Charge 3 steps and heart rate not accurate

[shellcheri]

I'm having several issues with my Charge 3. Step count isn't accurate. I can wave my wrist around and it counts as steps. Is this normal? But the main thing is the heart rate. When working out the sweat is making the reading crazy inaccurate. It will go from 60 bpm to 140 bpm in less than 10 seconds. I have to constantly be watching the heart rate and drying my wrist to get accurate readings. Other wise, it will show 70 bpm for 10-15 minutes, throwing off not only my activity time, but also my calories burned. Which throws off the whole program. Is anyone else having this issue? Is this a manufacture defect??

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity

[MarreFitbit]

Hi there @shellcheri, welcome to the Community Forums. I am sorry to hear that you are going through this situation. Thanks for the details provided about how your Charge 3 has been tracking your steps and heart rate. 

For tips about improving accuracy, I recommend taking a look at the help article How accurate are Fitbit devices?. Factors such as device placement, dominant or non-dominant hand, and stride length affect the number of steps recorded. If you're pushing a stroller or shopping cart, try putting your wrist-based device in your pocket or use GPS if possible.

If it still seems like your device is overcounting steps, try a step test. While you perform your step test, make sure you: 

-Walk at a normal pace
-Don’t hold anything in your hands
-Put your arms down at your sides, swinging naturally
-Count 1 step for each foot
-To avoid getting an additional step when you bring your feet together, after you reach 100 steps:
1. Freeze in a split-stance. 
2. Move your hand up gently to check the step count on your device.  

Here’s the step test:

1. Restart your Fitbit device. For instructions, see help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/1186. 
2. Put your device on your wrist or put your clip-on device on your hip or torso.
3. Walk 100 steps, making sure to count a step each time one of your feet touches the ground.
4. Pause, then check your device to see your step count, and write down the number of steps you took and the number of steps your device counted. 
5. Perform the test 2 more times, walking 100 steps 3 different times. Each time, write down the number of steps you took and the number your device counted. 

In regards to the heart rate, please see our help article: What impacts the accuracy of my heart-rate readings?

You can also try moving your device to your other wrist. Heart rate tracking may not work with certain accessory bands, especially if they’re loose fitting. For best results, we recommend wearing a Fitbit-branded classic or sport band during exercise. For more information, see: What should I know about my heart rate data?