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!

[RealBlaze]

I should have added that I dont have my Blaze Yet but it comes tomorrow.  Maybe I can find a bit more info for you guys.  I'm good with stuff 🙂

[RealBlaze]

I see it does not have a GPS Built in.  That is unfortunate.  Most people keep their phones in cases and in their pocket and well not good views of the sky.  GPS sats are in Space.  Circling the globe.  Your watch will be out in the open.  Your phone most likely will not.  So your phones are most likely losing the GPS Signal being shielded in your pockets or coats or whatever.  They should put units inside the watch.

My Gear S is that way as well.  I never use it that way because your butt or coat or where ever your hiding your phone it is what they call PACKET LOSS.  Poor signal.  GPS usually needs 3 Sats seen to operate correctly.  Unless your walking with your phone glued to the top of your head or holding it flat in your hand your gonna lose Packet (DATA) and that runs into lost distance Traveled 😞  The watch if it had stand alone GPS would have a better chance at this not happening.

[Seamonkey]

If it is in your pocket, it isn't tracking heart rate. My Charge HR stays on my wrist and counts steps, no matter if I am pushing a shopping cart or using a handrail or holding a purse or backpack strap.

Maybe a Blaze isn't in the cards for me.

[Rich_Laue]

Sorry @RealBlaze but the Blaze does not have a built in GPS, it depends on being connected to your phones GPS.

[RealBlaze]

Yes Rich if you look at my Last Post I found that out.  It's a shame because 1)  Jogging with your cell phone is not always a good idea.  If it flys out of your hand it will break and putting into your pocket the GPS in your phone does not pick up well.  I am sure this is why many here are getting bad readings.

2) The Watch on your arm would pick up GPS signals ok.  I mean you would get loss here and there but much better than a phone in the pocket.

3)  Not every one wants to take their cell phone and it takes up more battery off your phone talking back and forth like that.

I know why they do it.  It's cheaper!  and it makes their battery life seem longer.  My Gear S with everything turned off is 2 days tops.

[RealBlaze]

Well I dont have one yet Seamonkey so I cant tell you that for sure yet.  I just know how my Gear S is.  It does not do a good job of getting steps on my wrist pushing a buggy.  Tomorrow I get my Blaze for me Blaze.  I will put it through some paces.  When your shopping your really not going to have a heart rate over what you normally have.

Not like your running through CostCo or anything.  Well unless your that last minute Xmas Shopper on Christmas Eve!  LOL!

[Rich_Laue]

It looks as if your not the type of person Fotbit is marketing the Blaze toasts. If yoi want GPS on your wrist, Fotbit already has sick a model, i woulf recommend the Surge.
The Blaze is designed to be a sleeker more compact unit, and moving the GPS onto the phone helps keep it slim. It has nothing to do with cost, it is called expanding the Fitbit line, not duplicating it.

[RealBlaze]

Well it was not a color display and so I thought why pay more for a Black and White screen.  I'm sure that they will come out with another version of this one.  It's usually my luck.  LOL!

[Rich_Laue]

Ypir alao paying more for the GPS

[azrielah]

Koshka, did you get resolution to this problem. I am having the same issues.

[Nianya]

My Blaze was not getting any notifications until I reset it. Also my step count us way low as well. I wore both the Blaze and the HR yesterday and Blaze was 1000 steps and 4 stairs less than HR. Not a happy bunny.

Nianya

[Rich_Laue]

@Nianya ok your Blaze was 1000 steps less than the HR before yge reset, what is it now? 

Are the two units on seperate accounts, and did you compare them during a walk or run?

Doing a step test which one is more accurate duriing a walk/run?

During normal daily activity neither will be 100% accurate or match each other. The bodied movements are not predictable. 

With the two trackers on different accounts and friended, you will be able to compare them over the week and month. I found they where frequently switching possitions on the leaderboard.

[Nianya]

I have both the Blaze and HR connected to my phone. It shows me the stats separately. I also checked both step counts on the devices last night.. The Blaxe was 1000 steps off. I note that the Blaze was very accurate when I was on the treadmill at the gym. I was not accurate while just walking around my office or home. I am not keeping the Blaze if the step counts are so inacurrate.

Nianya

[Nianya]

How does creating or changing the side length effect the step count? I did not have one entered before and I am directly comparing the HR to the Blaze while wearing both.

Nianya

[azrielah]

It does appear to help a little. But the problem is far from solved.

Sent from my iPhone

[Koshka]

@azrielah No, I haven't solve the problem. I have tested it some more wearing my Blaze along with my Charge HR (on separate accounts). To an extent it reminds me of when I got the Charge HR. I found then that it counted fewer steps than my One counted. Now, I find the Blaze is worse than the One. On doing purposeful walking like a walk throughout my neighborhood the Blaze undercounts by about 2% compared to the Charge HR. I can live with that.

On the treadmill the two are very close. In fact, on one walk the Blaze actually had more steps.

The real issue is in the same area where the Charge HR was worse than the One. That is when I am just walking around my house. For example, yesterday I walked from the front of my house down a hall to another room. This was about 50 steps. None of them were counted wearing the Blaze! I've seen this repeated. I walk 100 steps in my house and about 10 or 20 steps get counted. The Blaze just doesn't seem to be able to count those kinds of steps. The Charge HR wasn't great at doing that but the Blaze is much, much worse. It is a difficulty for me as I otherwise like the Blaze a lot.

[azrielah]

I am having the exact same problem. So frustrating. No reply from support yet either. I walk around the kitchen or around the house and nothing unless I stomp. Another thing is when it actually counts steps it doesn't always seem to count in real time. Instead it will lag and catch up with suddenly 10 more steps. So much for "every step counts"

Sent from my iPhone

[Miranda20023]

Yesterday I ran 3.02 miles on the road and it counted accurately steps I did about 6k steps . Today I ran on the treadmill and my Fitbit blaze says I did 5400 steps but only 1.74 miles when the treadmill says I did 2.60 miles. Which makes more sense compares to my steps. Does anyone know what I did wrong?

[Tranloco]

I've had my Blaze just half the day today and it picked up where my Charge HR left off and continued counting steps and calories burned. At the moment it is accurate to my average step/calorie count. I haven't done a workout yet with it on so we'll see soon how that compares. I don't run or take fitness walks so GPS isn't an important issue for me. As for a smart watch, if I'd wanted all the notifications, apps and abilities of a smart watch I would have bought Apple. So far I'm loving the Blaze. Time will tell. 🌻 Peace.

[Seamonkey]

Actually, I park far from the door to the store and walk quickly between Read like produce, yogurt, deli, the check out, then quickly to my car. And my O N E, then my FORCE, now my CHARGE HR each counted steps with or without a shopping cart. I don't slow down except to put stuff in my cart or pick out good apples or avocados .

I guess I am in no hurry for a Blaze.