Fitbits ‘make huge errors’

FASHIONABLE fitness trackers make huge errors when it comes to measuring calories burned during exercise, a study has found.

Fitbits and other brands of the gadgets, which are often worn on the wrist, have an error rate ranging from 27 to 93 per cent, scientists at Stanford University said.

Seven brands were tested against ‘gold-standard’ instruments when 60 volunteers walked, ran and cycled. They are thought to get it wrong by failing to judge differences in people’s metabolisms. But they were better than expected at measuring heart rate.