Surge doesn't count steps unless you swing your arms????

[MDBaker777]

I know exactly what others are talking about here and is why I looked for help here in the fitbit forum.  I too am a long time fitbit user having used nearly all their products and about 2 weeks ago bought the Surge.  What I noticed was it only counted steps when you swing your arms in a normal way while walking or running.  However if your hands are still while walking such as pushing a shopping cart, holding a box which prevents my hands from swinging, if I utilize a dolly to move product on the docks and my hands are still, etc, it ultimately results in the step counter "NOT" counting your steps.  

This was never an issue with my previous fitbits or previous Fitbit One I had probably because it was in my pocket and not the point of buying the top of the line fitness watch.  

Believing I had a defective unit I returned it to BestBuy and the new unit still does the same.  There is evidence that the Surge has issues keeping track of our steps if the hands are in an idle state (even if you are truly moving).  I was really hoping to find there was a "Sensitivity Switch" for the sway in your arms or GPS monitoring to resolve this issue before I considered Apple or another smart fit watch.  

The question is, now what?  I also came here before I sold it off on eBay if I couldn't return it to the store but Fitbit definitly needs to address this issue.

If anyone has a solution to this delima, "Please Advise".

Good luck all!

[bbarrera]

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@MDBaker777 wrote:

What I noticed was it only counted steps when you swing your arms in a normal way while walking or running.  However if your hands are still while walking such as pushing a shopping cart

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I've had this issue with:
- Flex

- Force

- Surge

No problems while using my iPhone 5s as Fitbit tracker ("MobileTrack" feature).

[Rich_Laue]

This doesnt make sense since all the arm based Fitbits are designed to count steps while in a pocket, plus Fitbit sells a necklace for the Flex.

I find my Charge, Charg HR, and Surge easily count my steps while out walking, whether the arm is in a pocket, holding a water bottle at my side or even taking a drink. Through several 500 and 1000 step counts none of my trackers are off more then 10 steps.

[RAtkinson405]

Have notice the same problem with my Surge when pushing buggy at super market.  I have also noticed that it will count steps when I am sitting in a chair and swing my arm.  Several times while working at my desk my steps goal notification vibrates.  Did not have this problem with my original two fitbits. 

Another problem developed after I preformed the mobile app update.  The surge no longer notifies me that I have received a text or a call.

[Rich_Laue]

Yes an arm based tracker is looking for arm motions that are conducive of stepping, or a slight up/down motion as if the unit is in your pocket.

It does not look at your leg movements.

So yes if the hand is on a cart thatis gliding smothly across a floor, steps might be missed. Inversly if the arm is moving back and forth or up down it may count extra steps.

Just a note about step counting, 5 steps like movements must be seen before any are acknowledged.  Walk 4 steps an stop no counting,  walk 6 you get credit for 6 steps.

I also have noticed the One clipped to my belt will lose steps while walking across a soft field or rug, the arm based units are fine here. The One also counts if i tap my foot, the arm model doesn't. 

In any case the One and the weist models overall stay very close for me.

[MDBaker777]

Interesting comments.  Over the last week, I purposely took note of the count and tested it with and without my arms in motion and recieved the results as described in my initial post however just went down stairs, walked from one side of the room to the other normally which was 25 steps and it was very accurate.  So I then tried making that same walk as still as could be along my side and "this time" it did in fact still read my steps +/- 3 steps.  I also tried it with arms stretched out in front of me such as with pushing a shopping cart or dolly and again +/- 3 steps - I still recieved results (which is good).

So the question now is what made the difference where in other instances it worked and others it didn't?

To comment on RAtkinson405's reply, I sat in a chair here before typing this and sure enough just as they said by swinging my arms alone and obviously stationary in my chair in front of the computer, it did in fact read as if I were walking so in this case scenario, it now reported more steps than that which were actually made.

Hmmmmmmmmm

Fitbit is still considered by most the best on the market so maybe I'll give it another few weeks before making the trade.  I still own three (3) Fitbit One's, three (3) Fitbit Zips, one (1) Fitbit Charge HR, and one (1) Fitbit Flex (not to mention a Fitbit Aria...lol) so I think over the next week or two I'll do a "Nerd Test" and where one of each to see if I get the same results from each or report the different readings of each here within the Fitbit community ~ For what it's worth.

It's for certain that Fitbit's R&D still has some bugs to work out.

[MDBaker777]

Hello Rich_Laue.  It appears a leg bracelet (I've already seen some on the market but not by Fitbit yet I'm aware of) would be the most accurate however defeats the idea of a "Super Smart-Fit Watch".  

[Rich_Laue]

But your arms streached out in front would not be the same as pushing a cart. While the arms are in the air, they are allowed to bounce up and down freely with your steps.

When the hands are on a cart they will be bouncing up an down with the bumps and holes in the floor.

[bbarrera]

With the Flex, Force, and Surge a typical 60-90 Costco shopping trip gives me 200-400 steps, while a pocket tracker gives me 2000-3000 steps. The pocket tracker is far more accurate for me when pushing a shopping cart. 

