I wore six fitness watches for 6,000 steps. This brand was the most accurate.

Doctors inform us to attempt to get 10,000 steps a day, however nearly nobody makes use of a pedometer to verify. Instead, we depend on our health smartwatches to inform us once we’ve hit our objective. But do you have to belief your watch’s step counter accuracy? I made a decision to check this for myself. I strapped on six smartwatches without delay — an Apple Watch Series 6, Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, Garmin Forerunner 265, COROS APEX 2 Pro, Fitbit Sense, and Amazfit T-Rex Ultra — and walked laps round my neighborhood whereas counting each single step in my head (and oh boy, was it tedious). Once I hit 5,000 steps, I in contrast the real-world quantity towards what every watch stated. Then I ran a further 1,000 steps, checking to see if it was any kind of correct if I used to be shifting at a sooner tempo with longer strides.So, are smartwatches correct for step counting? It is determined by which model you personal. Sunday Runday(Image credit score: Android Central)In his new weekly column, Android Central Fitness Editor Michael Hicks talks concerning the world of wearables, apps, and general health tech associated to operating and well being.I particularly subtracted any “steps” taken earlier than the take a look at began. This made the beginning situations equal, but additionally erased the commonest explanation for step-counter inaccuracy: watches’ accelerometers and/or gyroscopes measuring “steps” from you simply shifting your arms round as a part of each day life.That apart, right here had been my smartwatch step counter take a look at outcomes after strolling 5,000 steps and operating 1,000 steps:Amazfit T-Rex Ultra: 5,046 strolling, 984 operatingApple Watch: 4,940 strolling, 1,050 runningCOROS APEX 2 Pro: 5,070 strolling, 989 operatingFitbit Sense: 4,714 strolling, 994 operatingGarmin Forerunner 265: 5,014 strolling, 999 operatingSamsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro: 5,074 strolling, 1,039 runningIgnoring the Fitbit Sense’s surprisingly inaccurate strolling outcomes for a second, you possibly can see that almost all of those watches fall inside a ±100-step vary of the true consequence — or double that for 10,000 steps. So in the event you exit for a stroll and hit 10Okay, you possibly can typically assume you are not too far off the mark. The operating outcomes solely look extra correct at first look; quintuple the distinction, and you may see how, particularly, the Apple Watch Series 6 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro wrestle to precisely rely operating strides, in comparison with strolling. Dedicated operating watches do higher, together with Fitbit (regardless of its early step-counting struggles).Ranking them for closest accuracy, the Garmin Forerunner 265 is the clear winner, simply 15 steps off in whole and solely 1 off for operating monitoring. Amazfit’s flagship watch (62 steps off) and the COROS APEX 2 Pro (81) take second and third place, each predictably doing effectively for operating knowledge. Apple (110), Samsung (113), and Fitbit (292) take up the ultimate three spots.(Image credit score: Michael Hicks / Android Central)[Before anyone gets up in arms, I’m aware the math says Apple was only 10 steps off 6,000 because it was 60 short for walking and 50 long for running, the two inaccuracies canceling each other out. That’s not how I chose to measure accuracy, because someone either only walking or only running wouldn’t get a super-accurate result.]As a remaining level, I additionally stored an Android cellphone (the Samsung Galaxy S22+) in my pocket throughout my stroll/run, as a baseline to check and see in the event you do not even want a smartwatch for step counting. The outcomes? 5069 and 998. That final consequence positively shocked me, because it did much better than Samsung’s personal top-tier watch. Generally talking, it is fairly correct, about on par with Amazfit and COROS; you simply do not get the entire different health-tracking advantages {that a} smartwatch provides.Analyzing my completely unscientific smartwatch step-counting take a look atThese watches’ step counts had been nearly precisely the identical, however Garmin’s was nonetheless barely extra correct than COROS’. (Image credit score: Michael Hicks / Android Central)I had no concept how tedious it might be to discover a bunch of useless watches sitting in my closet, discover all of the proprietary charging cables, recharge and replace them one after the other, sync them to my Android cellphone or iPhone, after which squeeze three watches onto every wrist. In