We are currently on our 2nd set of pedometers as the first ones we bought were so inacurate. We have set an approximate stride length.
We just ordered new pedometers with our Campbells soup labels and they are not proving to be accurate either. Do we need to invest in higher quality pedometers or are we missing something?
The quality of pedometers can vary greatly, as most pedometers are made to be cheap trinkets that can be given away for free. These are highly inaccurate. Others, like the DIGI-WALKER and NEW-LIFESTYLES NL-series accelerometers have been engineered to be accurate and reliable.
I'm not sure what you mean when you say, "We have set an approximate stride length." Pedometers measure step count (it's what they've been engineered to do--measure vertical acceleration), but they can only calculate distance (based upon the stride length you enter into the pedometer). So, the distance is an estimate. What's important is the accuracy of the step count when choosing a pedometer.
I think www.pedometers.com does a great job of reviewing pedometers, and it also has a lot of information on how a pedometer works and what makes some better than others.
You'll get the biggest bang for you buck from a DIGI-WALKER pedometer (http://www.digiwalker.com). If your budget is extremely tight and you can't afford a DIGI-WALKER pedometer, then Activity Technologies pedometers are a good alternative (www.activitytech.com). Activity Technologies pedometers are the "best of the hairspring" pedometers. They won't last as long as, i.e., maintain their accuracy as long as, the DIGI-WALKER SW-series coiled spring pedometers or the NL-series piezoelectric strain gauge pedometers.
Thank you for your email.
Teresa Vollenweider, President
NEW LIFESTYLES, INC.
Fitness and Pedometer Expert
