How does a wrist pedometer count steps?

[LisaR]

My basic pocket pedometer that I've had for a few years broke. I know the wrist ones are all the rage. I can't wrap my head around how something on my wrist can accurately track how many steps I am taking.

Do you find the wrist ones to be accurate for counting steps? How can it tell the different between steps I've taken and the movement required to drink my wine?

 

[APiratesLifeForMe2]

I don't know the technology but we went boating one day with my dad and his went crazy saying he had walked some insane amount of steps just from the bumps of the boat.

 

[spacemountainmom]

The way I understand it, the wrist ones are supposed to track the swing of your arms as you walk. I have passed on upgrading my fitbit zip to a wrist model for that very reason. I do quite a bit of walking in my job, but usually have my walkie in one hand and a water bottle in the other so my arms are not swinging much. I've also heard stories of people waving their arms around to get their number of "steps" up for the day.

I'd would love to try wearing both the wrist model and my pocket model at the same time to compare. I am not willing to spend the money only to find out that the pocket pedometer works better for me.

 

[maslex]

My basic pocket pedometer that I've had for a few years broke. I know the wrist ones are all the rage. I can't wrap my head around how something on my wrist can accurately track how many steps I am taking.

Do you find the wrist ones to be accurate for counting steps? How can it tell the different between steps I've taken and the movement required to drink my wine?

I'm not sure how they work. But I do know that I have bought 2 different brands (FitBit and Garmin) I had been eyeballing the FitBit for quite some time and decided to buy it. I returned it the next day only because I noticed that while I'm at work (I drive a school bus) that it counted every single bump I went over. Before I even stepped on the bus I had like 200 steps on my pedometer, then I drove my run and before I even stepped off of the bus I had something like 1400 steps or so. I was like . So then I decided to get the Garmin (which my husband had that brand and LOVED it). Same thing happened. So I returned that one too and decided that wearing one while I was driving just wasn't the thing for me. He loves his though.

 

[LisaR]

Thanks, everyone! I just ordered a new pocket pedometer. I'm not taking the chance on the wrist models. I'll be back in business on Tuesday!

 

[lovetoscrap]

I can't decide if I want to upgrade my fitbit One for the Charge. I have had quite a few times that I thought I had lost the One because it fell out of my pocket or waistband. And I forget it in my pants pockets a lot. It is a miracle I haven't washed it yet! I think I would like the wrist one better and it would be more practical for me but I use my hands a lot when I talk so not sure that it would work for me. I also would like a prettier color than they currently offer!

 

[Kayabee]

It doesn't record your steps it just records the movement of your arm. I posted in a thread recently about how I was sitting at my dining room table with friends, drinking and playing cards and it recorded my sips as steps. I sat on my butt for hours yet somehow managed a 1000 steps lol.