Fitbit Blaze walking distance inaccurate

[KarenEpp]

I've been using the Blaze for about 3 weeks and it's inaccuracy is extremely frustrating. I walk a well-defined 6.2 mile route usually every day and the Blaze never gets the distance correct. Also, it has started disconnecting from GPS on my iPhone 6. I've tried several steps to improve the accuracy (e.g. entering my stride length) but nothing has helped. It's fine a telling time but right now that's all it's good for. I'm very disappointed with the device and I'm thinking about possibly returning it.

[AndrewFitbit]

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@Corvettekid wrote:

Ferdinand, there have been MULTIPLE threads talking about the steps/distance counting errors on the Blaze.

We should have had a Thread from FitBit Moderators or FitBit Tech Support saying that they are working on a software fix

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@Corvettekid You're right, there are multiple threads. That's why our team is looking into this, which I've said in this thread here: Blaze Firmware Update - 17.8.200.3

Any update I have will likely be posted there.

@MikeS1971 I haven't seen discrepancies that large, do you happen to have screenshots?

[MikeS1971]

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@AndrewFitbit wrote:

 

@MikeS1971 I haven't seen discrepancies that large, do you happen to have screenshots?

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I have this one. This is one of the more odd discrepancies. Mileage was close to accurate, but obviously steps are way off.  Active minutes show a little off as well. Sometimes they are all way off, sometimes all are close. Sometimes its all over the place. Its inability to work correctly cannot exactly be duplicated. And reading on these forums and talking to other owners that I know, its inability to work correctly can differ from unit to unit.

When it comes to tracking steps/miles, I dont know anyone personally who has a Blaze that works correctly since the last update. The only one I know that does work correctly has not been able to complete the last update. And as of now, she's stopped trying given the issues the rest of us are having.

[AndrewFitbit]

@MikeS1971 Yeah that one in particular is odd, looks like you might've been missing ~4-5k steps there. Have you made any changes to your settings or had any accuracy troubles since then? How are your daily totals looking?

From what I've seen, it seems more like a user to user thing because of personal/device settings, type of activity, use of the Connected GPS feature, and if multiple Fitbit devices are paired. Since height, stride, dominant setting, and phone GPS vary across users, it's hard to pinpoint what's exactly going on. That's just my opinion though. 

[KarenEpp]

I'm not the one who posted that. It came from corvette kid

Sent from my iPhone

[Fands]

i just got off of my treadmill.  the distance showed 1.81 miles

i set the exercise for the treadmill on my blaze, it showed 1.10 miles.

i did not check my step count.

this is the first time i actually checked to compare, but i always felt like i had worked more than it gave me credit for or not getting to my goal consistently.

[Yaakovchaim]

I think I may have found the issue with the step/mileage issue.  Let's hope Fitbit actually reads this.  I just got back from my mall walk and the step count and mileage were pretty accurate (within .05 miles).  What's the difference?  The battery was fully charged.  I've noticed that as the battery goes from full to medium to low, the varience in the mileage and steps becomes more inaccurate.  What appears to be happening is that as the battery starts to run down, the watches pulse (that's the green blinking light) also starts to slow down.  This may be so that the battery lasts longer, but at the same time it appears to be causing the accuracy of the watch to not keep accurate counts.

[MikeS1971]

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@AndrewFitbit wrote:

@MikeS1971 Yeah that one in particular is odd, looks like you might've been missing ~4-5k steps there. Have you made any changes to your settings or had any accuracy troubles since then? How are your daily totals looking?

From what I've seen, it seems more like a user to user thing because of personal/device settings, type of activity, use of the Connected GPS feature, and if multiple Fitbit devices are paired. Since height, stride, dominant setting, and phone GPS vary across users, it's hard to pinpoint what's exactly going on. That's just my opinion though. 

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I havent changed any of my settings since setting up the device. I've also verified that none of the settings have changed. I can wear the Blaze the same way, use it in the same way and walk the same route multiple times but the stats the Blaze tracks will be different from workout to workout. Same goes with people I know who also (or still) own Blaze's. FitBit or whoever programs these updates changed something thats causing these side effects. 

[MikeS1971]

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@Yaakovchaim wrote:

I think I may have found the issue with the step/mileage issue.  Let's hope Fitbit actually reads this.  I just got back from my mall walk and the step count and mileage were pretty accurate (within .05 miles).  What's the difference?  The battery was fully charged.  I've noticed that as the battery goes from full to medium to low, the varience in the mileage and steps becomes more inaccurate.  What appears to be happening is that as the battery starts to run down, the watches pulse (that's the green blinking light) also starts to slow down.  This may be so that the battery lasts longer, but at the same time it appears to be causing the accuracy of the watch to not keep accurate counts.

