Charge 2 accuracy

[beverlyc1989]

Im a custodian and unfortunately alot of the times my wrist is immobile while im pushing trash out in the containers sweeping mopping but im getting steps and my charge 2 doesnt seem to calculate so i put it in my shoe strings on my foot today and it calculated more but says i went 2 floors the school i work at is 1 floor and it also says it was calculating my hr while it was on my shoe strings. I need a better way to calculate steps on my wrist doesnt work because it takes two hands to push trash in the container way out to trash can takes two hands to use a dust mop and regular mop a boost machine etc. 😞 and seems putting it in my shoe strings isnt working as well. Any help would be appreciated.

[GershonSurge]

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@Nakul wrote:

I have been facing the same issue. Got my Charge 2 couple of days back, I usually run for 3 miles according to my treadmill, but fitbit shows I ran 4.8 miles and took 9677 steps which I believe is wayyyyyyyyyyyy off. I don't think this data is accurate and I wouldn't recommend this product to anyone.

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That's 2016 steps per mile which is reasonable for running. Usually, I do 2,130 steps per mile while walking. 

Any pedometer is only as accurate as the stride length you set. I find the Charge 2 is extremely accurate in counting steps while walking or jogging. The way I know this is I often use a metronome. The exception would be if you put your hand on the rail of the treadmill or are pushing a shopping cart.

[Rich_Laue]

@Nakul when it comes to distance on a treadmill it is calculated based on the stride which will need to be setup for the speed of the run.

As for the step count, have you done any tests yet? Simply put the tracker into its run mode, then start running while counting the steps yourself. I count every left fott and then multiply by 2

[Nakul]

I was on my laptop sending mails, didn't move for two hours but the surprisingly according to Fitbit I moved 672 steps. Same thing happened last night, was driving back from work and after sitting in car for 45 mins and doing nothing, I had already taken 840 steps. It is counting steps for no reason and the data is highly inaccurate. I'm at 10000+ steps today but I can bet the data is at least 3000 steps more than it should so I stand by my verdict, Fitbit Charge 2 is a waste of money and time. I'm highly dissatisfied with its performance.

[GershonSurge]

I suggest you go to the settings and indicate you are wearing the Fitbit on your dominant hand.

[Rich_Laue]

@Nakul setting the tracker for dominant hand, even if on the non-dom arm will help.

When it vomes to the tracker, which is on the arm and looking at arm motions, there will be times when a repetitive motion may be interpreted as steps. This is just the nature of any step counter.

Fitbit does give us a way to remove this data, and here is three articles i think will help http://help.fitbit.com/?q=Drive

Also if you have an atduino phone, there are apps to automate the logging of a drive. Drivebit and Travelbit

[LeiWilson]

Hello,

I have read the details on accuracy but for mine it's far too sensitive. I've only had it 2 days and reckons I've done 1413 steps since midnight (it's now 05:36am and I'm sat in an office). I saw it record over 50 steps just for me going to the loo (as in not steps to and from - steps whilst actually in the loo and then re-dressing myself!) Can the sensitivity be changed at all because if I cannot change it or be able to have the steps counted more accurately then I'll likely be sending it back which is a shame as it was an early gift for my birthday.

Plus my tracker doesn't seem to be syncing up 100% from the app, I'm making settings via the computer or app which aren't appearing on the tracker. i have the Charge 2.

[Runner111]

In my case, Charge2 add more than twice the steps that I actually do and it seems to me that it counts every single movement I do, not only the steps, but also it counts my arm movement, my hand movement, also I noticed that it counts steps while I stay at my place with no movement at all. This actually gives me fake figures and impact negatively on the other given figures such as number of burnt calories and activity. I lost my trust in this product as it is useless now to me. 

[imrjb49509]

I adjusted my stride and marked I was wearing it on my dominate hand (im not).  These helped with the accuracy
Ronda Burwell

[Runner111]

Hi Ronda,

Can you please tell me how many steps being added on top of your actual number of steps that you do per day after you adjusted the setting and marked that you wear it on the dominate hand?

