Ionic floor counting accuracy

[BMCG]

Ionic counted my motorcycle ride as climbing 88 floors and threw my stats waaay off for the day. Previous Charge 2 never had this issue. Will this be an issue when driving a car as well?? Fitbit pleas have updated firmware soon! My ionic mostly works but so many bugs, considering sending back. 

Moderator edit: edited title for clarity

[taz4352]

I wore a Blaze for 2 years and it NEVER did this.  What does that mean?  It was worn in the same way and under all the same circumstances.

[racertempo]

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@taz4352 wrote:

I wore a Blaze for 2 years and it NEVER did this.  What does that mean?  It was worn in the same way and under all the same circumstances.

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Then you were not outside during many storms with your Blaze, or you just did not note a few added flights.

This has happened with my Charge HR, my Blaze which I got on Pre-order, and even my Ionic which was from Pre-order.

It is rare to have the massive amounts, like my 118 during a windy day at the ocean....but it does show up from time to time, all dependent on the barometric pressure.

[taz4352]

I'm not going to get into an argument with you about this.  I have one more thing to say and I'm done.  None of what I do is done outside ever.  I walk on a treadmill and go up and down stairs at work inside in a climate controlled environment.  I monitored my Blaze religiously and this did not happen but has been happening from day one, inside, not outside, rain or shine.  I believe there is a problem. This never happened with my Surge or Force either.

[taz4352]

Fitbit Help > Search Results > Will my Fitbit device count stairs for treadmills and other exercise equipment?
Will my Fitbit device count stairs for treadmills and
other exercise equipment?
Fitbit devices do not count the elevation gains simulated from a StairMaster, inclined treadmill, or other 
stationary exercise equipment. Your device uses changes in barometric pressure to detect elevation
 change, and therefore requires that you physically change elevation in order to properly record floors.
For more information, see How does my Fitbit device count floors?
Last updated: October 16,2017 
Browse by category: Accuracy

Fitbit Help > Search Results > How does my Fitbit device count floors?
How does my Fitbit device count floors?
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 ten feet at one time. It does not register 
floors when you go down.
Fitbit devices do not count elevation gains on a StairMaster, inclined treadmill, or other stationary exercise
 equipment because your body does not change in elevation by 10 feet.

Last updated: October 16,2017 
Browse by category: Getting Started

The above text is from Fitbit Help.

My Ionic counted 19 floors this morning on a Treadmill inside walking with 0 elevation.

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[Stepane]

I can also say I never had this issue with my Charge HR or the Blaze I owned before. I’m keeping the Ionic, but it worries me that this may not be all that’s inaccurate.

[racertempo]

I happened more on my Charge and Blaze then it does on my Ionic.  There is no argument, I was just trying to explain that count via barometric pressure, which can and DOES change indoors as well as outdoors.  I have a liquid barometer in my house and it changes based on the pressure and indicates coming storms.

Just to see...... Search this forum for stair/flight inaccuracies in the Charge and the Blaze pages, you will see many people complaining about the same thing with those devices.

There is literally no way it can count flights/stairs on a stair climber machine. 

[SunsetRunner]

I bought a Fitbit Ionic a couple of weeks ago, and am using it and my Fitbit One both at the same time. Today I climbed up and down three flights of indoor stairs 11 times. The Fitbit One showed the exact correct count of 33, but the Fitbit Ionic only showed 26 flights of stairs. I've used my One for several years, and it always shows the correct number of flights of stairs. As others have mentioned, it seems that the Ionic is not very accurate for this purpose.

[Dpenrod]

Thank you so much for this answer! I wonder if that is what is going on with my ionic, because I am getting zero floors for going to the second floor at my school. I spent 20 minutes walking this morning and probably went up the stairs 30 times and got ZERO credit for it.

[RJGuadagno]

The Ionic seems to have massive issues with stairs. I'm just waiting for a firmware fix or something, but it's past the point of annoying, and way past the point where I can return the thing for any credit.

[free2be]

I had the same experience as webbms. My Fitbit One counted stairs very accurately and my Ionic consistently counts floors that I did not do. After reading the above posts, I think part of the reason for the difference is that I wore the One under my clothes, so wind gusts, etc. were less of a factor. A very frustrating problem with the Ionic.

[taz4352]

This has been happening with mine since the beginning.  I contacted Support and they had me shut it down and restart it but it seems to make no difference.  I walk on a treadmill inside with my arms at my sides and still it counts stairs.  This morning 5 flights, yesterday morning 9 flights.  It is VERY VERY annoying.  I keep seeing responses about barometric pressure having an effect but when I'm inside on a treadmill this makes no sense to me.  Also, I've work Fitbits for YEARS and every single one I've owned (Blaze, Surge, et al) that has counted stairs has never over counted.  They have all under counted to a certain extent but this is just beyond annoying.

[MK301167]

My Ionic counted 16 floors on elliptical. Some times when i driving a car it counts several floors. I heave garmin fenix, samsung gear s3, no problems so far on same conditions. 

Hope next firmware update can fix this problem. 

[MattFitbit]

Hi all. I merged a few threads together to help keep the community tidy. 

Just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all for reporting your Ionic floor counting experiences. Your feedback has been forwarded to the appropriate teams who are currently investigating similar reports. 

I will be sure to update you all once I have more information. 

If you have any questions, you know where to find me! 

[gkinfinity]

Hi Matt,

Glad to hear Fitbit is looking into this already. Just adding my feedback to the thread of similar experience. With my new Ionic, today for example, I showed 8 floors climbed through the morning, which I would say was fairly accurate. I then logged a 40-minute, ~5 mile run on a treadmill, and immediately afterwards, my Ionic showed I had now climbed 17 floors. So, 9 unaccounted floors added incorrectly from my treadmill workout.

I'm hopeful a firmware update will fix this issue. 

Thanks. 

[Davem10]

I had 7 floors added whilst I was showering with the Ionic earlier today. Could there have been a change in air pressure due to the warm room? Or could it be the water that affects the barometer readings? 

[Travlrn6]

Add me to the problem list

Since day one of owning my ionic I've magicalma been vlimingc stairs like a champ... 20 plus flights tot80 flights per daydandai dojtd gave aby stairs in my home or office ataaol and I can't even do stairs die to multiple knee surgeries! My blaze was also having this problem for the last 3 months i owned it but i figured this would bebworked out in the new model and was part of the rwasir i spent the snall fortune to upgrade  Please fix this or lle me edit back to zero floors. I dondo want credit for work imI not doudo its oointlwss to track if itsi c8molcompl inaccurate! 

[Davem10]

Why can’t  the floor counter be made more accurate by linking the barometer sensor to the accelerometer, using an algorithm that detects if you are actually stepping at the same time as the change? That could reduce things like motorcycle rides, weather changes and other air pressure changes adding floors whilst you’re stationary. 

[taz4352]

Mine is wrong every single day.  It is distressing.  I walk on a treadmill and end up with stair counts that didn't happen. lots of them sometimes.

[SunsetRunner]

I'm a new Ionic user (5th Fit device so far) and am having the same issue - yesterday with 7,800 steps my Ionic calculated I walked 101 floors!!  I really wish I could take credit for that but sadly I cannot. 

FitBit, please rush the next firmware update so end users can adjust sensitivity and/or turn off the floor function..

[JaysonJ]

I have this issue. I can walk up and down stairs 15-20 times some days at home, and get 2 or 3 floors credited. I do have to walk down and upstairs at home for one floor. Just walked to the shop near work, downhill, and uphill back - no floors. It is a complete pain. I can also do runs outdoors with hills, and get a different floor or elevation count every time. Everything else on my watch works fine