Fitbit is one of the most leading brands in a world of fitness trackers. It had once been a great competitor to the Jawbone. Technological devices require accuracy and frequent changes to attract your attention.
This is exactly what Fitbit would provide you. Hence without a doubt, Fitbit has been leading the market for the very cause.
Though there are frequent questions asked about the accuracy of the fitness tracker, you might also be wondering about the same question before you buy one. It is a good decision to check whether the brand you are about to buy is actually worth it or not! This article will give you an honest idea about what the fitness tracker would give and what it would not.
What Does the Fitbit Fitness Tracker Track?
First of all, to know the level of accuracy in Fitbit, you need to know the things that the Fitbit fitness tracker would track. Here are the features that the Fitbit fitness trackers would provide you with.
- Heart rate monitoring
- Steps tracking/ Pedometer
- Sleep tracking
- Calories tracking
- Period/ Ovulation Tracking
- Floors Climbed Tracking
Are Fitbit Trackers Accurate?
For a normal person who is just looking for being healthy by tracking the daily activities, Fitbit is your best choice. However, if you have any underlying medical problems, you are going to need more of a specialized medical device. You can consult with your health expert in such a sense.
In contrast, the Fitbit is actually accurate most of the time if you wear it correctly. You can check our other article on how to wear a fitness band correctly to get the most out of it.
The accuracy depends on many factors. So we have to give it that this is just a technological device. It is accurate most of the time, but it is not flawless.
Moreover, it also depends on how you use it. If you walk on a plush carpet or stroll a shopping cart, it might flash the judgment of the fitness tracker. That means that the step counts might be a little deviated from its actual count.
On the other hand, driving on a bumpy road might lead you to think that you are walking. Let’sLet’s just say that the fitness tracker is smart but not smart enough.
In contrast to this, you have to give it to Fitbit that it is more accurate than most of the fitness trackers.
At the end of this article, we will be giving you some tips about how to increase its accuracy. Do check it out!
How Accurate Is Calories Burned On Fitbit?
If you want to lose weight, you know how important calories burnt tracking is. You might as well be making diet charts of how many calories you intake in a day.
In case you are looking for a fitness tracker only for this sole feature, we understand your needs for an accurate fitness band.
First of all, you have to add up the personal features in the Fitbit app. Then, the app will measure your metabolic rate according to the data you provide.
This depends on your daily activities and your heart rates as well. You will only find the estimation of the calorie tracker in the case of Fitbit trackers. Hence, the error rates may surge up to 25 percent.
However, as ironic as it is, Fitbit Surge and Fitbit Flex provide the most accurate calorie tracking out of all fitness bands.
Though the error rates rise, it depends upon the information you keep on feeding the bands. We suggest that Fitbit is one of the best you can get in this sector.
Is Fitbit Steps Tracker Accurate?
Fitbit uses the 3-axis accelerometer when it comes to step-tracking. From recent researches made on smartwatches, it is reliable to say that Fitbit gives you accurate results about 50 percent of the time.
It is not a bad bargain at all. Moreover, there is not much of a difference in the number as well. You can rely on the smartwatch as far as you set your stride length, height, and other personal information correctly.
Adding to this feature, you can figure out your distance covered, pace, duration, intensity, frequency, etc.
If you are thinking of getting advantages from walking the mark of 10000 steps as many health workers call it, Fitbit will surely help you out. For this, you will also have to consider some points. Walking on a plush carpet or driving on a bumpy road can fluctuate your step counting here and there.
However, you will definitely get the motivation you require to achieve your goals and keep walking steps to get all the psychological benefits and calorie burns you desire to gain.
You can even lower your blood pressure with such a feature at hand. Moreover, for more accuracy, you can check out below where you can wear the fitness band when.
How Accurate Is Fitbit Heart Rate Monitoring?
You can use heart rate monitoring in order to control your breathing, as well as know when your heartbeat is unstable.
Many workouts require you to perform intense activities that hype up your heartbeat. However, you should not exceed a certain level of the heartbeat as it may risk your health. This is where heart rate monitoring helps you.
