 counted steps or 110 counted steps.

[BJules1982]

I'm having the exact same issue. I wore the flex for years (since it came out), upgraded to the Charge HR when it came out and loved it. Now I barely bother with the blaze because it's very discouraging. I've noticed a huge drop in my step counts for each day compared to where I was at with either of the other trackers. I watched it not count hardly any of my steps walking around shopping. I do feel like I have to swing my arm all to make anything count.

[thesuperzman]

I've owned the Blaze for a month.  In that time, I've exchanged it twice - so that's a total of three Fitbit Blazes.  I've also called Fitbit support and received a new replacement directly through them.  Twice with support going through their 'tests' and 'calibration'.

I will tell you that, consistently, across four trackers and two phone calls, the Blaze is off 32-35% counting steps.  These are typically 400-500 step tests (at least 20 on my part) plus many 100 step tests.

Old firmware/new firmware, syncing/not syncing, dominant/non dominant. NONE OF IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

Fitbit support has the audacity, after four trackers, to tell me it's a 'rare' circumstance for this to happen and it's typically extremely accurate. The forums tell a different story.  But I was willing to give it a legitimate shot.  I've tried everything. It's disappointing. For $200, I do not expect just to be able to track comparisons against myself. I want something that's within 10% accuracy. 35% is entirely too much (and sometimes even more, but never less).

It's unfortunate. I do not want to spend additional money on an Apple Watch.  I love the Fitbit environment with friends and challenges. But at the end of the day, it's a diagnostic tool that isn't doing what it should.

Further, Fitbit has proven several times now, whether it's their firmware rollout or knowledge and lack of fixing the Blaze step issue, that their dedication to improving the product is either lacking or incompetent.  Rest assured, this review is going to Amazon and beyond.  It's ok to release a product with issues. But to ignore fixing them is inexcusable.  Fitbit is awful with communicating fixes or solutions.  Their Customer Service reads from their playbook and you need to listened to the canned excuses.

This is terribly unfortunate. It's a great concept, but execution is lacking.

[lisathepw]

In complete agreement with inaccurate step counts.  I first noticed short distances recorded for runs (Ran 5Ks which were only recording between 2.9 and 3.0 miles). I've also done several purposeful walks down a hallway, etc. counting steps and the Blaze does not record them accurately. And then, I was driving home yesterday and somehow "walked" over 40 steps while I was driving on the interstate.  I've also noticed if I am holding a drink, pushing a cart, etc. and my arms are not swinging in perfect sync with steps these are also not counted which has never been the case for other trackers.  I certainly hope there is a firmware update soon as I paid way too much money for this device for it to be so incredibly inaccurate. 

[Amelia003]

I agree I am very disappointed as well

[h2oskrdeb]

I am having a similar issue.  I have had my Blaze for about a year now and up to the last firmware update, I had only minor step count issues.  Since the update, the issue is way more pronounced.  After multiple tests, I am estimated a shortfall of 20-25% of my steps.  Here's the tests we ran through:

1. Wore the Blaze on an elliptical with a stride counter.  Elliptical counted 4,000 steps, fitbit 3,200 - about a 20% shortfall.
2. Wore the Blaze on a walk with my husband - phone in my pocket.  My husband has the Charge2.  We walked together - his Charge2 recorded 3.5 miles, 8,500 steps.  My iphone health app recorded 3.7 miles, 8,700 steps.  My blaze recorded 2.5 miles, 6,000 steps.  We repeated this twice, with similar results.  ~25% shortfall.
3. We did a step test.  I walked 50 steps (counted them), nothing in my hands, phone in my pocket.  The Blaze recorded 40 steps (loss of 20% of the steps). 

I don't have multiple devices synced to the same account - it's only the Blaze.  And this was not an issue 90 days ago.  My husband and I frequently take walks together and always compare results.

I get that it will have slight variations, but off by 20-25% is excessive.  And it's consistent as noted above. 

[mPeace38]

I have also noticed the same since the update. It is 100 -130 steps to make a lap in my backyard depending how I have to walking around my pets. My StepBet count in the backyard is 1000 in 10 minutes. So you can image my frustration/ surprise when after an hour instead of 6k steps I had 4821. So then I counted my steps. For every 100 steps I'm getting 80-83.

When I walk slower it seems to count OK (2-3mph) Anything faster and it drops steps. I'm moving my arm, not holding water bottle or anything that might possibly interfere with the Blaze ability to pick up my steps. I usually get 14k a day. 2 days a week my goals are 18k. So loosing 20% is a lot of missed steps and a lot more time to reach my goals.

[lisathepw]

Is anyone at Fitbit hearing/responding to the issue with inaccurate step counts? I don't want to go through the hassle of returning my device if a fix is in progress but I've seen nothing to indicate the problem is being addressed. Help?

[Amelia003]

At this point I have concluded the lesser priced fit it's are better than the higher end ones. I had the fitbit one for many years and it was very good. My family still have ones and charges and I was the first to upgrade and it has been nowhere close to right most days.

[Rich_Laue]

I haven't heard pda big problem with step counts during a normal walk.
What I've noticed is that the Blaze seems to short every walk I take by 20 steps..
I walk 100 steps, counted in my head, the tracker says about 80.
I walk 500 strps, counted in my the head, the tracker says about 480.
I walk 1000 steps, counted in my head, the tracker says about 980.
This only shows up if I pause long enough before starting the test.
If I walk about 50 steps, stop just long enough to start the track in functipn, then my steps counted by the tracker is +- 5 steps.
Have you tried restarting the tracker yet?

[fqu]

how do I adjust my blaze steps. Walked from front of house to back about 60 feet and good ole blaze said I did 294. 

[Jenuity]

I am experiencing exactly the same effect.  I got the Blaze as an "upgrade" from the Charge HR -- and it is way undercounting steps when walking on the treadmill as well as walking in other contexts.  My HR was great -- and I could watch that happen.  Blaze is not good.  Another thing I noticed today is that when I experimented with a Blaze treadmill workout....the workout reading on the Blaze said I had 520 steps, but when it synced with my phone it said that the treadmill workout only contributed 47 steps to my day.  Huh???  How come the Blaze registered 520 steps and they didn't transfer over to the Fitbit app?????

[Kjaranowski]

Have you been able to get an answer regarding this as I am having the same issue...

[Kjaranowski]

I do not hold the bat when running and mileage count is way off compared to what treadmill says I have run. So arm movement isn't the issue at all