Fitbit Force

Thekid123

Hey,

I am aware that you cant completely count on an electronic device to be 100% accurate, but is it just me or does the fitbit force seem like it overcalculate steps? Its weird because when i count steps in my head once in a while, its spot on, but if I forget about it for a while, it says 5000-7000 steps by mid afternoon. This is just me being home and walking to the bathroom once in a while, going to the kitchen to eat, and maybe out to shop at one or two stores but only for like 15min in each store. Does this sound normal? This is without excercise. Thanks guys.

UpEarly

My first Force missed 30-40% of the steps I'd take. I'd take 500 carefully counted steps and even have a friend step alongside counting as well, but the Force would only catch 300-350 of the steps. Fitbit had me send it back to them for a replacement. The replacement seemed to count my steps accurately, but it gave me a huge burn/irritation spot on my wrist (under the charging port). So, I had to send that one back as well. The Force has actually been in the news quite a bit about the skin irritation lately - lots of people are having problems.

I really loved the Force's features, but after having one that couldn't count accurately and another one that burned my skin, I just decided to go back to my old Fitbit Flex model. It doesn't have as many features, but it works.

So... I guess in summation - I think it's very possible that your Force could be counting steps inaccurately. They seem to have some quality control issues with that model.

Thekid123

Thanks for the reply. This does kind of take the wind out of my sails. I am actually surprised that they would base your calories burned on motion rather than your pulse. Just out of curiosity, did you purchase the malfunctioning fitbit directly from fitbit.com or another place?

UpEarly

It came directly from the manufacturer. I pre-ordered the Force before it even hit the market because I was so excited about the features.

And actually, movement throughout the day (NEAT) has been a pretty accurate indicator of calorie burn for me. My weight change tracked more reliably using a Fitbit or BodyMedia than it ever did when I relied on a heart rate monitor.

Good luck sorting out your issues with the device.

4legsRbetterthan2

I have a Fitbit one and it seems to be pretty accurate except it will miss small movements, like less than 5 steps. Make sure you set up your height and stride length correctly on you account or that may effect it. You might be surprised at how much you are moving, I know I get 100 steps walking form one end of my house and back. And I will get about 5,000 steps when I go through walmart and the grocery store on the weekends.

cruciia

That is disappointing, I was hoping to buy one soon. I currently have a FitBit One and that calculates perfectly.

Submariner5

My FITBIT Force fell off my wrist AGAIN today but this time I didn't feel it fall off. Very bad wristband clasp design so now I'm out the $129 it cost. Definately not buying another if this one is never found.

stangirl1995

I love my fitbit one and it seems fairly accurate. My coworker bought the flex and she is definately not getting the steps that she is taking. My one would have picked up on those steps.

fitphoenix

Just got a Force at the beginning of January and love it! No issues with irritation or the clasp falling off or anything like that. I have found it to be quite accurate (though I don't have a previous model to compare it to). But if I count steps and compare it comes out right (or within a handful of steps, anyway). It doesn't add any steps when I'm on the bus or in the car, counts my steps whether I'm moving my arms or not.... I really enjoy the sleep-tracking feature and love seeing right on the watch my distance, active minutes, calories burned, stairs climbed, and steps. I highly recommend it.

By the time I get to work in the morning, I usually have 4000-5000 steps, but that includes my workout (30-minutes that incorporates a number of step-based moves), walking while brushing my teeth, walking to the bus stop, walking while waiting for the bus, and walking from the bus stop to work. Is it possible you move more than you realise at home?

Calliope610

I have recently been considering purchasing a FitBit, but unsure of the model. What does the Force do that Flex and One don't do? I have checked the website for the comparisons - I don't climb stairs (not b/c I'm lazy, just that I don't encounter stairs very often), so that's not an issue. What is the "goal setting" feature? How does that work? Is the sleep monitor & alarm function really helpful to you?

What are your pros and cons to the models?

And also, aren't FitBits just fancy pedometers/activity meters? Do any have a HRM feature?

GingerLolita

I have the Flex and I find it to be very accurate. I wear it on and have it set to my dominant hand. I also found that I need it on sensitive mode to properly track my sleep.

The Force has a more advanced display than the previous trackers; that's the only major difference I know of.

You can set a goal to maintain or lose weight (same deficit options as MFP). It will tell you how much to plan on eating based on general activity patterns. It will also tell you if you haven't eaten enough, eaten too much, or if you're within 50 calories of your deficit goal, based on activity and food logged so far that day. The only issue I'm having with it is that it differs from MFP slightly, so although I was 35 calories under goal on MFP yesterday, Fitbit told me I was 50+ calories over goal. I stuck with MFP though to be safe.

I first thought the sleep monitor wasn't working because I'd have 90+% efficiency and be tired. Then I got sick, and now it shows every time I wake up or get restless. I actually find it to be accurate.

I was scared to rely on the alarm at first, but it's annoying when it's buzzing around your wrist, so it gets you up! Of course, if you need to get out of bed to turn the alarm off (which I don't anyway), it may make you prone to going back to sleep, and there is no snooze button. I've been setting back-up alarms 15-30 min later on my cell phone just in case. But it is a much more gentle wake-up call.

I'm not sure about HRM because there is a log section for it on the website. But I realized I had no idea how many calories I burned each day, and how greatly they vary! I think this will be the tool I need to finally reach my goal.

Bry_Fitness70

I have to wear a Pebble to get a reduced insurance rate; it is really small and attaches to my shoe. I think that is the only truly effective way to measure steps, as arm movement doesn't strictly correlate to steps.

april1445

some do have a heartrate monitor feature, but not the fitbits. you probably read experience with the force. It was extremely inaccurate, probably doubling my steps over the course of the day--gave me 5,000 steps for watching a movie in a rocking chair. The worst part is I got it from amazon, and trying to get a reply from the fitbit company is impossible. There is no phone number, so you have to wait for them to email you back. I suspect I spent 129 dollars on a useless gadget. By the way, the force has a watch--that's the difference over the flex. Also, the clasp is RIDICULOUS--takes me 2 minutes to put the thing on!

wrenegade64

Me and my wife have noticed that the accuracy is not 100%, so I view my numbers as "ballpark". She has had issues with the wrist clasp twice and I just had an issue with my wrist clasp day before yesterday. We will continue to use ours for the time being, but I anticipate that we will explore other device options perhaps in the spring.