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.

[FerdinandFitbit]

Hi there @KarenEpp. Good to see you in the Fitbit Community! 🙂

I'm sorry to hear that your tracker is not showing your distance accurately 😕

Since you've already updated your stride length, I'd recommend turning off location services from your phone settings and turn it back on and see if this makes any difference.

Let me know how it goes!

[KarenEpp]

I did as you directed, turned off locations in settings and turned it back on. I walked after doing that and it was still off on the distance. I had to adjust my stride length by multiplying the number of steps on the fit bit by the number of miles on my iPhone GPS converted to feet to get to my correct stride length and it was almost perfect.
What I don't understand is, if the Fitbit syncs with the GPS on my phone, why would my stride matter at all???
Thank you
Karen

Sent from my iPhone

[DiAbbs]

I'm experiencing the same issue as KarenEpp.  All my settings are correct.  I agree with her question of why should the stride matter?

[Corvettekid]

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 and not getting half-assed solutions to a problem that has been going on for MONTHS.

Best Buy has YANKED the Blaze from it's show rooms so please don't tell me that FitBit thinks this is a minor glitch.

Steps and Distance are off 20-30% and we are not getting any appropriate feedback from FitBit as to what they are doing about it or when we can expect a solution.

[Yaakovchaim]

I have to agree with everyone that the distance measurement is off by anywhere from .1 to .5 miles.  I've noticed this daily when I do my mall walk.  One lap around the top level is .8 miles (the mall measured it for the walkers) and I get anywhere from .5 to .7 per lap.  It throws my goals off kilter and I end up walking more than necessary to get the distance I want.  I'm starting to look more at the number of steps I take as opposed to the mileage.  I have everything set correctly on my LG V10 and on the Blaze, but the inaccuracy makes me rethink my purchase.  Fitbit needs to correct this as soon as possible before they get even more bad press than they already have with the BPM issue.

[KarenEpp]

Another thought is, how can you count on any of the numbers to be correct given the issues being reported?

Sent from my iPhone

[Corvettekid]

"Another thought is, how can you count on any of the numbers to be correct given the issues being reported?"

You can't, Karen.  

I have walked around a high-school track that obviously is 1/4 mile.  My GPS Garmin eTrek measured it as 0.26 miles, pretty accurate.  The Blaze measured it as 0.18 -- twice.

That's off by almost 30%.

Silence is NOT GOLDEN here, FitBit !!!!

[MorganAv]

I believe the Blaze measures distance inaccurately or inconsistently as well.  But I've also started to notice a different issue.  I tracked a walk today, and the stats for distance and steps do not jive with each other - not even close!  According to the GPS, I walked 1.67 miles and it said I only took 2,523 steps.  Based on my average stride length of 28.6 inches (which is the default), I should have taken 3,700 steps to go that distance.  My actual stride length may differ somewhat from the default, but not by enough to make up for that huge difference.  I think FitBit should also calculate an ACCURATE walking stride length for us as part of fixing this problem.

[Corvettekid]

Morgan, what did The Blaze say you walked ?  I'll bet the Steps vs. Distance relationship is better even though both are OFF on the Blaze.

Example:  My Stride Distance is 2.2 feet.  That means 1 mile is 2,400 steps for me.  But when I walk a mile, the Blaze says I only walked about 0.75 miles and about 2,000 steps.  Well, if I actually DID walk 0.75 miles then 2,000 steps would be correct -- but I walked 1 mile.

So the link between steps and distance is tight.  But both are off.

FitBit told me earlier in the week they were working on a solution but we don't have a thread or notice from the FitBit mods here saying this is the case.  Best Buy has yanked The Blaze you would think they would defend the stock price and company's reputation by saying SOMETHING.

[BLT1953]

I set my stride and walked a mile on the treadmill. The health app on my iPhone 6s Plus shows over 2100 steps. Fitbit says about 1200 step. - way off

[BLT1953]

I walked 6.3 miles according to Fitbit. It says I stepped 8476. I have a 30" stride

[BLT1953]

Turned off the Fitbit and setup mobile track Just walked a half mile on the treadmill the app says 1100 plus steps. The problem is in the Fitbit itself

[Corvettekid]

BLT, you should be in the 2,112 range for a 1 mile walk based on a stride distance of 30".

Again, we change the default....we link to GPS...and the stupid thing isn't accurate.

[Bdhuey]

I have been wondering if it is just me that is having issues with steps being miss counted on my Blaze! It seems that every once in a while when I am in a store like Target I will walk consistently for 30 minutes around the store to not have ANY of my steps counted! I even called in 1 time to talk to tech support and they seemed to have fixed it but the last few times I have gone into a store I have noticed it not counting my steps when I have walked around for 30-45 minutes. I think unfortunately I'm past my return date for the device at Best Buy and this thing was too expensive for it to not work right! Makes me wish I paid extra for the Apple Watch.

[BLT1953]

Going to walk this morning with the Fitbit off and use mobile track. I'll get over 2000 I'm sure

[BLT1953]

This morning with Fitbit off and just using my iPhone 6. I got 5180 steps and 2.39 miles. But I don't get the heart rate info which I truly want. Considering taking this Blaze back. Had it less than a week

[Hoo999]

I looked online at Best Buy and it looks like you can still order the Blaze. All the stores in my area show them in stock and available for pickup.
How do you know they've been yanked off the shelves?

[MikeS1971]

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@Hoo999 wrote:
I looked online at Best Buy and it looks like you can still order the Blaze. All the stores in my area show them in stock and available for pickup.
How do you know they've been yanked off the shelves?

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It might be a store by store thing. I know the Best Buy I bought my Blaze from has pulled them off the shelves as well as a Best Buy close to my work. But the Best Buy in another location still has them displayed. Its just not Best Buy stores doing this. I've also seen this happening in a couple different sporting goods stores as well as the small shop I buy my shoes from. They're getting tired of all the returns and complaints. Just easier not to sell them and not have the headaches.If anything, the current bugs affecting FitBits is helping boost sales for their competition.

My Blaze undercounts my steps by 30% to 50 % most days. Occasionally as low a 10%. My average steps per mile is 1850, yet my Blaze counted just over 16,000 steps for a 12 mile walk. And on my reqular lunchtime walk of four miles has been counting around 4800 to 5000 steps instead of the usual 7400 or so.

[Rich_Laue]

The last time i checked, my Blaze under counted a 100 step count by 12 steps, but i kept going, by one thousand steps it was off by 30 steps. That makes it 3%,  more than adequate.