Inaccurate Step Count on my Blaze

[Sandra123]

 I purcahsed my Fitbit Blaze yesterday and am second guessing that i bought a piece of junk. The step count gives me way more steps then i actually take. As i am sitting at my desk and typing this i have recieved an extra 5 steps. While i walk, i was looking at my fitbit and counting my steps only to notice that for every step i take i recieve an additional 5. For the price i paid i was really hoping for better results. Very disapointed with the product.

[Corvettekid]

Switch DOMINANT and NON-DOMINANT settings and also Sensitivity.

Don't worry about a few steps added here or there; the key is how accurate it is on walks.   A few dozen steps added over the course of a normal workday is nothing in the scheme of things.

We're looking at a firmware fix for the undercounting of steps.

[sdonohue25]

Mine is the complete opposite. I will look at my Blaze to see where I am at, then count my steps walking, then compare to the Blaze, and sometimes it does not even recognize me walking. It doesn't pick up steps when pushing a cart while grocery shopping, when I am using an elliptical, or even when I am running. My Flex tracked steps way better than this.

[Corvettekid]

Some Good News:  OK, I just walked around my complex.  Garmin eTrex GPS said I walked 0.82 miles and the Blaze said 0.83 !!! 

Steps were 2,063 which is what I expect for 0.82/3 miles, NOT a "Blaze Mile" which is really more mileage which means I am getting stiffed on actual mileage and steps. Had this been a full mile, I would have been just over 2,500 steps, which is close to what I expect based on my Stride Distance.

What changed ?  Not sure....could be a fluke, the only thing I can think of is in the Dashboard Settings which are Goals, I changed the Miles Goal from 5 to 4.17.  The reason is that my Steps Goal is 10,000 but based on my Stride Length, 10K steps translates into 4.17 miles (1 mile = 2,400 steps for me).  The Goal Default for mileage was 5 miles.  Again, I am not sure this part of the FitBit App is just a notepad as opposed to intricate to data management, but 10,000 steps and 5 miles are not consistent (for me).  So I kept the Step Goal and adjusted mileage down.

I don't know if changing that did anything; I would think the Stride Distance changed earlier yesterday should have had more impact.  But who knows at this point, right ? 

[MikeS1971]

Ever since the last software "update" step counting was been off considerably. There are several posts by a lot of people about it. It's a know issue they're supposedly working on. Mine is constantly under counting steps. During one walk last Saturday mine under counted the walk by 6000 steps. Changing settings, resets or anything else fixes nothing. The only fix is to wait and see if FitBit can/will fix the problem or return your Blaze. A lot of people are returning them and going with a different brand.

The only thing I found that can get the step count close to accurate is to put it in your pocket or don't swing your arms at all while you walk or run.

[Corvettekid]

UPDATE:  Unfortunately, the above accurate track appears to be random.  I just did a GPS-calculated 1 mile walk, no left-hand motions interrupted.  Only thing was it was at night, a bit cooler, so my pace picked up:  did the 1 mile in 18 minutes, 3.3 MPH average.

Blaze calculated 0.69 miles and 1,638 steps.  1,638 steps prorated for 0.69 miles works out to 2,374 steps in an actual mile but the Blaze didn't record an actual mile.

WTH is the Blaze using to figure distance and/or steps ?  What's the default stride distance ?  I inputed 2.2 feet, 2,400 steps would be a mile, what is it using ?

Could it actually only be picking up 1,638/819 swings of my left-arm ?  Could it be missing that many and therefore miscalulating both steps and distance ?

[Vivianfit]

I am running with my fiancé every week and even though we're running the same distance, he gets twice as many steps each time and I am a lot shorter than him. I love the Fitbit blaze, I wear mine everyday, but the steps are not accurate on the one I have!

[Rich_Laue]

@Vivianfit ive moved your post to the thread about step inaccuracy .

Next time you go for a walk, count off 100 or more steps then compare to wussy the trailer recorded.

[Vivianfit]

I've used run mode for each time we run. And every time my fiancé still
gets twice as many as me. Should I use a different one?

[Rich_Laue]

@Vivianfit did you do the test i described above. Is your arm swinging naturaly? Comparing what your steps to another persons is simply telling me that one of you are off.

You need to compare your trackers count to what you count in your head.

I've moved this post also, please follow the link in tue email that you received. 

[Liswest]

I have the blaze and my sister a flex. We often walk together hers is always steps behind mine when we compare . But I think my blaze is accurate ish because I've used a pedometer at same time and steps are pretty accurate .

[Rich_Laue]

Hello @Liswest as suggested abpve,  put your  Blaze into ytacking mode. Now start counting , in your head, the steps walked. Stop at say 200 then check how many the Blaze counted. I count every left foot for 100, thos coves me 200 steps

[ahankins]

I use NON-DOMINANT settings, and my Blaze misses a lot of steps. I reset it almost daily. When I do a '100 step test' i read anywhere between 51-75 steps. Often, it will 'freeze' and I can walk hundreds of steps before it starts recording again. It's been very frustrating. When is the software update coming out?

[bcalvanese]

See my thread here...

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Blaze/Things-You-Can-Do-To-Make-The-Blaze-More-Accurate/m-p/1389211#...

[GavinBlaze]

Hi Guys, just used my blaze for a gym workout, it logged as 5000 steps... Is it working of my actions, or calories, or should i just stop logging exercises as it ruins step count?