Is it true that the data for climbing floors is inaccurate?

[zzj186]

 Is everyone's data on climbing stairs accurate? I didn't climb any floors, I was on the first floor. After a while, the bar showed three floors,

[LZeeW · Accepted solution]

@zzj186   The floor counter uses the altimeter and it looks for very small changes in barometric pressure to count a floor.  There are some everyday activities that mimic a change in barometric pressure.  I get a lot of false floors at work when I have to go through fire doors.  They have a tight fit.  But I get them at home with some doors and sometimes even with cabinet doors.

Gusty weather can also give a lot of false floors.  When Fitbit added altimeters, it did so to encourage people to be more active and take the stairs instead of the elevator.  It's more encouragement than important data.  You don't get false calories with a false floor.

[zzj186]

Often drifting,

[pmhoene]

I hiked Mount Washington so many times and the last time I did; FitBit had me at 210 flights of stairs when it was over 600 on the past 8 other times.  It has not been accurate since Google purchased the product, among other features.  It is no longer reliable,  It often does not recognize that I am riding my bike; it logs it as sport despite that I clicked on the exercise feature - Cycling.  My kids switched to Garmin Forerunner 965 and are happier with the product features based on the apps for refereeing.  I am considering on switching since I am also a referee; FitBit does not even recognize that I have been a member since December 2009, yet I can pull up photos of myself wearing it.  The first design was just a device to measure your steps.  

[pmhoene]

I can honestly state that FitBit did not accurately count the floors for Mount Washington this year; it registered my hike as 104 floors, when it is typically 675 to 705 floors depending on which trail I go up.  Google really screw this product up.  FitBit should have kept their business and not sold it.  Quality over quantity.  I appreciate what Google does for many things, but controlling FitBit is not meeting expectations