Fenix 5s - 0 floors climbed!

I'd bet my life savings that it has nothing to do with the barometric altimeter.

They use various algorithms on the accelerometer data to determine things like twisting your wrist over (to enable the backlight) and the sharp upward or downward motion of climbing or descending stairs.

I don't think this is correct. As an example, the only Fitbit devices (using it since it's the 'leader' in activity tracking for some people) that are able to determine floors climbed are the ones that list an altimeter in their specs. If it's really just some lines of code with the accelerometer (which all Fitbit devices have) then why wouldn't they just simply make it available across their whole product lineup? And if you are saying it's price then look at the One and the Flex: both at the same exact price, the One has an altimeter and can count floors climbed, the Flex doesn't have one and also doesn't count floors.
Fitbit's help page about floors climbed: https://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/1141

Same thing with the Apple Watch and the iPhone: the iPhone has a gyro, a accelerometer and a barometer and also counts floors, the Apple Watch has a accelerometer and even a gyroscope, yet doesn't count floors. You'd think that Apple would really want to add this functionality since they are trying to position the watch as an activity tracker that is also a fitness watch.

Edit: CatalinEnache was faster than me AND even provided a link from Garmin, hats off!

As an example, the only Fitbit devices (using it since it's the 'leader' in activity tracking for some people) that are able to determine floors climbed are the ones that list an altimeter in their specs.

True Story! I used to use fitbits, and had a cat that never seems to move much - all it did was sleep it seemed.... I had a FB One that I put on her collar. (it turns out she was QUITE active, but only at night!)

Anyways, you be amazed how many floors she got (I live in a one story house). She'd get them when she jumped on the counter (Bad cat!), when she was going past the AC vents, etc.....

When I still wore the One, I was cleaning my fridge, and I got 10 floors. The cold/warm air was messing with the air pressure enough to get floors.

With something like floors, people don't worry if they get more than they expect, only when they get less. I've found the Garmins to be better as far as accuracy (I've had a va-hr since it came out and now a f5)

What I have found with both my F3HR and now my F5 is if I ensure good arm swing while climbing the stairs then it will register a floor count much more reliably than when I don't swing as much. So I would have to agree that accelerometer does come into play for floor count. In any case give it a try using extra arm swing and see how you go.

What I have found with both my F3HR and now my F5 is if I ensure good arm swing while climbing the stairs then it will register a floor count much more reliably than when I don't swing as much. So I would have to agree that accelerometer does come into play for floor count. In any case give it a try using extra arm swing and see how you go.

Also in the manual:

The floors climbed amount does not seem accurate:

Your device uses an internal barometer to measure elevation changes as you climb floors. A floor climbed is equal to 3 m (10 ft.).
Avoid holding handrails or skipping steps while climbing stairs.

So could I ask, for clarification, what are the right/best settings to use to get the watch to count floors?

Mine was counting floors yesterday but this morning doesn't appear to be doing so.

I will be interested to have this answer too. However, I wonder what effect changing settings will have on the barometer readings.

BTW - did more than 30 floors on Friday and had only 11 register

Like I advised earlier just swing your watch arm even more than usual while climbing your stairs. It definitely ends up counting more accurately floors climbed when you do exaggerate the arm swing and I have tested it on numerous occasions both with my F3HR and now F5.

I still have discrepancies with the number of floors counted being inconsistent and inaccurate, the count is always lower than I have actually climbed. I am also seeing altimeter inaccuracies. No matter where I calibrate the altimeter or how (manual or GPS) it is never accurate to my actual location. For example I calibrated my altimeter at home to the correct elevation for that location, I then drove to my office and when I got to work the elevation showed was 11 meters lower than what it should be.

I have downloaded Beta 2.96 and done a factory reset

Can anyone advise? any help would be much appreciated

Same here. However, this is what I THINK may be going on:
- Altimeter / Barometer mode is chosen based on movement
- Driving, for example, will likely not give correct readings (as some of the change in pressure could be associated with barometric changes). That is, rightly or wrongly, how I explain the differences after having driven some distance.
- Floor count seems to only count up and down as a floor. Just climbing up or down alone doesn't seem to count.

As noted, though, this is just my thinking on the matter. I am not sure what a solution might be either :(

I think you could be right, but on that basis the elevation/altimeter will need resetting at every location, basically rendering it redundant. There are too many issues with this watch now to justify the price. When you pay that kind of money you expect things to work, I had a Fitbit Blaze that cost a third of the price of the F5 that counted stairs accurately. I was never interested in elevation or barometric pressure before I bought this watch but now it doesn't work I have become obsessed with it. :)