Over counting steps

[Leebee50]

Hi, so like others, my charge 2 is over counting, I've a small property and it's not 45 steps from bedroom to bathroom and I don't walk in my sleep, this morning I've woken to 168 steps! Mmmm something isn't right.
I bought the charge 2 yesterday, noticed before bed the steps were inaccurate, put it down to it 'getting used to my movements'. I've set it up as people have advised, less dominant hand, stride length etc.
Please can someone tell me if I've missed something, should I return it, was it a waste of money?
I know people that wear Fitbit and other brands and seem very happy, sadly I'm not and really like the concept of challenging myself, as I'm not confident to join a gym, but sure need to get fit.
Any advice much appreciated and thank you in advance.
Lee (soon to be fitlee I hope x)

Moderator Edit: Edited thread title.

[SeasickSteve]

Thanks Julia.  There do seem to be a lot of people havung the same problem.

It seems a faily fundamental issue - I'm surprised I didn't see it reported in any of the product reviews before I bought my fitbit.  Even more suprised as the Charge 2 is a 2nd generation device.

[Kapitichic]

hi- yes i just bought my charge 2 fitbit and after setting it all up - put on left hand - and went for short walk to the office kitchen and back - - and resumed working- step counted was about 169 - and then after typing ( i work in IT)  checked again and i have now done 2269 steps ????????? without moving anything 

[Kapitichic]

my FITBIT is still showing that i have 2219 steps taken - even though i have turned the **ahem** thing off and on at least 3 times - which is supposed to RESET it - BUt it hasnt ..... i am totally frustrated by this whole bloody thing and after spending $269 NZ - iam NOT IMPRESSED !!!!

[Rich_Laue]

@Kapitichic The reset you mention is to reset the hardware, not the data. Your first post mentions a walk of 169 steps, your left hand and typing. I'm not sure what your hand setup is set for or if your right handed or left? 

As for typing the Charge2 is mounted on your wrist, and tgereforeis monitoring your arm movements. It looks as if your typing motions are being interprded as if you are walking,

Setting thrackerupas if it is on the arm you use the most sould help with the false steps

[Rich_Laue]

Actually @SeasickSteve I've seen several reviews that the new fitbits, like every other arm mounted tracker on the market, will ocaisionly count arm motions as steps and they way to get around this is to buy a tracker that mounts to the waist. 

I guess one of the reasons that it isn't mentioned in most reviews, might be because, as one reviewer says, "it is 'understandably' a common symptom when monitoring arm movements, you don't walk on your arms".

[Zav]

I too am finding a massive over counting, I somehow hit 4000 steps today which is just impossible.

[unhappycusto]

I understand what everyone is saying, but there should be no reason for me to "lie" in order to get a more accurate count of steps.  I also understand that it's okay for a few false steps to be counted, but I don't understand why hundreds of false steps are counted, escpecially when I am not moving.  If I am driving, the Charge 2 (which I paid good money for) should be able to detect that, especially because I also have an app on my phone.  My step counter app on my phone can detect that I am not walking, why doesn't the Fitbit? Also, the graph is showing movement when the watch was on the kitchen counter...what is that all about???  I don't feel that I should have to take the time to tell it when I'm driving....I'm not expecting a perfect product, but this is annoying. (Just Saying)

[SunsetRunner]

So it is 4pm, I have been up since 8:20. I have driven my son to work (about a mile). I have driven (it was raining heavily!) to the shop (another mile) walked around a small shop for maybe 15 minutes. Came home and haven't left again. My Charge 2 says I have done 8,511 steps!!! And travelled over 6km. Completely impossible. Even allowing for the fact I was making chutney and hence using my right hand and chopping so I would expect a higher count but not that high.
I don't want to wear it on my non-dominant hand - that is where my real watch is.
Now at a guess the frequency when I walk is maybe 2 steps a second. Chopping herbs etc it has to be at least 4-5 a second, surely the algorithms should be able to tell the difference?
I like the sleep tracking and get there will be some 'steps' so no issues there.
So to my mind the algorithms need significant improvement to deal with ahnd movements or as others have suggested there need to be a simple on/off switch on the device to allow manual disengagement of the step counting.

[SeasickSteve]

I have tried using the DriveBit App but found unreliable at best, and most
of the time it doesn't work at all.
(their support staff simply haven't responded to my requests)

I have simply taken to creating a Log entry (via the Fitbit iPhone App)
each time I drive somewhere. It does work but still a real nuisance having
to remember the time you start and stop driving 2 or more times every day.

This is a very poor 'feature' - I'm amazed the Fitbit hasn't been slated in
product reviews, it really isn't fit for purpose (no pun intended) The
developers should be very embarrassed, the company should be mortified.
I see no sign of either of them accepting the problem as something they
should resolve.