You can change your workout schedules according to this measurement. In addition to this, you may also be interested in cardio, peak, and fat burn goals that Fitbit provides you.
Pure pulse technology enhances the working mechanism of heart rate monitors in Fitbit, which also helps in calorie burnt and well sleep tracking.
A Fitbit tracker will assist you in achieving a lower resting heart rate, which is a sign of a healthy lifestyle. Hence, Fitbit trackers are more accurate when it comes to resting heart rates. However, while exercising, you may find a little fluctuated heart rate.
This can be made better by the style you wear your fitness bands. If you want to measure heart rate correctly, it must be worn a little tighter and close to your skin.
On the other hand, if you are seeking medical attention, chest strap monitors are your last stop. In such a case, we shall say that fitness trackers are not fully accurate.
Is Fitbit Sleep Tracking Accurate?
Sleep is one of the essential parts of a healthy body. It gives you push towards a positive and more active day.
Hence, sleep monitoring is one of the many features that a smart band or smartwatch will provide you. Sleep monitoring provides you data about your sleep and bedtime along with information like how much time you spent having light or deep sleep.
It seems quite handy, doesn’t it? Some of the technological devices even give you suggestions about how you can improve your sleep.
However, Fitbit is a little lagging in the sector. It uses the technology of pure pulse and heart rates to find out whether you are sleeping or not. You might enhance it by lack of moving.
In contrast, these are just mere estimates. It gives you a rough sketch of your sleep schedule, but you cannot rely on its information completely if you are looking for medical attention or professional lab help.
How Accurate Is Fitbit Floors Climbed Tracking?
Fitbit trackers generally track one thing correctly as ever, and that is floors climbed. You will be given an approximate of 10 feet as one floor climbed.
The technology it uses is altimeter for this purpose. Hence, the elevation that it shows you are calculated by the change in barometric pressure.
Moreover, if you exercise vigorously in the elliptical machines, you will find no change in the floors climbed, which is a good thing. Though, this is because there is no change in the pressures applied or the altitudes.
The problem here is that you might find difficulties if there is a change in weather conditions because it confuses the Fitbit technology between the change in barometric pressures and weather changes.
Is Fitbit Period Tracking Accurate?
This is only for women out there who want everything under control. There can be situations when you forget completely about your periods and make a big scene at an event or have to cancel plans at the last moment. This can be frustrating, can’t it?
Though there are many period tracker apps out there, Fitbit decided that it would add it for the convenience of women. However, you can say that it works only for women having a regular cycle.
The ones having irregular cycles find it hard to connect with Fitbit to track their cycle. So, it is pretty inaccurate and off for you if you have irregular cycles. We suggest you try period cycle apps instead.
How To Increase Accuracy In Fitbit?
You might be thinking by now that if there is anything you can do from your side to increase the accuracy of Fitbit, isn’t it?
The good thing is that you can do some things that increase the accuracy of Fitbit. Though Fitbit is already a better choice than most fitness bands, you might be doing some things wrong that affect its efficacy.
So, here are some things you can do to make the most out of Fitbit fitness bands.
How To Wear Fitbit Accurately?
Wearing your device correctly also affects the accuracy of its results. Moreover, it might seem that what mistakes can you possibly make while wearing your band? Well, there might be lots of it. We have broken down the devices into two categories to show you the best way to wear your device.
For Wrist-worn Smart Bands
- Wear the band on your non-dominant hand. Check our article on how to wear fitness bands correctly for more information.
- Wear your band on top of your wrist.
- Take care of your comfortability, but also make sure that it touches your wrist properly. You should not wear it too tight or too loose.
- While exercising, you can tighten your band a little and wear it two fingers away from your wrist bone.
- Similarly, when you are not exercising, you can wear it one finger away from your wrist bone.
For Clip Based Smart Bands
- Make sure the band is close to your body when you wear it.
- Moreover, the display screen must be outward faced so that you can check the tracking.
- Tighten the clip of your fitness band to make it more secure and comfortable.
- Put the smart band on outside clothing if your skin is irritated. If not, you can clip it on your bra or waistbands.
