Steps and Distance Error Rate

[FastEWB]

Hey there - Anyone know or have heard from Fitbit what the average error rates is for calculating steps, distance and activities. I have been working to tweak my stride length accordingly so I can accurately rely on my Charge for distance but still am coming up short...quite literally.

When running, my phone GPS says I ran say 5 miles, but my dashboard will say something like 3 to 4.5 miles...seeing that it isn't real consistent so I am wondering what others are seeing and/or have done to make it more accurate.

Thanks all!

[bdaniels04]

@FastEWB

I just want to clarify first, you are running outdoors and not on a treadmill, eliptical, etc.? Also, re you holding on to your Fitbit at any time to look at it's display?

[kelfran]

Hi @FastEWB and welcome to the forums.

Silly question - Did you set your stride length and running stride length in settings when you first got the Fitbit?  I never did for mine, but the guesstimate that Fitbit did based on my height was only 0.04 mi off on a 2 mile run, which was fine with me. 

[slysam]

Did you calibrate your stride? Even if you do it won't be perfect since the actual distance you cover per step will often vary depending on your shoes, the surface, etc. However if you figure out your average stride for walking and running it should be close. I posted instuctions on how I did it on my blog, for the method I used you need to invest a workout into the process but my Fitbit distances are pretty accurate. When I test on a measured track my phone GPS is often off by .1 mile (often over) and my Fitbit is also often off by .1 (often under). If they were off in the same direction I would suspect the track wasn't accurately measured. However within .1 is pretty good. Here is a link to my post: http://www.feelingfit.info/2014/08/how-to-measure-and-calibrate-your-fitbit-stride-settings/

[FastEWB]

Sorry for the delay - Yes, mostly outside. I have noticed on a treadmill the accuracy is even worse. I don't normally look at my wrist until the end. Thanks!

[FastEWB]

Yes, I measured my stride length for walking and for running. I have been tweaking it to get a more accurate calculation of the distance but still seem a bit off.

Either way, I feel like the only way to really get it close would be to upgrade to the Surge with the built in GPS.

[Heybales]

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@FastEWB wrote:

Yes, I measured my stride length for walking and for running. I have been tweaking it to get a more accurate calculation of the distance but still seem a bit off.

Either way, I feel like the only way to really get it close would be to upgrade to the Surge with the built in GPS.

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For the running part, easy speasy, if you have the actual distance known.

If no activity record exists for the run time only - create one.

There's your steps for that block of time, and what Fitbit thought the distance was.

Actual miles x 5280 = actual feet ran / steps = decimal feet per stride or step. Say x.y is result.

X is the feet you log under running stride.

0.Y x 12 = the inches you log under running stride.

Careful with walking stride though - Fitbit is taking the stride length stat and your weight and telling the device an expected impact and hang time for your steps.

It dynamically adjusts distance though based on the actual seen impact and hang time of the steps being done.

So if you get the walking stride to exactly match your exercise pace stride length, guess what is probably off for the other 15 hrs of your day moving around.

So want a stride length between those extremes (exercise and daily life paces) - so it can adjust best either direction. It may not be dead on for walking exercise and you lose some calories.

But then again it won't be inflated for the vast majority of your day for normal walking pace.

Suggest you set treadmill at a pace between exercise and daily.

Walk while the distance flips over to 0.4 and then start counting each right foot landing.

Stop the count when it flips over to 0.5.

Double the count for actual steps.

528 / steps = decimal stride length.

Same math as above.

[Kimco00]

I have complained about the fact that on my dashboard it says I have done so many steps and then gives a ridiculous amount of miles which cannot possible be correct.  I downloaded the ap on my Samsung Galaxy mini3 and to my amazement although I have to log in with the same details , the miles on the mobile dashboard are acurate and do not correspond at all to those given on the dashboard on the computer.  I am at a loss - how can this be explained!!!

[Djmiller26]

I have noticed on two occasions when my step count seems unusually low for a walk I did.  Normal I average between 1800-2000 steps per mile.  Today it registers 6254 steps for a 4.73 mile walk.  Sunday I walked 6.42 miles and had 11485 steps.  My pace today was about 20 secs faster, my stride was about the same.  I also noticed I walked 4.64 miles on Saturday at the exact same pace as today and had over 9013 steps. Anyone else see an occasional flucation like this?  

[Heybales]

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@Kimco00 wrote:

I have complained about the fact that on my dashboard it says I have done so many steps and then gives a ridiculous amount of miles which cannot possible be correct.  I downloaded the ap on my Samsung Galaxy mini3 and to my amazement although I have to log in with the same details , the miles on the mobile dashboard are acurate and do not correspond at all to those given on the dashboard on the computer.  I am at a loss - how can this be explained!!!

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The app talks to an app server that talks to your account server - which the web page is showing data from.

So chalk it up to syncing issues.

Are you use the app option to use GPS?

In which case the workout record that is made is using that GPS distance rather than calculated from steps should be right.

But that should also go and update your account and overwrite the original activity record data.

Now - since the Activity Record is created first, and is merely a snapshot of the stats for that block of time - a Workout Record with that GPS distance can overwrite the daily data, and that Activity Record will still show the original info - again, snapshot, doesn't change.

[Heybales]

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@Djmiller26 wrote:

I have noticed on two occasions when my step count seems unusually low for a walk I did.  Normal I average between 1800-2000 steps per mile.  Today it registers 6254 steps for a 4.73 mile walk.  Sunday I walked 6.42 miles and had 11485 steps.  My pace today was about 20 secs faster, my stride was about the same.  I also noticed I walked 4.64 miles on Saturday at the exact same pace as today and had over 9013 steps. Anyone else see an occasional flucation like this?  

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Distance is estimated from impact of steps and calculated distance based on that.

So your steps could have appeared different enough to give them different lengths while walking.

If something changed, are you carrying extra weight perhaps, or walking on different material or route?

[Kimco00]

Hello Heybales.....this is getting a little tethnical for me but I can confirm that on my mobile phone I never have GPS switched on. When I go to my computer and update on my dashboard if gives this crazy mileage reading..for example it will say something like 9000steps 7miles...later on if I look at the ap on my mobile it gives the same steps as that displayed on the computer the what would seem like the likely accurate miles distance. For example yesterday 9145 steps 4.19 miles.".I guess my tired old brain just cannot work this out!!

[Djmiller26]

Same track I walk everyday.  I don't believe I am walking any different, and my weight is going down.

[Heybales]

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@Kimco00 wrote:
Hello Heybales.....this is getting a little tethnical for me but I can confirm that on my mobile phone I never have GPS switched on. When I go to my computer and update on my dashboard if gives this crazy mileage reading..for example it will say something like 9000steps 7miles...later on if I look at the ap on my mobile it gives the same steps as that displayed on the computer the what would seem like the likely accurate miles distance. For example yesterday 9145 steps 4.19 miles.".I guess my tired old brain just cannot work this out!!

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Don't worry, you shouldn't be able to , it's messed up.

I'd call customer care with a couple days noted for them to see as you talk to them. It would be good if the app still showed the better values and website still messed up.

[Heybales]

Messed up too then.

Unless you have an app syncing in a workout with it's own calorie burn that is different, but Fitbit of course maintains the steps seen then.

If that's not it (confirm you don't have anything syncing in case you tested something or used another app for distance), then customer care too.