Charge 2 Treadmill Accuracy

[USAF-Larry]

Today was a blustery cold day, with wind chills hanging around 10 to 12 degrees, and snow flurries kept blowing through, so I decided to walk on the treadmill indoors instead of my regular walk. Due to boredom, I only walked 5 miles instead of my regular 7 miles, but it was a good workout with upping the speed and incline peridoically. I set the Charge 2 Exercise Mode to Treadmill to track the exercise. I am somewhat surprised by the accuracy of the Charge 2 compared to the readings on the treadmill panel. The treadmill showed that I had walked 5.02 miles, and burned 980 calories.  The Charge 2 showed that I had walked 4.97 miles and burned 1,106 calories. I am not sure about the calories reported, since the treadmill does not have a capability to enter the height, weight, age, or sex, so those numbers are "averages" based on treadmill speed & incline. The Fitbit's calorie count is probably more accruate. But the steps & distance of my Charge 2 tracker were spot on. There was a difference of only 0.05 mile. This accuracy is probably due to the amount of time I spent calculating my stride length when I first got my Fitbit, and the fact that the treadmill has a constant speed & movement. 

[Skhunt]

I need to place both hands on the top front of the treadmill when I use it because of balance issues. My step count was drastically under reported by the charge 2 as a result. I put it in my pocket on the same side as the hand I wear it on, and the accuracy improved dramatically. 

[Janefondablack]

OK... Thanks, I'll try that.

[Kurgan]

I have a Charge HR2 and do about 5 miles every morning on the treadmill (on an incline of 3.5).

I usually get credited with about 1000 steps at the end of it which is clearly BS and absolutely nothing to do with my stride length settings. 

Why is it it so inaccurate? I've had multiple devices (flex, charge HR and now the HR 2) and this is by far the worst when it comes to the treadmill.  

Whats the solution here? 

[rebel3217]

---

@Kurgan wrote:

I have a Charge HR2 and do about 5 miles every morning on the treadmill (on an incline of 3.5).

I usually get credited with about 1000 steps at the end of it which is clearly BS and absolutely nothing to do with my stride length settings. 

Why is it it so inaccurate? I've had multiple devices (flex, charge HR and now the HR 2) and this is by far the worst when it comes to the treadmill.  

Whats the solution here? 

---

Are you holding onto the rails? If your arm isn't moving it won't count steps. Also are you using the Treadmill function on the tracker?

[Lschuit]

So the charge 2 has an option to set that you are going to do a work out on the tredmill and will give you a distance for that work out? Does it add these miles together anywhere? Like can i see how many miles I have for work outs after a week, month year?

[Jamiek123]

Can anyone help me out? Today I ran on the treadmill for 38 minutes 34 seconds my Fitbit charge 2 said I ran 8k and the treadmill said 6.3k

how can it be so different and so way apart by a mile? I never ran holding the side either 

any help would be greatly appreciated 

[Rich_Laue]

Hello @Jamiek123 as mentioned above. Your Fitbit has no way to measure your virtual run while in the treadmill. 

It needs to take an educated guess by using the stride setting. 

Since you current stride setting is to high. I would decrease it by 0.787

[Janefondablack]

I'm still tryna figure it out...it's always different...it was sugg b4 2
take it off ur wrist & put n ur pocket...IDK... I just go wit whateva is
there or sometimes when I'm feeln xtra good, I just keep going until the
Fitbit reads what I was going 4...

[Jamiek123]

Hi thank you for the reply, so it says my stride is 129cm so do you mean basically divide it by four and times by 3 which gives me 96.75 which seems a massive difference, or am I working it out wrong

Sent from my iPhone

[Rich_Laue]

@Janefondablack please be kind enough not to use all those abbreviations. We are not limited to the amount of characters. 

@Jamiek123 

129 * 0.787 = 101cm

Yes that is a massive difference but the 8km that Fitbit calculated is a massive difference from the 6.3 that the treadmill states. 

(8km / 4) * 3 = 6km

Note: Most people will not have their natural stride wholes on a treadmill. 

[Jamiek123]

Okay thank you so do I only change my stride length when I use the treadmill ? Then when I go running out in streets let it set auto

Sent from my iPhone

[Janefondablack]

GE, U seem way more Advanced wit this than I because I just go with what
the treadmill says...

[Janefondablack]

My apologies...