- Check by putting the clip-based smart band on various locations to ensure the most efficient one.
Where To Wear Fitbit?
You can also ensure the accuracy of the band by changing where you decide to wear it. Different activities require different parts of your body to be more active. So, the focus here should be wearing the device where it is most appropriate for it to measure the required.
- You can wear the clip-based fitness bands in the ankles while walking slowly.
- Whereas you can wear them on our torso while walking at a normal pace.
- Jogging and sleeping call out the wrist bands to be more accurate and precise in reading.
Comparison Of Fitbit Fitness Tracker Accuracy With Other Brands
Here are some of the brands that compete in the market alongside Fitbit for best accuracy:
| Fitbit | Apple Watch | Garmin | Samsung |
| The error rate of 6.5 percent to 8 percent | The error rate of 2.5 percent | Second on the list of error rates among the four | Highest error rate |
| Best in floors climbed tracking | Best overalls | In the case of measuring VO2 max, it is best. | Good health apps but not in tracking |
Frequently asked questions:
Which Fitbit Fitness Tracker is Most Accurate?
Like many people, you might have the same question in mind about which fitness tracker is the most accurate. There is a fair chance that you think the higher price means more accurate fitness bands. However, it might not always be true.
Researches tell us that the Fitbit Charge 2, as well as its descendants, are pretty accurate in terms of counting the heartbeat.
Since it is the same brand, all of the descendants of Fitbit use the same technology. What’sWhat’s more? The sensors are also somewhat similar. The difference with the high priced and low prices bands are just additional features and not the accuracy.
However, studies show that the Fitbit Surge has better results than most Fitbit products in the market. Similarly, the Fitbit Charge HR is also up to the point when it comes to accuracy.
How Do I Change My Fitbit Settings In Apps?
The settings determine what and where to focus. You can even be sure about the preciseness of the activities by customizing the settings to the way you want. Here are some points you should consider:
Setting Wrist Orientation
Fitbit gives you the option to change the setting to the dominant or non-dominant hand. Make sure you choose the right one considering the hand you do not use for daily activities. If not, the settings will automatically put it to the left/ non-dominant hand mode.
Choosing Stride Length
You can set this by going through a distance, you know the length of and then dividing it by the steps you take. You will find the accuracy better with the stride length determined.
Collaborate With Other Apps
You can choose various apps, including Fitbit Health, to track your fitness activities. It will make it easier for you to collaborate by choosing the version that is suitable for you i.e., Android, Windows, or iOS.
Proper Use Of GPS
If you are using Fitbit that gives you the GPS facility, make use of it whenever you find it difficult to track the activities. It makes you more prone to accurate results as it can make a smart guess of what you are doing by the location you are at.
How Do I Set My Personal Profile?
You are unique and different. This is what you should believe and move forward in life. You might find it interesting that your fitness band also believes in this fact.
So, you must set your personal profile when you first use the band such that you can maintain the accuracy of where you are now and where you want to be later.
This will include your personal pieces of information like age, gender, heights, weights, and much more. What happens if you do not fill out this information then? For the long term, the fitness band will generalize your settings and work as per its factory settings.
As a result, you will face issues in its accuracy. What’s more difficult is that you might even get the wrong calorie burn amounts affecting your workout schedule as a whole.
How Do You Calibrate Your Fitbit Device?
Calibration helps your device to know exactly what activity you have been doing. You will be amused by the fact that these calibration techniques will get you to measure your data more efficiently.
Sometimes the smart device may confuse your activities with something else like when you are driving; it may turn on the steps tracking. In such a case, calibration will rescue the day.
Last Words
If you want a general idea of all the fitness activities you have been trying to involve in, Fitbit will not disappoint you at all. It is one of the best among all of the fitness bands in the market.
However, we suggest you check out with your medical personnel if you mean to search for a fitness band for special health reasons.
Though Apple Watches are more accurate in some sense, they are more expensive and only work with iOS systems properly. Hence, your best choice would be Fitbit when it comes to affordability as well as comfortability.
