How the Most Popular Fitness Trackers Differ in Size
When we use fitness trackers, we assume that the data is accurate, but no two ways of calculating steps or calories are the same. One reporter wore five trackers for a week and found that each had a different dimension.
Amir Khan of US News & World Report wore five fitness trackers for most of the week to compare their accuracy: Fitbit Force, Garmin Vivofit, Jawbone Up, Samsung Galaxy Gear and Samsung Galaxy Note 4 smartwatches, a phone with built-in fitness tracking. …
This is just one person for six days, so this is not a thorough scientific study, but the new results are roughly consistent with a similar mini-study we highlighted last year: all trackers record the same pattern of ups and downs, but the exact number calories or steps does not match from device to device. Khan’s Fitbit, the lowest performing company in the group, reported 924 fewer steps per day than the average across all devices.
Khan writes:
How dare he deceive me with hard-earned steps? According to [exercise specialist Christie] Lane, I shouldn’t feel this way. “This may sound like a big difference, but overall it is unlikely to have a significant impact” on your health, explains Lane. “There are very few significant differences in the reports of different trackers.” That’s why.
None of the trackers counted my steps the same way, which didn’t surprise Lane as each tracker defines what a step is a little differently. “All of these trackers use accelerometers and filter [data] in a proprietary way to turn it into a step,” she says. “But at the end of the day, the difference is so small that it doesn’t matter to the consumer.” Even if the difference was between 500 and 900 steps.
Lane suggests choosing the fitness tracker that’s best for your life , rather than chasing accuracy. Then, she says, take that value as a basis and strive to increase your performance day by day. We know it’s best to use a tracker as a tool to keep you motivated and track changes over time , so this tip makes sense.
Check out the full post on US News & World Report to learn more about the comparison of the five trackers, including charts showing steps and calories from each device.
Fitness Tracker Faceoff: What I Learned From Wearing 5 Gadgets In 6 Days | US News & World Report