Fitbit charge 2 not counting steps need recommendations

[namenbo]

Hey everyone, I’m on a fitness journey at the moment and my Fitbit charge 2 which I bought off fb marketplace is not counting my steps (sometimes catches up but mostly doesn’t count them) I’m wanting a watch that simply counts steps and heart rate accurately. I’m also on a budget, any recommendations would be great.

[Julia_G]

Hi, @namenbo , by design the Fitbit won’t necessarily count “puttering” steps.  It needs to detect a certain number of continuous stepping before it will count any (and then as you have noticed will catch up).  However you will probably find that if you take two or three steps, stop, then a few more, they will never be counted… My elderly mother complains all the time that she doesn’t get credit for all the walking she does when she is in the kitchen cooking dinner….  The reason for this is that probably these sorts of stop start stepping is not doing a lot for your fitness journey.

Remember also that you may not get credit for steps if you are walking on very soft carpet or other indoor surfaces if you are particularly light on your feet.  The fitbit needs the vibrations from stepping to travel from your feet, through your body and along your arm to your wrist in order to register a step.

I would say that if you still have a working Charge 2 (well done! As it is quite an older device now) and you are on a budget you could stick with that but assume that you will need to actually go out and take a walk, if you can!

When you are ready to upgrade - when the Charge 2 comes to the inevitable end of its useful life (ie usually through battery exhaustion) and you are ready to upgrade, the new Inspire 3 or Luxe are excellent basic devices to help out with your fitness journey.

I hope this helps.  Welcome to the Community Forums!