[Rich_Laue]

But if your like me and move the leg around while sitting then it would record to many steps.

[bbarrera]

My iPhone 5s is my current tracker. Pretty good overall, I don't see false steps from my nervous leg, and no false steps from moving arm. 

[MDBaker777]

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@bbarrera wrote:

With the Flex, Force, and Surge a typical 60-90 Costco shopping trip gives me 200-400 steps, while a pocket tracker gives me 2000-3000 steps. The pocket tracker is far more accurate for me when pushing a shopping cart. 

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Correct...
I started wearing both my Surge (on the wrist), Zip (on my waist), and my One (in my pocket).  I would then contiously count my steps for periods of activities at various times through the day and nearly every time the Zip and One which were on the hip and pocket measured the same number of steps where as the Surge on my wrist was considerably off being the least accurate to my actual count taken.

Curiously though this is intermittent because sometimes I can hold my hands still and walk forward for X amount of steps and it doesn't read it however on another day or time it does.  At first I thought it might by a GPS issue working in conjunction with the step counter however I see it sometimes works/doesn't work in the same location recorded on previous days.

Basically the end result (for me) is the surge is far more unreliable than I hoped and don't see a fix for it.  So for now I'm checking to see if I can return it, if not I'll probably sell it and since my Fitbit One and Zips seem far more accurate I will manually adjust my sync recorded count on my dashboard to reflect the accurate count.

Hopefully Fitbit (or others) find a better resolution to this situation in the near future.  

Spoiler

[chris2121]

I've noticed similar behaviour when using a cross trainer.  If I use the trainer with my arms moving the step count seems pretty good.  But if I have my hands on the fixed grip and just use my legs I get a very low step count.  For me not a big deal because I didn;t buy the Surge to count steps (or floors and that is even worse) but to meaure HR and calorie burn.  

[Rich_Laue]

When the arms are on the fixed grip they and the tracker will be fixed in place, and therefore there might not be enough movement to detect. Now if the hands are against your side during a free run, then the up/down motion of the body, will also be moving the hands up/down and the steps will be counted. This would be the same as putting the tracker in the pocket where it will track fine.

[MDBaker777]

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@Rich_Laue wrote:

When the arms are on the fixed grip they and the tracker will be fixed in place, and therefore there might not be enough movement to detect. Now if the hands are against your side during a free run, then the up/down motion of the body, will also be moving the hands up/down and the steps will be counted. This would be the same as putting the tracker in the pocket where it will track fine.

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I agree Rich.  I should be clear I'm not a runner by any means and only have it to monitor my heart rate and how many steps I take to calculate calorie burn because I'm very interactive with the dashboard in carb-counting.  Despite my not being a runner, I do however walk 15-25 miles a day at work and this is where my delima with the inaccuracies come into play.  If I'm walking 50,000 steps a day, I'd like to see that or something close to it.  The "Zip" and "One" fitbits being in the pocket or hip is pretty accurate but since I'm counting while at work thus carrying items most of the time or pushing a dolly or pallet cart, my arms are 90% of the time not moving which makes the Surge I have not nearly as accurate as the other two however it is counting my pulse through the day and measuring calorie burn that way so I'm tore on whether to keep it or not.

By the way, I appreciate everyones input here - Thanks  

[matt9013]

@MDBaker777

You could buy a Zip or One and use that for steps and use the Surge for HR and calorie. Or buy a cheap clip on pedometer and keep using the Surge.

[Rich_Laue]

What ive noticed is that the Surge in the pocket is as accurate as the Zip and One, I have both.
As to how they detect steps?
The Zip and One look for body core motions that are conducive to a person walking.
As for the arm based units? They are looking for arm motions that at conducive to walking.
Which is more accurate dieting a free run/walk they should be the same. Now during your normal work day, i found neither is as a accurate, in that a person's movements ate not as predictable. Both types will give false or miss steps, and nor at the same time., but throughout the week/month they stay close, amd often switch positions on the leaderboard

[firstbarb1]

I have also noticed that while shopping and pushing a cart I don't get an accurate read on my Surge...What can be done to rectify this?

[MikeF]

Put the Surge in your pocket or try and push one handed. If the Surge is on your wrist then you're limited in what you can do since your arm needs to be free to react normally to your steps. A handle at a fixed height from the ground is very effective at dampening the reactions of your arms.

[MDBaker777]

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@matt9013 wrote:

@MDBaker777

You could buy a Zip or One and use that for steps and use the Surge for HR and calorie. Or buy a cheap clip on pedometer and keep using the Surge.

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I own both the Fitbit One and Zip but was simply upgrading for their best because I like it so much.  It's just redundant to purchase (like I did) a Surge in order to accomplish all it is advertised to do if we have to have a Zip or One in the pocket to maintain an accurate count on steps and then another arm piece for HR (both do calorie).  When I want a really accurate account Ive kept it in my pocket but then again, that's something the One or Zip could do for me.  I'll honestly probably just sell it while it's still new and wait till (or if) Fitbit fixes the situation.  

Thanks guys