Step Tracking Accuracy

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  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    earlnabby wrote: »
    brianpperkins wrote: »
    shell1005 wrote: »
    My FitBit is really accurate. I've never had extra steps added. Well one time, but I didn't wear it to sleep and it was next to my fan and the vibrations made it go crazy and I woke up with 20K in steps. But otherwise, mine is like clockwork.

    Did you count your actual steps for comparison or are you just assuming it is accurate?

    I'm not the person you asked, but I have checked my Fitbit accuracy several ways, including counting actual steps. It is very accurate. Not 100%, but I wouldn't expect perfection. I would say it is closer to 95% accurate overall and very close to 100% when I go on a purposeful walk.

    Most come out in the 90-95% accurate during deliberate walks. That puts a 10k step day anywhere between 9k - 11k.


  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    brianpperkins wrote: »
    earlnabby wrote: »
    brianpperkins wrote: »
    shell1005 wrote: »
    My FitBit is really accurate. I've never had extra steps added. Well one time, but I didn't wear it to sleep and it was next to my fan and the vibrations made it go crazy and I woke up with 20K in steps. But otherwise, mine is like clockwork.

    Did you count your actual steps for comparison or are you just assuming it is accurate?

    I'm not the person you asked, but I have checked my Fitbit accuracy several ways, including counting actual steps. It is very accurate. Not 100%, but I wouldn't expect perfection. I would say it is closer to 95% accurate overall and very close to 100% when I go on a purposeful walk.

    Most come out in the 90-95% accurate during deliberate walks. That puts a 10k step day anywhere between 9k - 11k.


    By my counting, my 3000 step walk came out to 2991. I have done others of similar duration and gotten similar results.

  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    n=1 testing versus controlled tests ... I'll take the controlled every time.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    You're actually counting steps during runs? Impressive.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    shell1005 wrote: »
    brianpperkins wrote: »
    You're actually counting steps during runs? Impressive.

    Didn't say that. I said I checked accuracy. This Thursday, I went for a 4 mile run. When I left the house my FitBit said I had walked 0.2 miles. My runkeeper used gps to track the distance run. I ran 4.2 miles. When I got home my FitBit said I walked somewhere around 9000 steps so far and that my distance was 4.55 miles. That is accurate to me. If it isn't too you....then it's probably not the device for you.

    .35 miles off on a 4.2 mile run ... not that accurate. That's assuming your phone is accurate ... a bold assumption.

    Then again, Fitbits are step counters.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    brianpperkins wrote: »
    shell1005 wrote: »
    brianpperkins wrote: »
    You're actually counting steps during runs? Impressive.

    Didn't say that. I said I checked accuracy. This Thursday, I went for a 4 mile run. When I left the house my FitBit said I had walked 0.2 miles. My runkeeper used gps to track the distance run. I ran 4.2 miles. When I got home my FitBit said I walked somewhere around 9000 steps so far and that my distance was 4.55 miles. That is accurate to me. If it isn't too you....then it's probably not the device for you.

    .35 miles off on a 4.2 mile run ... not that accurate. That's assuming your phone is accurate ... a bold assumption.

    Then again, Fitbits are step counters.

    I bought my father a Garmin vivofit because he walks a lot. Unfortunately he also had me measure the neighbourhood with my GPS and quickly noticed that the distance was off. I keep trying to explain to him but he doesn't get it. lol.
    We've even done the custom entry for the steps.
    Worst mistake I ever made.
  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
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    Maybe you are sleepwalking? My Fitbit does log some steps during sleep but I get up to use the bathroom at least once a night.

    Pittgirl.... are you by chance a yinzer? :smiley:
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    shell1005 wrote: »
    brianpperkins wrote: »
    shell1005 wrote: »
    brianpperkins wrote: »
    You're actually counting steps during runs? Impressive.

    Didn't say that. I said I checked accuracy. This Thursday, I went for a 4 mile run. When I left the house my FitBit said I had walked 0.2 miles. My runkeeper used gps to track the distance run. I ran 4.2 miles. When I got home my FitBit said I walked somewhere around 9000 steps so far and that my distance was 4.55 miles. That is accurate to me. If it isn't too you....then it's probably not the device for you.

    .35 miles off on a 4.2 mile run ... not that accurate. That's assuming your phone is accurate ... a bold assumption.

    Then again, Fitbits are step counters.

    Not quite. I started with 0.2 before I left, I ran 4.2...I ended up with 4.55. That's not off by 0.35 by my math. I'll take it. Seems pretty spot on.

    I also know the distance I ran and so my phone is not inaccurate. That's accurate enough for me. It should be for most. If it is not for you, cool. FitBit shouldn't be your tracker of choice.
    You admitted that you have no clue if your step counter accurately counts steps ... then claimed it was accurate.
  • BasicGreatGuy
    BasicGreatGuy Posts: 868 Member
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    From my experience, the iPhone 6 is not good at all at counting steps accurately. Just thought I would mention that for those who have been relying on the phone for such counting.
  • kiela64
    kiela64 Posts: 1,447 Member
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    Pittgirl3 wrote: »
    so I recently bought my first Jawbone Up fitness tracker and I woke up to check my stats in the morning and it said that I had already taken 500 steps

    I have been having a similar issue with my misfit flash. When I wake up (it tracks sleep, supposedly well by following reviews but I've found it to be not that great at tracking sleep) it tells me I've burned 700+ calories! And I have it synced to MFP, so then before I've even moved for the day MFP says "you've earned 260 calories from exercise today" ....no, I haven't....

    I guess that it adds ~300 extra calories a day, but MFP is known for overestimating exercise calories and when I work out my misfit usually adds ~400 more than MFP does. So I just don't know anymore. I'm debating whether or not to unsync it, myself, because trying to figure out what my MFP-only exercise calories are, then eating back only half of those - it's just too much math for me, lol.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    edited July 2015
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    brianpperkins wrote: »
    n=1 testing versus controlled tests ... I'll take the controlled every time.
    brianpperkins wrote: »
    shell1005 wrote: »
    brianpperkins wrote: »
    You're actually counting steps during runs? Impressive.

    Didn't say that. I said I checked accuracy. This Thursday, I went for a 4 mile run. When I left the house my FitBit said I had walked 0.2 miles. My runkeeper used gps to track the distance run. I ran 4.2 miles. When I got home my FitBit said I walked somewhere around 9000 steps so far and that my distance was 4.55 miles. That is accurate to me. If it isn't too you....then it's probably not the device for you.

    .35 miles off on a 4.2 mile run ... not that accurate. That's assuming your phone is accurate ... a bold assumption.

    Then again, Fitbits are step counters.

    So I am not accurate even though I count steps, and shell is not accurate by not counting steps. We get it, you are not a fan of trackers. Don't get one.

  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    I compared your n=1 study to controlled tests. If you want to misquote me, that's on you.

    The Fitbit fanclub makes me laugh ... a device that the makers concede counts steps to a 90-95% accuracy, counts steps rather than actually measuring distance ... yet it's adherents swear it does more.

    For those wanting to get a broad assessment of overall daily activity, they can be useful. That's about it.


  • Tahlia68
    Tahlia68 Posts: 204 Member
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    I have a Fitbit charge and I find it to be very accurate!! Best thing Ive ever brought for fitness ect.

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