I certainly wouldn't recommend Fitbit to anyone.
A shame since it has the potential to be a very good entry level device.
This is why Apple do so well despite the premium price, their equipment
actually works.

Steve

[SunsetRunner]

Thanks Steve

I'm now up to 13,100 steps and still haven't left the house. It's 4 hours since my last post so roughly 1,000 steps an hour. Good going in the house!

Keith Alderton
Sent from my iPad

[SunsetRunner]

Handedness is probably a valid factor in some instances; but clearly some of these posts might also suggest that 1) someone has a defective device, or 2) they have an arm motion that is generating steps even while they are fairly stationary (like washing dishes perhaps or putting stuff away). 

In my view, if there are factors that can materially overstate the actual steps taken (by more than 30% perhaps), then I would like to see the following:

1) Fitbit includes in its documentation and help pages what kind of arm motions and activities can cause false step counts and how to avoid them; and

2) develop the ability for us to manually adjust the step count in the dashboard online that will sync back to the phone and tracker.

Today I have almost 5000 steps and I haven't done much more than go to the kitchen a couple times and sit here at the computer.  Round trip to the kitchen is about 120 steps.

[Rich_Laue]

To remove steps, find the time you want them removed and log it as driving? 

About arm movements and 30% playing the drums or guitar will fit your discription.. I've read many reviews that say that an arm based tracker will never be as accurate as a waist mounted one.. I still find false steps with the One

[thill27]

I agree! I think it should have an on-off switch!

--
-Tanya

Sent from Gmail Mobile

[Bigmark]

Hi, Regarding overstepping etc. 

I'm completely up to date with all IOS settings and dominant wrists etc. 

I've read many threads on this subject over the past hour before posting this so please moderators or newbies do not jump in without hearing me out. 

I am due to work habits extremely sedentary. Call me lazy. I don't care as I'm not discussing weight loss here.

As a typical example I managed to do over 3000 steps today. Impossible. I lifted beer up using that arm and maybe confused it by 300 steps but I walked no more than 500 meters today. Apparently I walked 2.93km. Now where's the 10% allowable tolerance there? The best thing this does is as an alarm clock or to confirm how well or badly I slept -  or whether my heart rate was 72bpm but 125 whilst changing a tyre in the heat on a motorway. Which I pretty much can work out anyway. 

My 'sleep' seems to start four hours earlier after supper whilst watching tv. I've compared it to iPhone Pedometer Apps and also using my wrist watch as I know I can walk an average of 3.2 mph or about 1 mile every twenty minutes. The wrist watch method really is the most reliable solution I have concluded after a two year test and a good read of posts on this subject here. 

Swapping to my non dominant hand when I do nothing all day but watch tv won't change a thing. It'll just mean I have to wear my real watch on the wrong wrist. 

[Julia_G]

Hi, @Bigmark, if you watch TV all day and don't walk more than 500 meters, maybe a step counter isn't the right device for your lifestyle?

The Fitbit won't be perfectly accurate, of course!  Being wrong by 100 or even 200 steps in a day when you take 10,000 steps is only a 1 or 2 % error.  That makes it 98-99% accurate.  If it is wrong by 100 or 200 steps when you only take 1000, then that is, of course, a big error.

[Bigmark]

That's one day after I noticed other customers comments.

I've worn it for two years. That's quite a lot but it's also very inaccurate beyond 20%.

Now I'm trying my other hand and tighter but it's uncomfortable. We'll see in a day or two.

Kind regards
Mark Jones BSc Hons Eng. FAIQ CII
Private Wealth Manager

Europe 0034 694458201 (now)
UK 0044 (0) 208 133 9630

Skype markjones_66

[ROSCO710]

My fitbit over counts as well. The app. Is up to date and the correct hands are selected, and it's still over counting.

 Someone told me other fitbits had a sensitivity setting, I've yet to locate that for the Charge 2, or even know if it would resolve the issue. 

[decimus28UMO]

I'd love to know also, mine counted 18k steps when I did maybe 5k.  It gives me 10-50 for simple hand gestures like pointing.

[vle045]

I have seen a few people suggest to log the time as "driving".  I initially thought that was a good idea but then I saw that it logs driving as "exercise".  So that skews your exercise goals.  I don't exercise every day but I do drive every day.  If driving were exercise, I would be in better shape than I currently am.  

[Julia_G]

Hi, @vle045, I totally agree that it is silly that it logs driving as exercise and messes up your goals!  That is why I stopped logging driving...  I usually just take off my tracker and tuck it into my bra, or I accept I am going to get a few extra steps -- I prefer that to getting extra exercise credit.

I notice my Charge 2 counts fewer driving "steps" than my Charge HR used to...