Versa 2 won't track steps when pushing a buggy

[fitmama573]

Hey all. So by and large I'm happy with my device, but I'm consistently frustrated by my Fitbit's inability to accurately gauge steps and calories when I'm pushing the kids in the buggy. The Fitbit literature suggests that a step or two may occasionally be lost but overall the measurements are accurate. Today, however, I pushed the kids to the supermarket and back, which was a journey of 1.4 miles each way, plus a substantial amount of plodding about the shop, plus all the ordinary steps involved in a morning of getting two toddlers out the door. The way home involves a mild incline, and between two kids and buggy and the weekly shop I reckon I was pushing / carrying upwards of 100lbs. I even told Fitbit I was walking so as to ensure it recognised I was on the move. When I got home, however, which was around 2pm, my Fitbit had only registered 2 miles' worth of travel for the entire day. Best case scenario that's about 50% of actual steps taken. I've read all the literature re: wearing the device correctly, my GPS and Bluetooth and software are all up to date / connected properly and so on, and when I'm not pushing the buggy it works just fine. However. However. I bring all this up because I'm also 6 months pregnant with my third, and I rely on Fitbit to estimate a baseline caloric burn to which I add extra pregnancy calories etc in order to achieve healthy weight gain levels. I imagine I'm not the only mum out there to have a bun in the oven whilst pushing a buggy all over town. And if my step count was out by 50%, my calorie burn is presumably out by a substantial margin too. It's extremely frustrating to have a device fail at a time when sufficient caloric intake / proper weight maintenance is essential. I mean, yes, I use common sense, I listen to my body, and I put the needs of my body first, but the Versa 2 could be such a help / guide at this time, and it just isn't reliable.

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[Odyssey13]

Hi @fitmama573 and congrats on the new little one that's to come. The Fitbit devices are wrist based, so if you're not swinging your arm while walking, it won't always recognize those steps. You could do what many others do and put the Fitbit in a pocket or, if you're ankle isn't swollen, use an extender to strap it there. 

[fitmama573]

Thanks @Odyssey13. I think mostly I just needed to vent. Ideally I'd rather not sacrifice the cardio tracking or the push notifications (or the other features that makes my device something more than just a really expensive pedometer), and I'm a bit grumbly because I swear I read somewhere on Fitbit.com - before I bought the thing - that thanks to GPS enabling etc etc it was more or less accurate regardless of wrist motion. Not that I can find that thread now of course. Still, you're right, I could pocket the thing. Thanks.

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi @fitmama573. Welcome to the Community Forums. @Odyssey13, thanks for your help.

@fitmama573, thanks for sharing detailed information about your Versa 2. I understand how important for you is to receive accurate data and I'm sorry for this inconvenience. Let me explain that your watch will track your steps based on the frequency, duration and patterns of your movement. However, as our friend mentioned, if you are pushing a stroller, shopping cart or buggy, your step count may be lower than usual during this activity since your hands aren't moving.

That being said, please give a try to @Odyssey13's suggestion or try recording your walk activity by using the Exercise app to track your data while you're with your kids. This app will also give you the option to activate GPS tracking. You can find more details about this feature here.

Hope to see you around more often.