I feel Fitbit Charge HR posts way too many floors walked

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MGJ123
MGJ123 Posts: 31 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have had my Fitbit Charge HR for less than a week. The first day i got it I tested it by walking up a flight of stairs a few times. It correctly posted the correct amount of flights. However, now the Charge HR seems to post an excessive amount of flights. I had read online about changing the settings from non dominant hand to the dominant hand so that the Charge HR is less sensitive. Although that did seem to help some it still appears to be excessive. I don't feel the steps amount is off just the flights of stairs. Curious if anyone has had this problem or if there is something I can do to fix the problem. Thanks in advance! :)

Replies

  • gsayler860
    gsayler860 Posts: 25 Member
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    If your going up stairs in a commercial building (office, shopping mall, etc) it will double register the flights because they are typically much taller than a residential flight of stairs. My office building is only two stories but I get a large number of flights a day because each trip up counts as two.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
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    It's based on air pressure changes. I had 30 flights added during a storm a couple months ago. I live in a very hilly town and will typically get several flights just walking around town. I'm not sure there is a way to make it "more accurate". I just think it's a fun way to remind you to take the stairs.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    shadow2soul wrote: »
    It's based on air pressure changes. It's a fun way to remind you to take the stairs.

    ^This. The stair count does not affect your Fitbit burn in any way.

    You can learn more in the Fitbit Users group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    I have the FItBit One and the 2nd floor of my gym completely freaks it out. Gives me TONS of extra flights of stairs. It is super annoying.

    But someone above mentioned hills - it is supposed to measure hills as flights of stairs because it is measuring elevation not actual flights.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    http://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/How-does-my-tracker-count-floors
    Fitbit trackers that count floors use an altimeter to calculate how many floors you've climbed. An altimeter is a sensor that calculates altitude based on atmospheric pressure. Atmospheric pressure decreases with increasing elevation, so the tracker calculates elevation gain based on the reduction in atmospheric pressure.

    Your tracker registers a floor when it detects continuous motion combined with an elevation gain of about 10 feet. 10 feet is an average between residential and commercial floor heights, although commercial floors in particular tend to be higher than residential floors.
  • MGJ123
    MGJ123 Posts: 31 Member
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    gsayler860 wrote: »
    If your going up stairs in a commercial building (office, shopping mall, etc) it will double register the flights because they are typically much taller than a residential flight of stairs. My office building is only two stories but I get a large number of flights a day because each trip up counts as two.

  • MGJ123
    MGJ123 Posts: 31 Member
    edited July 2015
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    @gsayler860 Good point! I do work in a commercial building on the 2nd floor which is much higher than a typical floor. I may try to test it more at home to see how it registers. Thanks!
  • MGJ123
    MGJ123 Posts: 31 Member
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    shadow2soul wrote: »
    It's based on air pressure changes. I had 30 flights added during a storm a couple months ago. I live in a very hilly town and will typically get several flights just walking around town. I'm not sure there is a way to make it "more accurate". I just think it's a fun way to remind you to take the stairs.

  • MGJ123
    MGJ123 Posts: 31 Member
    edited July 2015
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    @shadow2soul That is a good way to look at it. Thanks :)
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    Yeah mine adds heaps of stairs, I think I get a number of flights just for using the lift. It doesn't count towards my burn though, so I just disregard it.
  • MGJ123
    MGJ123 Posts: 31 Member
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    @Alatariel75
    Yes, I'm learning that it is more of a fun reminder than an actual report.
  • pteryndactyl
    pteryndactyl Posts: 303 Member
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    I have a Fitbit challenge with some coworkers, and the challenge shows badges you all earn during that time period...well one day a coworker with the HR earned the 125+ floors in a day badge. We were all W T F but turns out she had been driving home from out of town (~3 hours) and I guess the changing elevation/vibration of her steering wheel added tons of floors!
  • eukleja
    eukleja Posts: 29 Member
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    I just got the fitbit surge a couple weeks ago and noticed the same thing. After a couple days of going up 10-12 flights of stairs when I knew I had done no such thing I realized that it was giving me those flights while I was driving to and from school. Apparently I tap my hand a bit too vigorously listening to music in the car and it was counting all the elevation changes while driving. :) My new plan is to either take it off while driving or switch it to my "Non-dancing" hand so it doesn't register it.
  • MGJ123
    MGJ123 Posts: 31 Member
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    @pteryndactyl LOL!! yes mine was showing correct info at home over the weekend when i first got it but at my office bldg. it was showing a crazy amount of floors where i was earning ridiculous badges.
  • MGJ123
    MGJ123 Posts: 31 Member
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    @eukleja Yeah, I will keep the settings on dominant hand so that it isn't so sensitive but still hoping that they are able to fix this glitch. Otherwise, I like the Charge HR
  • MGJ123
    MGJ123 Posts: 31 Member
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    @editorgrrl thank you for the info.....i have been reading online that very thing. Think I may give it another week before I decide if I should return it or not.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    It's not a glitch—it's just the way it works. It's a fun, motivating metric with zero impact on your Fitbit burn.
  • MGJ123
    MGJ123 Posts: 31 Member
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    @editorgrrl I sit a lot at work so as long as it gives me some motivation then it is doing it's job! I have definitely picked up on my range of motion this past week. :smiley:

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