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.

[leftee99]

I have had my Blaze for just over a week.  Accuracy was not an issue until a few days ago.  I have a set route that I walk with my wife.  First time walked it the Blaze indicated just over 6,000 steps.  Walked it today and it indicated just over 3,600 steps.  It is incredibly frustrating when I read that Best Buy is yanking the Blaze from the shelves and there is nothing being put out by Fitbit.  I'm to the point of returning it!

[Corvettekid]

"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."

MikeS, are you saying that before the last update that the Blaze was fine for steps and distance ?

I got mine about April 15th and don't know if I did an update -- probably did when I first got it, don't remember.

[MikeS1971]

@Corvettekid Yes, prior to the last update the Blaze was fine at counting steps and distance. No wrist mounted tracker is 100% accurate, but the stats the Blaze was picking up was more that acceptable.

More than likely when you did the initial setup of your Blaze, the most recent software was installed.

[Blazeuser1962]

Adjust your walking stride length.  That worked for me.  If you are a regular walker your stride is generally longer than normal when you are excersizing.  Garmin = .26, Blaze = .18.  .26/.18 = 1.44  Go into your settings and multiply whatever the stride length default is by 1.44.  See if that does not help.

[MikeS1971]

Doesn't matter if your stride length is correct if the Blaze isn't counting steps correctly. That's an issue the Blaze is having since the last update. If it's drastically undercounting steps, even if your stride is entered correctly, distance will be off.

[Blazeuser1962]

I don't understand the step count issue.  I'm not having a problem.  I don't want to insult people's intelligence by suggesting things they may have already done.  I wear mine on my non-dominant arm and have it set that way in tracker settings.  That would be one thing I could think would miss steps as I know, with my Fitbit Charge, if you wore it on dominant arm but were set to non-dominant, the extra movement of your arm caused steps to register when you did not take them.  Perhaps the reverse is also true.

[Blazeuser1962]

I'm using firmware version 178.200.3

Anyone know what the latest is?

[MikeS1971]

That's the latest update. Many, many, many of us have tried everything possible. Nothing corrects the issue of undercounting steps.

I've had the same settings on my Blaze since the day I bought it a couple days after it was first available. Those settings, the same ones I used on my Charge HR, haven't changed. The Blaze counted steps correctly up until the last update. Now it off anywhere from 20%-50%. I can walk the same route at the same pace multiple times and step count will vary wildly.

[Blazeuser1962]

I know it's frustrating. I can't explain it either. I just walked 500
steps (counting) and my blaze increase by exactly that amount. I was
amazed but it did. I tried again with a round trip of 56 steps each way
and again, exact. Maybe I just got lucky.

[Rich_Laue]

See @FerdinandFitbit's post here

[DobeMom2]

I'm having the same problem.  It under estimates mileage on average by approximately 25%.  I also have the One and I wore them both (without syncing) on the treadmill today.  The steps were 1500 higher on the One and the miles were very close to the treadmill.  At work, I can get up and walk for 30 steps or so before the Blaze starts counting.....it never does a catch up either.  Thinking about sending it back.  If it worked right I'd love it!

I've made sure I'm wearing it in the correct position on my arm and have also adjusted my stride lenght.

[leftee99]

My Blaze has been off by anywhere from 20%-30% in calculating steps and distance.  Today I walked 4.17 miles.  Based on the stride length that is defaulted for me I should have had 8,987 steps.  Blaze only counted 5,972.  That is a 34% difference!!!  This is completely unacceptable.  Oh and I also mowed the lawn and it showed I went on a bike ride.

[Fands]

Customer service sent me an email saying that they are replacing my Baze!!!
I was surprised and thrilled. It also is very inaccurate with now intermittent fast battery drainage...THIS is the customer service that impressed me years ago.
I had to read the email 3x! ( they asked me what size and color i wanted).
I hope i can set it up easily and it works properly...will let everyone know.

[bmiller1969]

Well my question is if there is still a problem which they tell me there is
and they are working on it, what will having a new one do? Will their still
not be a problem if it is not with the watch itself but with fitbit
themself. Please do let us know if this one works correctly!! 🙂

[Fands]

apparently NOT everyone is having an issue (but all the complaints are here so it seems like it).  I have no idea what will happen (as i slog toward the dreaded set-up and connecting my phone again), but we will find out.

[MikeS1971]

A lot of the people I know who have a Blaze said theirs was fine when I would tell them what mine was doing. That was until they went out and tried to verify it was working correctly. Most were just as bad, if not worse than mine. They had no idea the accuracy was so bad.

I have a feeling there are hundreds of thousands of users out there that have no idea their Blazes are not working correctly.

The word is spreading though. Most of the people I know that had a Blaze have either returned it and/or bought something different. And now stores are pulling them from their shelves. I had previously seen it happen at a few Best Buys and sporting good stores. Yesterday I was in a Target and they had removed them.

[bmiller1969]

I think the only solution is to keep calling and complaining. Maybe if they
get enough calls they will get their act together!!

[AndrewFitbit]

Hey everyone, please see the post I made over here and post in that thread if you have anything to add. 

[donnacarson]

My new fitbit blaze is measuring distance inaccurately.  I see that people have been complaining about this for months.  Is there a fix or should I return the device?

[KarenEpp]

I am now on my second tracker, and the inaccuracy situation is the same.... I am very disappointed!