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My Blaze is tracking stats all over the place and mine usually has anywhere between 3/4 to full charge all the time. I put mine on the charger at least once a day while I'm taking a shower.

[Corvettekid]

Rich, my Blaze is consistently off by 20-30% on steps/distance.  I even did a 1/4 mile HS track measurement; the Blaze registered 0.18 miles twice..that's 28% off.

[Corvettekid]

Andrew, I appreciate the comments.  Good to know someone is listening.

If you want screenshots, I'll do 1 better:  I'll videosmartphone me walking around a 1/4 mile track and you can see me call out the steps and distance vs. what the Blaze is saying.  I would think FitBit folks could do that, but if you guys can't, let me know. 

[Corvettekid]

Everyone here having distance/step issues.....can more people go to an actual High School or College track......walk the 1/4 mile (same spot once around the track on the INSIDE lane)....and report back your distance and steps (obviously, you multiply by 4 to get the mile numbers).

That way we have a same-to-same distance that we know is 1/4 mile with no variation.

I went to my local HS track last week......1/4 mile was 0.18 on the Blaze (should have been 0.25, obviously).  Came in about 1,800 steps (which is actually about right for .18 miles if that was what I had walked -- which I didn't).

[Fands]

Again...Blaze shows treadmill miles to be 1.50 miles

Treadmill stat shows--2.22 miles

that's almost 3/4 mile less.

if this is annoying people i can stop posting it and contact customer service instead.

[MikeS1971]

@Fands Do both. Contact them with every test you do. They'll probably tell you it's either something you're doing wrong, a wrong setting, a problem with your phone or its settings, or the Blaze, Phone or app needs a reset. One thing they probably won't do, it admit it's a problem with the Blaze itself.

[Corvettekid]

Fands, no need to contact CS.  They know by now.

Your measurement was off by 33% -- that's alot by what I have seen/read.

Do a 1 mile walk (or treadmill run) and let us know how much distance/steps the Blaze records.  Or do my 1/4 mile High School Track test.

[scrubsz]

Its either a software issure of a complete engeneering  failure. I keep reading the same suggestions to turn this off, reset that, change dominant hand...blah-blah-blah. Not one Fitbit "helper" in this forum has actually helped. Fitbit hasnt even acknowledged that there is a major problem. I went through two Blaze units and each had identical  problems. Shame on you Fitbit! Never again!

Moderator edit: format

[scrubsz]

Best Buys located in Plymouth MA and Braintree MA no longer have the Blaze on their shelves. They are available online though.

[mmanger]

Is anyone also noticing an issue with their pace? I recently purchased my Blaze and went today for my first run/walk and my pace was significantly slower than what my tracking showed with the flex. This is in addition to the extreme inaccuracy with the distance. I travel the same route almost daily which is right around 3.42 miles over my lunch break. I walk to a park which is listed on the city website as .52 miles around and I do that 3 times. With my flex and GPS tracking on my phone the distance to the park was always about .87 miles... today I did this exact route and it said I only went 2.25 miles. I'm considering returning mine as well. I'm very disappointed and would rather have the more accurate yet less fancy flex. 

[Fands]

my previous Blaze was the One model--I used it for over 2 yearsdaily clipped to my bra.  loved it, no accuracy issues, maybe 1/10 of a mile.  This is just stupid and annoying.  And I was thinking it was ME.

thanks for everyone posting that they also have problems.  

the next time i get to do a mile in the am, i will indeed count the steps and milage.  thanks again.

[bmiller1969]

Have been having the same problems since I got my blaze about 2,months ago. I can't get any help from anyone on this issue. Very frustrating!

[MikeS1971]

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@bmiller1969 wrote:
Have been having the same problems since I got my blaze about 2,months ago. I can't get any help from anyone on this issue. Very frustrating!

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There is no help to receive. Since the last "update" it just doesnt work corectly. We all either have to wait and hope they fix the issue or return our FitBits. FYI, its been since April 21st that these problems started.

Today after work I went for a walk. Didnt care about distance, just steps. Walked the trails and turned back at 4000 steps. Turned around and walked back the same exact route and stopped where I started. My total steps for the walk was 6786. Its now getting commical finding different ways this thing doesnt work.