I am asking because I followed the same advice and changed the setting and selected that I wear it on the dominant hand but I still see additional hundreds of steps are added to my actual number of the dialy steps. 

Regards,

[DeanNeese]

I set my stride length to 10 inches (crazy!) and the Fitbit Charge 2 still misses over 50% of my steps.  So disappointed and depressed about this.  It is so demotivating to walk 2-3k steps and Fitbit only records a couple hundred... 😞 Bummer!  I am rooting for you guys, but I am already looking for a competitive solution.  Hope you can fix this soon, but it seems like an issue for over a year.

[yogarunnergirl]

The same exact thing happened to me @Qzie, just got my charge 2 yesterday and noticed at the end of the day my steps were off....this morning I reset the charge 2 and went for about a half mile walk....it counted only 158 steps??? What the heck? I guess there has been no solutions? This so disappointing, I've been a fitbit user for over 3 years, starting with the one and then the charge HR....looks like it might be time to switch to Garmin?

[Qzie]

thanks for letting me know that I am NOT the only one out there with this
issue. "They" have been trying to help me fix the issue and they say that
the Charge 2 that I have does not match my email address. I have talked to
them until I was blue in the face telling them that I have removed and
re-setup my Charge 2 replace twice and still they say the same thing. Just
a VICIOUS VICIOUS circle. As soon as I have the $$$ I will be getting a
GARMIN as well. GOOD LUCK MY FRIEND!

[DecadeJogger]

 If you are primarily concerned with steps, you may want to wear a fitbit zip. I clip mine to my bra. But it does not have a heart rate monitor. You can wear it with your watch for Information on both hr and steps or consider pairing it with a more accurate chest strap heart monitor. 

[Punkin105]

No offense but we shouldn't have to do that. If we already have a charge
2, we should be able to count on that to be accurate, since fitbit claims
it is.

[DecadeJogger]

No offense. But whether we should or shouldn't have to do that is irrelevant. The question was how to get the most accurate step count while wearing a "wrist"pedometer and walking without moving your wrist. I think to expect a pedometer to count steps without motion is a little unrealistic.

[netwolf7]

No offense. But in regards to the comment:

"whether we should or shouldn't have to do that is irrelevant. The question
was how to get the most accurate step count while wearing a
"wrist"pedometer and walking without moving your wrist. I think to expect a
pedometer to count steps without motion is a little unrealistic."

Women put pedometers in their bra, I wore a fitbit one on my hip. They
still tracked steps. I do not see women walking through the store shaking
their breasts in order to track steps so if a pedometer can track steps
from inside a bra, then a wrist tracker should be able to track steps while
on your wrist. If a wrist tracker cannot accurately track steps from a
wrist because it is not moving (even though the body still is bouncing in
cadence when you walk), then why have it track steps???

[Qzie]

"No Offense" taken. I completely agree with you!!! Thanks

[DecadeJogger]

You should reread what you write before you post it lol. You just stated that you believe a pedometer should count steps without moving. You also said putting a tracker on a body that bounces while walking can be compared to an immobile wrist. And why would a woman need to shake their boobs when their body is already bouncing from the movement?? That is just illogical. We should really concider physics and the distribution of pressure and resistance that the pedometer registers. And how that fact that potential energy substantially diminishes when traveling from the feet to the outer appendages. A great deal of energy is absorbed into the muscles and bones and now you're adding the inactivity of the limbs. Let's be honest: you don't want a solution; you just want to complain. You are trolling. 

[netwolf7]

Trolling??? Really??? I have had the Charge 2 since December and have been
fighting with Fitbit about it being inaccurate. I have actually counted my
steps while walking (with my arms swinging in cadence), and I lose anywhere
from 200 to 600 steps in an hour. So, you are starting that my body is
diminishing 600 steps an hr when my arm swings like a pendulum when
walking? (not pushing a cart or keeping it immobile). I have tried both
arms and all different settings per fitbit's requests and nothing works. So
instead of you insinuating that I do not want a resolution, you are far
from the truth.

[Punkin105]

I love your reply.  I agree with you 100%.  I can't believe some people think we shouldn't expect are charge 2 to work they way it is advertised.