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How does Garmin calculate floors climbed?

miguelafr
over 4 years ago

I thought Garmin uses the barimeter/altimeter to calculate the floors climbed, but I am not sure if this is assumption is true. My watch calculates the floors climbed very well. If I am at home the floors climbed during the day is 0, and if I go to the street and I come home back, the floors climbed are usually 5 or 6. I live on the 6th floor and therefore it means this works very well. However, even though I stay at home all the day, the graph displayed by the altimeter widget shows like the altitude changes around +-50 meters a day, specially during the night which is usually higher. Also, when I start a new activity with the GPS enabled the altitude is drastically changed usually to a lower value. Just for your information, the barometer is configured as Automatic in the watch mode. So, I have several questions related to this just out of curiosity:

1) Why the floors climbed are almost exact but the altimeter shows changes in the altitude even I stay at home?
2) I usually don't have my watch connected to the my mobile phone via bluetooth, does this setting affect to the behaviour of the altimeter?

  • +1 over 4 years ago

    Hi, hopefully this helps. 

    Garmin devices that feature a barometric altimeter sensor can determine when you are going up or down by detecting a change in air pressure which will change as you climb or descend a flight of stairs or a hill for example. Knowing this information allows the device to give you credit towards your daily floors climbed goal.

    In order to receive credit you need to meet the following requirements:

    • A floor climbed is equal to 10 feet (3 meters) in elevation gain

    • Consistent arm movement tied to walking as you climb
      • Riding in an elevator would not earn you credit nor would riding a bike up a hill/mountain
      • Stopping in the middle of climbing could result in loss of credit

    Based on what you are saying if it's detecting change in pressure when you are at home, but not counting stairs, there probably isn't enough arm movement to credit a floor climbed. It wouldn't have anything to do with being connected to bluetooth or not. 

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to Garmin-Brooks

    Thank you very much Garmin-Brooks. I asked about the bluetooth connection just in case of the Garmin synchronizes the altitude using the GPS of the mobile phone or something like that. In any case, your reply explains the information shown by my watch very well. Thanks!

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to miguelafr

    Your barometer reads pressure changes from your watch.  A Bluetooth connection has nothing to do with counting floors,. If you have the altimeter to calibrate outside of activity, it will use the phones location to calibrate altitude based on the phones location one time only during your set sleep time as long as there's a Bluetooth connection between your watch and phone, but this has nothing to do with floors counted. 

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to who knows
    who knows said:
    location one time only during your set sleep time

    I have read this before in the forum.

    Is this mentioned in the manual or is there an official statement made by garmin in their website?

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to DPSK

    support.garmin.com/.../

    Tap on the blue Auto Calibration: Not During Activity for details. 

  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to Garmin-Brooks

    I have the same issue with stairs or incline in elevation such as on a path.  My Garmin 945 is frequently inconsistent, whether indoors or outdoors.  Outside I could climb several flights of stairs.  Then I have to pause at the top to wait for the watch to display the floors climbed. The next time up the stair count might be different.  Then if I walk or run the same elevation on a nearby path, and also starting and ending at the same spot, I get no elevation gain.  Yes, I do move my arms and move at a consistent pace.

    I just did a stairs workout in my 7 story building.  The first two climbs to the top, my watch (after a looong delay) reflected 7 flights climbed each time.  I did this routine 4 more times and it only counted 6 additional flights of stairs in total.  I should have 42 flights of stairs currently displayed on my watch and it says 20.  I move my arms and did not stop while climbing.  

    It’s bothersome and quite unfortunate that this expensive multi sport watch is so inaccurate.

  • 0 over 1 year ago in reply to 1182132

    I have not seen yet one Garmin watch to be accurate on altitude readings:

    •  I run a loop, the two ends are tens of feet elevation different.
    • I did today a sea level elevation walk.  According to my Instinct Solar at one time I was 120 ft. under sea level.
    • Check your current elevation at home from time to time…