Fitbit recording far less steps than my garmin vivoactive

[AllisonMD]

For the last 4 years I’ve had a Garmin Vivoactive watch and I found it pretty accurate. I have been walking the same route daily for months according to my Garmin watch the route is approx 6km and I averaged 7500-8200 steps daily depending how fast I walk and what not. I just bought the Fitbit versa 2 and the exact same route is showing far less steps over 3 days I’m averaging only 5000 steps and it’s showing 4.5km. All this time I thought I’d been getting my 10,000 steps a day but according to Fitbit I’m not actually. I don’t know which one is more accurate and which one I should trust. 100-200 step discrepancy I can underhand but over 2000 steps difference doesn’t seem right to me. If fitbit is undercounting my steps how would I know and how can I fix it? Or I’m not sure if Garmin has been over counting.

i often will walk 10-15 steps and see if the step count is accurate it usually was with Garmin but with Fitbit at times it didn’t change at all.

i don’t know which one is correct? 

[WavyDavey]

Hi @AllisonMD

You can improve the accuracy of Fitbit's step count by adjusting the stride length. Here's how to do that:

To measure your walking stride length:

1. Go to a track or some place where you're sure of the distance.
2. Count your steps as you walk across that distance, making sure you travel at least 20 steps.
3. Divide the total distance (in feet) taken by the number of steps to get your stride length.

Your running stride can be calculated the same way if you run instead of walk (if you run).

Now, in order to adjust your manual stride length:

1. From the Fitbit app dashboard, tap or click the Account icon. 
2. Tap or clickAdvanced Settings.
3. Tap or click Stride Length.
4. Adjust your stride length.

[AllisonMD]

Yes I did that but it doesn’t make any sense.

so I walked 328 feet (100 metres) and it took me 150 steps. So I divide 328 by 150 and thats 2.18. But what measurement is that? In my setup the automatic stride is 67cm so that seems really OFF? 

[WavyDavey]

I used the calculation from this page because it's been a while since I've done this.

Your distance at 328 feet is 0.062 miles. Multiplied by 63360 / 150 steps = 12.276 inches stride length, which sounds too short and would give you fewer steps than it should. I think part of the issue is Fitbit only measures stride length in inches, not metric.

I don't know of an easy way to measure the actual stride length, other than adjust it upwards until it comes close to or matches what the garmin is reporting. Maybe someone else here knows a better way to figure out what your stride is.  That's all I know.

[Richie2260]

@AllisonMDIt wouldn't be the feet/steps, it would be inches/step so you're right, the 2.18 would be way off.

It should be 328 ft *12 in = 3936 inches in your example. Divide that by your 150 steps and you get a stride length of 26.24 inches/stride. That's pretty close to your 67cm measurement on automatic.

In my case, I'm 6'3" and have a measured stride length of 31.2 in. I believe automatic had me at 31.1.

[AllisonMD]

Actually I did the same walk yesterday and it did appear closer in numbers of steps and km to what I usually get with the Garmin. Maybe it just needed a few days to calibrate itself? I just started using it on Friday. The first time I used it I used the app to record my steps and distance as the walk feature wasn’t listed under exercise right on the watch but thanks to this forum I figured out how to add it and it has been more accurate so I guess it’s all good now