Inaccurate Stair counts

Jo2926

My Fitbit One seems to be counting extra flights of stairs! It says I've done 12 flights today, and I know thats not true. I've done 3 or 4 at most. I've not hiked up any hills either!

Any idea what might be happening? (I have used a lift several times for 4 or 5 floors!)

malibu927

The way Fitbit counts stairs is to measure the change in atmospheric pressure. If you're in a place that's experiencing some windy or changing weather, this tends to cause Fitbit to count stairs.

RetiredAndLovingIt

Mine always shows less than I have done!

NancyN795

As malibu927 said, the Fitbit stair count isn't reliable. If you climb a lot of stairs, particularly if you go out of your way to do it as exercise, then it can be a fun number to track, but otherwise, you should just ignore it. It isn't used in any calculations - it doesn't affect your calorie burn, steps, number of active minutes or anything else.

I'm not sure, but my new Charge 2 may be better about it than my old Charge HR or the One I had before that. We've had a few really windy days lately and my stair counts aren't wildly high. I'm pretty sure it still frequently misses it when I climb the stairs here in our house, just like my previous Fitbits.

Edit: (If you walk in place while in the elevator - it only hit me what you meant by "lift" after I posted my reply - then it could conceivably interpret that as a flight of stairs. It has to see steps at the same time as the change in air pressure to decide that it is a flight of stairs.)

SusanMFindlay

I assumed it was detecting an up/down motion as I get credit for stairs during my workout class on an indoor track. I assumed it was all the squats and lunges.

Jo2926

malibu927 wrote: »

The way Fitbit counts stairs is to measure the change in atmospheric pressure. If you're in a place that's experiencing some windy or changing weather, this tends to cause Fitbit to count stairs.

Thanks! That makes a lot of sense. I work in a docks area and my lunchtime walk i always really windy!

Jo2926

NancyN795 wrote: »

A It isn't used in any calculations - it doesn't affect your calorie burn, steps, number of active minutes or anything else.

This was my main worry - I sort of assumed it gave you more calories for stairs as they are harder, so pleased that it doesn't. I like to count the stairs some days as a general indication of becoming more active, but now I have better context for using the data. Thanks .

(If you walk in place while in the elevator - it only hit me what you meant by "lift" after I posted my reply - then it could conceivably interpret that as a flight of stairs. It has to see steps at the same time as the change in air pressure to decide that it is a flight of stairs.)

I try really hard not to do this!! But I'm quite tempted to try it out LOL