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.

[Sarah_G12]

I have been using the Jawbone UP and Fitbit Alta HR simultaneously for three days now. I am active throughout the day and evening (usually a minimum of 15,000 steps) and the Fitbit has excelled my step count by an additional 3,000 steps per day  - I managed 50 steps whilst washing my hands this evening without even moving my feet! The Fitbit is going to be returned as it’s an absolute con to those genuinely wanting to monitor their ‘actual’ activity. 

[SunsetRunner]

I agree. I went back to trying my two Fitbits today, a Fitbit One and a Charge 2. It was a normal sedentary day, driving, meetings, driving etc. but an average (poor) day. Charge 2 said 3,500 steps, Fitbit One 1,600!

[CharlotteCH]

My Fitbit Charge says 8,600

Jawbone Up 6,100  today - but over a more active day can be 5,000 steps over Jawbone - it’s crazy misleading and when I tell my mates with Fitbit only they swear it’s right but it’s because they are so used to the over estimate they believe it - needs sorting or at least acknowledging!!

[jules878]

I wore Flex 2 for first time today (well bought it y/day so on my arm last night). 

I've not done much walking so was surprised to be over 5,000 by early eve.  Not walked more than 100 paces since, but did a large bowl of washing up, and now 1,000 more steps credited.  

Sounds like I should remove fitbit if typing or washing up.  

I thought fitbits had been around for ages so would have sorted out teething problems and wouldn't be so easily fooled by other activities!

#feelingdisappointed

[CharlotteCH]

I had a new  surprise on mine this week - my partner drove my car for 200 miles with me as passenger and I managed 23,000 steps that day - 18,000 was in the time he was driving.  My car has pretty hard suspension and roads were bumpy even on motorway but it’s crazy it does that.  When I drive (hands on wheel fixed I guess, doesn’t do it.  So not impressed - it shouldn’t be reactive to arm movements as UP isn’t affected even if you deliberately throw yr arms about - Fitbit seriously need to fix this??!!  We can’t remove them constantly - defeats whole object ?? I’m surprised more people aren’t reporting this? 

[Sarah_G12]

I first got a Jawbone UP2 for about £20 3 months after my daughter was born in June 2016 in the hope it would motivate me to get out and walk with her - it worked wonderfully with the ‘map my walk’ app - I had accurate steps and distance between the two. The expensive Fitbit (£120) had nothing on my new Jawbone UP3 combined with Map my Walk app which syncs with Jawbone. I also managed to lose over a stone of baby weight with the honesty of Jawbone telling me what I was actually doing! At first I was just managing 3000 steps with a 3 month old baby around the house but it felt more like 10000! I now average 15000 steps a day and my daughter is 17 months old so hooray for Jawbone!

I very much doubt if there would be any point wasting time and energy complaining to Fitbit as they have too many ‘lazy’ followers wanting to believe they are doing so much more than they realistically are - ie sitting at a desk for 8 hours and doing 5000 steps - walking approximately 2.5 miles! As far as I can see from Fitbit feedback, they want you to use their product ‘to get used to your activity’ until the end of their no return policy. I returned mine and got a full refund.

Fitbit are making a making millions from their product so I can’t see them changing it...

Good luck with something more accurate!

Sarah

[Sarah_G12]

Wow! That was a pretty impressive 200 miles! We drove back from the Lake District to Suffolk today and my Jawbone said I did nothing apart from the one stop we made in 6 1/2 hours... 

Has anybody complained to Fitbit about this and got a reasonable response yet? 

[CharlotteCH]

Funny thing was I earned a new badge too!!  Weirdly enough, on the return journey didn’t  add any extra?? as I kept checking - but was identical journey and I was passenger again.  It seems ok when I drive.  I haven’t checked with washing up -  might help me enjoy it more!! perhaps you are tidier than me!! - more than likely!!  I can’t find better wsy to get Fitbit to sort this issue can’t contact them direct unless through Teitter/FB??  

[bookooc]

Sending back my Charger 2 I bought last Friday. I too have experienced thousands of steps during an hour drive, 1.13 miles while mostly sitting at my desk at home today. Never mind it makes my wrist sore. 

I did a search for this problem, and see that it has been going on for over 2 years, and obviously Fitbit could care less. 

Junk! Going back to Costco. 

[ludwigvan]

Yes, I've been having the same problem. Very disappointing, having spent so much money on this thing. What I am doing is halving the steps the fitbit says I have done. So "10,000 steps" is actually 5,000. meaning I have to aim to do 20,000 in a day, which is probably closer to the truth.

But I am concluding that fitbit is an over-hyped modern-day equivalent of snake oil for people concerned about improving their health.  

[Rich_Laue]

I've taken walks and with every watch after the Charge HR, and when I count 500 left footsteps o her 1000 +- 3 on the trackers. 

Not that when counting only the left Forster in only counting half of my steps.

[ludwigvan]

Thanks for replying, Rich, but I can't understand this. Could you please re-word it.

[ludwigvan]

I think you've hit on something with the "lazy followers", Sarah. I call them "deluded" - happy that their expensive gadget is telling them they are doing more than they actually are. I would prefer not to be deluded, and that the device would operate accurately. I'm sending mine back. 

[Rich_Laue]

Your Fitbit is mounted on the arm, it looks at arm motions to detect that the feet are moving. The arm is able to move without the feet moving, therefore throughout the day false steps may be added. 

Fitbit continually looks at the algorithm to improve this,

During an exercise like walk and run the step counts are very accurate because the arm movements are very consistent.

@ludwigvan this is something that plagues every arm based step counter on the market.

However a waist mounted step counter is more accurate, it still at time will give false steps.

I did a 4 month test wearing the Fitbit One, Charge, and Charge HR.

While most days none of the agreed, the where somewhat close on the leaderbord and often switching positions with every sync.

Monthly totals where very close within 1000 steps over a 30 day period and one month within 200 steps. 

While individual days may be off, over a month the waist mounted tracker was very close to both arm mounted trackers.

So yes I do trust it for the average

[Bigmark]

Thanks but you are replying to a very old Post.

Fitbit replaced my unit. It’s far more accurate now.

Please close this Thread someone.

Kind regards
Mark Jones

Sent from my iPhone

[Rich_Laue]

Actually I was replying to a post that was made 11 hours before.

Feel free to unsubscribe to this thread. Found under options

[SunsetRunner]

Not until FitBit provide a firm wear update to fix older devices. That fact that you seem to be happier now that it is replaced clearly indicates that improvement is possible so it should be available to all.

The algorithms need improvement. Obviously there will be false steps and that is understood but I chop herbs at a frequency that is higher than anyone can run so they shouldn’t be counted.

Sent from my iPhone

[Aristophanes]

I am also having the over count problem on my Charge 2. Very annoying and makes the data unreliable. Not sure what to do.

[ludwigvan]

I now use the step count as a very rough guide only. I find that I can clock up 10,000 "steps" (which I think really means "movements") by just going about my daily business, but I don't kid myself that I have actually taken 10,000 real steps.  So I aim for 15,000 "steps" daily, which I take to mean that I have exercised moderately for the day. 20,000 "steps" means that I have put in a bit of effort. If towards the end of a day I find I am at, say, 8,000 "steps", I take a short walk around the block (about 500 metres), thus adding 2,000-3,000 "steps". I reckon there's a lot of hokum around fitbit, but it has some use if you don't take the readings too literally.

[SunsetRunner]

But....if it’s overxcointing steps, it’s also inaccurate at calories. Caloric management is the basic point of Fitbit.

Needs a fix. Will return mine.