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Inaccurate Stair counts

Jo2926
Jo2926 Posts: 489 Member
in Social Groups
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!)

Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    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
    RetiredAndLovingIt Posts: 1,395 Member
    Mine always shows less than I have done! :(
  • NancyN795
    NancyN795 Posts: 1,134 Member
    edited October 2016
    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
    SusanMFindlay Posts: 1,804 Member
    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
    Jo2926 Posts: 489 Member
    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
    Jo2926 Posts: 489 Member
    edited October 2016
    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

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