Floors accuracy vs Charge 3

[Tommo_N]

OK, I've got the Ionic, my wife has the Charge 3, when we go out walking my wifes charge 3 registers similar distance but a ridiculously higher amount of floors, for example, we went on a walk around Southwold UK, my Ionic registered 17 floors whilst her Charge 3 registered 78 floors! Everytime we go anywhere together we check the floors reading and hers is always significantly higher, whilst the other data is generally comparable.

Is a persons height significant for the floor data? I'm 6' 1" she's 5' 4", would that affect the readings to that level?

I'm wondering if my Ionic isn't reading the height change correctly. Today I went to an indoor playpark with the kids and ran up and down the apparatus like a hamster and only registered 10 floors, the wife went on a 7.5Km run on the flat and registered over 50 floors.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not that bothered about how many floors I've climbed, my issue is that surely, both Fitbit trackers should give the same results on the same track, otherwise, how can you believe any of the results they give you?

[SilviaFitbit]

It's great to see you around @Tommo_N. Thank you so much for taking the time to post your inquiry. 

I'll be happy to clarify the your question regarding floors data. Fitbit devices that count floors have an altimeter sensor that can detect when you're going up or down in elevation. Your device registers one floor when you climb about 10 feet at one time. It does not register floors when you go down.

You can measure your stride length to get more accurate information, check this article to know how to calculate it and enter it in your Dashboard. 

Additionally, you can also check this article how accurate are Fitbit devices to learn all about accuracy in Fitbit devices. 

I'll be around if you need further assistance. 

[Tommo_N]

Hi SilviaFitbit,

Yep, I understand how the trackers are supposed to work, I've had several FitBit Surge for quite a few years now. I know that they are supposed to measure a (approx) 10' change in altitude as 1 floor, but my question was about the difference between 2 different trackers on the same route at the same time.

My wife's tracker has registered an additional 500 feet climb in altitude whilst on the same trail. Seems a bit excessive whilst wandering around the Suffolk coast! But...who is correct? Is my wife's tracker (the Charge 3) registering the correct altitude change or is it my Ionic? Or, are they both wildly inaccurate and we as a family should just ignore the floor feature on our combined outlay of about £350 worth of trackers?

[SilviaFitbit]

Thank you for getting back @Tommo_N. I appreciate the details that you've shared.

Both trackers will give you different information because your wife isn't the same height as you. I would like you to make sure that everyone in the family has entered the stride length in the Fitbit profiles, this will ensure that you get accurate floors. 

Let me know if you have any other question. 

[Tommo_N]

Hi Silvia,

yes our stride lengths are entered correctly. We never had this issue when i had the Surge and my wife had a charge HR. You can expect a small difference due to some steps not registering, but the staggering difference in just the floor data is quite frankly astonishing and ridiculous. If the stride length was wrong then i would expect to see the other reading significantly differ as well.

To say that the floor climbed data will be 5x higher for my wife on the same route because she is 8" shorter than me makes me raise a quizical eyebrow and go 'hmmmmmmm....' for a bit!

[SilviaFitbit]

Thank you for getting back @Tommo_N. I appreciate the extra details that you've mentioned. I would like you to restart your watch and compare the data between days but only your Ionic's data. After this, provide me with the results that you get. 

I'll be around if you need further assistance. 

[Tommo_N]

hi again.

my wife and I havent walked the same route together for a while so i dont have anything to compare my readings against at the moment

[Tommo_N]

Im still struggling to understand why the floor readings are so different between the 2 devices when used on the same route at the same time.

Surely if the trackers sense changes in air pressure then they will register the same rise and fall when used at the same time regardless of the height of the user? If i go up 10 flights of stairs, i go up 10 flights regardless of how tall i am, the actual flights are the same height. Similarly, if we both climb a 100m hill, the altitude gain is 100m wether i am 6' tall or 4'6". The altitude difference remains the same.

The only way I can see this not actually being the case is if the trackers are relying on an algorithm based on gps/map data and the stride length you mentioned earlier, as opposed to an actual altimeter on the tracker itself?

[SilviaFitbit]

Thanks for getting back @Tommo_N. I appreciate the details that you've mentioned. I apologize for the misunderstanding in the steps that I mentioned before. 

The stride length shouldn't affect floors data, it will only affect the distance that you get. Your floors will be tracked using the altimeter that's in your Ionic. I would like you to compare everyday's data to confirm that you're getting the same floor's information, I mean just your data and then if you're not getting the same even when you're taking the same amount of stairs, then I can create a case on your behalf with my Support team. 

I'll be around if you need further assistance.