Too many floors recorded

[Thammer]

My fitbit charge 2 is recording more stairs than I'm doing . I've read all the suggestions but most of the issues are about not enough stairs getting recorded. Thanks 

Moderator edit: subject updated for clarity

[Epf13]

@Thammer Something may be going on with the app then bc I started noticing the same thing. I've had mine since Christmas & it's been accurate until late last week. Today I've only gone up 2 floors & it's showing 12. 

[DerrickS]

@Epf13 @Thammer I think that context matters for instances where you experience floor count inaccuracy.

Keep in mind that your Charge 2 records a floor climbed every time it detects an elevation gain of 10 feet combined with constant motion and does not count floors descended.

[Epf13]

@DerrickS I'm not sure I follow. I live on the 2nd floor and take the stairs. I'm aware that the Fitbit doesn't count floors descended. I've had the Charge 2 for just under 2 months and until just the other day it counted the 2 floors correctly every time I came up. Why the discrepancy suddenly? I walked up the 2 flights of stairs today & the app is showing 12 floors. How is that possible?

[Epf13]

It's actually gone up to 13 floors now

[PureEvil]

@Thammer and @Epf13,

So a couple of points about how Fitbit measures 'flight of stairs'.

First, Fitbit trackers detect change in elevation, not necessarily literal fights of stairs climbed.  My home (4th one of my street) is slightly uphill from the main street.  If I were to walk all the way to the main street and back, I'll get at least one flight of stairs.  Did I climb any steps?  No, but there was sufficient change in elevation while I walked that it detected a flight of stairs (gained 10 feet of elevation while stepping).

Second, Fitbit trackers detect flights of stairs through an altimeter, which detects minute changes in atmospheric pressure.  So if you're out walking on a particularly windy day, it may credit you for flights of stairs that you did not actually do.

If you are really curious, I suggest that you:

1. Go to your activities page.
2. Click on "floors" to look at the flights of stairs.

Look at the times when you got your flights of stairs (hover your mouse over each bar); this graph has five minute resolution.  Did they occur when you were doing something interesting.  Walking from one building to another?  Driving to work?  etc.

I hope this helps.

[Epf13]

 @PureEvil perhaps I'm not explaining myself well bc I can't seem to find a solution to this sudden discrepancy. I live in an apartment. I walked up the 2 floors today as I have since I've had my Charge 2. The app always showed 2 floors for each trip up to my apartment. I've been home all afternoon in my apartment and it's gone up to 14 floors.  How is it all of sudden detecting some type of change in elevation as I walk within my own apartment? Something it wasn't doing until recently. How is that possible? What change in elevation is it all of a sudden detecting? 

[PureEvil]

@Epf13,

Did you look at your activities page like I suggested?

If so, at what times where you credited for these flights of stairs?  Were you doing something else at that time?

[Epf13]

@PureEvil Yes I did look at the activities page and as I previously mentioned I've been home. I've walked around the apartment, some laundry & cooked dinner.  All things I've done many times since I've gotten the Charge 2 but has never caused the floors to go up. The most recent was at 7:15 PM & I was standing in my kitchen. 

[mrsizzy]

My husband and I both noticed this problem just today. I normally just have 10-12 stairs a day if I'm busy. Today I looked at my fitbit and it says 26. I haven't used the stairs by 2-3 times. I asked my husband to check his and he has 30 stairs.

The notice the stairs count being high when I was outside shoveling snow. There is no elevation change, and it's not a new activity for me. We've had snow and I've been shoveled before with accurate stairs count for the day.

[mwhiteoak]

My fitbit charge 2 says I have climbed 33 stairs but I haven't even gone up 1 flight today. Haven't even left my apartment.. 

[Rich_Laue]

As Derrick pointed out above, he used different wording, if the tracker does not think your walking, no stairs will be counted. Therefore if it is your Fitbit hand gliding up the railing, floors might not be detected. 

[Epf13]

@Rich_Laue That doesn't answer the original post which mentions MORE stairs being recorded. A few of us have commented that it's adding a lot more floors than we've done, even when walking within our apartments. 

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@Thammer wrote:

My fitbit charge 2 is recording more stairs than I'm doing . I've read all the suggestions but most of the issues are about not enough stairs getting recorded. Thanks 

Moderator edit: subject updated for clarity

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[Abi85]

Hi All, I am also having the same issue... I have had my Fitbit now for 6weeks and I'd say the first 3 weeks it worked perfectly, now some days I get amazing awards for climbing 158 flights of stairs, fabulous award but I don't deserve it! I have spoke to support who are advising me to negate them, not sure what it that means but tired to follow instructions and it's just adding that I was driving for a few hours and not actually amending any flights/floors climbed.. it's driving me mad! 

[Epf13]

@Abi85 It's frustrating! What's even more frustrating is that we can't get a valid answer as to why this is all of a sudden happening! I've commented quite a few times on this & other posts  and no one's answer has been a solution. 

[Abi85]

Exactly.. the only thing they are saying is to negate, which doesn't work or ignore the floors, well what's the point in that and why did it work properly at first! Looks like everyone seems to have the same issues but no one has any answers as to why! https://community.fitbit.com/t5/One/One-is-counting-floors-I-didn-t-climb/td-p/198889

[Lol_Abel]

Ive had my fitbit since Oct 2016. Its worked perfectly until today!!

Saying ive climbed 42 floors when in fact done no more than 8! Checked on my activity log for the times these were done and its logged 9 floors in the space of 15 mins when i was walking to work...the very same route i have taken many times before and never logged a floor being climbed once because its flat! Very confusing and after reading the endless amount of forums its been a problem for a while!!

it is dissapointing because the money you pay you expect it to work properly. Also my job is in the fitness industry so the data i collect from my tracker needs to be spot on for me to progress & hit my goals! 

[CodeyLynn]

Your second point, about the wind. I recorded 80 flights today! No way is this accurate but the wind is blowing 45-60 mph today. If recording flights of stairs is based on weather I may never get an accurate count. It is always windy here.

[swervable]

For the last few weeks mine have been recording floors like crazy! yesterday it said I climbed 375 floors. There is no way that is happening. 

[TCR46]

I live in a ranch style home with very little steps.   There are days that my fit bit will will show I have as much as 13 floors.   So I did a little research.   I am not positive, but it might help explain the difference.   I believe the fitbit detect changes in air pressure.  So in my case, whenever there is a storm brewing my fitbit seems to claim more floors.  I tested it out and sure enough that seems to be the case.   So I no longer pay attention to that part of my fitbit.