idea, a watch being barely larger on my arm might have affected the outcomes a bit, so I did my finest to mitigate that and stored them shut collectively.Then I walked in 93º climate whereas all of my neighbors gave me very judgy and confused stares (aka “Why the heck is this weirdo wearing six watches? Is he the Clock King?”), attempting to maintain rely in my head whereas protecting a constant strolling tempo.So, yeah, I considered doing the take a look at once more, presumably with different watches from the identical manufacturers, or simply to see if the winners and losers had been constant. But no method am I doing it once more, sorry buddies! You can strive the experiment at house your self to see what outcomes you get, if you would like.I do not personal (or could not match) each smartwatch model; I missed loads of Wear OS watches like Pixel Watch, TicWatch, and Fossil Gen 6, in addition to different operating manufacturers like Polar.Moreover, I haven’t got the most recent variations of sure manufacturers’ flagship watches just like the Fitbit Sense 2 or Apple Watch Series 8. But to be truthful, you nearly by no means hear something a few watch’s accelerometer being X% extra correct than the final technology in advertising supplies. It’s not clear what number of manufacturers are literally enhancing them from yr to yr, now that they’ve hit a sure baseline of accuracy.(Image credit score: Michael Hicks / Android Central)The level is, that is hardly a scientific take a look at, and also you might need very totally different outcomes relying in your peak, strolling stride, cadence, and different elements. Plus, like I stated earlier than, on a regular basis false positives for steps are an actual downside. Even although the Garmin Forerunner 265 gained the battle for step accuracy, I’ve seen my step rely climbing when doing nothing however sitting at my desk. Something so simple as stretching or pointing at one thing can set off it. And when strolling and not using a pure arm movement, akin to when I’m holding a cellphone in my hand, the shortage of back-and-forth motion can befuddle the accelerometer. The level is, in the event you do need to stroll 10,000 steps a day, or no matter step rely your watch’s well being algorithm recommends, you might need to take false steps under consideration and stroll a pair hundred additional steps, simply to be protected. Though in Fitbit’s case, you possibly can assume you are already effectively above 10Okay when you hit it.My private step rely common during the last six months is, paradoxically, 6,000 steps (give or take 100 steps, I suppose). My objective is to attempt to hold elevating that quantity by the point I hit 2024, as I try to enhance my VO2 Max and different metrics. So I’m blissful that my each day Garmin watch, the Forerunner 265, is fairly darn correct on step counting, even when they nonetheless have room for enchancment. Add to that the truth that it is also among the many most correct relating to GPS monitoring, and it is no fluke that it sits on the highest of our greatest operating watches record. But for folks with commonplace way of life watches just like the Apple Watch or Galaxy Watch, 200 steps off the mark after 10,000 whole is not so horrible that it’s best to suppose severely about switching manufacturers. It’s simply one thing to pay attention to!Why correct step counting issues(Image credit score: Michael Hicks / Android Central)According to a examine by the Journal of American Medical Association, strolling 10,000 steps a day results in lowered threat for heart problems, most cancers, or mortality usually for older sufferers. The NIH discovered that for hypertension sufferers, three months of each day strolling reduces your common systolic rating by about 10 factors. Consistent strolling can enhance cognitive operate and reminiscence, based on an Alzheimer’s journal examine, in addition to your temper. Your muscular tissues are strengthened, combatting pure muscle weak spot and shakiness from getting older. It not solely makes contracting Type 2 diabetes much less seemingly but additionally helps stabilize your blood sugar you probably have diabetes.Plus, after all, there’s the plain profit that strolling about 5 miles will burn tons of of energy — seemingly someplace between 300 and 600, relying in your weight and tempo. All of this helps clarify why so lots of the finest health smartwatches incorporate step counting into their watch faces and well being snapshots. It’s the one metric that provides well being advantages throughout the board, particularly for middle-aged-and-older customers dealing with critical illnesses.